Jean Harris parents

Jean Harris Parents

We start our search with Jean’s parents as listed in the 1881 Census.

Father JOHN THOMSON a furniture packer age 35 (in April 1881) born at Logiepert, Forfar.

Mother ANNE THOMSON wife age 29 born at Peterhead, Aberdeen

Daughter ANNE M. scholar age 6 born at Aberdeen

Son JOHN son age 3 born at St Mary, Edinburgh

Son ALEXANDER son age 1 born at St Mary, Edinburgh

Dwelling: 9 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh where we knew Jean Harris lived but of course after 1881.

Census place: Edinburgh St Mary’s

From this we deduced that JOHN was born in either 1845 or 1846. In the IGI
We found a JOHN THOMPSON (note the extra P) born at Logiepert, Angus on July 5, 1845. This seems to be Jean’s father. We already knew that JOHN and ANN (no E) were married June 20, 1873 at St Nicholas, Aberdeen.

On the assumption that JOHN THOM(P)SON’s parents also lived in Logiepert, we next looked in the IGI for the names of his parents.

They were DAVID THOMPSON and his wife MARY nee FERGUSSON who were married at Logiepert, Angus on November 12, 1843.

(and our search continues to learn more about Jean Thomson, the beautiful woman of Scotland, who with her family, moved to Chicago. The woman who became not only the wife of Rotary’s founder, but the help mate who seems to have kept him in good enough health to continue until nearly 80 years of age to “Write the story of Rotary again and again.” They were seldom apart when traveling or when at home at Comely Bank, the home named for a place in her hometown. So we continue to search, Editor’s comment)