The surname of Thompson is a patronymic which originates from son of Thomas, shortened to Tom.
For more information on possible origins of the name and family see the Thompson One Name Study
George Thompson was born in 1793 at an unknown location in North Carolina. At an unknown age he moved to Marengo Co., Alabama, although his family may have lived in Georgia in the interim.
George is probably related to a group of Thompsons which originated in Norfolk Co., VA (George, Theophilus, and John) and migrated to Robeson Co., NC (Theophilus, Tremigan, Henry, Theophilus, Jr., Lemuel, George, and John). The Thompsons may have originated at Triminham, England where several Thompson are known to have lived. Later some of the same group migrated to Wilkes Co., GA (George) and Marengo Co., AL (Thomas M., Anne).
The Thompsons of Norfolk descend from Theophilus Thompson, an English seaman, who was probably born in England around 1720. It appears that he came to America somewhere between 1736 and 1746 and engaged in the mercantile business in Norfolk, Virginia. Theophilus had six sons: Trimmigan, Theofilus, George, Henry, John, and Lemuel. Theophilus was apparently lost at sea on a return trip to England to buy a stock of goods for his business. For more details on these Thompsons, see the site on the Thompsons of Eastern North Carolina by Mary Ann Thompson-Dorman.
Another possibility is George Thompson who is shown in the land records of Pittsylvania Co., Virginia, which show him as being of Fluvanna Co., Virginia. George married Ann Ogletree and had son Joseph. Another source says a George and Ann Thompson were married in North Carolina and had a daughters Susannah who married Aaron Formby and Nancy who married Thomas Formby.
The George Thompson who lived with his wife Ann and family in Wilkes Co., GA in 1806-1808 may be George's family. It appears that they had children named Joseph, Frances, John, George, Mary, Peggy, Sally, Ann, Lucy, Betsy, Nancy, Morning and Susannah. George Thompson also had daughters named Frances, Mary, Ann, and Susannah. The son George may in fact be the same George. His birth date in 1793 in NC would make him about the same age as George the younger of Wilkes Co, GA. Since Drucilla Knight was born in GA, perhaps the families knew each other there and moved to Marengo Co. together.
In 1820 in Marengo Co., Alabama, George Thompson married Drusilla Knight, a native of Georgia, born in 1806. They lived in Alabama until about 1842 when they moved to Newton County, Texas.
In 1827 a Joseph E. Thompson married Harriet Johnson in Marengo County. Joseph was born about 1803 and was in the 1850 Marengo census. Joseph may have been the Joseph who was the son of George and Ann Thompson in Wilkes Co., GA and thus perhaps the brother of George Thompson.
About 1842 the Thompson family moved to Newton Co., Texas. They lived in the Jasper District, which later became Jasper Co., Texas, where George Thompson operated a sawmill.
Shortly after 1850 the Thompsons moved to Angelina Co., Texas, apparently following the virgin timber westward through the pine belt of East Texas. George and Drusilla lived in Angelina County the rest of their lives.
George and Drusilla Knight Thompson had the following children:
None known.
Please report any Thompson information by e-mail to Lee. Please mention this web site in your message.
Return to Home Page
MLM: 27 Mar 1998
