Thompson Brothers

THOMPSON BROTHERS.—The settlement of the Thompson brothers was made at an early day, probably during the Revolutionary war, about 1776. They were from Ireland, county Longford. After coming to this country they lost a part of what funds they had by the depreciation of Continental currency. The three—Alexander, Andrew, and Robert A.—came to Crawford, with good judgment selected a fine location, and purchased 500 acres on what is now known as Thompson’s Ridge. They divided the tract into three equal farms, each brother having one of them. Alexander’s homestead was the north farm, now owned by the present Alexander Thompson, and on a part of which Hopewell Church stands. Andrew’s was the next south, being the farm now occupied by Nathan T. Thompson, a great-grandson of Andrew. The homestead of Robert A. was the south farm of the three, now occupied by Wm. H. and Robert I. Thompson, great-grandsons of the original owner. These three farms have been owned by the Thompsons from the time of the first settlement to the present. For the first time in about one hundred years of occupancy the middle farm of the three is now offered for sale. The children of the pioneer Alexander were Alexander, Jr., one daughter who died young, and one who became the wife of Col. Moses Crawford, near Collaburgh. The children of Alexander, Jr. (whose wife was a daughter of Daniel Bull), were Albert, of Ontario County, a physician; Augustus, of Crawford; Daniel, the supervisor of the town for a long series of years, and superintendent of the Crawford Railroad; John Alexander, a lawyer of Monticello; Mrs. Hon. Alex. C. Nivezi, Monticello; Mrs. W.W. Jackson, Hamptonburgh; Mrs. Hiram Phillips, Hampton; Mrs. S. Sherman, Davenport, Iowa; and Mrs. Samuel C. Brush and Mrs. Wm. H. Smith, of New York ,City. The sons of the pioneer, Andrew were James, William, Robert R., Alexander, and George, all of whom settled in Crawford. There were two daughters, Mrs. Nathan Young and Mrs. Isaac Schultz. The sons of the pioneer Robert A. were Robert A., Jr., and Andrew, the latter of whom became a minister and died at Mount Hope. There were two daughters, Mrs. Hugh Barcley and Isabella, the latter of whom died in early life. The family, as a rule, were long lived. Robert died at the age of ninety, Alexander at the age of seventy-five, and Alexander, Jr., at the age of eighty-five.