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The distinguished family name of Thompson (spelt with a 'P') originated in Scotland. The name is derived from the popular given name Thomas, an Aramaic name meaning 'twin' and refers to 'a son of Thomas or Thom'. The spelling of the name with a 'P' distinguishes the family from the 'Thomsons, who were a Scottish clan originally known as the MacThomais. The family was seated in Cumberland, where the Thompson family had existed from ancient times. Some of the first settlers of this name, like Edward Thompson was one of the passengers on the 'Mayflower' in 1620 and David Thompson who settled in Maine in 1623. Another, a William Thompson immigrated to Virginia in 1653. The bare-knuckle world boxing champion somewhere in between 1811 and 1880 was William Bendigo Thompson, and the real name of actress Merle Oberon was Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson. There were 20 convicts named Thompson who came out in the first 2 Fleets, although I have not been able as yet to trace them, no doubt that in some obscure way, we would be related to one of them somewhere back down the track. ************ My first historical reference I have found so far is around the end of the 16th century, our earliest known notation on our maternal side, being a Mr. Nicholas Walton who married Elizabeth Heycocke in 1589. The were married in Grandborough Warwickshire, near Rugby in the central Midlands. On the paternal side was a Mr. Robert Curtlin and his wife Hannah, he being my Great-Great-Grandfather. They lived in Stretton On Dunsmore, Warwickshire and he was an agricultural labourer. From his marriage he had a son named William who married Mary Ann Walton on 16/02/1875 at Dunchurch, Warwickshire, England. On our maternal side Mary Ann was the daughter of Joseph Walton and his wife Mary. Joseph was born in Thurlaston, while Mary was born at Northend, Warwick in 1825. They had 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls, Mary Ann born 1859, Louisa 1861, Joseph 1863, John 1865 and Thomas 1868. William Curtlin and Mary Ann had 10 children, they lived on a farm at Thurlaston, Warwickshire, his age at death is not known just yet. Mary Ann lived until the age 93. One of his daughters was named Annie Elizabeth who was born on the 19th December 1885, she lived until the 8th October 1982, passing away in a nursing home at Mandurah, Western Australia at age 96. Nannie, is pictured below, left.
My father Walter Sidney Thompson married Louisa Eileen Kirby in Rugby Warwickshire on 28th Nov. 1936. They had 4 children, myself Maurice in 1938, Terry in 1943, Pamela in 1948 and our brother Phillip was born in Bridgetown, Western Australia in 1954.
Right are my parents, Lou & Sid.
The photograph below was taken around the mid 1950's, where we eventually settled in Bridgetown, WA. I was working well before this stage, the rest of the children were at school at that time.
Picture left to right are: Pam, Terry, Mother, Maurie, Father and Phillip.
The next generation began with the marriage of myself Maurie, to Vera Greco in 1959 in Geraldton WA. Vera and I were blessed with 4 children, the eldest a son Peter, then 3 girls, Teresa, Dianne and Linda. Terry married Janet Branch and had a boy and a girl, Jason and Nicky, Pam married Bruce Troode and had 2 daughters, Shelley and Susanne, while Phillip married Margaret Sargeant and had 2 boys, Drew and Russell.
Whether Father time has been good to us is debatable. This picture was taken around 1995. Sadly my father passed away in Jan.1993, my mother passed away on May 1st 2006 in Perth Western Australia.
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Along
with my parents, this
remarkable woman had a profound effect on my upbringing and many of her ideals
and attitudes, still have live and echo through our lives to this day. Her inner
strength and resolve under extreme difficulties, gave us all the support we
needed. She was a no nonsense lady!! When she was a young girl, Queen Victoria was the English
monarch. She
married 3 times, the first time was (bigamously) to Frank Pittman, unknown to her for some time. This
encounter produced a son, Archie (Archibald) Pittham. Her second marriage to Alfred Thompson
saw the arrival of my father Walter Sidney (Sid) and William Harold (Harry). Her
marriage to Frederick Charles Pope produced 3 boys, Charles, Richard & Jim
and 2 girls, Gwen & Mary. "Nannie Pope" as she was always known to
us, was a very resourceful woman. She was as hard as nails, as tough as they come,
worked as a cleaning lady all hours of the night, but she still had to keep
house for her family. Nannie would conceal a few pence each week from her hard
taskmaster husband, and just when our shoes were about to fall apart, a new pair
appeared. She lived through two world wars, 3 husbands, and then emigrated to
Australia at the age of 89. Truly a remarkable person.
The
3 eldest children were all born in the United Kingdom, the family emigrated to
Western Australia in Feb 1952. 
