Friday, October 17, 2014

William Follin 1740-1798

Heather's 6th great grandparents (Paternal Line)

William Follin
son of
Born abt 1740
Died abt December 1798
Married
Barbara Hurst
"descended from a titled family of Great Britain"
Born
Died


Children:
Edward
John Follin 1761-1841 M. Mary Barker 
William Follin m. Polly Way
Abigail Follin M. William Allen
Hannah Follin m. John Darnes
Catherine Follin (never married)
Elizabeth Follin ("Betsy" - never married)
Jane Follin m. William Frizelle
Sarah Follin 1764-  m. Simon Pearson


William's son John Follin served in the Revolutionary war, and was a prisoner of war.  Much is written about him, including the book A genealogical history of the Follin family in America by Gabriel Edmonston, published in 1911.  It's an excellent book, and it is from it that most of the information, and documents, I have on William Follin are taken.  There is no information in the book on who William's parents were. 


1740- William Follin is Born
The American Biographical Index shows that he was born in Virginia, but I suspect that is an error, as we have a copy of his Oath of Allegience in 1778.  If he was born here, there would be no need for an oath of allegience.

William is though to be the son of Redmond Follin.  Redmond  Follin came to America in 1754.

Another researcher has William as the son of Charles Redmond Fallin, and the grandson of Chief Falling Leaf - Cherokee tribe.  I do not think this is OUR William Follin.


1771 - Involved in Settling the Graham Estate
Name William Follin
Date 21 Aug 1771
Location Augusta Co., VA
Notes This probate record was originally published in "Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, 1745-1800. Extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta County" by Lyman Chalkley.
Remarks Jane Graham settles David Graham's estate -- By Wm. Follin's note; Uriah Humphrey's; paid Jacob Salmons, David Floyd, Christopher Vachob, Mathew Morehead, Nansey Hamilton, Jacob Keyls.
Description Debtor
Book WB4-441




1778 - Oath Of Allegience
April 30
Certificate of Oath Of Allegience for William Follin

Dec. 1778  - A William Appears on Revolutionary War Rolls
We know that William's son John served in the Revolutionary War, but I am uncertain if William did as well - or if this was William's son William - brother of John.


11th from the bottom.  Beside his name it reads: Ditto Do  6  2/3   6 2/3  2
     Ditto appears to mean he was also a corporal, 


1789 - Given the Right To Live on Plantantion for 7 years after his father in laws death, at no charge.

Father in law dies, mentions him in his will, leaving him to live on the plantation.  John also wills slaves to his daughter Bathsheba.

[Will of John Hurst, Fairfax Co., Virginia, 1787/1789]

In the name of God Amen I John Hurst of Fairfax County and State of
Virginia, being in Perfect sense and Memory do constitute this my last
Will and Testament in order following (that is to say) I give and
recommend my Soul and my Body unto the hands of God that gave it, and my
body I recommend to the Earth to be decently Intered at the discretion
of my Executrix, and Executors, I desire that all my Just Debts should
be Paid And according to my worldly Effects I bequeath in the following
manner.

Imprimis Item. my desire is that my loving wife Sybil Hurst should have
the Plantation and Land whereon I live during her life and also one
Negro Woman called Sarah and a Negro Boy called Jack induring her life
And a Negro Man called Cato enduring her Widowhood and two Beds and
furniture, and two Horses, one Woman Saddle, one large chest, one trunk,
one Oval Table two Cows and Calves, two Sows and Pigs, Eight the best
killable Hogs, a Looking Glass and one large Bible and at her decease
its my desire that the Said [land] whereon I live, and negroes, Stock
and furniture, be equally divided among all my children.  

Item,  I give and bequeath unto my Son James Hurst the land I purchased
of William and James Saunders; Negro Suk’s children and their
Increase to him and his Heirs and assigns forever, But it is my Will and
desire that my Son James Hurst should not turn off William Follin from
the Plantation whereon he now lives nor ask, or demand rent of him for
the Space of Seven Years after my decease.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my Son William Hurst the Land I Purchased
of George Thrift, also one Negroe Man named Will, one Negroe Woman named 
Lame, or Doll, and her Increase to him his Heirs, forever and for want
of such Heirs to be equally divided among all my Children, and my second
best Bed and furniture, Two Horses, all my wearing apparel, one Trunk,
Two Cows and Calves, Six killable Hogs.

Item  I give and bequeath to my Daughter Jane Williams one Negroe Woman
named Phebe, and all her Children and their Increase to her and her
Heirs and Assigns forever, one Cow and Calf.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my Daughter Susanna Fenley, the Land I
Purchased of John Gunnell, to her and her Heirs and Assigns forever,
also one Negroe Woman Named Binah and her two youngest Children and
their Increase.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my Grand Daughter Elizabeth Marshal one
Negroe Girl named Minny, and her Increase to her and her Heirs and
Assigns forever.

Whereas I have Purchased a warrant for one Thousand Acres of land to be
hereafter Laid in some of the Back Country, It is my desire, that my
Interest in the said Warrant, or the Land If ever it should be secured,
be equally divided between my son James Hurst, my son William my
daughter Jane Williams and my Daughter Susannah Fenley to them and their
Heirs and Assigns for ever.

Item.  I give and bequeath to to my Daughter Elizabeth Thrift, one
Negroe Girl named Jemima and her Increase to her and her Heirs and
Assigns forever.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Dulin, one Negro Girl
named Betty and her Increase to her and her Heirs and assigns forever.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my daughter Bathsheba Follin one Negroe
Woman named Yanniree and her oldest Child Dennis and her Increase
after this Date to her and her Heirs and Assigns forever.  

Also it is my will and desire that the Sugar Lands and the Plantation
whereon Joseph Thompson lives may be rented out and the rents equally
divided amongst my Children.

Item.  It is my Will and desire that all the rest of my Estate both real
and Personal, not yet bequeathed and mentioned to be sold at Publick
Sale, and the money arising thereby, to be equally Divided amongst My
Wife and all my Children (that is) my Wife to have a part equal to any
one of my Children and no more.  And I do hereby appoint my Wife Sybil 
Hurst my Executrix and my Son James Hurst and Jeremiah Williams
Executors of this my last Will and Testament.  In Witness whereof I have
hereunto set my hand and Seal this 10th Day of March, one Thousand Seven
hundred and Eighty Seven.

Signed Sealed Published and declared by the above named John Hurst as
and for his last Will and Testament In Presence of us, who have hereunto
Subscribed our Names, as Witnesses thereto In the Presence of the
Testator, and in the Presence of each other.

Levi Lewis (x) 
Aaron (his A mark) Ally 
Mary (her X mark) Sewell

                                   John (his I mark) Hurst (seal)

At a Court held for the County of Fairfax 2nd December 1789 This Will
was Presented in Court by James Hurst one of the Executors herein named
who made Oath thereto and the same being Proved by the Oaths of Levi
Lewis and Aaron Ally two of the Witnesses admitted to record and the
said Executor having Performed what the Law requires a Certificate is
granted him for Obtaining a Probate thereof in due form.

M. Ball c.c.

Clk.
J. (Hacourts)?

1796 - Borrowed $100 from son John, Signed Promisory Note

August 15 1796
Then received of John Follin the sun of one hundred dollars of which sum I promist and oblige myself my heir exceutor admin or --------  to pay to John Follin him his  heir ececutor or  -----  when called for a winess my hand and seal
William follin

Witnes - Levi Lewis

1797 - Public Sale
This could be his son William, I have no way of knowing at this time.



Date: Friday, August 4, 1797   Paper: Times; and District of Columbia Daily Advertiser (Alexandria, Virginia)   Volume: I   Issue: 100   Page: 1  



1798 - William Follin Died



1799 - Administration of William's estate


Burial
William and his wife Bathsheba owned some property in Wiehle,VA,which is now Reston,VA.Apparently they , some of their children and their spouses were buried on their property.There is no record of graves being there or being moved from there.
Some of the children and their spouses were possibly buried in Kentucky.Per a statement from Samuel(the grandson of William and Bathsheba, son of John) they possibly had 2 other sons,Samuel and Thomas.





John Hurst (d. 1789) of Accotink, who first appears in the records in 1747 as the lessee from Daniel McCarty of lands on Sugarland Run, the lease naming also his first wife Elizabeth and son James (born 1744). This John 2 lived out a long life, prospering steadily and dying in 1789. His will dated March 10, 1787, and proved December 21, 1789 (Fairfax Liber E1, fo . 349), devises various tracts of land then in his possession in Fairfax and Louden, and a warrant for 1,000 acres "to be hereafter laid in some of the back Countries."
He names his (second) wife Sibyl (probably Sibyl Moxley, called Burk in the Will of Willima Moxley. See B), his sons James and William, and daughters Jane Williams, Susanna Fenley, Elizabeth Thrift, Sarah Dulin, Bathsheba Fallin, and a granddaughter Elizabeth White, Wife of James Marshall. On the Settlement of the estate appeared another daughter Ann Floyd. 



=============================================================


=========================================
Name Redmond Follin
Arrival Year 1754
Arrival Place Virginia
Source Publication Code 6264
Primary Immigrant Follin, Redmond
Annotation Names mostly of Irish origin, 1628-1878. Also in nos. 6276 and 6280, O'Brien's The Irish in America, pp. 48-53 and Irish Settlers in America, pp. 163-168.
Source Bibliography O'BRIEN, MICHAEL J. "Grantees of Land in the Colony and State of Virginia, Copied from the County Records of Virginia." In The Journal of the American Irish Historical Society, vol. 13 (1913-1914), pp. 214-219.
Page 217


Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly page 153
Land Patent Book 31

In the "Virginia County Records" in 1754 page 136 a Redmon Follin had a land grant of 1,080 acres in Halifax county.
In the first census of 1782 for Pittsylvania the adjoining county, is shown the name of Redmon Falliin as the head of  family of two, probably man and wife or they could have been father and son. 

From a message board:
I went back to the LDS site and did a "batch search" Daniel Fallen's Will was written 29 March 1722 Dorchester, MD . Father was a Redmond Fallen.

Also a Hugh Fallen b. 1800 and a brother Peter Fallen were sons of a Redmond Fallen and Elizabeth Gwin. Hugh married Leannah Walters 31 Jan 1825.

============================================
About son, John Follin:




Writings of Samuel Follin 
on 
John Follin Sr., Lieutenant, United States Navy

My father, John Folin, was in the American Revolution as a sailor from Virginia, as I have heard him tell many times.  From numerous reminiscenes that I have heard him repeat, I judge that he embarked as a sailor at Bellhaven now called Alexandria, Virginia, and that not long after his ship was attacked by a British vessel and chased for three days.  He said that the balls fell thick and fast all around him and at first he was greatly scared but soon got so he did not mind it. His vessel was captured and he was taken to England with the other prisoners and held a year, then for some reason they were taken to the rock of Gibraltar and kept about about a year, when they were transferred to a British man-of-war in the same vicinity, where they remained for near another year.  The idea probably was to have them aid the British in the defense of Gibraltar during the "Great Siege," the great fortress then undergoing a four year investment by the combined forces of France and Spain.  As my father was a Scotch-Irishman he was claimed the choice of taking the oath of allegiance to King George III of a flogging. He chose the latter, and was tied to a grating and given thirty-nine lashes on his bare back. On the man-of-war they were often flogged for very trivial offenses. 

Frequently heard father speak of a man by the name of Adams from Philadelphia. While near Gibraltar Adams formed a plot to get away. The plan was to take the boat that belonged to the vessel and escape to the mainland. The plot was detected and Adams whipped three times with a doctor standing by each time to say how much he could stand and he was kept confined for a long time. Adams said: "The next time they would whip me; I'll go or die!" Finally he found a good opportunity. It was the custom it seems to keep the arms in a locked compartment. One day while nearly all the ship's crew was eating dinner Adams gave his friends a signal, the arms-house was locked, the guards overpowered, and Adams jumped into the boat and had a knife at the throat of the marine there. The others jumped in, the marine was put out and they rowed. Adams stood up and waved his handkerchief at those on the ship. They were fired on and Adams called loudly "Pull, boys! Pull!" He was the only one who was struck, but they got away and home to America. 

Those left on the ship, including my father, were treated harder than ever.  in speaking of the whipping of Adams father said he bore it well, never even grunting. An officer standing by on one occasion, said: "Lay it on; damn rebel!"  Adams replied: "I have a wife and children in Philadelphia and if you were in my place would you not try to get to them?"  The only reply was "Give it to him!" 

Father spoke of the fine climate in the region of Gibraltar. There, as well as in England, they were given a chance to take the oath of allegiance to the British Crown. It seems that before father's vessel was captured they were going to Cadiz.  While prisoners in England they were sometimes whipped and they had very little to eat.  One day a butcher came into the prison followed by a fat bull dog. The boys soon had the dog skinned and father tried to get a piece of the meat but failed. The prisoners had a peculiar way of making money part of the time. One or two would escape and go to a certain house where the proprietor would hide them for a few days, waiting for the reward, when the runaways would be returned. The next day half of the reward would come back to them inside a loaf of bread or some such way.  They  managed to make an endless chain of it. Near the close of the Revolution father was on a cartel for exchange and he was taken to Philadelphia for that purpose. He walked all the way home from there, through Baltimore and Georgetown. He said he craved milk all the time and got plenty of it, begging for food until he reached home.  Father was about 17 years of age when he went to the war. When I was a small boy there were two swords at home and I used to play soldier with them.  I do not know their history.  Joseph, my younger brother, had a large drum such as was used by the military and he learned how to beat it like a regular drummer.  

I have heard at least a half a dozen men from Washington and Georgetown urge father to apply for a bounty and a pension under the law.  His reply always was: "No, I don't need it; my Government is poor and I can get along without it." 
  – Samuel Follin.


Authenticity Affidavits and other information on this family can be found in "A Genealogical History of the Follin Family in America"  By Gabriel Edmondston 

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