William THOMPSON  (1598 - 10 December 1666)

After receiving his Batchelor of Arts degree from Brasenose College in 
England, he returned to Winwich, in Lancashire, where he was born and was 
a minister there until he immigrated to New England in 1637. He brought 
with him, his wife and his four eldest children. He settled first in York, 
Maine and preached there until September of 1639 when he moved to Brain-
tree, Mass. He was ordained as the first minister of the new church there 
on 17 March 1640. He was a "zealous" advocate of the Protestant religion. 
In 1642, he was chosen as one of three ministers to go on a mission to 
the Virginia Colony "upon the request of certain individuals in that 
remote colony that competent ministers of the Congregational order be 
sent to preach the gospel to them..." He returned to Braintree the follow-
ing summer of 1643; "an order having been made in Virginia that all who 
would not conform to the discipline of the English church should depart 
the country." The famous Cotton Mather wrote a biography of Reverend 
Thompson and told the story of his mission to Episcopalian Virginia. In 
1643, the Assembly of Virginia passed an Act which not only forbade the 
New England clergy "to teach or preach publicly or privately", but ordered 
also that "the Governor and Council do take care that ALL Non-conformists...
shall be compelled to departe the Colonie with all conveniencie". On the 
5th of August, 1645, the Rev. Mr. Thompson was among the soldiers drafted 
for service against the Pequot Indians. "For several years before his 
death, Mr. Thompson suffered a fixed melancholy which amounted at times 
to mental alienation... he ceased preaching in 1658". He had been at this 
pastorate (Braintree) for 27 years. "In the settlement and division of 
his estate in Mass., [his son] William Thompson, of Surry [County, Virginia]
was not shown among the children participating in the division. This had 
led New England authorities to believe William of Surry was deceased. 
However, he and his wife, Katherine, continued to participate actively 
in Surry County affairs." The tombstone inscription of William I in Hancock
Cemetery, Quincy, Mass. reads: 
"Here lies buried the body of the Rev William Tompson 
the first pastor of Braintrey Church
Who deceased December 10, 1666
Aetatis suae, 68
He was a learned, solid, sound Divine
Whose name and fame in both Englands did shine
And by his side lies Mrs. Ann Tompson, his wife
Deceased October ye 11, 1675
Aged 68 years."

Sources: 
"Historical Southern Families", Vol. III, pp.217-227, "Thompson of
England, New England and Surry County, Virginia".
"Historical Southern Families", Vol. IV, pp.144-148, "Treat, Thompson,
Moseley, Hawkins", Dr. B.C. Holtzclaw.