Genealogical and Historical Sketch for THE NAME AND FAMILY OF THOMPSON Compiled by THE MEDIA RESEARCH BUREAU 1110 F STREET WASHINGTON, D.C.

The following document has been in my family for as long as I can remember. The Thompson document was chosen because it had the best quality for digitization. The other Genealogical and Historical Sketches include the surnames of Lyle(s), Alexander,Head and Long. These documents are made from an early type of paper that is very fragile and has become ripped and yellowed with age.

I am only beginning my journey into my family's history and genealogy so I decided to consult an expert on the accuracy and authenticity of the documents. According to Diane L. Richard a Professional Genealogist at Mosaic Research and Project Management;

The following ASG history page seems to indicate this organization may have been less than reputable: http://www.fasg.org/ASGHistory.html -- which says "From its inception the Society has fought actively against agencies which sought to delude the public for profit by misusing genealogy or heraldry. Early in the Society's history, Milton Rubincam, with the cooperation of the U.S. Postal Service, forced dissolution of the Media Research Bureau that sold genealogical data "on your family name" along with coats of arms.

Hi Roberta, Thanks again for sending the pages of the publication. I took a look and my observations are as follows. I find it suspect in the sense below. At best it might offer "clues" about your family surname and I am doubtful that it is about your family. I could be wrong and with no specific documents mentioned, it's hard to "really know."

1. Notice that it focuses on very very early "ancestors" and talks about them in some generality.

2. Though there is a resource list, none of the data points in the write-up have a footnote or endnote pointing to a specific source.

3. There is a chance that what is written is not wrong - it could be accurate as far as what it says. The real question is whether it's "your" family. Probably not as there is "no" connection to the more modern generations (that I saw).

4. When talking about the earliest Thompson family members, it's easy to limit what is reported. And, not every Thompson in the US came from the "first" families -- many other people emigrated after the earliest waves.

5. If you were able to work back on your own Thompson family line and it seems to then dove-tail with what is stated in this publication, I would then use what it contains as clues to then look for documents to support what it suggests is the lineage. Unfortunately, there were many "scams" perpetuated on unsuspecting folks related to genealogy (just as today we still have scammers) before "governing" bodies came into play. It still happens today though not on a wide-scale basis. I'm sorry that this is not what you wanted to hear. And, since you did ask, I think it's important to be honest. If you have any further questions about this or anything genealogical, feel free to drop me an e-mail.
Diane :-)    

dianelrichard@mosaicrpm.com              www.mosaicrpm.com

I would like to thank Diane L. Richard for taking the time out of her busy schedule in order to take a look at my documents. As I mentioned to her in an email, I am disappointed that my family was potentially 'scammed' but I am pleased, however, to find out the truth about the accuracy and validity of these documents. Even though I may only use the documents for general reference, I do plan on keeping these original documents just because they are a part of my family's history. I am happy to keep them just for that reason alone!!
I wanted to include her findings as a warning to others who may have these Genealogical and Historical Sketches in their files.  

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