Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1916-10-18
HISTORIC PAPER.
Sketch of Stephen Tonpkins.
Prepared by Mrs. Maggie
Hill Read Before Edge
field D. A. r.

The Tompkins' are of both Eng
lish and Welsh decent. Sir Hugh
Treherne, gallant knight who was
with the Black Prince at Poitiers,
was the founder of the Welsh
branch of the family. In Yorkshire,
England, the name appears as Tomp-
kins. One lost his life in his SOW
ere1gn's cause. "Mr. Nathaniel
Tompkins, gentleman of Holborn,''
appears on the records. Nathaniel
Tompkins was loyal &c King Charles
lst and was tried at Guildhall June
80, l643, and was bebeaded for his
loyalty to his King. Particulars of
his trial and his speeches are preser-
we'd. The organist of the chapel
royal was Thomas Tompkins. This
was in 1925, and much of his manu-
script is preserved in the British
Museum. William Tompkins was
an artist, and also his son Peltro,
who was portrait painter to George
III, and drawing master to the prin-
cesses.
One of the first of the name in
this country, was Micah Tompkins.
who with his wife, Mary, came from
England about 1889, settling in
Wethersfeld, Conn.,, going from
there to Milford, of which BE was
one of the founders. In May 1866,
he was one of company of eleven
to purchase from the Indians the
site upon which Newark, n. j.,
now stands. He was also one of
the committee to build Newark's
first church. Much data of this
sturdy pioneer, is preserved by the
New Jersey Historical Society.
Another pioneer father, was John
Tompkins, who also came from Eng
land.
The founder of the New York
branch of the family was Nathaniel,
who settled at Eastchester, about
|l6so. Nathaniel, -itsmagg be noted,
is favorite family name. A branch
of the family also settled in Virgin
ia, John and his wife, Annie Tomp-
kins, who was his cousin. They re-
moved to kentucky in 1874, and
left large estate. The Rhode Is
land family descended from Nathan
iel, who married in 1911, Elizabeth
Allen. The coat-of-arms belonging
to the Tompkins' of Sussex, Eng
land, is produced on azure parch-
ment, consisting of a chevron be-
tween three Moorcock's, and as
many crosses. The crest being a
ship under full sail.
Of the two families who camc to
Virginia about l7+0, one was Cap
tain Stephen Tompkins, the pater-
nal ancestor of the family in South
Carolina. He went from Virginia
10 Anson county, North Carolina,
where he met and married Puggy"
Franklin, a paternal cousin of the
famous Benjamin Franklin, and it
is said that she possessed as strong
mental endowments as her after
wards famous kinsrnan. If she ever
had any other name than "Puggy,"
it was never heard of by her de-
scendants.
Stephen Tompkins was born in
New York, May 9th 1880. lie was
tall and slender, and of rather strik-
ing personality. Stephen Tomp-
kins, having moved to Anson coun-
ty, North Carolina, before the out
break of the Revolution of l776,
raised company eff cavalry, which
he commanded during the war. 1t
was related by him that the best
soldier he had in his command was
one .ie had himself shot for stealing
his horses. The horses of his troop
began to disappear and he suspected
some of his own men of this breach
of law as we'll as Of military discip-
line. He did not trust detail to
watch for the thief, but did it in
person, and soon discovered there
tofore Tory leading horse from
where they were parked as if carry
inc him to water. He did not hail,
but fired the contents of blunder
buss in the region of the horse
thief's pedal extremities. He recov-
cred the horse, and sending the
wounded thief to his home, improv-
ised as hospital, with his adored
"Puggy" as the whole Red Cross
Corps, to whom the sick and woun&-
ed were committed, and dear Grand
ma "Puggy," not only nursed her
patient back to health, but convert
ed him from a loyal subject of King