James "Judge" Thompson

1784 - 1863  (79 years)

• Name	James "Judge" Thompson
  Born	1784	, Virginia, USA   [1, 2, 3]
  Gender	Male
  Race	black  [3]
  Name	Judge Thompson
  Occupation	1851	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Barber
  Residence	1851	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  	Baptist
  Occupation	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Barber
  Residence	1861	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Baptist
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-159556
  Died	12 May 1863	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [3]
  Person ID	I159556	Generations
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2025

  
  

  Family 1	Lucy,   b. 1803, near, Geneva, Ontario, New York, United States ,   d. 11 Jun 1850  (Age 47 years)
  Children	1. James H. "Judge" Thompson,   b. 1835, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. 6 Mar 1899  (Age 64 years)   2. William Thompson,   b. 1838, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. Martha Thompson,   b. 1840, , USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   4. John Thompson,   b. 1841, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   5. Robert Thompson,   b. 1844, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   6. Angeline Thompson,   b. 1845, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   7. Clarissa A. Thompson,   b. 1847, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   8. Archibald Thompson,   b. 1849, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F39886	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Ellen,   b. 1816, , USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Andie Thompson,   b. 1844, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Bettey Thompson,   b. 1855, , Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2025
  Family ID	F228796	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Sudden Death in Galt. Mr. James Thompson, Barber, of Galt, died suddenly on Tuesday evening last. The deceased was familiarly known as "Judge" Thompson, and was very much respected. He was born in Virginia, in 1788, and was 75 years of age. He was born a slave, but his master dying, he was set at liberty. He lived in Niagara for some time, and was one of the ring-leaders in the riot at that place (about 1836), by which a slave was taken from the officers of justice, and prevented from being given to an American who wished to take him back to slavery. The slave was secreted in his house for some days. He resided in Galt about 20 years, and acted as ruling elder in the Baptist church, which was built principally through his instrumentality. The Dumfries Reformer 13 May 1863. ___________________________ The Public Schools of Galt By James E. Kerr The first school in Galt of which I can find any authentic record was a small roughcast building at the corer of Wellington and Main Streets. It was erected in 1832 and was used as a school until about 1850. The name of the teacher which became indissolubly connected with this little school was John Gowanlock. The Hon. James Young who was one of his pupils thus describes him: "He was an excellent specimen of the old fashioned dominie before the days of county boards and periodical examinations. His teaching was eminently practice. He knew what the birch was for and he applied it, He frittered away no time on physiology, botany, or philosophical abstractions. He professed to teach the R's and he did it and did it well." In the 30's the common schools were maintained by the fees obtained from the parents of the children and by supplementary government grants. By the Common School Acts of 1841 and 1843 the townships were divided into districts or sections, trustees were elected, the legislature's grants were greatly increased and municipal councils were empowered to raise for school purposes an amount which would at least be equivalent to the government grant. In the Act of 1850 permission was given for the freeholders of any school section to determine whether their school should be maintained by a monthly fee in addition to a tax on the ratable property of the section, or whether rate bills should be abolished ad the school declared free. When by the Act of 1871 free schools were made compulsory most of the public schools of the province had already become free. In Galt and throughout the township there was a great difference of opinion and a great deal of heated discussion on the subject of free schools. Mr. Wm. Dickson, Mr. Shade and other leading men in the village were opposed to being taxed for the education of the children of other people. As the two gentlemen named had no children of their own the benefit to themselves of the proposal was not at first obvious. On the other side "Judge" Thompson, the coloured barber and preacher of the village who had his quiver full of children, was a strong advocate of free schools, In course of time, the villagers all came round to the liberal view. Fourteenth Annual Report of the Waterloo County Historical Society 1926

  
  

• Sources

  [S313] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1851, Pg.41. [S1838] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1861, Galt 1861 Div. 1 Page 3. [S31] News - ON, Waterloo, Cambridge - Dumfries Reformer (1850-1892), Obituary of James Thompson - 13 May 1863.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1784 - , Virginia, USA Occupation - Barber - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Baptist - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Barber - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Baptist - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - 12 May 1863 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth