▁and ▁were ▁largely ▁engaged ▁in ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁to b acco ". ▁His ▁parents ▁were ▁Benjamin ▁Tom p kins ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁Good lo e . ▁ ▁S omet ime ▁around ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁sevent een ▁or ▁eigh teen , ▁he ▁left ▁Virginia ▁and ▁lived ▁in ▁Ohio ▁and ▁in ▁Jefferson ▁County , ▁Kentucky ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁He ▁taught ▁school ▁and ▁also ▁studied ▁law ▁in ▁his ▁free ▁time . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁stay ▁in ▁Kentucky ▁long ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁Missouri . ▁In ▁Missouri , ▁Tom p kins ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁first ▁English ▁school ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁where ▁most ▁inhabitants ▁spoke ▁French . ▁ ▁Law ▁and ▁jud icial ▁career ▁ ▁He ▁settled ▁in ▁Franklin , ▁Howard ▁County , ▁Missouri ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 6 , ▁and ▁opened ▁a ▁law ▁practice . ▁He ▁was ▁twice ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁Territ orial ▁Legisl ature ▁in ▁St . ▁Charles . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 4 , ▁Tom p kins ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁where ▁he ▁remained ▁until ▁he ▁reached ▁the ▁mand atory ▁ret irement ▁age ▁of ▁ 6 5 . ▁Tom p kins ' ▁ret irement ▁came ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁D red ▁Scott ▁case ▁was ▁brought ▁before ▁the ▁Missouri ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁During ▁his ▁time ▁as ▁a ▁judge , ▁Tom p kins ▁expressed ▁abol ition ists ▁views ▁and ▁through ▁about ▁a ▁dozen ▁cases , ▁established ▁a ▁preced ent ▁that ▁since ▁Missouri ▁was ▁a ▁free ▁state , ▁if ▁slaves ▁were ▁brought ▁into ▁the ▁state , ▁they ▁should ▁be