Martín Jacobo Thompson

Biography

Martín Jacobo Thompson was educated at the Royal College of San Carlos and in England where was student of a prestigious London School. In 1796 he entered the Naval Academy in Ferrol. On July 11, 1800 he began his military career in the navy. Thompson had participated in the defense of the city during the British invasion in Montevideo, where he was wounded and in Rio de la Plata, where captured several brigs of the enemy's, reaching the rank of Ensign of The Spanish Armada. He was one of the promoters of the May Revolution of 1810, and was appointed by the Primera Junta Captain of the port of Buenos Aires. His work as a Port Captain lasted until 1815.

In 1813 Thompson was promoted to Lieutenant colonel, and promoted to Colonel in 1816. That same year he was sent on a diplomatic mission to United States by the Supreme Director Ignacio Álvarez Thomas. He arrived in Washington in August 1816, with the intention of meeting with The President Madison which at that time was on vacation. After the meeting frustrated, Thompson decided to travel to New York City where he started their own negotiations for the purchase of war material.

Martín Jacobo Thompson died on October 23, 1819 at sea.

Family

Martín Jacobo was the son of William Paul Thompson (born London in 1721) and Tiburcia Valeriana López, (descendant of Pedro Sánchez Rendón) criolla born in Buenos Aires. His father had arrived in Buenos Aires in 1750, he belonged to the elite of merchants who residing in Cádiz, city where he lived for five years. Martím Thompson had married on July 29, 1805 with Mariquita Sánchez daughter of a distinguished family. Among its ancestors include Gonzalo Casco, and the Portuguese noblemen Gonzalez de Mora (General) and lnes Nuñez Cabral (sister of Margarida Cabral de Melo. Thompson and Mariquita Sánchez they had five children: Clementina (1805), Juan Thompson b. 1809 (educated in Europe, Magdalena (1811), Florencia Martina (1812), and Albina Dolores born on February 28, 1815.