Brick Wall Ancestor | #8 Jesse Thomas Sr

We all have them! Those stubborn ancestors that refuse to come out of hiding. No matter how much coaxing we do! Well, I think it's time to bring them out of the shadows - put their redacted story out there - another piece of the puzzle could be lurking just around the (cyber) corner, in someone's basement, or closet, or sitting in a box on a bookshelf ...... You never, ever know where that loose chink will manifest, the one that allows you to push out one brick, then the next. Food for thought. So without further ado....


Brick Wall Ancestor | # 8 Jesse Thomas Sr

Jesse Thomas seems to magically appear in Chester Co, PA in 1810, prior to that time he is a complete mystery. What I do "know" is information gleaned from other researchers, none of it is sourced. The rumor floating around is that Jesse was born in 1786 in Chester Co, PA to unknown parents. He married, supposedly in 1808 in Fallowfield Meeting Hall, Chester Co, PA; Rebecah Hampton, Daughter of Jonathan Hampton and Elizabeth Phillips. The Hampton relationship has been substantiated through numerous DNA matches with other Hampton descendants.

Jesse appears on the 1810 US Census in New London, Chester Co, PA with three household residents; a male aged 16 thru 25, a female aged 16 thru 25 and a female aged under 10.

In March 1820 Jesse and Rebecah request removal from their Fallowfield Monthly Meeting in Chester Co, PA to join the Stillwater Monthly Meeting in Washington Co, OH. Did they actually live in Ohio at the time of the request?

I did find a Jesse Thomas on the 1840 US Census in Washington Co, OH, the household includes one male aged 50 thru 59, two males 10 thru 14, one female 50 thru 59, two females 20 thru 29 and two females 15 thru 19.

According to Quaker records Jesse died February 20th 1842 at Plymouth, Washington Co, OH. Aged 55.

End of story.

That's one HUGE brick wall!


GENEALOGY

Jesse Thomas  b. say 1786 d. 20 Feb 1842 m. say 1808 Rebecah Hampton, daughter of Jonathan Hampton and Elizabeth Phillips, b. 12 May 1790 d.  20 Dec 1850

children:

• Elizabeth Thomas b. 1 Jan 1810 PA d. UNK
• Sarah Thomas b. 17 Apr 1811 PA d.  UNK
• Mary Ann Thomas b. 7 Mar 1813 PA  d. UNK m. Walter Stanley
• Joseph Thomas b. 5 Dec 1814 PA d. UNK m. Mary G Parker 
• Debora Thomas b. 27 Mar 1817 PA d. UNK m. Josiah Walton
• Philena Thomas b. 9 Oct 1819 PA d. 22 Jan 1894 m. Seth Williams
• Joanna Thomas b. 23 Jan 1822 OH d. UNK 
• Jonathan H Thomas b. 25 Mar 1824 OH d. UNK m. Hannah E Henry
• Eli Thomas b. 19 May 1826 OH d. 18 Nov 1855 m. Adeline McConnell
• Jesse Thomas Jr b. 28 Jul 1828 OH d. 19 Sep 1907 m. Joanna Bell Stanley
• David Thomas b. 26 Jun 1831 OH d. 11 Apr 1832

There were 30 'Thomas' heads of household in Chester County PA on the 1800 census, nine with a male child between the age of 10 and 15. Family tradition says the Thomas family was of Welsh origin. Was Jesse born in PA or did he immigrate as a child or young adult? Was Jesse's family Quaker? Or did Jesse join the faith upon his marriage to Rebecah? 

As is typical, more questions than answers. 

And the answers are out there ...... somewhere.

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