THE JUDGE JOSEPH THOMPSON OF MAYS LANDING & ATLANTIC CO NJ (GENEALOGY) Information located at http://www.rootsweb.com/~njatlant/ On a USGenWeb/NJGenWeb Web site TRANSCRIBED BY JANICE BROWN, County Coordinator in 2006 Please see the web site for my email contact. ---------------------------------- The original source of this information is in the public domain, however use of this text file, other than for personal use, is restricted without written permission from the transcriber (who has edited, compiled and added new copyrighted text to same). ======================================================== SOURCE: Genealogical and memorial history of the state of New Jersey : a book of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation; New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1910 Page 329 THOMPSON Judge Joseph Thompson, of Atlantic City, New Jersey, descends on the maternal side from an ancient and honorable family, celebrated in the anals of New Jersey for the famous men it has furnished the bpulic service. Two of the Pennington family, father and son, have been governors of the state. Nathan Pennington, great-grandfather of Judge Thompson, was a revolutionary soldier serving from New Jersey. Hester Taylor Pennington, his mother, was a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Taylor) Pennington, of Mays Landing, New Jersey. John was a son of Nathan (the revolutionary soldier) and Margaret (westscott) Pennington. Nathan, son of Judah Pennington, was born at Dutch Farms, near Newark, New Jersey, in 1758, and died in Newark, in 1810. When but nineteen years of age he enlisted in the revolutionary army. He was a private of Captain Lyon's company, Second Essex County New Jersey Militia, also was in Captain Craig's company, Hay's Batallion. He was taken prisoner and sent to Quebec, where he suffered great hardships but finally escaped and returned to his home. He was also in service during the "Whiskey Insurrection" in Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Westcott and had issue. John, son of Nathan and Margaret (Westcott) Pennington, married Elizabeth, daughter of William Taylor. John settled in South Jersey, at May's Landing, Atlantic County. He reared a large family: 1. Mary Sanford, born September 24, 1813. 2. Ann, August 26, 1815. 3. William, July 7, 1818. 4. Margaret, August 19, 1820. 5. John, August 22, 1823. 6. Hester Taylor, see forward. 7. Elizabeth, November 25, 1827. 8 Anderson, October 12, 18230. 9. Lewis Walker, born October 15, 1833. 10. Sarah. born March 27, 1836. Judge Thompson is a great-grandson of Elias Thompson of Bordentown, New Jersey, and a grandson of Joseph Thompson, born February 25, 1802; died 1888, who married July 11, 1826 to Eliza, daughter of John Scott, of Burlington, New Jersey. Joseph and Eliza (Scott) Thompson had one child--William Wright Thompson, born June 23, 1830; died December 2, 1865. He married June 23, 1830; died December 2, 1865. He married January 1, 1851, Hester Taylor Pennington, born October 31, 1825, fourth daughter and sixth child of John and Elizabeth (Taylor) Pennington, of Mays Landing, New Jersey. William Wright and Hester Taylor (Pennington) Thompson were the parents of: 1. Hannah, born November 28, 1851; died in 1881. 2. Joseph, see forward. 3. Eliza Scott, born August 15, 1860. She was a charter member of General Lafayette Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of Atlantic City, and has served as treasurer since the organization of the chapter. 4. William, died in infancy. Hon. Joseph Thompson, son of William Wright and Hester Taylor (Pennington) Thompson, was born at Mays Landing, New Jersey, September 21, 1853. He was educated in the schools of Mays Landing. He began the study of law in the office of Alden C. Scovil, of Camden, and afterward in the office of William Moore. He was admitted to the New Jersey bar as an attorney in January 1878, and in 1880 removed to Atlantic City, New Jersey and began the practice of his profession. In 1883 he was admitted a counselor at the New Jersey bar. From 1881 to 1883 he was tax collector of Atlantic City, and then began the active political and professional career that carried him to the top rank of his profession and to important public positions of honor and trust. Judge Thompson is a Democrat of the old school, and his political preference has come through that part, although he has numberless friends in the opposite party. For ten years he was prosecutor of pleas for Atlantic county, serving from March 1881 to March 1891. In April 1892 he was appointed law judge of Atlantic County by Governor Werst, serving until 1898. On March 9, 1898, he was elected mayor of Atlantic City. In 1880 he was appointed by the board of chosen freeholders as solicitor of Atlantic county, and served for twenty-five years, until 1905. On January 25, 1898, he was nominated by Governor Griggs one of the managers of the New Jersey State Insane Hospital, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Dr. Joseph F. Edwards, and was confirmed by the senate on the 31st of the same month. In July 1898, he was appointed a member of the state board of taxation to fill a vacancy, and in 1899 was nominated and confirmed for the full term of five years. In all these offices Judge Thompson has served with a fidelity and zeal that has rendered him a notable figure in the public life of the state. His life has been a full one, for many of these positions were concurrent, and in addtion he has been active in the business affairs of the city. He was one of the organizers of the Second National Bank, of Atlantic City, and of the Atlantic Safe Deposit and Trust Company, and served as director and solicitor of both institutions since their organizations. For the past twelve years he has been solicitor for the Atlantic City Rail Road. Corporation law is a specialty with Judge Thompson, and he is regarded as very high authority. He is president of the South Jersey Title and Finance Company, and vice-president and a director of the Hammonton New Jersey Trust Company. He is a member of the New Jersey State and of the Atlantic County Bar Associations. His fraternal affiliation is Masonic, belonging to Trinity Lodge, F. and A. M. and Trinity Chapter, R.A.M., both of Atlantic City. His church membership is with the Presbyterian congregation of Atlantic City. He is an enthusiastic yachtsman, and is commodore of the Ventnor Yacht Club. His social club is the Atlantic City Country Club. Judge Joseph Thompson married, May 10, 1877, Isabella Louisa Phillips, daughter of Dr. W.W.L. Phillips, of Trenton, New Jersey. Children: William Phillips, born 1880; John McKelevay, born 1882; Alexander Pennington, born 1884. The last named died in infancy. (end)