Affidavit of Elizabeth Thompson

November Term, 1796, Pleas and Quarter Sessions Book 1, Page 138:

Elizabeth Donnell was the widow and relict of James Thompson, dec'd, of the county of Antrim, Ireland.  Elizabeth had three daughters:

• Esther, eldest; wife of John McSpadden, of Jefferson County; was born in the county of Antrim on 08 August 1756
• Mary, second; wife of Samuel Weir, of Sevier County; was born in Antrim 01 November 1758
• Jean, third and youngest; wife of Andrew Cowan, of Jefferson County; was born in Antrim in August, 1761.  She first married ______ Walker and had three children by him.

Elizabeth affirmed that her daughters were the true and lawful heirs of the estate of James Thompson.

Note from Laura Cowan Cooper:  the Walkers, Cowans, Thompsons, Houstons, and other families came to America with Richard Walker on a small boat that arrived in Pennsylvania.  They stayed mostly together as they moved south along the Great Wagon Road to North Carolina and into Tennessee.