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Thompson Family papers

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Held at: Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections [Contact Us]370 Lancaster Ave, Haverford, PA 19041

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
MC.855
Repository:
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Extent:
.5 linear ft. (1 box)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Thompson Family papers (HC.MC.855), Quaker & Special Collections, Haverford College, Haverford, PA.
Date:
1751-1876 (inclusive)
Creator:
Thompson, Jonah, 1702 or 1703-1780
Abstract:
Correspondence, genealogy, silhouette, printed material, certificate, testimony, and accounts. Includes letters from Jonah Thompson (written 1756-1758) and son John Thompson to family in England (written 1773-1805). Letters (written 1840-1874) of John's grandson, John James Thompson, to cousin John Thompson (Hitchin, England) discuss family news, national and political questions, slavery, business, and financial conditions.

Jonah Thompson (1702 or 1703­-1780) was the son of Isaac and Hannah Lawson Thompson. He was a schoolmaster and established a Quaker school at Compton, Dorsetshire (England) ca. 1735. He was a minister and made a religious visit to America in 1750-­51. Jonah married Mary Beaton in 1735. Their children included John (1744-1819), sent to the U.S. at age 26, and Thomas (1746-­1826), who married Ann Gregory and succeeded his father at his school at Compton. Thomas and Ann's children included John (d. 1877), who was in business at Hitchin (England). Jonah's son John (1744-­1819) came to America in 1770, taught in Anthony Benezet's Philadelphia school and was afterwards a merchant. He married Rebecca Chalkley James in 1782. Their son, James B. Thompson (b. 1785), merchant, married Lydia Poultney in 1809. James and Lydia's children included Rebecca, who married Isaac P. Morris (1803­-1869); and John James Thompson (1815­-1875), manufacturer and member of I.P. Morris & Co., who married Elizabeth Hough Trotter. Their son, James Beaton Thompson (1855­-1915), was a member of Philadelphia Monthly Meeting and Haverford College graduate (class of 1874).

This collection includes correspondence, genealogy, silhouette, printed material, certificate, testimony, accounts.

Papers include letters from Jonah Thompson (written 1756-1758), accounts of his expenses in attempting to gain possession of land left him in America by Nathaniel Tilley (written 1753-1755), and his certificate of travel issued by New Port R.I. Yearly Meeting in 1751.

Letters of his son John to family in England (written 1773-1805) relate his experiences in Philadelphia; letters of John's grandson John James Thompson to his cousin John Thompson (at Hitchin, England) discuss family news, national and political questions, slavery, business and financial conditions, tariffs, and settlement of N.E. boundary of U.S. (written 1840-1874).

In addition there are letters from James B. Thompson (written 1876), George Thompson (written 1849), Louis Street (written 1868), John Jay Smith (written 1874), John Pleasants, Jr. (written 1751), John T. Lewis (written 1867-1869), Henry G. Landgraff, Elizabeth Coggeshall (written 1851) and Edward Armstrong (written 1868). Most of these additional letters are addressed to John Thompson at Hitchin. The collection also contains miscellaneous manuscripts, including genealogical notes on the Thompson family.

The collection is arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

Box and Folder Listing and More Information

Original processing information unknown.

People
Subject

Publisher
Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections
Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17).

Collection Inventory

Edward Armstrong.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

2 letters Sept. 23, 1868 and Dec. 9, 1868, addressed to John Thompson [Hitchin?] topics:

-EA editing Penn­Logan correspondence to be published by Historical Society of Pa.

-wishes to secure picture of William Penn

-inquires about Place portrait and its authenticity

-re: crayon drawing of Wm. Penn in "Penns and Penningtons," apparently the Place portrait, discusses its authenticity

Elizabeth H. Coggeshall.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

1 letter 7 mo. 17, 1815, addressed to A[nn] T[hompson] at Compton also a silhouette of EHC topics: -family matters and health -met "thy dear daughter Whittell when in Chester" -expects to go soon to U.S.

Genealogical Notes.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

misc. notes on Thompson family genealogy

Henricus G. Landgraff.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Letter undated [18­­?], addressed to "Mr. Thompson at Compton near Sherborne" topics: -in Latin (signed "Heinricus Goodfredus Landgrafius")

John T. Lewis.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

4 letters March 22, 1867 to April 13, 186[9?], addressed to John Thompson, Hitchin topics: -family matters -family gathering at which family heirlooms -displayed -JTL has joined the Episcopal Church and is warden of St. James Church -inquires about Wm. Lewis, ancestor -Pa. Hospital for the Insane -Liberia

John Pleasants Jr.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Letter 2 mo. 13, 1751, addressed to "Jonah Tomson" topics: -re: to the purchase of land on which he has secured an option -religious discussion

Louis Street.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Letter 1 mo. 2, [18]68, addressed to William Ransom topics: -letter from Madagascar asks for clothing for hot weather to be sent, suggests John Thompson be asked to make clothing

John Jay Smith.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

2 Letters Aug. 3 and 14, 1874, addressed to John Thompson, Hitchin topics: -declines invitation to Hitchin -high price obtained for S. Smith's History of N.J. -Darlington Conference -JJS going to see Mr. Allen re: copying portraits of Wm. Penn and wife -promises photos of Wm. Penn painting

George Thompson.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Letter Glasgow Feb. 7­10, 1849, addressed to John Thompson, [Hitchin?] (see image below) topics: -re: President Roberts and Liberia -describes purchase of a ship and of a packet service to Liberia (in U.S.) -ship has a Black crew, most stockholders Black -suggests the establishment of a similar service from "here" as in U.S. -reports progress on a new method of making soda -successful purchase of ship and establishment of packet service to Liberia, with ship manned by a Black crew and owned by Black stockholders

James B. Thompson.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Letter 9 mo. 19, [1876], addressed to "Cousin John" [Thompson, Hitchin?] topics: -re: Centennial in Philadelphia and large crowds, hotels packed and RRs busy -family matters and hot weather

John Thompson, 1773-1794.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

4 letters July 5, 1773 to 7 mo. 25, 1805, addressed to sister Nancy and brother Thomas (in England) topics: -little likelihood of his returning to England -death of one of his best friends, Dr. Evans (1773) -describes visit to S. Emlen, who "spoke much in -favour of matrimony" -asks for pocketbooks to be sent for young ladies he knows -deeds for land -sending a "packett" by Morris Birkbeck and other Friend returning home [England] after religious visit -"packett" contains book with names of original purchasers and map of Liberties -start of Rev. War -acknowledges receipt of turnip seed -refers to recent epidemic [yellow fever?] -his own poor health -sympathy for death of brother's wife -JT has store with oldest son, next son 18 years old and apprentice -weather -mistaken idea that it's cheaper to live in America -evils of cheap liquor -sends message to D. Roberts and family -refers to visit from William Crotch

John J. Thompson, 1840-1868.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

Thompson, John J. 7 letters Oct. 30, 1840 to 11 mo. 27, 1874, addressed to John Thompson, Hitchin topics: -re: their common ancestor, Thomas Lawson -work of cousin Mary Roberts -family news -visit of cousin Thompson Neave in Phila. -penny postage system -slavery question, says "misunderstood in your country" and in this section "we are all decided abolitionists" -early legal efforts to abolish slavery in U.S. thwarted by English government -attitude of Southerners on slavery -comparison of conditions of enslaved people to those of miners and laborers in England -business conditions -financial crisis in U.S. -desirability of having N.E. boundary settled -Uncle George accepting appointment as warden of Eastern Penitentiary -European trip of Charles Neave -inability to find letters of ancestor Jonah Thompson -evils of British opium war -death of Jonah Thompson on "9th ult." (1861) -acknowledges receipt of Friends papers and photos of portraits of Wm. and Hannah Penn -William Tallack and his writings -expresses approval at Parliaments action in regard to Established Irish Church -reconstruction difficulties in the South -disappointment in President and failure to impeach -probability that Friends will support Grant in next election -Smith's Catalogue deficient in names of American Friends, a list of names omitted being prepared -changes in firm due to death of Isaac P. Morris -orders books -President Grant's plan to use Friends in managing Indians -Pacific RR and possibility of its bringing large numbers of Chinese people to east, Chinese labor better than Irish or German -regrets can't get daguerreotypes of Hannah and Wm. Penn for Penn­Logan correspondence being edited by Edward Armstrong -death of William Allinson, Dr. Henry Hartshorne (Haverford College) appointed in his place as editor of Friends Review -ill health of James Morris -re: prohibition movement -visit of Yardley Warner -R. Pearsall Smith left Society of Friends -death of James T. Morris (nephew) on 9 mo. 23, 1874 -visit of Robert P. and Hannah Smith to England -mention of John Jay Smith folder also includes: -circulars of May Collection of anti­slavery -material at Cornell University (1874) and of Port Richmond Iron Works (I.P. Morris & Co.) -acknowledgment of a contribution to May Collection at Cornell of anti­slavery material from John Thompson, giving list of books presented (1875) -newspaper clipping of obit. of JJT (May 26, 1875)

Jonah Thompson (1 of 2).
Box 1
Scope and Contents

2 letters 2 mo. 9, 1756 and 8 mo. 5, 1758, addressed to John Pemberton and William Logan topics: re: finding two servants willing to leave England and go to America and work for John Pemberton -sending medicines requested by mother of John Pemberton -JT's affairs a mess due to his absence in U.S. -JT may go to Bristol to better support his family -proposes Joseph Beck instead of R. Champion to be joined with Jonah in the letter of attorney -JT gone to Wm. Logan's uncle's place to take an catalog of his books -Samuel Emlen to set sail for "Charlestown" -mentions "Mordeca Yarnald" folder also includes: -typed genealogy of JT (1 p.) -travel certificate of JT dated 4 mo. 17, 1751 from New Port, R.I. Yearly Meeting to Quarterly Meeting in "Bridport" in Great Britain -list of meetings in America visited by JT -"Joseph Ball's draft of a Testimony for Jonah Thompson" -"account of expenses of Jonah Thompson in attempting to get possession of the land in America bequested him by Nathaniel Tilly of Thomford (1753)" [accounts 1753­1755]

Jonah Thompson (2 of 2), 1753.
Box 1
Scope and Contents

2 letters 2 mo. 9, 1756 and 8 mo. 5, 1758, addressed to John Pemberton and William Logan topics: re: finding two servants willing to leave England and go to America and work for John Pemberton -sending medicines requested by mother of John Pemberton -JT's affairs a mess due to his absence in U.S. -JT may go to Bristol to better support his family -proposes Joseph Beck instead of R. Champion to be joined with Jonah in the letter of attorney -JT gone to Wm. Logan's uncle's place to take an catalog of his books -Samuel Emlen to set sail for "Charlestown" -mentions "Mordeca Yarnald" folder also includes: -typed genealogy of JT (1 p.) -travel certificate of JT dated 4 mo. 17, 1751 from New Port, R.I. Yearly Meeting to Quarterly Meeting in "Bridport" in Great Britain -list of meetings in America visited by JT -"Joseph Ball's draft of a Testimony for Jonah Thompson" -"account of expenses of Jonah Thompson in attempting to get possession of the land in America bequested him by Nathaniel Tilly of Thomford (1753)" [accounts 1753-­1755]

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