Calif. Families Thomas Family Contact
Isaac 1735-1818 | John 1794-1875 | Henry Massengill 1816-1841 | Henry Hardin 1842-1904 |
Benton 1866-1938 | Sources

Thomas Family

Under Construction

The first of our Thomas ancestors to come to California was Henry Hardin who came at the age of 8 with his grandfather Hardin Roberts. Henry's father died before he was born and his mother died when he was 5 years old.

Hardin Roberts, had worked for Lilburn William Boggs, who was governor of Missouri in 1836. When Boggs moved to California at the invitation Genl. Vallejo, Hardin Roberts followed him. He brought his wife and grandchildren, Henry Hardin Thomas and Talitha Jane Thomas, who's parents had died, and settled in Windsor, Sonoma Co.. He continued to work for Boggs who ran a small trading outpost in Sonoma during the gold rush. Henry also worked for Boggs. Several generations Thomas of family members have managed Boggs family properties up through the 1960's.

Henry's son Benton Lewis Thomas moved to Lake County in 1875, where he was a teamster, hauling tanbark and other supplies. He married Susan Frances "Fanny" Gard in 1884.

Henry's Great Grandmother Elizabeth Massengill is the G-G-G-G Granddaughter Joseph Cobb who immigrated to the Jamestown Settlement in 1613.

Another interesting note is that Fanny Gard's Thomas' GG Grandfather, Isaac Jones (1735-1818) died the day after Benton Thomas' GG Grandfather, Isaac Thomas (1735-1818), and according to one account is buried in the Thomas family cemetary in Sevierville TN, along with Isaac Thomas. However he is not listed in any of the cemetery lists in eastern TN.


Lineage
1 Joseph Cobb I (b. ca. 1593, England; immigrated to Jamestown 1613; d. 1653 VA)
.. 2 Pharoah Cobb (b. ca. 1630 Newport Parish VA; d. 1701)
.... 3 Joseph Cobb III (b. ca. 1670 Nansemond Co. VA; d. 1752)
...... 4 Benjamin Cobb (b. ca. 1702; d. 1794 TN)
........ 5 Mary Cobb (b. ca. 1735 Bertie, NC; d.abt. 1800 Washington, TN)
........ 5+Henry Massengill (b. ABT. 1720 VA; d. Abt. 1800)
.......... 6 Elizabeth Massengill (b.ca. 1761 NC, 1830)
.......... 6+Isaac Thomas (b. 1735, [VA]; d. 1818, Washington Co., TN)
............ 7 John Thomas (b. 1794 Sevierville, TN; d. 1875 Dallas, TX)
.............. 8 Henry Massengill Thomas (b. 1816 Sevierville, TN; d. 1841 Platte, MO)
................ 9 Henry Hardin Thomas (b. 1842, Parkville, MO; d. 1904, Napa, CA)
.................. 10 Benton Lewis Thomas (b. 04 May 1866, MO; d. 8 Oct 1938, Kelseyville, CA)

Gard - Thomas Family Legacy

Kelseyville Cemetery
Sevierville Cemetery


Information Sources

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last updated 18 May 2001