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 word thompson:
“They smote and fell, who set the bars
Against the progress of the stars,
And stayed the march of Motherland!”
—Will Henry Thompson (1848–1918)