Weighing a County Biography, a Pension Record, and DNA Evidence
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There is a certain point in family history research where the question becomes simple… but the answer does not. For me, that question is this: Are Blackburn Thompson and Lucretia Lawson the parents of my great-great grandfather, Rodden (or Roden) Thompson?
At first glance, the answer seems within reach. There are records. There are names. There are even connections across multiple sources. But when those sources are examined closely, they do not align perfectly. Instead, they present three competing perspectives that must be weighed carefully.
The County Biography (A Son’s Statement… Through Another Voice)
A biographical sketch of Andrew J. Thompson, a proven son of Blackburn Thompson and Lucretia Lawson, states that he was one of ten children. This is important.
Andrew J. Thompson was a biological son. He would have had direct knowledge of his family structure. Of the three sources considered here, this is the closest to the family itself.
However, his statement comes to us through an 1889 county history. That introduces a limitation we cannot resolve:
- Was Andrew quoted directly?
- Was his statement summarized by the author?
- Did the editor condense or alter the wording?
We simply do not know. So while this source strongly suggests that Blackburn and Lucretia had ten children, it remains a second-hand publication of a first-hand claim.
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The Pension Record (Detailed… but Based on Memory)
A War of 1812 pension record for Blackburn Thompson includes an affidavit from Zachariah and Nancy Lewallen, dated 12 February 1873 in Madison County, Arkansas.
In that affidavit, they list the children of Blackburn and Lucretia as:
*Harmon Thompson,
This is a valuable list… but it comes with clear boundaries. The Lewallens state that they knew the family from about 1838 to 1855 in Campbell County, Tennessee. They also specify that these were the children “whom we have known.” That phrasing matters.
Their testimony is:
This is not a complete family record. It is a memory-based account of the children they personally knew. It is also notable that they list nine children… while the county biography states there were ten.
DNA Connections (Modern Evidence… with Limits)
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This suggests that:
- Rodden is connected to this family line
- The connection is biological, not just circumstantial
However, DNA has its own limitations:
- It does not specify exact relationships on its own
- It cannot identify parents without supporting documentation
- It works best when combined with traditional records
DNA supports a connection… but it does not independently prove that Blackburn and Lucretia were Rodden’s parents.
What the Evidence Actually Supports
When these three sources are considered together, several things become clear:
- Blackburn Thompson and Lucretia Lawson had a family with multiple children.
- Andrew J. Thompson (their son) stated there were ten children.
- The Lewallen affidavit identifies nine children known to them between about 1838 and 1855.
- DNA evidence supports a biological connection between Rodden Thompson and this family.
What is not proven:
- That Rodden Thompson is explicitly named in any record as their son
- That the list of children in either source is complete
- That all children of Blackburn and Lucretia are currently identified
A Working Conclusion
At this stage, the evidence suggests that Rodden Thompson could belong to this family.
His birth (1813, Tennessee) places him in the correct time and location. His later presence in Arkansas aligns with the migration pattern of Blackburn and Lucretia’s known children. DNA evidence supports a biological connection. But no single record directly names him as their son. For that reason, this remains a supported but unproven hypothesis.
Why This Matters
It would be easy to take one of these sources… especially the county biography or the pension affidavit… and treat it as complete. But doing so risks building a conclusion on incomplete or filtered information.
Instead, this case is a reminder:
- A number (like “ten children”) is not proof on its own
- A list of names is not necessarily complete
- Memory, publication, and interpretation all shape the records we use
Good genealogy does not choose the easiest answer. It follows the evidence… even when the answer remains just out of reach.
Sources:
Northwest Arkansas Historical Association. History of Benton, Washington, Carroll, Madison, Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian Counties, Arkansas. Chicago: Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889. (Biographical sketch of Andrew J. Thompson).
War of 1812 Pension File for Blackburn Thompson, W.O. #8311, W.C. #6314; affidavit of Zachariah and Nancy Lewallen, 12 February 1873, Madison County, Arkansas; Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Autosomal DNA results and match analysis from AncestryDNA, including shared matches and descendant clustering among individuals connected to the Blackburn Thompson family.
