From court testimony John Thompson, Sr's birth year was determined to be 1740 but where he was born is unknown. It is thought that he may have come to Augusta County, Virginia with Scots-Irish immigrants from Pennsylvania but no proof confirms this. Records show that a John Thompson was a land owner in Augusta County and that people migrated to Monroe County from there. It is known that John Thompson, Sr. was a major landowner and considered one of the wealthiest men in Monroe County. John, Sr. died in June 1823 which is confirmed by Court case records of a dispute regarding his estate. The court case also identifies his heirs and his last residence which was on Rich Creek on land that was just west of Peterstown, WV. A revealing statement made in a court deposition on 6 Jul 1844 by his son, John Thompson, Jr. says, "He made his home principally with Samuel.... Father was stout as old men generally are at this age and he died in his 84th year." Samuel was another son. Estate court records do not mention John, Sr's wife or widow so she must have died before 1823. John Thompson was buried in the Dunn Cemetery in Monroe Co., WV even though no gravestone can be identified as his. A book entitled, "Cemeteries of Monroe County West Virginia" states in the index that John Thompson was buried in the Dunn Cemetery. This would seem plausible since Dunn Cemetery is the closest cemetery to where John Thompson lived in Rich Creek Valley. Furthermore, a grandson of John Thompson, Sr. was named William T Dunn, the son of John and Isabella (Thompson) Dunn. John Dunn, Isabella Dunn and William T Dunn were "purchasers" of John Thompson, Sr.'s estate holdings. Grandson William Dunn was mentioned in the court case involving John Thompson Sr's will as possibly the last person to handle the will before his grandfather's death. The Will was lost after his death but testimony by those who were familiar with the will's contents helped construct John's last wishes. Notes by Jon R Thompson, [email protected]