35
T
WO
A
NDREWS
F
ORWARD
A
NDREW
T
HOMSON
,
1768
-1838
The 11
th
child and the 6
th
son of Alexander and
Elizabeth, Andrew leaves soft footsteps on the pages of
history. Three years old when his family emigrated and too
young to make his mark in the Revolution, Andrew only
makes periodic appearances in the recorded history of the
family.
Challenging though it might be, finding and following
Andrew has its own reward. It is men like Andrew who
create havens of stability that drive the evolution and
progress of the human race.
Born in the Scottish Highlands and married to a
Scottish lass—he married Isabella Edgar in 1792—Andrew
made his living as a farmer and his reputation as a sickle
maker. Together they raised seven children: William,
Alexander, Andrew, Samuel, Rosanna, Elizabeth and Isabella.
God-fearing, church-going, pew-renting members of the
Presbyterian Covenanters, Andrew and Isabella took the
messages of the Bible to heart. When Andrew’s brother and
sister-in-law died leaving seven minor children, Andrew and
Isabella brought Alexander into their home. Now they had
eight mouths to feed, eight brains to educate, eight hearts to
form….