George Thompson, the Welcome Passenger

George Thompson, the Welcome Passenger MARY BURTON DERRICKSON MCCURDY George Thompson, or Thomson, was a passenger on the Welcome with William Penn, and while he was on shipboard he witnessed the wills of John Barber, Thomas Heriott, Isaac Ingram, and William Wade, spelling his name "Thompson"; in some later records it is "Thomson.", On the wills of Heriott, and Wade3 he styled himself a grocer. The Welcome dropped anchor at New Castle on 27 October 1682, and on the following day landed at Upland, which became Chester under Penn.' It was here that the assembly met and the court was held for Chester County. George Thompson evidently first settled in this county, for a deed made the 4th of the 4th month (June) of 1684 shows a George Thomson of Concord selling his land to John Bezer of Chichester., Other evidence that Thompson was in Chester County is found in the court records. At court held at Chester on 14 February 1682/3 there is this entry: "George Thompson appeared at ye Cort & none appeareing against him was cleared by Pclamation." This is followed by: "Lawrence Carolus, for marrying ye abovesd Geo: Thompson & one Merriam Short, Contrary to the Lawes of ye Province, according to his warrt appeared this Cort, was deferred untill ye next Sitting of ye Cort, & ye said Lawrence upon Ja: Saundrlands Engageing in Cort for his appeareance then: ye said Lawrence at that tyme dismissed.", This Lawrence Carolus did not appear at the next court on 27 February 1682/3 nor on 27 June 1683;' finally, at court on 22 August 1683, he was "cleared by Pclamation.". Miriam Short, the woman in the case, was also a passenger on the Welcome. Her uncle, Isaac Ingram, whose will Thompson witnessed, died on the ship, leaving all his goods on board to Adam, Miriam, and Anne Short, the children of his "lately deceased" sister, Miriam Short., George Thompson and Miriam Short were married sometime within the 31/2 months between their arrival at Upland and the abovementioned meeting of the court, by Lawrence Carolus (Lockenius), a Lutheran clergyman who had been serving in that capacity in New Sweden since the time of Lt. Col. John Printz. It is not explained in the court proceedings why this marriage was contrary to the laws of the province. The laws governing marriage were a part of the Crest Law or Body of Laws passed by the assembly held at Chester (Upland) on the 7th day of the 10th month (December) 1682, and are as follows: 21 22 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine "And to prevent Clandestine, Loose, and unseemly proceedings in this Province and territories thereof, about marriage, Be it &c. That all marriages not forbidden by the law of God [e.g., nearness of blood] shall be encouraged; But the parents and guardians shall be, if possible, first Consulted; And the parties clearnes from all other engagements assured by a Certificate from some Credible persons where they have lived; And by their affixing of their intentions of Marriage on the Court, or Meeting-house Door of the County where in they Dwell, one Month before the solemnizing thereof; And their mid marriage shall be solemnized by taking one another as husband and wife, befor Sufficient Witnesses; And a certificate of the whole under the hands of parties and witnesses, (at least twelve,) shall be brought to the Register of the County, where they are Marryed, and be Registered in his office. And if any person shall presume to Marry or join any in Marriage Contrary hereunto, such person so Marrying shall pay ten pounds, and such person so joining others in Marriage shall pay twenty pounds.". According to these laws, essentially those agreed upon in England in 1682 for Pennsylvania, a Quaker form of ceremony is described, but all marriages without reference to sect are encouraged. There is apparently no prohibition here against a Quaker marrying a non-Quaker. Marriage is forbidden only if blood relationship is too close. Since the Thompson-Short marriage was in some way contrary to the laws of the Province, presumably it was void. Non-compliance with the law subjected anyone "so Marrying" to a fine, and anyone "so joining others in Marriage" to double that fine. The fact that Lockenius was a Lutheran minister does not explain the difficulty. Thompson was cleared without financial penalty, as was Lockenius eventually. We do not know in what particulars the law was not followed, but it seems likely that there were no banns published and no certificate of "clearnes," or that Rev. Lockenius's authority to marry had bccn revoked. Lockenius had a history of ignoring the law on other occasions. He was fined 50 guilders in 1660 for marrying a couple against the will of their parents and without the customary proclamations." In 1661, after his wife had eloped with another man, Lockenius, who had a large family and felt the need of another wife, married himself to a young Swedish girl without official approval and before a divorce was granted. This marriage was declared illegal),The Governor and Commissary required him to give up his ministry until a divorce was procured and his former marriage annulled and the last confirmed.13 He continued to have legal problems due to questionable transactions. At Chester County court, the 7th of the 8th month (October) 1684, Justus Anderson is plaintiff against Lawrence Carolus, defendant "in an action for unjustly detaining his land." This case was brought before the court again on the 6th of the 11th month (January) 1684/5, at which time several deponents gave evidence that the priest had sold his title and interest in all his land, houses, woodland, etc., at Upland to Justa Anderson. One deposed that the priest had come to his house in West Jersey to persuade him to give in writing that the sale had only been of the house and hogstye and the earth belonging to them, but this deponent told him that he had already given in writing his deposition of what he knew of the matter. The verdict was George Thompson 23 against the defendant, Lockenius, who appealed it to the Court of Assize for the county), It was at this same court session that it was "Ordered that ye Inhabitance of Concord Bethel) and Chichester doe meet on the 3d day of next weeke att Henery Renolds to conferre together how to Provide a maintainance for Miriam Thomson and her child.".5 This was nearly two years after Thompson was cleared of charges against his marriage, and seven months after he sold his land in Concord. Had Thompson died or separated from his wife? The evidence contained in this paper points to the conclusion that their marriage was void and was never legalized, so that they were free to contract other marriages. One speculation advanced is that Thompson had died), According to McCracken, this conclusion was reached from the fact that Miriam married William White (will, 1703) of New Castle County at an unknown date and place. His comment is that "The matter may, however, not be so simple," and he cites references to records of a George Thompson in Philadelphia at a later date.,, A George Thompson, not one of the single men, is in a list of Lutherans made about 1698 by the Lutheran pastor Rudman), By a deed dated 28 November 1692, Arthur Cooke of Philadelphia, merchant, conveyed a lot on the bank of the Delaware River originally granted to him by Penn to George Thompson and Andries Derickson also of Philadelphia, merchants, and by a deed dated 1 July 1693 George Thompson conveyed his moiety of the lot to Andries Derickson; both deeds being recorded 2 August 1693)9 Another item cited by McCracken is the will of Ann Cox, widow, made 3 August 1699, probated 18 October 1699, which mentions, as wife of George Thompson, her daughter Ann. Since the will mentions also a son William Trotter it is uncertain whether Ann was a daughter by Cox. Two "clerks" (i.e., ministers) of Philadelphia are mentioned in the will, thus indicating that the testator was not a Quaker.m McCracken also notes that there was a non-Quaker burial of Elizabeth, daughter of George and Ann Thompson, the 11th of the 6th month 1695. The last record given for George Thompson in McCracken's book is the marriage on 3 March 1707/8 of George Thompson and Elizabeth Morrisfield at the First Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia?. McCracken says that Dr. George Smith claimed that Thompson was not a Friend, and he points out the lack of any reference to him in any records of the Friends as in agreement with this opinion; on the other hand, his name is found in Lutheran and Presbyterian records.22 Unnoted by McCracken is that a Geo. Thompson was also among the signers of a letter from Christ Church, Philadelphia, to Gov. Nicholson of Maryland, 18 January 1696/7, which was concerned with the establishment of the first congregation of the Church of England in Philadelphia. Of the signers it is remarked, "Very few of these—perhaps only Yeates—had ever been Quakers."23 Some records of George Thompson additional to those cited by McCracken have recently come to my attention. Signing as "Geo Thomson," he witnessed a deed made 9 August 1694 and recorded 9 March 1694/5, along with Geo. Jaffrey, 24 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Pat. Robinson, and John Duplouvis, by which Andries Dcrickson, merchant, of Sussex County in the Province of Pennsylvania, conveyed the lot on the bank of the Delaware River which Thompson had formerly owned with him to Thomas Lewis of New York, mariner.24 Andries Derickson had bought 400 acres called "Kenning's Adventure" the 9th of the 5th month (July) 1692 on the North side of the Indian River in Sussex County from William Bradford of Accomac. On 3 January 1692/3, he bound himself to John Barker of Sussex County for £130 due 31 October 1693 with "Kenning's Adventure" as collateral?, This was the same amount of money that he paid Thomson for his half of the Philadelphia lot on I July 1693. In these transactions he is designated as "gentleman of Philadelphia." Derickson then conveyed "Kanning's Adventure" on 5 September 1693 to Robert Burton through his attorney Peter Lewis of "Lewes town," and at this time he was said to be of "Sussex in Pennsylvania."26 However, he was still of Philadelphia when he bought Thomson's half of the Delaware River lot on 1 July 1693. Derickson purchased, on 5 December 1693, 1400 acres from John Barker of Sussex. This tract was on the South side of the Indian River in Sussex County. In this deed he is said to be a mariner of that county?, This is where he thenceforward made his home, in a region south of the Indian River which was conceded about 1700 by Penn to Calvert, and became Somerset County, Maryland. Delaware records make it apparent that George Thompson also was in Sussex County between 1699 and 1704 at least. Penn in a letter to Luke Watson, a member of the assembly from Sussex County, writes 15 2d mo. 1700: "Thy Son's Wife has made Affidavit to-day before me of what she Saw & knowes of Geo. Thomson having East India goods by him about ye time Kidd's Ship came to yor Capes."2, The case was taken up at Philadelphia 12 April 1700 before Penn and his council (Jasper Yeates being absent)N in the following manner: The pror. & Gov acquainted ye Council yt hoe had Late intelligence yt Wm. Orr, Geo. Thompson, peter Lewis, Henry Stretcher & Diggerie Tenny, inhabitants of ye town of Lewis, in Sussex Countie, had gone on board Capt. kidd, ye privateer, (who in Julie last Lay some days before Cape Henlopen), and had Corresponded wt him, & received from him & his crew some muslains, Calicoes, monies & other goods wch wer East India, & prohibited goods, & yt they had brought ym on shore, hid, sold & given away most of ym, wtout acquainting ye govrmt or ye king's Collr of ye port of Lewis wt ye same, welt hee Lookt upon to be, if not piracie, at Least Confederating wt ym, & accessories & promoters of illegal trade, & yrfor desiring ye Councill's advice yrin. Itt was the opinion of the Gor & Council, That Lawman, Collector of port Lewis, should be attested as solemnlie as if he took an oath, to declare the truth as fare as hee knows in yt matter, & yt yrafter ye scl psons should be examined one by one, Concerning ye sd Crime; wch was done, & yr examinaons are on file." The discussion was continued the next day, the unanimous opinion of the Council being that the culprits should be committed to the Court of Admiralty for trial. George Thompson 25 Peter Lewis, one of Thompson's comrades in the above case, was Andries Derickson's attorney in the Sussex land transactions. Further connection between Thompson and Derickson has not been found in the Sussex County records, but they do show that Thompson (spelled Thomson) bought a house and lot in the town of Lewes which was delivered to him in open court by Matthew Stephens in December 1699.31 This property purchased in 1699 was deeded 12 June 1703 by Thompson "for love and Affection" to Peter Lewis, Grace his wife, and Wrixham his son. The document was signed "George Thomson" and "Anne Thomson," and Thompson was designated as a mariner. The property was conveyed in open court I August 1704 to Peter Lewis by Roger Corbett with power of attorney from Thompson.32 As to Thompson's connection with the Lewises, the deed of gift raises the question whether Grace Lewis was his daughter. The answer is that she was not. Wrixham, the unusual name of her son, makes it possible to identify her as the sister of Wrixham White of Sussex County and the daughter of Ambrose and Comfort White. The earliest occurrence of the name Wrixham in the Sussex County probate records is in the 1687 will of John Roads, which mentions wife Comfort and bequeaths 100 acres on Rehoboth Inlet to Grace White adjoining the land "of her brother Wrixam White."33 In 1703 Wrixham White acknowledges a deed of sale as the administrator of the estate of his mother Comfort Scott.34 Comfort, the daughter of Nicholas Waddilow of Accomac County, Virginia, and his wife the widow Amy Anderson, was first married to Ambrose White. The records of Accomac County do not show his death, but they do show that his widow Comfort by 1691 was married to Jeremiah Scott, having previously been married to John Roads; and in 1698 she is mentioned in the will of her half-brother William Anderson.35 Grace Lewis was given a house and lot in Lewes by William Anderson, as shown in a deed by which Peter Lewis and his wife Grace sold this property in 1696.36 Since William Anderson was his half-uncle of Grace White, it seems clear that Grace Lewis was born Grace White. George Thompson and Anne his wife had apparently left Lewes by 1704, and she must have died before 1707/8, the year in which he married Elizabeth Morrisfield in Philadelphia. The marriage in Philadelphia is the last known reference to George Thompson. NOTES George E. McCracken, The Welcome Claimants Proved, Disproved and Doubtful..., Publications of the Welcome Society of Pennsylvania, Number 2 (Baltimore, 1970), 493. Mem. 1 Marion Balderston, "William Penn's Twenty-three ships . . .", PGM, XXIII, 2 (1963), 57, fn. 109. 4 Ibid.. 57. 26 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 5 McCracken, op. cit., 493. 5, Records of the Courts of Chester County, Pennsylvania. 1681-1697 (Philadelphia, 1910), 23-24. Thompson and Carolus before the court. Ibid., 25. Case against Carolus continued. 5 lbid., 31. Carolus cleared at Court. . Balderston, op. cit., 58, fn. III. Charter to William Penn, and Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania . . (Harrisburg, 1879), 151. J. Thomas Scharf and Thompson Westcott, The History of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, 1884), II, 1230. Mem. .5 Israel Aceelius, A History of New Sweden; or, The Settlements on the River Delaware. In Memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, XI (1874), 101. Records, 43-48, cited in Note 6. Justa Anderson vs. Lawrence Carolus. r 5 Ibid., 49. Court order concerning Miriam Thompson. .. Balderston, op. cit., 58, fn. III. .5 McCracken, op. cit., 493-4. ie Mem, and PMHB, II (1878), 227, as cited by McCracken. Exemplification Book 8, 35-39, Department of Records, City Hall, Philadelphia. Also in Pennsylvania Archives (PA), 2nd Series (1890), XIX, 130-4, cited by McCracken, but he dates the documentation one day later than the date they bear. Deed from Cooke to Thompson and Derickson, and from Thompson to Derickson. Or McCracken, op. cit., 494, and will of Ann Cox, "Abstracts of Wills of Philadelphia," Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, Ill, 2 (1907), 149, No. 43. McCracken cites will No. 125 from III, 1 (1906), 27, same publication. 21 McCracken, op. cit., 494. 55 Mem. 55 Charles P. Keith, Chronicles of Pennsylvania from the English Revolution to the Peace of Aixla-Chapelle, 1688-1748 (Philadelphia, 1917), I, 333. Exemplification Book 8, 132-133. Department of Records, City Hall, Philadelphia. Deed from Derickson to Lewis. 55 Sussex County Deeds, Book A I, 153, 158. Hall of Records, Dover, Delaware. Deed from Bradford to Derickson, and Derickson's bond to Barker. re Ibid., 142, 144, and Book B 2, 48. Deed from Derickson to Burton. o !bid, Book 13 2, 49. Deed from Barker to Derickson. . 1 PA, Ist Series, I, 127-128, and J. Thomas Scharf, History of Delaware (Philadelphia, 1888), I, 95. . Was this Yeates the co-signer with Thompson and others of the letter from Christ Church referred to earlier? . Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania. . . . (Philadelphia, 1852), 1, 579. 5. Sussex County Deeds, Book A 1, 83 and 227, Hall of Records, Dover, Delaware. Deed from Stephens to Thompson. 55 Ibid., 209, and Book F 6, 146. Deed from Thompson to Lewis. 52 Sussex County Wills, Book A I, 10.12, Register of Wills, Georgetown, Delaware. Will of John Roads. 5. Sussex County Deeds, Book A 1, 205 (microcard), Register of Wills, Georgetown, Delaware. Wrixham White as administrator of Comfort Scott's estate. 55 Ralph T. Whitelaw, Virginia's Eastern Shore (Gloucester, Mass., 1968), II, 892. Members of the Waddilow and Roads family are discussed in Baldwin Moon, "Paul Marsh," PGM, XXVIII, 4 (1974), 215-235. 5. Sussex County Deeds, Book B 2, 136, Hall of Records, Dover, Delaware. Deed of Lewis to Kollock.