Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)
Theophilus Augustus Thompson
MSA SC 5496-51934
Biography:
Theophilus Augustus Thompson was born on April 21, 1855 in
Frederick City, Maryland. When he was thirteen years old he went to live as a
house servant in Carroll
County. He remained there
for approximately two years, and in 1870 he returned to Frederick. By
the age of fourteen in 1870 he was working as a domestic servant in the
household of William and Maria Higgins. William Higgins was a county constable,
and his home was in Ward 6 of Frederick City, near Mount
Olivet Cemetery
and the Maryland School for the Deaf. Also listed in the
Higgins household was a Virginian named Elizabeth Hays.2
In
1870 Thompson and the Higginses lived next door to the Hanshew family,
including John K. Hanshew, a twenty three year old printer. Hanshew
printed the Maryland Chess Review.3 By 1875, a mere
five years after he had first learned the game, Hanshew was also a vice
president of the American Chess Association.4
Theophilus
Thompson's interest in chess was sparked while observing a chess match
between Hanshew and a "Mr. S. of Ohio." Thompson would later
recall that the game was in April of 1872. Thompson watched the men
play, although he "dared not ask questions for fear of annoying the
players." After that, Hanshew loaned Thompson a chess set and helped
him learn the basics of the game. Thompson quickly became a skilled
chess player, practically teaching himself the game. According to
Thompson, this initial guidance and support from Hanshew was the
"open sesame to Caissa's gardens of ever increasing intellectual
delights."5
Thompson became a contributor to
Hanshew's publication, the Maryland Chess Review. He wrote and reviewed
chess problems, and he was frank in his published criticisms; his
comments included "not a good problem" and "obvious at a glance".6
Thompson's own collection of chess problems was published in a book of
100 Chess Problems in 1873. The book got the attention of
reviewers, and in 1875 the City of London Chess Review Magazine used
most of its space allotted for reviews of American chess books to
praise Thompson's book. The reviewer stated that Thompson was "far
above being
the subject of mere compassionate compliments... the compositions in
this book... display real genius."7One of his chess problems
was described in the review as "one of the most beautiful compositions
that ever came before our notice...We consider Mr. Thompson a composer
of great merit and of rare promise."8
The fate of
Theophilus Thompson after his book was published becomes murky. His
name disappears from the census, and he left no record of a will.
1. Theophilus Thompson, Chess Problems, Dubuque, Iowa: John J. Brownson, 1873, p. 3.
2. "Theophilus Thompson" 1870 Census Frederick, Ward 6, p. 125, SM61-270.
3. The MD Chess Review
4. The Chess Journal, p. 2 .
5. Chess Problems.
6. MD Chess Review p. 499.
7. City of London Chess Magazine, Vol. 1, p.134.
8. City of London Chess Magazine, Vol. 1, p. 135.
Researched and written by Emily Huebner, 2014.
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