Tag Archives: Cunningham

Robert C Thompson

27 Wednesday May 2020

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Robert C Thompson was born on May 27, 1837 in Gibson County, Indiana to Henry Thompson and Nancy Cunningham. He was one of at least six children born to the couple. His known siblings are Stewart, Margaret, Sally, Elenor and Henry G.

Robert’s mother Nancy died before 1850. Henry married Rebecca Beck in 1851 and they moved the family to Jackson County, Illinois. Henry died in 1853 and is buried in Vermilion County, Illinois. The circumstances of his death are not known, however, Vermilion County is not anywhere near Jackson County.

After his father’s death, it would seem that the Thompsons returned to Indiana where Robert married Sarah Roderick on October 16, 1860. They started with a small farm of twenty acres in Johnson Township and eventually grew it to include two hundred and fifty acres. To their marriage was born six boys and an unnamed infant–Charles, Riley, Ora, John, James and Robert H.

Robert was active in the community and was a member of the International Order of Odd Fellows in Gibson County. His death on May 1, 1880 at the age of 42 was unexpected and came days after the birth of their son Robert. Newspaper accounts stated he had winter fever, otherwise known as pneumonia. His brother Stewart served as executor of his estate. Sarah would continue to work the farm with the help of her sons, even though Riley and Ora would perish as young men. Sarah lived on the family farm until April 21, 1896 when an extended bout of consumption would end her life.

Robert C Thompson was my 3rd great grandfather on my mom’s side.

REFERENCES

  • United States Census, 1850, 1870, 1880
  • Indiana Marriage Collection
  • Weekly Western Sun, April 24, 1896
  • History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana Goodspeed, 1886.
  • Find a Grave website
  • Illinois Wills and Probate Records

Henry and Nancy Cunningham Thompson

24 Wednesday Dec 2014

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My 4th great grandparents are Henry and Nancy Cunningham Thompson.  They are the grandparents of John Frank Thompson.

Henry was born on March 9, 1803 in Virginia.  Some researchers have identified his parents as Robert Thompson and Margaret Gray.  He ventured westward at some point prior to 1830, settling in Washington Township in Gibson County, IN.  He married Nancy Cunningham on April 20, 1830 in Gibson County.  Not a lot is known about Nancy since she died prior to 1850 when the Census listed each person individually.  She is thought to have been born between 1805 and 1810 and died between 1846 and 1850.  Henry died in 1853 and is buried in Vermillion County, IL.  It’s not obvious what he was doing that far from home since the boys remained in the Knox-Gibson area for the duration of their lives.

Henry and Nancy had six children that were alive in 1850 or later.

  • Stewart (1832-1904) married Margaret Jones (1841-1911) in 1858 in Knox County.  They had eight children – Florence, Alice, Eleanor, Thomas, Nancy, Maggie, William and Emma.  According to newspapers of the time, Stewart was a prominent farmer in Johnson Township.
  • Margaret (1835-?)
  • Robert C (1837-1880) married Sarah Roderick (1837-?) in 1860 in Knox County.  They had six children – Charles, Riley, Ora, Frank, James and Robert.
  • Sally (1840-?)
  • Elenor (1843-?)
  • Henry G. (1846-?) married Isadore Jones in 1866.  They had one daughter named California.  After 1870, Isadore and California cannot be found in any of the databases.  Henry disappears until the 1910 census which lists him as a widower working as a cook for the Anthis household in Decker.

The whereabouts of the girls is unknown after their father died in 1853.  They are not showing up in the 1860 census records or the Indiana marriage index.

It doesn’t appear that any of Henry’s sons fought in the Civil War, based on a quick glance of the 80th Indiana Infantry rosters.  Most of the men living in the Knox, Gibson area belonged to that regiment, although it’s not out of the question for them to have  joined up with another unit.

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Washington Township is in the north central part of Gibson County, IN, bordered by the White River on the north.  It sits east of Patoka.

Vermilion County IL is west of Lafayette, IN along the Indiana-Illinois border.