Col. Richard Thompson

???? - 1736


Biography

MP for Reading 1720-1722 and 1727-1734, grandfather of Frances Jennings (q.v.). Died in 1735 or 1736.

  1. Jamaica merchant. Said to be the grandson of Sir Samuel Thompson of Bradfield, Berkshire, sheriff of London in 1688. Thompson bought the manors of Whitley and Coley on the outskirts of Reading and ‘informed the board of Trade in February 1711 that he did not intend to return to Jamaica’. In 1720 one of the eight patentees of the Royal Mining Company, formed to develop gold and silver mines in Jamaica. They invested their subscribers’ funds in the South Sea Company and went into liquidation.

  2. Kent and Thompson were listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owners of 267 acres of land in St Andrew, 50 acres in St David and 1294 acres in St Thomas-in-the-East, total 1611 acres.

  3. Will of Richard Thompson of [Coley] St Mary Reading Berkshire proved 12/09/1739. In the will he left his estates to his son Richard Nicoll Thompson and £4000 to each of his three daughters Jane, Frances and Anne. No further trace has been found of Richard Nicoll Thompson, and the History of Parliament entry for Richard Thompson shows only three daughters: presumably Richard Nicoll Thompson died young. Anne Thompson married Philip Jennings, later Sir Philip Jennings Clerke (q.v.).


Sources

  1. R. S. Lea, 'Thompson, Richard (d. c.1735)', History of Parliament online, accessed 11/01/2016.

  2. A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.

  3. PROB 11/698/102.


Further Information

Absentee?
Transatlantic
Spouse
Jane Nicoll
Children
Richard Nicoll; Jane; Frances; Anne;

Associated Estates (2)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1740 [EA] - 1774 [LA] → Previous owner
1740 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Previous owner

Shown against Thompson and Kent deceased or their heirs, or variations thereon, between 1740 and 1832.


Legacies Summary

Physical (1)

Estate
Coley Park [Purchased] 
description →
Manor and estate of Coley near Reading, purchased by Col. Richard Thompson in 1727, sold by his widow and daughter in 1792....

Political (1)

MP
Whig 
election →
Reading Berkshire
1720 - 1722
election →
Reading Berkshire
1727 - 1734

Relationships (5)

Grandfather → Grand-daughter
Father → Daughter
Father-in-law → Son-in-law
Father → Daughter
Father → Daughter

Addresses (1)

Coley Park, Reading, Berkshire, Central England, England