William Riley Thompson was born in Jackson Co., Alabama, 23 Sept 1831, the son of James Malcolm Thompson and Mahala W. Broyles. He served in the Confederate Army, I Company, 10th Regiment Texas Cavalry, enlisting 31 Oct 1861. Thompson married Sophronia Caroline Taylor 5 Cct 1858 in Cherokee Co. Texas. He died 11/14/1919 in Spicewood. [Picture of William Riley and wife, Sophronia] ~~ [Picture of William Riley at about age 25]
William and Sophronia had 10 children:
1. Henrietta Thompson born 1859, died in Rusk, TX
2. James Malcolm Thompson born 1865, married Annie Margaret Williams, 1907, died 1925.
3. William Roy Thompson born 1867, married Nora Jackson.
4. Sena Thompson born 1869, died in Rusk, TX
5. Andrew Jackson Thompson born 2/7/1872, married Lera Sophie Wall in Spicewood, 12/10/911, died 11/29/1944, buried at Rockvale.
6. George Washington Thompson born 2/7/1872, married Daisy Miller, died 1930 in Orange, CA.
7. William L. Thompson born 9/19/1876.
8. Robert Henry Thompson born 9/1876, died 12/27/1937.
9. John M. Thompson born 1877
10. Tommie Thompson born 6/4/1883, died 10/29/1886 in Spicewood, buried at Rockvale.
While living in Cherokee Co, TX, William tracked and captured escaped convicts from the Rusk Penitentiary using his own dogs. During one of these searches, William's brother-in-law Billie Taylor was killed by a convict.
William moved his family to Spicewood as a result of the malaria epidemic in East Texas in 1874.
William was a practical doctor. He had no medical degree.
One of my uncles remembers William's funeral. He was about 4 at the time. What he remembers is the wagon knocking over the fence backing up to the house for the casket. He also remembers the funeral procession contained a few Model Ts which scared the horses.
