Stop the digital press–this blogger recently obtained copies of genealogy reports commissioned by William Boyce Thompson that shed light on the family’s distant past. Unfortunately, researchers working for The Magnate ran into the same dead-ends that befuddle family researchers today. That said, The Thompson Reports include some exciting new information. H.H. Plate, Thompson’s secretary who in 1923 was sent on a fact-finding mission to […]
Joseph Ough Made a Big Impression on Great Grandfather Thompson
My great-grandfather, J.E. Thompson, really admired his uncle, architect and builder Joseph Ough. The respect didn’t stem from Ough’s financial success. It was due to the man’s artistic and spiritual achievements. “In your mother’s family, and mine, there were those that were stars in a financial way,” wrote J.E. Thompson in a letter to his son, “but the man […]
Thompson Line Seems to End at William Thompson, Sr.
Like most amateur genealogists, I have reached a maddening dead-end in the quest to trace my family roots. The end of the line is William Thompson, Sr., who appears to have lived most his life in Ontario, Canada, but was probably born in Scotland. Thompson’s very common name, which shows up often in Census counts, church […]
J.R. Boyce Pays Tribute to Dead for Benefit of Living
James Richard (J.R.) Boyce was a real sweetheart, a deep believer in the nobility of womankind. The Confederate Army major, who became a Montana dry goods merchant, wanted to ensure his ancestors knew what outstanding stock they came from. So he left behind a highly detailed October 23, 1893, letter addressed to his grandchildren. Unfortunately, […]
Judah P. Benjamin’s Homes Largely Forgotten In New Orleans
His Bellechase Plantation was razed in March 1960 to make way for government buildings. His French Quarter townhome is now a strip club called Temptations.
Genealogist Shines Light on Simmers Past
When it comes to the Simmers side of the family, it’s no easy task separating fact from fiction. Spirited recollections made around holiday dinner tables, memories shared over coffee or scotch were taken as gospel. Little paperwork was left behind to substantiate oral tradition. Then along comes intrepid family genealogist Judy Herbert , who, based on her postings in message boards […]