Some Thompson Family Sites in Salem County

Some Thompson Family Sites in Salem County REVISION SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

Š 1999 JANET L. SHERIDAN

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SOME THOMPSON FAMILY SITES IN SALEM COUNTY

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This paper reflects the findings made during a search of Salem County properties associated with the lineage of W. Leigh Thompson of Charleston, South Carolina, shown below. His genealogy is more thoroughly delineated elsewhere. There are properties mentioned here which are not on his direct line, as well. It is not an exhaustive study on all Thompson sites in the county, but was intended to bring to light all possible sites on his direct line.

Andrew Thompson - Isabella Marshall, the immigrants William Thompson - Hannah Benjamin Thompson - Elizabeth Ware Benjamin Thompson - Jemima Hughes James Thompson - Edeth Vannaman Samuel Straughan Thompson - Mary Flanigan Winfield Wilmer Scott Thompson JD - Susanna Ward Nichols Edgar Thompson MD JD LlD - Lula Spann Spears Brodie Brown Wilmer Leigh Thompson EE JD - Mary Bissell McIver Wilmer Leigh Thompson PhD MD ScD - Maurice Eugenie Horne ELSINBORO TOWNSHIP

Andrew Thompson’s land The 1680 deed to Andrew Thompson from Richard Guy was for 168 ac. 1 The parcel extended from the creek at Hestor’s Stopping to John’s land to the south. Hestor’s Stopping is described as “part of the bank enclosing the meadow controlled by the Middle Neck Meadow Company, below Sinnickson’s Landing and near the mouth of the Salem River.” 2 The 1882 deed of David Allen Thompson to J. Howard Subers of Philadelphia 3 conveyed 174.32 acres, the same parcel conveyed to Joshua from his father Andrew in 1863. 4 The 1863 deed conveyed 174.32 acres from Andrew and Mary Thompson of Mannington to Joshua Thompson of Elsinboro, “the same as on which Joshua now resides and occupies.” 5 The deeds conveyed three parcels, one of which was a right-of-way granted to Joshua by Richard Waddington “over Waddington’s land from Elsinboro Road to the Mansion house”.

The 1876 map 6 shows a lane to a house labeled “D. Thompson” from the Elsinboro Road near the “R. Waddington” house. This house is probably the Thompson “Mansion house” referred to in the 1882 deed, and the lane is probably the right-of-way mentioned in the deed. Is this house Andrew1's “Emigrant House” that Thomas Shourds in 1876 called “commodious”, and “standing since the memory of the writer”? 7 A later historian, William Sickler, wrote that it stood til 1880. 8 William Waddington, a recently

1

Sparks, James S., Letter to Harris’s on title search of their property, in Salem County Historical Society Thompson

2

Salem County Place Names, SCHS

3

Thompson, W. Leigh, “History of the Family of Mary Linton Bounetheau Thompson Peters,” p. 2

4

Deed Book 58, Page 112, Salem County Courthouse Record Room

File.

5

Deed Book 29, Page 228, dated 11/30/1863, Salem County Courthouse Record Room. References “A Plot of the Farm of Andrew Thompson Elsinboro surveyed and plotted September 1833 by Joseph E. Brown” for “a more minute description”. This map is not in the SCHS survey map collection. Nor has the writer found it among in the County records.

6

Waegon, Oliver, Map of Elsinboro Township, in Everts & Stewart, Combination Atlas of Salem and Gloucester Counties, NJ, 1876.

7

Shourds, ibid, p. 283

8

Sickler, William B, Jr., “The Thompson Family of Alloway”, SCHS Thompson File

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deceased Elsinboro historian, reported that “ it had gone out to the tides about 1840.” 9 David Allen Thompson’s book, describes the Emigrant House as being in good condition as late as 1820.

“The site of this house and the orchard in front of the house were many years ago entirely removed by the action of the Delaware River, which continues to wear away the eastern shore of this section. 10 A later building on this river front site was known as the “Roundhouse”. This octagonal board-andbattened building was built around 1860 by twelve prominent Philadelphians as a private club, called “The Elsinboro Club” on Albert H. Slape’s land. Slape was a Salem attorney. The club vacated it in 1898, when it became a summer home, dubbed “Mulberry Lodge,” for Slape’s widow and her sister. William Waddington’s family moved into the Roundhouse in 1937, occupying it until their 1947 house was built just behind it. 11 Its foundation stones are still visible at the points of the octagon in front of Waddington’s house, now the home of his granddaughter, Jennifer Waddington Van Geem. 12 The Emigrant House/Roundhouse site is the highest ground along the river in this section. Waddington rebuilt the existing bulkhead in 1937. In so doing, he uncovered old bricks believed to be from the Emigrant House. 13 The bricks appear handmade. A glazed brick suggests a patterned bond in the tradition of local Quaker brick houses. Cove-molded bricks would have capped a watertable at the base of the house, another a traditional architectural feature. “T” initials are carved into these units. 14 Another extant Quaker pattern-brick house in Elsinboro, the Abel Nicholson House, has initials carved into bricks around the main doorway.

A comparison of the 1876 map to a recent USGS quadrangle map shows that the shoreline at the location of the “D. Thompson” house has been cut back. If the 1876 map is accurate, the “D. Thompson” house would be washed away and therefore could be the “Emigrant House” of Andrew, the immigrant.

However, if the “D. Thompson” house of 1876 is indeed the one which washed away, it is curious that another nearby old house is not shown on the map. The Federal style frame house at 171 Sinnickson Landing Rd., restored in recent decades by Gene and Barbara Jones, is of a vintage to have been built by Joshua born 1767 or even Andrew born 1739. Andrew1's son Andrew settled on his father’s property, 15 so the Jones house seems a likely place where he or one of his descendants (Joshua, Andrew3, Joshua2, Andrew4 of the 1863 deed) might have settled. Perhaps the Emigrant House was gone by 1876, in which case the house shown is the present Jones’ house, once occupied by D. Thompson, and the map is not accurate for the location of the house. Or, if the Emigrant House was an unoccupied ruin in 1876, which seems likely, the map just did not show it.

The old lane to the “Mansion House” remains today as the lane on the property of Gene and Barbara Jones, continuing as today’s Schrier Avenue out to the river edge site of the Emigrant House.

9 Waddington, William M., June 1988, “ Salem Cove’s Roundhouse” Salem County Historical Society Newsletter, Vol. XXXIII, p. 4 10

Thompson, David Allen, 1910, Andrew Thompson, the Immigrant of Elsinboro, Salem County, New Jersey, p.14.

11

Waddington, William, ibid, p. 1

12

Jennifer Waddington VanGeem, personal communication, September 1, 2012.

13

Waddington, Mary, July 1999 conversation with the author. Mary is William’s daughter and grew up on the site.

14

Sheridan, Janet, observations of brick during visit to Waddington-Van Geem property, July 26, 1999.

15

Shourds, Thomas, History and Genealogy of Fenwick’s Colony,1876, , p. 285

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In Andrew’s will of 1869 he says, “I sold my Elsinboro farm to Joshua.” 16 Andrew’s other children mentioned in the will are Hannah Ann (Elisha) Bassett, Rebecca Wistar, John E., Richard, Andrew, David, Clark H. and Anna. Andrew also had two farms in Mannington and a “Mansion House on the west side of Market Street” in Salem, which he left to his wife Mary.

Isaac Smart House Elizabeth Thompson daughter of Andrew1 married first Isaac Smart in 1683, and second Edward Keasbey in 1701. Isaac Smart built his house in 1696 in Elsinboro on his 500 acres on “Middle Neck” adjacent to the Thompson tract. This property was later owned by Richard Waddington. 17 The house still stands on the Elsinboro Road, labeled “R. Waddington” on the 1876 map. 18 Today it is occupied by Champion Coles.

John Thompson’s land The deed from Richard Guy to John Thompson in 1680 was for 220 acres and included the present day Salem Country Club, the Benjamin Haynes farm, and part of Nelson’s Oakwood Beach tract. 19 The land was sold to John Hancock in 1725 by James son of James son of John 20 and is the site of the Thompson/Hancock burial ground. 21 James1 (1668-1712) is likely buried here. 22 The land was known as the Morris Hall Farm about 1876. 23 The location of the graveyard is unknown.

An 1809 deed transferred the lands of John Hancock, through an Orphans Court decision, to Morris Hall from the administrators of John Hancock’s estate, his widow Eleanor and John Thompson. 24 It named “all that Plantation on which Thomas Thompson now lives...except the graveyard 2 rods square” and contained 255 acres.

James Sparks, surveyor and Salem County engineer, analyzed the John and Andrew Thompson deeds for Ben and Ruth Harris who owned the “Redroe Morris house” 25 after 1956. 26 Sparks concluded that the house could not be Morris’ house, which had burned, but could be John Thompson’s house, 27 because it was definitely on John’s parcel. “According to the deed, Thompson already had a house on the property,

16

Will Book F, Page 590, Salem County Courthouse Records

17

Shourds, ibid, p. 470

18

Waegon, ibid, Map of Elsinboro Township

19

Sparks, ibid.

20

Shourds, ibid, p.284

21

Thompson, W. Leigh, ibid, p. 1

22 Johnson, Ronald E., “Johnson Family History File: The English-Irish Thompsons c. 1610-1995,” May 25, 1995, in SCHS Thompson Family File.

23

Shourds, ibid, p.284

24

Deed Book M, Page 462, Salem County Courthouse Record Room

25

Souvenir Map of Historic Sites in Salem County, 1975, house number 31.

26 Bowen, Thomas H., “Lost Redroe Morris House has baffled historians,” Feb 6, 1986 Today’s Sunbeam, “Golden Days” archived collection at SCHS. 27

Sparks, ibid.

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near the riverbank and probably was living there at the time.” 28 The “brew house” stood til 1850. 29 CITY OF SALEM

Salem Friends Burial Ground and Oak Tree This lot was the site of the first Quaker meeting house and cemetery in the colony. John Thompson, a carpenter 30 , and Robert Zane were appointed in 1681 to “repair the house, and get it fit for Friends to meet in.” It was a frame building on the 16-acre lot given the Friends by Samuel and Ann Nicholson. 31 Again in 1698, John Thompson and others were appointed to build a new brick meeting house 32 “a few rods east of the large oak tree.” 33 William1 and son William gave £10 for the building of a meetinghouse in 1698, 34 which must have been for the one in Salem. The old meeting house was taken down when the 1772 house was built further up Broadway.

Salem Friends Meeting House Built in 1772 on East Broadway, formerly Fenwick Street, this meeting house is still in use by the Salem Monthly Meeting. It is one of the latest of the pattern-ended brick buildings, long associated with Quaker culture, to be constructed.

Thompson homes in Salem Thomas born 1719 (Andrew2) was a tailor on Broadway at the present site of the First Baptist Church.

His son Thomas was also a tailor in the same place until 1795. 35 The Thompson property was bought in 1845 by the Baptists from heirs of Thomas Thompson. 36 Thomas’ daybooks are in the SCHS manuscript collection 37 John the son of Joshua, born 1752, was a blacksmith in business with Jacob Hufty, who lived at 21 Market St. John later bought the Richard Darkin farm in Elsinboro. He died in Salem. 38 Samuel, son of Samuel born 1707 (son of William & Hannah), was a tanner/currier in Salem. The location of his home is unknown.

28

Heite, Edward F. And Louise B. Heite, Fort Elfsborg, 1643, A Background Study of the History of Elsinboro Point or Fort Elfsborg, Elsinboro Township, Salem County, NJ and New Castle County, Delaware, Philadelphia District Corp of Engineers, Contract DACW-61-86-M-0211, January 1986, p. 15 29

Shourds, ibid, p. 284

30

Heite, ibid, p.15

31

Shourds, ibid, p. 393

32

Shourds, ibid, p. 403

33

Shourds, ibid, p. 403

34

Thompson, W. Leigh, ibid, p. 3

35

Shourds, ibid, p. 291

36

Shourds, ibid, p 410

37 Historical and Genealogical Catalogue, Salem County Historical Society, 1964, p. 10, lists “Day-book of Thomas Thompson, tailor, 1787-1796" 38

Shourds, ibid, p. 290

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Thomas Thompson built the house at 50 Market Street, c. 1816, for his daughter Jane Smith 39 The double dwelling at 54 and 56 Market Street is also connected with Jane Thompson Smith, left to her by her brother, Dr. Hedge Thompson, a prominent judge and Congressman. 40 There is a photo of him in the SCHS Thompson File. Andrew Thompson willed a “Mansion House on the west side of Market Street” in Salem to his wife Mary in 1869. 41 The “Dr. Joseph Hedge Thompson, M.D.” house is located at 99 West Broadway 42 The Richard P. Thompson House is located at 109 West Broadway 43 Johnson Hall Robert Gibbon Johnson built the mansion at 90 Market Street in 1808. Johnson was James and Edeth Thompson’s landlord while they tenanted the Carney land and Mansion on Carney Point in Upper Penns Neck township. Johnson’s wife was Hannah Carney.

VILLAGE OF ALLOWAY (THOMPSON’S BRIDGE)

Alloway was known as Thompson’s Bridge until 1822. 44 William son of Andrew1 purchased 900 acres in 1711 45 and may have built the bridge. Andrew son of William (this William is probably son of William1), who had sons Nathaniel, Isaac and Andrew, deeded 11 acres to Benjamin in 1759. 46 Andrew’s uncle Benjamin1 would have been 40 years old in that year (born 1719 47 ), so likely it was him.

Benjamin1 son of William1 is best known for his business acumen and the development of the area. 48 In this vicinity was early glass making, milling, canning and shipbuilding (19th century). When time came to move a new ship out to the Delaware bay, the dam upstream of the bridge would be opened to carry the ship downstream on the flood.

“Head of the Alloways Creek Meeting House” was established in 1683 and the burial ground in 1684.

This group met in the winter months, rather than travel into Salem for meeting. A meetinghouse was thought to have been erected in 1760 on one acre of Aaron and Abigail Thompson’s land, which was deeded to the Salem Monthly Meeting in 1796. In 1809 the meeting was dissolved, and the “frame, etc.” made available to the Friends of Upper Penns Neck. The land was sold to Jacob House to care for. About 1950 a later owner accidentally bulldozed “stones, brick and brush”, but put up a stone marker when he

39

Market Street National Register nomination, Description, site #7, 1974

40

Salem County Historical Society, Historic Salem, New Jersey, p. 6 (written and illustrated by Robert F. Laird, Jr.)

41

Will Book F, Page 590, Salem County Courthouse Records

42

Broadway Historic District National Register Survey, 1991

43

Broadway Historic District National Register Survey, 1991

44

Boyer, Charles S., 1962, Old Inns and Taverns in West Jersey, p. 256

45

Transcript of original deed in the possession of Jacob House, 1905, SCHS Thompson File.

46

Transcript of a 1774 deed in the possession of Jacob House in Alloway, Feb 14, 1905, pp. 7-44. It traces the lineage of the land since John Fenwick. SCHS Thompson Family File.

47

Thompson, W. Leigh, ibid, p. 3

48

Sickler, William B, Jr., “The Thompson Family of Alloway”, from the book, Alloway Remembers, p. 20

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learned of the site’s significance. 49 The site is on the north side of Quaker Neck Road, just west of the bridge.

The will of William Thompson of April 7, 1733 gave an acre “for use of a burying ground and a meetinghouse for the people called Quakers”. He gave his son Samuel the “home plantation” and to son Benjamin “20 acres on the south side of the creek and 5 acres adjoining the bridge”. 50 Samuel’s will of Dec. 17, 1749 mentions his underage sons Samuel, Thomas and Aaron. This Aaron may be the one mentioned above who deeded the one acre to the Friends in 1796. 51 If Aaron’s land was on the west side of the creek, where the monument is now, then somewhere in this vicinity may have been the “home plantation” of William1, inherited by Aaron’s father Samuel. The location is yet unknown.

The earliest known tavern keeper in the village, was Joseph Thompson, brother of Benjamin the Wistarburgh manager. His license was granted in 1753, and was renewed annually until 1776, the year he died. The tavern was frame, “torn down many years ago”. 52 A deed search of early buildings on Water Street revealed a remnant right-of-way, 29' x 99,' described as "Thompson Street", a small stone house next to this called the "Stone Jug", and the house next to it, the “Kidd House”. 53 This right-of-way provided access into the old canning factory next to the creek. The reference to Thompson Street is found in the 20th century deeds, but not in the predecessor deeds of the 19th century. The land in this area was consolidated into a huge parcel by the shipbuilding Reeve brothers in the 1820's and 30's. Later this was split back into smaller parcels and sold, as their business enterprises ended. Tracing properties before the 1820's is thus extremely difficult.

Thompson homes in Alloway William2 son of William1 & Hannah settled near Alloway and his son William3 inherited “the old homestead” near Steven Reeves’ Mill. 54 William2's son Benjamin lived “nearby”. 55 Steven Reeves’ house, built 1763, still stands at Waterworks and Elkinton Roads, across from the mill site. 56 This “old homestead” could have been William2's original home, but was probably not William1's, as that one was passed down Samuel’s line and was probably on the other side of the creek (see discussion above).

William Thompson’s will of 1819 gives descriptions of land that he was setting off to his granddaughter Ann Thompson (7 acres) and daughter Hannah Thompson (11 acres) bounding on Steven Reeves’, on the road “by my house to said Reeves mill” and on Benjamin Thompson’s land, “with the house where I now

49

Religious Society of Friends, The Salem Quarter, p. 351-352

50 Nelson, William, 1901, Documents relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey, Vol XXIII, Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Vol I, 1670-1730, p. 480 51

Nelson, 1901, ibid, p. 479

52

Boyer, Charles S., 1962, Old Inns and Taverns in West Jersey, p. 256

53

Deed Book 498, Page 231, Salem County Courthouse Records

54

Shourds, ibid, p. 287

55

Sickler, ibid.

56

Salem County Historical Society, 1998, Salem County House and Garden Tour guide.

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dwell”. All the remainder went to his son James. 57 This William might be the William3 above who Shourds was referring to, since both accounts describe a home near Steven Reeves’ mill.

Joseph Thompson born 1693 son of William1 and Sarah, Benjamin1's half-brother, built a brick dwelling near Remster’s Mill. It was removed by James Fries who built a frame house near the site. The property was later owned by Daniel Dial (1876). 58 [Have not been able to search Dial - the “D” deed indices are out being rebound - JS] This area today is known as Remsterville. The site of the mill pond is now Boy Scout Camp Edge. The 1876 map shows some nearby properties owned by “Heirs of W. Fries” 59 One would expect the homes of Benjamin son of William1 and Benjamin2 son of Benjamin to be somewhere around Alloway, but neither the houses, if they exist, nor the locations has the author yet identified.

Wistarburgh Glassworks The Wistarburgh Glassworks was in operation from 1739-1776, founded by German immigrant Caspar Wistar and carried on by his son Richard until the end of the Revolution. It is known as the first successful glassworks to be established in the colonies. 60 It was managed by Benjamin, son of William and Hannah, born 1719. 61 Caspar Wistar’s conversion to Quakerism in 1725 62 may explain his choice of Benjamin Thompson, who was of a prominent local Quaker family.

A small house remains of what was a complex of many glass making buildings at Wistarburgh. A 1780 ad for sale of the property refers to a “large Mansion House with six rooms on a floor, with a bakehouse and a washhouse.” 63 Some recent reports and articles state that this extant house is either the Wistar mansion house or is a portion of it. 64 As the Wistar’s appointed Benjamin Thompson manager of the Wistarburgh operation, and they resided in Philadelphia, 65 one could speculate that Benjamin may have resided in the house at Wistarburgh. Research into the Wistar papers at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and at the Winterthur Museum might yield more information about Benjamin Thompson.

VILLAGE OF HANCOCK’S BRIDGE (LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TOWNSHIP)

The Hancock House Joseph (Andrew1, Andrew2, Joshua) 66 Thompson died in the 1778 massacre of local patriots by the British at Judge William Hancock’s House. 67 Joseph was the business partner and brother-in-law of

57

Will Book B, Page 366, Salem County Courthouse Records

58

Shourds, ibid, p. 297

59

Waegon, Map of Upper Alloways Creek, ibid

60

Palmer, Arlene M., 1976, The Wistarburgh Glassworks: The Beginning of Jersey Glassmaking, A Project of the Alloway Township Bicentennial Committee, 1976, Alloway, NJ, p. 1 61

Shourds, ibid, p. 287

62

Palmer, ibid., p. 3

63

Ptacek, Ruth, 1968, paper quoting from NJ Archives V, 2nd Ser., p. 20, in SCHS Wistarburg file.

64

Salem County Historical Society Wistarburg file.

65

[Find source in W. file, SCHS]

66

Shourds, ibid, p. 289

67

Friends of the Hancock House, Newsletter, January 1999

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Hancock, who also died. 68 The Hancock House is now a state-owned historic site and is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

Joshua Thompson’s House William Hancock died at his brother-in-law Joshua’s home, a half-mile down the creek, as did Joseph, Joshua’s son. 69 There are two options for a house at that distance “down the creek”, which would be on present-day Poplar Street. The John Maddox-Denn House is 0.4 miles away, and the Joseph WareThomas Shourds House is 0.7 miles away. Local lore has it that it was the Ware-Shourds House. 70 MANNINGTON TOWNSHIP

Thompson Farms There were three Thompson farms in lower Mannington Township according to Ruthanne Wright, the township historian. They are presently the Bobbit farm, the Wright farm, and the Titus property. Two of these farms could have been those willed by Andrew in 1869.

UPPER PENN’S NECK TOWNSHIP (now CARNEY’S POINT TOWNSHIP)

Thomas Carney Mansion on Carney Point James and Edeth Vannaman Thompson rented a colonial brick mansion on Carney Point from Robert Gibbon Johnson. 71 Thomas Carney, an Irishman, tenanted, then purchased tracts on the river between Bout Creek and Henby’s or Henry Jean’s Creek between 1731 and 1748. It is not clear when he arrived, but a 1726 ad for the land describes a house being built. 72 The land passed to his son Thomas, Jr, who died in 1778. Thomas, Jr.’s daughter Hannah married Robert Gibbon Johnson, a prominent citizen from Salem and Salem County’s first historian. Hannah inherited her own 313 acres in 1793, then her sister’s 327 acres, including the old brick mansion sometime later. 73 In 1869 his son Robert Carney Johnson sold it to Thomas Norton. 74 . “T. Norton” is on this house on the 1876 map. 75 Between James and Edeth Thompson’s marriage (1806) and their deaths (1850's) the Johnson’s owned the historic Carney farm and farmhouse and were the Thompson’s landlords.

This property was acquired by E.I. Dupont in 1891. 76 In 1892, the farmhouse stood, “located on what was known as ‘the hill’ which was on an elevation certainly not more than two or four feet high. As I remember, it was back from the river, directly behind the boiler house,” according to an account by Pierre S. du Pont. 77 The house was “torn down in the summer of 1900, because it would not be safe to be

68

Shourds, ibid, p. 289

69

Shourds, ibid, p. 86 (here Shourds’s apparently misidentified his brother-in-law as Joshua, but Joshua is Joseph’s

70

Tice, Doris, Email to Janet Sheridan, 3/10/99.

71

Thompson, ibid, p. 4

72

Cable, George W., “Carney’s Point”, p. 5, ad copied from New Jersey Archive Vol II, p. 116

73

Cable, George W., “The History of Carney’s Point”, p. 7

74

“Carney’s Point Colonial Mansion”, Newspaper article in the SCHS Carney’s Point File.

75

Waegon, Map of Upper Penns Neck, ibid.

76

Deed Book 73, Page 594, Salem County Courthouse Records

77

“Chambers Works History”, Vol I., General History, p. 4

father.)

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occupied and was of no use among the powder mills.” 78 Maple Shade Farm/Josiah Summerill farm Samuel Straughan Thompson tenanted Maple Shade Farm owned by Alexander or Elijah Cattell. 79 This would have been prior to his purchase of Bloomfield in 1847. Winfield Wilmer Thompson was born on the Josiah Summerill farm in 1842. 80 The time frame suggests that Maple Shade is the same as the Josiah Summerill Farm, though the names may not have been contemporaneous. There are numerous land transactions among Summerills over the years, but there are very few involving the Cattell’s. Alexander Cattell deeded two parcels to William Summerill, Jr. in 1855, including a 72-acre parcel adjacent to Robert Gibbon Johnson’s land and Henby Creek. 81 “Josiah and Daniel V. Summerill reside on farms near Penns Grove” circa 1876. 82 Lands belonging to Daniel V. Summerill and “Josiah Summerill’s 64 acres at the heart of the plant” were acquired by E.I. Dupont around 1906. 83 Today, Maple Shade Farm is, in all likelihood, under the Dupont Chambers Works, possibly the site of “W. Sommerill 115" on the lane to “T. Norton” at Carney Point.

Josiah Summerill was the tax collector and custodian of the school fund 1874-1904. “Teachers visited the farm to have their orders cashed,” according to Sallie Thompson, one of the Upper Penn’s Neck teachers who did so. 84 Bloomfield Samuel Straughan Thompson and his wife Mary Flanigan Thompson established this farm on Quillytown Rd., now in Carney’s Point Township. He bought a 113 acre “tract of land” for $2,000 in 1847 from Jesse and Elizabeth Bond. 85 The house still stands at 774 West Quillytown Road, a Greek Revival-style 5-bay house, with a central door with sidelights and transom. The property went out of the Thompson family in 1894, when it was sold to George C. Pierpont. 86 The house “was shaded by Linden trees and had shutters, old time glass lights, a straight hall from the front to rear doors, and a turned staircase with pineapple knobs.” 87 These knobs were apparently newel post finials and pendants at the staircase landing, from a 1925 description. Large boxwoods lined the walk to the front door and a rose garden was located to the left of the house. A great Linden tree shaded “the compound” behind the house, which was surrounded by many outbuildings, such as “servant’s quarters, tool shed, hay barns and stock barns, ice house, perhaps smokehouse...” There was a pump in the entry to the rear kitchen wing and a fine, old and peeling “imported-looking” wallpaper in the downstairs rooms

78

“Carney Point Colonial Mansion”, newspaper article, undated, SCHS Carney’s Point file.

79

Thompson, ibid, p. 5

80

Thompson, ibid, p. 6

81

Deed Book 18, Page 288, Salem County Courthouse Records

82

Shourds, ibid, p. 242

83

“Chambers Works History”, Vol I., General History, p. 8

84

“Sarah H. Thompson: The Oldest Schoolteacher in New Jersey”, Newspaper article July 18, 1935

85

Deed Book 4, Page 491, Salem County Courthouse Records

86

Deed Book 79, Pages 186 and 248, Salem County Courthouse Records

87

Thompson, ibid, p. 5

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which had a small, flowered pattern. 88 S.S. Thompson is noted for his experimentation with apple hybridization, producing some twenty-five varieties. He and son Wilmer marketed the apples in Wilmington, Delaware, taking their market cart across the river via the ferry. Family history also credits Samuel for being the first in the area to make ice cream. “Old Dr. Summerill,” who was in his 80's in the mid 1920's, was a visitor to Bloomfield as a small boy to partake of it during many an evening social gathering there. “The Thompson’s were great ones for music. They were always playing and singing,” he said.” 89 It was on the Bloomfield estate, during a meeting in “Thompson’s Marsh” in 1832, that Samuel converted to Methodism. 90 In Oldman’s Township not far away is a road called Straughen’s Mill Road. On that road in 1876 was a property owned by J. Straughen, 200 acres. 91 The grave of Samuel Straughen is found in an old cemetery in Perkintown, Oldman’s Township. 92 Was Samuel the miller? What was the relationship between him and James Thompson that James would name his son after him?

Central School (Thompson’s School) Winfield Wilmer Thompson attended this school. 93 A frame building is extant on Central Schoolhouse Road in Carney’s Point Township near the location of a schoolhouse noted on the 1876 map. 94 It has the form of a schoolhouse, with former central chimney, though it has been greatly altered. Some original clapboard is extant in the west gable. Some early interior features survive, such as a wainscot and a coat closet with coat hooks. Historic wood shingles are extant under asbestos tile roofing.

Samuel S. Thompson was the leading advocate for the building of Central School in 1857, as he had a large family to attend. He was elected trustee September 27, 1856 and served for many years.

Consequently it was known also as “Thompson’s School.” It was first located “on the William Morris Farm, later Josiah Dolbow’s, half mile above Danser’s corner on Harding Highway on road to Auburn.”

His niece Sarah H. “Sallie” Thompson, daughter of John Wesley Thompson, taught here 1867-1869.

Central School was moved and enlarged about 1871 to Lemuel Peterson’s farm adjoining Daniel V. Summerill’s farm a short distance above Harding Highway. 95 In the attic can be seen the 1871 extension of the building at the west end, or what was the rear of the building.

The present tenant of the schoolhouse, Steven Williard, happened upon it while searching for a place to use as a woodshop. It was vacant and decaying. He now rents the building and has made repairs to it. He reports that the building was moved from a site further south on Central Schoolhouse Road, at “the bend” where the roadway was realigned around an Interstate 295 on-ramp. This report agrees with the location

88

Dunn, Undine, “Bloomfield,” 1925, article in the collection of W. Leigh Thompson.

89

Dunn, Undine, ibid.

90

Thompson, ibid, p. 5

91

Waegon, Map of Upper Penns Neck, ibid.

92

Found by the author, October 1999.

93

Thompson, ibid, p. 6

94

Waegon, ibid, Map of Upper Penn’s Neck Township

95

“Sarah H. Thompson: The Oldest Schoolrteacher in New Jersey”, Newspaper article July 18, 1935 (found inside W.W. Summerill’s copy of Shourds’ history, now owned by W. Leigh Thompson) REV SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

©JANET L. SHERIDAN

SOME THOMPSON FAMILY SITES IN SALEM COUNTY

PAGE 11

of the schoolhouse on the 1876 map, which shows “S.Ho.” just west of a stream. Today’s map, indeed, shows “the bend” just west of the stream. Mr. Williard also reports there was an early farmhouse on the present site of the schoolhouse, demolished in the 1960's because the owner could not bring it up to building code. This was probably Lemuel Peterson’s house, as the location agrees with “L. Peterson” on the 1876 map. Mr. Williard also reports that the schoolhouse has had various other uses, such as for tomato canning and as a horse barn. The barn door in the side of the building was installed for the latter use. The block rear shed additions were used for the canning operation. A neighboring resident north of the schoolhouse says the land the schoolhouse is on belonged to Flanigan’s at one time. 96 (Note that S.S. Thompson’s wife was Mary Flanigan.)

BOROUGH OF PENNS GROVE

Emmanuel UM Church The church is on its original location at 174 S. Broad St., formerly Church Street, 97 in Penns Grove. The date stone says built 1845, rebuilt 1884 and rebuilt 1907. Emmanuel was the “Mother Church of Methodism in the Penns Grove area.” 98 The earliest graves appear to be clustered around the church itself. James and Edeth Thompson’s gravestones are here, as are those of James Harris Thompson son of Samuel S. and Mary, Mary wife of Samuel S., Charles H., James son of John and Mary Ann, Joseph W., Henry Allen, son of James and Mary Ann, Charles Engle son of James and Mary, Mary A., and John Wesley Thompson. These are grouped on the south side of the church at the fourth side window from the front. Samuel S. Thompson’s stone is not apparent, but his wife Mary’s stone is lying down and there is a space next to hers. Perhaps Samuel’s stone is under the surface of the ground. We know he was buried at Emmanuel. 99 There are other Thompson graves across the street in a large, well laid-out cemetery surrounded by an iron fence. There is a massive granite “Thompson” monument here.

St. Paul’s ME Church, Penns Grove The church is located at 17 Franklin Street at the corner of W. Harmony Street in Penns Grove, north of the area served by the Emmanuel church. It was dedicated February 19, 1885. 100 Samuel S. Thompson was a founder of this church and his funeral service took place here. 101 Old Harmony Schoolhouse The school was built in 1836. 102 Patience Hilliard Flanigan (mother of Mary Flanigan Thompson) was the first teacher here. 103 The school was on the northwest corner of Broad (formerly Church) and Harmony Streets, 104 which is now a vacant lot. On the opposite corner is the vacant 1914 Penn’s Grove High 96

Interviews, Oct. 12 and 13, 1999

97

Waegon, ibid, Map of Penns Grove

98

Jaquett, Josephine, 1964, The Churches of Salem County, p. 37.

99

Thompson, ibid, p. 5

100

Jaquett, ibid, p. 37

101

Thompson, ibid, p.5

102

W.W. Summerill, 1971, History of Upper Penns Neck Township, Upper Penns Neck Township, 250 years (17211971) commemoration booklet, E.I du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc., p.28 103

Thompson, ibid, p. 5

104

Waegon, Oliver, Map of Penn’s Grove, Everts & Stewart, Combination Atlas of Salem and Gloucester Counties, NJ,

1876.

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©JANET L. SHERIDAN

SOME THOMPSON FAMILY SITES IN SALEM COUNTY

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School.

VILLAGE OF SHARPTOWN (TOWNSHIP OF PILESGROVE)

William Thompson Tavern On the west side of the main street south of another tavern stand a frame building with a small window near the door. This is the “tavern window” for fast take-out of spirits by the traveler who has no time to dally. It was kept by a William Thompson until 1798. 105 His genealogy is unknown.

BOROUGH OF WOODSTOWN

Friends Meeting House This is where the Hilliard family worshiped. Patience Hilliard Flanigan was mother of Mary Flanigan who married Samuel Straughan Thompson. 106

105

Boyer, ibid, p. 271

106

Thompson, ibid, p. 5

REV SEPTEMBER 1, 2012

©JANET L. SHERIDAN