Thomas Jessop was a native of South Stoke, Lincolnshire, England. He was the son of Edward and Frances Millward Jessop.

He came to America in 1861 and worked in New York at a broom factory to earn money to come to Utah. He and his brother, Richard, came to Millville in 1862. Thomas was involved in raising broom corn, and he helped establish a United Order Broom Factory in Millville. He, with others, built and operated the first sawmill in Millville Canyon. He and his brother, Edward, found work with the Great Northern Railroad; and they both later became railroad contractors. They began with wheelbarrows; but they soon had dump carts and scrapers, owned more than 200 horses and mules, and employed 400 men. Their work extended from Utah to Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Thomas loved music and drama, and he was a member of the Calico Troupe.

He married Eliza Jane Humphreys on November 30, 1864, in Salt Lake City. Eliza was born March 14, 1843, at Grahamstown, South Africa, the daughter of Joseph Richard and Charlotte Elizabeth Poulton Humphreys. She joined the LDS Church and came to Salt Lake City where she worked for a well-to-do family. There she met Thomas, who was their gardener. His brother, Richard, had been married a few days earlier; and the two couples traveled to Millville by ox team and lived together in the same log cabin until after their first children were born. Eliza died on July 13, 1903 in Millville, Cache County, Utah.

On November 15, 1869, Thomas married Margaret Eve Shaffer as a plural wife. She was born August 30, 1851, at Lindon, Missouri, the daughter of Joseph Russell and Gillead Taylor Shaffer. Her parents had joined the LDS Church in 1852 and had crossed the plains to Utah, settling in Weber County before coming to Millville in 1866. Margaret died of Mountain Fever while in Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming.

Thomas was married a third time on April 10, 1879, to Annie Jenson Hjorth Anderson, the widow of Peter H. Hjorth and Andrew Anderson. She came to Utah with her mother at age eleven. After her marriage to Thomas she spent many years cooking for his crew as he built railroads throughout the west. She was Postmaster of Millville for fifteen years. Annie died on October 16, 1932 in Millville, Cache County, Utah.

Children of Thomas and Eliza Jane were: Charlotte, Annie Frances (Frederick T. Yeates), Thomas Edward (Marian Holt), Alice, Eliza Vilate (John Theurer), Joseph Albert (Frances Louisa Cummings), Ephriam (Sylvia Chance Yeates), Josephine, Arthur, Emily, Ernest Wilford (Martha Adelaide Smith) and Lillie.

Children of Thomas and Margaret Eve were Margaret Ellen, Martha Louise (Magnus Holm), Mary (Perry Baker), Maggie, Samuel Tilden (Lilian Sanders), Esther, Ermenetta, Marion (Caroline Eliza Halverson) and Franklin Thomas (Ruth Sanders).

Children of Thomas and Annie were: Peter Herman, Andrew William, Elsie Lula and Dora Mirelda (Nephi Hepworth).