This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: llinde3 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.thompson/7774.436.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi John, My birth name was Thompson and my gggranddad Benj.T. and his wife Mary were married in Maryland in 1828.They were pioneers and eventually ended up in Minnesota where I was born. I believe "my"Thompsons were in that great early migration of Scots-Irish who fled the privation of Northern Ireland in the 18th century for the American Colonies.The first wave settled in Penn.Then a little later another immigration settled in the Cumberland Valley-where Ben and Mary were married and further south.I saw a history of those people on the History Channel and it was announced that the native Irish were the enemies of those people pushed or "planted"out of Scotland into No.Ireland.I can't say for others but my reading of history disagrees somewhat. II think times were tough there and religous persecution was wwaged against Prebsbyterians as well as Roman Catholics.Also localized crop failures and famines plus ggeneral poverty and rent-gouging affected all.L Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.