Just Bad Luck or Same Story Retold?

The following are excerpts of stories were found in the History of Bucks County of 1876/1905 and the Wilson-Thompson Families Genealogy 1916. It is not clear whether these stories tell of separate robbery attempts, or the same robbery repeated multiple times. You be the judge. Either way, John Thompson, because of his role as successful businessman, county tax collector, church treasurer, Revolutionary War wagon master, and procurement agent for the allied French fleet, he was clearly a target for theft during the Revolutionary War.

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From the History of Bucks County, page 211: “About 1750 sixty acres of land on the west bank of the Neshaminy, below Newtown, with a dwelling upon it, were given to the church for a parsonage. It was sold about the breaking out of the Revolutionary war, and the proceeds invested in six percent, state warrants. These were stolen from the house of John Thompson, the treasurer, and lost to the church.”

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From the History of Bucks County, page 336: “During the troublous days of the Revolution the (Thompson) house was entered by burglars who carried off silver spoons and money. Hearing them coming up the steps, Mr. Thompson jumped out of bed and got behind the door. As the burglars entered the room he struck one of them over the arm with an iron rod, which caused him to drop his pistol, and the other fired but did no harm, when both fled with their plunder.”

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From the Wilson-Thompson Families Genealogy, page 172: “There are legends of it (John Thompson’s house) having been besieged by Indians but these legends probably had their origins the raids made upon it by the Tories during the Revolution when the Doan outlaws ransacked the house in search of money collected by John Thompson for use of government and the army. They found little money however as the bulk of it was concealed in a cushion on which Mrs. Thompson sat in one of the chairs in the living room; she refused to leave her chair on the ground of bodily infirmities thus saving her husband from loss of considerable cash.”

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From the Wilson-Thompson Families Genealogy, page 173 footnote: “Some details of this raid (referring to the story above) are related by Charles Thompson, a great grandson of this John Thompson, who states that it occurred when his grandfather, Hugh, was eighteen years old which would place it in the year 1782. As related to Charles by his grandfather there was considerable money in the house, including proceeds of a load of flour taken to Trenton, and the team driver, farmer, and miller, the name of whom Charles does not recollect were at the house were effecting a settlement. Hugh and the other sons were also present and although driven from the lower part of the house defended the stairway so valiantly that the outlaws did not reach the upper floor but decamped with very little plunder.”