Household #200: Thompson, Charley

Back to the 1900 Census & Household Index

In the 1900 Barney census, Charley Thompson headed a 2-person household. The table below preserves the exact names, relationships, ages, birthplaces, and occupations recorded for the household.

Household Snapshot

Charley Thompson headed a 2-person household in the 1900 Barney census with 1 spouse or marital partner.

Charley Thompson's listed occupation was Laborer Saw Mill.

All listed household members were reported as born in Georgia.

1900 Census Household

Name	Relation	Age	Birthplace	Occupation
Charley Thompson	Head	20	Georgia	Laborer Saw Mill
Ellen Thompson	Wife	18	Georgia	—

Children and Later Trails

No children are listed in this household in the 1900 census table.

Identity

Charley Thompson appears under multiple name spellings across six decades of federal census records. His surname shifted from Thompson (1900-1920) to Thomas (1930-1940) before reverting to Thompson in the 1950 census. The 1900 census provides the most reliable birth data: April 1880, Georgia, both parents Georgia-born. Later censuses show birth years ranging from 1870 to 1886, a pattern common in African American census records of this era where childhood enslavement prevented families from tracking exact dates.

The earlier narrative associated this household’s Ellen with the bride Ellen Laurence in an April 2, 1899 marriage and with Tyra in a 1910 household. Those identity links are not established by the marriage entry alone. Two distinct 1900 households contain men named Charley Thompson and wives named Ellen. The later census sequence below is retained as earlier research, not newly revalidated; the proposed death interval and child relationships depend on that continuity being confirmed.

Candidate marriage, not an assigned household bridge (Ancestry Collection 4766, record 127489)

Groom: Charley Thompson
Bride: Ellen Laurence
Date: April 2, 1899

The inspected original, printed p.128, third entry, records an April 1 license and April 2 ceremony for Charley Thompson and Ellen Laurence. The same page’s first entry records a separate June 15 ceremony with Florence Slaytor. Neither entry supplies ages, parents or a census-household identifier. Laurence is the April bride’s recorded surname; it is not yet proved as this household wife’s maiden name. - Place: Brooks County, Georgia - Race: Colored

Census Trail

Year	Name	Age	Occupation	Household Size	Notes
1900	Charley Thompson	20	Laborer	3	Wife Ellen, son Tommie. Rents. Both illiterate.
1910	Charley Thompson	24	Sawmill laborer	4	Wife Tyra, children Ora Lee (10), Ercie (8). Years married: 13.
1920	Charley Thompson	47	Farmer	15	Wife Ellen, 10 children, 3 grandchildren. Rents.
1930	Charly Thomas	56	Farmer	14	Wife Ellen, 7 children, 2 grandchildren. Surname changed to Thomas.
1940	Charlie Thomas	70	Farmer	11	Wife Ellen (respondent, 6th grade), 2 children, 5 grandchildren.
1950	Ellen Thompson	68	—	5	Ellen widowed. 4 grandchildren. Surname reverted to Thompson.

Children and Grandchildren

The household grew substantially between 1900 and 1920. By 1920, Charley and Ellen had 10 children at home plus three grandchildren. The children's names shift between census years, making precise identification difficult. Grandchildren appear consistently from 1920 onward, suggesting married daughters were leaving children with Ellen and Charley while working elsewhere.

Children identified across censuses: Tommie (1900-1920, age 19), Ora Lee (1910-1920, age 18-20), Ercie/Retha (1910-1920, age 8-18), Tira (1920, age 15), Pauline (1920, age 13), S B (1920-1930, age 12-18), Ellis (1920-1940, age 9-29), Eorca/Corey (1920-1930, age 8-16), Lilly (1920-1930, age 7-14), Charley Jr (1920-1940, age 3-23), Rubin (1920-1930, age 1-10), Robert (1930, age 9), Elbert (1930, age 7), Tyra (1940, age 30).

Grandchildren present: Ethel (1920, age 2), Frank (1920, age 0), Mattie Rountree (1920, age 0, possible Rountree family connection), Allice M/Alice Mae (1930-1950, age 0-21), Arretha/Ireatha (1930-1940, age 4-16), James (1940-1950, age 10-19), Willie (1940, age 7), Doris (1940-1950, age 6-16), Margaret Lee (1940, age 7).

Key Findings

The Thompson household illustrates several patterns common to Black families in post-Reconstruction Georgia. Surname instability (Thompson-Thomas-Thompson) reflects both the casual nature of census recording and the vulnerability of Black families to transcription errors. Birth year discrepancies spanning 16 years across six censuses suggest either the informant changed over time or census takers recorded estimates rather than asking for exact ages.

Ellen's literacy improved over her lifetime. She could not read or write in 1900 and 1930, but by 1940 she had completed the sixth grade and served as the census respondent, filling out the form herself. This suggests either personal determination or access to adult education programs in the Barney area during the 1930s.

The 1950 census shows Ellen as the head of household, widowed, age 68, living with four grandchildren. Charley died between 1940 and 1950. The surname reverted to Thompson, indicating the Thomas period was likely a transcription issue rather than a legal name change.

Laurence Family Connection

The candidate bride’s surname Laurence resembles the surname of Ancil Lawrence (HH#199), who lived nearby in Barney precinct. However, direct parent-child connection is unlikely: Ancil's daughter Ellen, recorded in the 1920 census at age 11, would have been born around 1909, too late to be the Ellen who married Charley in 1899. The Laurence name was present among multiple Black families in Brooks County, and any kinship between these two households remains unverified.

Sources still needed

Death record or burial place for Charley Thompson/Thomas, who died between the 1940 and 1950 censuses.
Death record or burial place for Ellen Laurence Thompson after the 1950 census.
An identity bridge assigning the April bride Ellen Laurence to this household, followed by a parent-naming record. Neither maiden name nor the proposed Ellen/Tyra equivalence is established here.
Adult trails for the children and grandchildren whose names shift across the 1910-1950 census sequence, especially Tommie, Ora Lee, Ercie/Retha, Tira, Pauline, S. B., Ellis, Corey/Eorca, Lilly, Charley Jr., Rubin, Robert, Elbert, and Tyra.
Direct evidence explaining whether the Thompson/Thomas surname shift was a recording error or a temporary family usage.

June 14, 2026 continuation check: FamilySearch returned the 1900 Charley Thompson census record and the 2 April 1899 Brooks County marriage record to Ellen Laurence. It did not return a usable Charley Thompson/Thomas death record between 1940 and 1950 in the targeted search. The high-volume Thompson/Thomas result set mostly produced unrelated men or records without an Ellen Laurence/Thompson family bridge.

Primary Sources

1900 Census: Barney, Brooks County, GA (Ancestry Collection 7602, Record 52873720)
1910 Census: Barney, Brooks County, GA (Ancestry Collection 7884, Record 3199185)
Marriage Certificate: Charley Thompson and Ellen Laurence, April 2, 1899 (Ancestry Collection 4766, Record 127489)
1920 Census: Barney, Brooks County, GA (Ancestry Collection 6061, Record 7325523)
1930 Census: Barney, Brooks County, GA (Ancestry Collection 6224, Record 19963644)
1940 Census: Barney, Brooks County, GA (Ancestry Collection 2442, Record 57390417)
1950 Census: Barney, Brooks County, GA (Ancestry Collection 62308, Record 124908619)

Research status: Source-researched, not source-exhausted. The two Thompson household identities, candidate marriage assignments, later census continuity, deaths, parentage and adult-child trails remain open. The archived June 14 search note is historical project context, not an independently reproduced exhaustion finding.

If you have photographs, family records, oral history, corrections, or additional information about this family, please contact the project with the details.