James Thompson (1849-1924) and Ellen Bell (1850-1926)  



Last Updated 9/1/00

James THOMPSON
b. 5 Oct 1849 in Taylor Co., KY, the son of William and Nancy Jane (THOMPSON) THOMPSON
m. 25 Sep 1872 in Taylor Co.
d. 5 May 1924 in Taylor Co.; bur. in Zion Cemetery, Zion Separate Baptist Church, Maple, KY

Rachel Ellen BELL
b. 12 Mar 1850 in Taylor Co., the daughter of John and Lucy (OAKS) BELL
d. 31 Dec 1926 in Taylor Co.; bur. in Zion Cemetery

James Thompson was known as 'Big Jim'; Rachel went by her middle name, Ellen.

In his book The Crooked Sourwood, Ben Jones talks about Jim Thompson:
 

Now another Thompson clan in the many was one who stood out as an individual. It was Big Jim who was born in Taylor County in 1849 and died in 1924. He was buried in the Mt. Zion Cemetery. My dad, William Butler Jones, said Big Jim was an outstanding man but I never heard him say what Big Jim's specialty was. I am sure it was not a brawler or alcoholic because he had no time for drunks or brawlers. It could have been horses or a log roller. A lot of people don't know what a log roller was. At a new ground they didn't roll the logs together they sawed them into lengths and carried them and piled them up. They put poles under logs, a man on each end, and from six to eight men to the log. This was where they separated the men from the boys. There were tricks to all trades and many a boy who thought he was a log roller got a back injury for life. I knew some of them. My dad knew Jim Frank for our family and Jim (Coon) Skaggs were visiting friends.
Children of James and Ellen Thompson:
  1. John H. Thompson, b. about 1874.
  2. Robert L. Thompson, b. 30 Jun 1875
  3. Rebecca J. Thompson, b. 31 Mar 1877; d. 19 Apr 1930 in Taylor Co. She m. Holland SKAGGS (son of William and Emily Skaggs and brother of James Skaggs) 16 Jul 1891 in Taylor Co. They had children Henry, Albert, Hallie, and Early.
  4. James Frank Thompson, b. 3 Dec 1878.
  5. Sarah Mattie Thompson. She m. James SPROWLES.
  6. Joseph Thomas Thompson. He m. Sarah Mattie DESPAIN.
Pictures and Stuff

From Zion Cemetery, Zion Separate Baptist Church, Maple:
    James Thompson's gravestone
    Ellen Thompson's gravestone

Five-Generation Pedigree Chart
 

Offspring This Family Parents Grandparents Great-grandparents
Frank Thompson James Thompson William Thompson
Nancy Jane Thompson Warren Thompson Drury Thompson
Lucy Thompson
Polly Edwards John Edwards
Ellen Bell John Bell George Bell James Bell
Francis Beasley
Rachel Goudy
Lucy Oaks John Oaks Daniel Oaks
Jennett --?--
Barby Romans Jacob Romans

References

To be added - check back in a bit.
 
 

Genealogy of Stephen R. Moore - Family Page of James Thompson and Ellen Bell
© 2000 Stephen R. Moore, 8504 Enochs Dr., Lorton, VA 22079