Robert Thomson may have been the son (or grandson) of Samuel Thomson, whose will, probated in 1753 Louisa County, Virginia, names wife Temperance, daughters Elizabeth Thomson and Sarah Kembrow, and sons Robert, Thomas, Asa, Samuel, John, Joseph, David and William [full transcription of Samuel's will available here].
A Robert Thomson, resident of Cumberland County, transferred property to sons Robert and Josiah Thomson in Albemarle County in 1752.
The will of a John Thomson probated in Hanover County in 1759 (will can be downloaded from Library of Virginia) includes bequests to wife Kerenhappuch Thomson; son Joseph and daughter Elizabeth (both minors); daughter Mary, wife of James Brown; and daughter Margaret, wife of the Reverend Mr. Todd. The land bequests are in Albemarle County, and there are references to John's partnership with Charles Lynch of that county. It's not yet clear how this Thomson family fits in with Susannah's family.
I've not yet found a marriage record for Susannah and John. In Colonial Virginia, responsibility for maintaining a record of vital statistics fell to the Church of England via its Parish Registers; however, few of these have survived intact. John Statham was living and buying land in Albemarle County in the late 1750's, so this is probably where the two met and married.
- John Statham, b. ca 1760
- Nathaniel Statham, b. ca 1762; m. Mary Childress?
- Nancy Statham, b. ca 1764; m. ? Barnet
- Robert Statham, b. ca 1766
- William Dabney Statham, b. ca 1768; m. Matilda Harlow
- Jesse Statham, b. ca 1770; m. Eady Duncan
- Charles Andrew Statham, b. ca 1774
- Pleasant Statham, b. ca 1775
- James Statham, b. ca 1776
In 1822, with his health failing, John gave power of attorney to his son, Jesse. In his will probated 3 Nov 1823, John Statham left one dollar each to his sons John, Robert, Charles and James. The remainder of his estate was divided equally between Nathaniel, Nancy, William, Jesse and Pleasant.
In November 1826, Jesse gave power of attorney to his brother Nathaniel "to receive from all persons concerned in the estate & property of Love Statham, decd., in right of John Statham, a legatee of decd., which John Statham, legatee of the estate is now decd."
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John Jr.'s son, James (born ca 1799) was in Pulaski County, Georgia, in the 1840 and 1850 censuses; whether it was this James Statham or Nathaniel's son James living in Irwin in 1830 along with Nathaniel and his sons, Thompson Nathaniel and Pleasant Statham isn't yet known. However, it is known that John Jr's son James eventually settled in Irwin/Wilcox County (I believe it is this James, not the son of John Sr., who is the father of Norman Statham).
William Dabney Statham's parentage is unclear. He's listed as a grandson in Love Statham's will, and considered by some family researchers to be the illegitimate son of either John or one of his sisters. There was a William Dabney living around the same area, which makes for some interesting speculation. Another possibility is that the William Statham listed as serving in the Revolutionary War from Albemarle County is yet another son of Love Statham (and brother to John Statham) who died in the war, and that William Dabney Statham is his son. This William, like John Statham, appears in the 1780 census for Albemarle County, Virginia; unlike John Statham, he isn't in the one for 1790 (bearing in mind that these censuses are just reconstructions). Playing out this scenario, Love's guardianship of William Dabney would have terminated with Love's death in 1781, in which case the guardian bond dated 9 Oct 1786 in Louisa County, Virginia, would at least rule out John as the father since presumably it would have been a bastardy bond otherwise (security for the guardian bond is provided by John's two brothers-in-law, Stephen Hunter and Edward Eastham).
A William D. Statham was on the 1802 Fluvanna County, Virginia, tax rolls and served with the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812; this may be William Dabney. He was still in Fluvanna in 1810, age 26-45. William Dabney was in Lincoln County, Georgia, in the 1820 census.
Jesse Harris Statham secured headrights in Georgia for himself and four dependents in 1796. He was in Elbert County in 1820, Walton in 1830 census but was living in Clarke as of the 1832 Land Lottery; he may have eventually moved on to Alabama.
There's a Pleasant Stateman (sic), age 26-45, living in Putnam County but this might be Nathaniel's rather than John Sr.'s son.
There's a James Stateham on the Norfolk County, Virginia, tax rolls for 1790, and a James Statham in Buckingham County, in the 1810 census, age 45 or over If this is John Sr's son, he was born before 1765, not in 1776 as recorded above.
