Thompkins-Tompkins Family History

The Thompkins-Tompkins family saga is part of the United States history and is United States History. The Thompkins-Tompkins saga includes enslavement, resilience, and perseverance of our ancestors to achieve despite unmeasurable obstacles. While obstacles continue to be present, the real story of the Thompkins-Tompkins family is our continual ability to stay focused on the future and honoring the ancestors who laid. This American Family history is a history of the United States.​

​Born into slavery, Isaac and Eliza were deemed property. However, they died as liberated persons in the twentieth century. Given who they were and who we have become, we should give gratitude to our ancestors and their endeavors and accomplishments.

​Isaac and Eliza were farmers. Because of their hard work, on January 22, 1878, and on June 13, 1878, they purchased land. Eleven years later, on December 12, 1889, Charles Thompkins, the eldest child, purchased land from his parent. Also in 1889, Isaac and Eliza purchased additional land. In later years, their sons Charles and John purchased land from their parents.

​The birth of Isaac and Eliza occurred 1825 and 1835 in South Carolina. Isaac's parents were born in North Carolina. and Eliza's father was born in North Caroline and her mother was born on the African continent. Our African DNA results have Isaac descending from the EWE people and Eliza descending from TUAREG people.

Enslaved persons could not legally marry, this did not deter Isaac and Eliza joining as husband and wife. Their first two children, as born in South Carolina. The remaining eleven children were born in Florida. Sometime between the birth of their 2nd child and 3rd child, the family was relocated to Madison, Florida.

With the end of the Civil War, each state that had permitted slavery now had to enact laws permitting people of color to marry. Thus, on September 23, 1866, John F. McCullough, Justice of the Peace, married Isaac and Eliza Tompkins in Madison County, Florida. When their marriage license was issued, Isaac and Eliza had seven living children (Charles, Peter, Hannah, Fannie, Henry, Mary, and John). Later, six additional children were born after 1866 (Simon, Rockey a.k.a. Roxie, Relia a.k.a. Reala, twins Luvenia and Arvenia, and Hattie). Two of these children, Simon, and Hattie did not survive past childhood.

​Between the years of 1907 and 1910, Isaac passed away. Eliza passed away July 30, 1936, in Cherry Lake, Florida. There are now at least 9 generations of Isaac and Eliza’s descendants living throughout the United States. Many have served in the military. Others graduated from Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy. Others made their life’s work as bricklayers, nurses, teachers, lawyers, dentists, ministers, administrators, politicians, accountants, journalists, authors, scientists, computers, technology, and more.