Answers To `About Us’ Questions

1. Margaret Tobin, aka The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1867-1932). For this fascinating story, go to the `Henry and His Cabin’ story found in this section.

2. Elizabeth and Mary Huston were twins!

3. A plume was presented to John Thompson as a thank you for escorting General Lafayette across Bucks County in 1824. Lafayette, the young Frenchman who studied under Washington during the war, received an invitation from President Monroe, to revisit and celebrate America 41 years after independence. He was wildly received as the hero he was.

4. William Penn was given ownership of the territory of Pennsylvania by King Charles II to pay off a large debt owed to Penn’s father, a naval British officer.

5. Hugh Thompson was a school teacher.

6. The population of Bucks County in 1748 was estimated to be about 10,000.

7. The Newtown Historic Association owns and operates the Mary and David Callahan Research Center, dedicated to preserving the history of Newtown through its repository of artifacts, deeds, pictures, wills, maps, genealogies, etc.

8. Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd President and served from 1889 to 1893. He was preceded and succeeded by Grover Cleveland. There was no President of the US in 1735-1740 timeframe as the Colonies were a possession of the British Empire.

9. On Saturday September 13, 1935, while enroute to the Wilson-Thompson family reunion, a car containing 6 family members was struck by a train at a railroad crossing near Churchville PA, killing all passengers instantly. More info can be found under Reunion section of this website.

10. King Henry VIII petitioned Pope Clement VII for a marriage annulment from his wife Catherine around 1534. It was denied. The king in retaliation declared himself the head of the church and started the Anglican or Episcopalian church.

11. Ella Reeves Thompson (1887-1975) was a career school teacher. She never married.