William Thompson was a viticulturist. He emigrated to California (near Yuba City) in 1863 and developed the Thompson Seedless table grape (see Sultana), which is also used for grape juice and wine, as well as 95% of the raisins produced in California.
William Thompson was born in Wistow, Yorkshire, England in 1816. On the 1841 UK Census, he is described as 'Agricultural Labourer'. By the 1851 Census, he was 'Gardener of 9 acres (36,000 m2), employing 1 man'.
Famous quotes containing the words william and/or thompson:
“Now there are nine. There’ll be more, many more. They’re coming for me now. And then they’ll come for you.”
—Robb White, and William Castle. Watson Pritchard (Elisha Cook)
“Above the bayonets, mixed and crossed,
Men saw a gray, gigantic ghost
Receding through the battle cloud,
And heard across the tempest loud
The death cry of a nation lost!”
—Will Henry Thompson (1848–1918)