Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

James H. "Judge" Thompson

Male 1835 - 1899  (64 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name James H. "Judge" Thompson 
    Born 1835  , Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2
    Gender Male 
    Interesting religion, black, life story, 
    Race Black 
    Tribe Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Indian 
    Name Judge Thompson 
    Occupation 1851  Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Barber 
    Residence 1851  Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Baptist 
    Residence 1861  Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2
    Baptist 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-159558 
    Died 6 Mar 1899 
    Person ID I159558  Generations
    Last Modified 25 Apr 2024 

    Father James "Judge" Thompson,   b. 1784, , Virginia, USA Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 12 May 1863, Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 79 years) 
    Mother Lucy,   b. 1803, near, Geneva, Ontario, New York, United States Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 11 Jun 1850  (Age 47 years) 
    Family ID F39886  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • JAMES "JUDGE" THOMPSON 1835-1899

      James H. "Judge" Thompson was a black barber and Baptist preacher. He was the son of James and Lucy Thompson, former slaves who had moved to Canada from the United States. His father, also a barber, was one of the founders of the black Baptist church which held services, in the 1850's and 1860's, in a small rough cast frame building on King St., now part of Ainslie St. Mr. Thompson was described as a powerful preacher delivering "impressive discourses to large congregations". The Baptist congregation led by Mr. Thompson, is said to have disintegrated in the 1860's as members moved to other parts of the province. However, there was a renewal of the Baptist congregation in 1875 with the formation of the Galt Baptist Church. This church, in turn, became the South Water Street Baptist Church. Mr. Thompson died on March 6, 1899.

      Sources:
      1. Linda Brown-Kubisch "In Search of Freedom, Early Blacks in Waterloo County:, Waterloo Historical Society Journal Vol. 80, 1992.
      2. Obituary Galt Daily Reporter Tuesday March 6, 1899.
      3. Walter Gowing Tender Roots, A Century of Growth 1895-1995, WaltStar Publishing Co., Cambridge, Ontario. 1996.



      Cambridge Mosaic, Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [used with kind permission of Jim Quantrell]

  • Sources 
    1. [S313] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1851, Pg.41.

    2. [S1838] Census - ON, Waterloo, Galt - 1861, Galt 1861 Div. 1 Page 2.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 1835 - , Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsTribe - Indian - - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Barber - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Baptist - 1851 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Baptist - 1861 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth