Public record;
Green County, Kentucky, Circuit Case #32216 Deposition of Mary A. Thompson (25 October, 1906)
I will be 66 the 7th of coming December; live in Green County; I am the wife of Thomas J. Thompson, I was his wife over 40 years. We lived in Green County most of the time, always in Kentucky, except a short time in Indiana. Thomas and I had 11 children. They are John William, Jim, Lizzie, Susan, Liddy Alice, Abe, Darcan Ann, Nancy Jane, Lige, Sam and Albert. We worked and made our property. We did not inherit it. Thomas was 64 or 65 years old. He was in farming and trading. He sold goods for a year or two or maybe longer. He generally lost money at that. Sometimes he made money in trading. He lost money in merchandixing. It has been 28 or 29 years since he sold goods.
He gave property to all of his children....horses, cows, calves and hogs. He deeded the land to me to keep while I lived and to take care of Alice. Alice is my child. Her mind is wrong. She was sent to the asylum for four years. That was about 6 or 8 years ago, I think. She has not mind enough to take care of herself. She has never been married. She has always lived at home. Alice is about 39, I think. She is not able to take care of any kind of business.
Thomas wanted me to have the land for I helped him work and make it. He said he had already given his children all that he aimed for them to have. His mind was all right. He transacted his own business the last year before his death. He employed as his hands Elliott Carter, Roman Shumaker, Mr. Aikin and Tom Salsman. The money I got from my father's estate was put on the land. Dorris Skaggs wrote the deeds at our house. Thomas had Alice's name taken out of the deed. Thomas said she was not capable of taking care of herself, let alone have anything. My son Albert also lives with me. Our sons did not visit their father often the last year before he died. Thomas said his daughters did not come and see him often enough. He said Elizabeth had not treated him right. He had to pay out money for her in a lawsuit about 18 or 20 years ago. It was with Warren Pervis. Elizabeth did not see him the last six months before he died. She lives two miles from me. I've heard him say he had nothing against Sam, Susan, Dorcas Ann, Nancy Jane, Albert, James and Alice. He said Lige was too fast. He said Abe was like some of the balance, he had cost him too much. J. W. would tell stories. The whole neighborhood said so, even his brother, We tried to raise them right.
Thomas was the boss. Ain't all men the Boss? I never locked him out of the house and refused to let him in. The night that he and W. F. Cantrell came along at 10:00 and I had the doors locked, I did let them in the house.
I gave $100 on the land. My father gave me the money. I gave Thomas the money before he went to Indian Territory. I put the money away but not in the bank. Thomas said he spent it when he went off to Indian Territory. He was talking of selling out and going to Indian Territory.
My husband did not receive injuries that I know of. He did not have a head injury in the last four or five years. He was only run over by a wagon once. It ran over his feet and legs.
Mary A. Thompson (X)