William Thompson was born April 28, 1840 in Cambridgeshire, England. He was the eldest of nine children born to Edward and Sarah Chapman Thompson. When he was six years old he took his dinner bucket, and went to work with his father to help support the family, so consequently, he could neither read or write, as he had no schooling. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, January 17, 1854. He must have dreamed of coming to America because Emigration records indicated that William Thompson age 16 farmer of 3 Chesterton Lane, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, emigrated from Liverpool February 18, 1856, on the ship Caravan, arriving in New York March 27, 1856. William worked in New Jersey, evidently on a farm because it was here that he had his first experience with tomatoes, they called "love apples". He thought they were so pretty, but he didn't like their taste. Looking the patch over he decided that he wouldn't want them for food. While working on this farm, he received his board and nine dollars a month, which he saved to help bring his family to America. In 1859 he came to Winter Quarters, now called Florence, Nebraska, and later on to Counsel Bluffs. While in this vicinity he went to see a man's ranch and look after things for him. As he was doing this he tripped on a squash vine, causing him to fall which broke his leg for a second time. He came west with Captain West's Company and a mule kicked him and broke the same leg for the third time. As soon as he was well enough, he started west again. This time driving an ox team in the Ed Creighton Company which was bringing the telegraph to Utah. William drove a wagon loaded with wire. They cut the poles as they traveled along. William met and married Annie Shefford. They were married November 11, 1861 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had five children. Annie did 22 October 1874. William married Jane Adamson Wanlass on November 22, 1875. Together they had 13 children. In 1900 William bought a thirty-eight acre farm from a man named John Parson's which was four miles south of Kanesville, Utah. He paid thirty dollars an acre. He raised hay, grain, beets, and fruit. He had an old thrashing machine, which was pulled by horses to help with the work. He also raised sheep, pigs, and chickens. His wife Jane sold the eggs together with butter that was churned in the old dasher churn. She made cheese and pressed it in the old cheese press. William was excommunicated from the church but eight of his children were baptized. William was a good honest man without any bad habits. He was very strict, honest and upright in his dealings with his fellow men. When William was seventy-eight he had a cerebral hemorrhage. He lived several days without regaining consciousness. He died June 11, 1918 and was buried in the Ogden City Cemetery, Weber County, Utah. William was rebaptized into the church by proxy on June 22, 1938.