My ancestry...
Considering this starts in mid-18th century, the Franklin family has not lived in too many different place. I suppose that is a good thing--its is helpful in genealogical research. The first genearation resided in Virginia, many years after which they moved to Ohio. Only not until my father did they leave Ohio. (His mother still lives in Ohio) So to find out about the evolution of my ancestry, read on...
Lewis Franklin was born in 1755 in King George county, Virginia. (I have heard the location to be Orange Co., VA, but this source was of questionable reliability.) Lewis was of English descent, and I have reason to believe Lewis' father was the immigrant. My reasoning for this assumption is that from several sources I have heard that Lewis was the "progenitor of the Franklin family in this country." Therefore, since he was born in this country yet the first to settle here, it would seem logical to theorize that his father moved here shortly before Lewis was born, and then possibly he returned to England, or passed away, or something along those lines. Supporting this argument is the following excerpt. (Taken from "Franklin History," a short article of rather enigmatic origination which has been in my family for many years)
"He [Lewis Franklin] came to Henry county [VA] as a young boy. In this new location, he took a humble position on a farm and worked at the usual labor on a plantation. He evidently gave satisfaction or else he would not so soon have been able to buy a home for himself. He purchased several hundred acres of land known as the Franklin plantation just west of Fieldale [VA] facing the Roanoke Road. With the help of his slaves his plantation was cultivated and made profitable."
We searched for this plantation while visiting Henry county in summer of 1996. Unfortunately that location was not quite specific enough. We did not have much time, or else I would have stopped in the county clerk's office and found more detailed directions.
Lewis' next adventure was serving in the Revolutionary war. He was already serving by the time the first organized troops left Henry county on March 11, 1781. After his service, Lewis married Millicent Stone, who was born between 1764 and 1767 in Henry county and lived on a neighboring plantation. The marriage took place on March 21, 1787 in Henry county, Virginia. According to my "Franklin History," Lewis then "managed his affairs, educated his children and lived a very happy life." This quotation sounds like the origins of the document could be a family bible, which would explain the detail of the information.
According to my data Lewis and Millie had twelve children (in estimated order of birth): Stephen, Elizabeth, Susannah (Susan), John, Mary (Polly), Jeremiah, Millicent (Millie), Eusebious (Sib), Lewis, William Henry, George Walker, and Nancy. William, Millie, and Polly resided in Henry county, but the rest of the children moved to Kentucky and Missouri with their spouses. William remained with his parents to help with the plantation (as well as overseeing Harden Hairston's plantation) and consequently inherited it when Lewis passed away at his home sometime during April of 1842. Lewis' wife had died about a year earlier. Both were buried at the plantation.
William Henry Franklin was born about 1810 to 1811 in Henry county, Virginia. He remained at the Franklin plantation for some time after his father's death. In 1835 he married Martha "Patsy" Hundley (in Henry county), who was about 3 years older than William and born in Virginia. In the span of 1836 to 1848 William and Patsy had seven children (in order of birth): John Lewis, Mary J., William H. (Buck), Nannie M., George P. (Tyler), James William, and Edward F.. I believe all seven were born in Henry county, as William continued to live there. He is recorded as having been farming in Patrick county on October 29, 1850. However, it seems they moved there temporarily since William was back in Henry county by August 7, 1860. Also, when William passed away he was buried at the Franklin plantation. (This occurred June, 1901) This seems to indicate that possibly that the Franklins did not actually move, but simply farmed the Patrick county land for a while instead of the plantation. This could have been to prevent wearing out the land in Henry county, since they might not have wanted to known to rotate their crops. Many of William and Patsy's children were also buried at the Franklin plantation, so they evidently owned for some time after 1860. Patsy died in 1895.
John Lewis was born March 05, 1836 in Henry county. He served in the Civil war: on June 1, 1861 he joined Captain J. Travis Rosser's Texas Ranger Company at Franklin co, VA. In May 1862 they formed Company K, 10th VA Regiment cavalry, which later served under Major General J. E. B. Stuart. John Lewis was a sergeant in the cavalry and was wounded June 9, 1863 at the Battle of Brandy Station in Culpepper co. After his discharge he farmed between present day towns of Bassett and Stanleytown. He married Mary Jane Stanley on November 29, 1866. They had nine children. John died June 17, 1923 from blood poisoning resulting from a farming accident.
Mary J. Franklin was born January 26, 1838 in Henry county. On October 20, 1857 she married William Samuel Brown, and they had two children. After William passed away in 1864, Mary married William Burrell Wells (September 14, 1869). They had five children.
Nannie, who was born February 01, 1841, married Samuel L. Fretwell on November 12, 1865. They had nine children.
Tyler was born on May 12, 1842. He also served in the Civil war: on 6-15-1861 at Lynchburg, VA George enlisted in company A, 42nd VA Regiment infantry of the confederate army. He advanced to sergeant status, but was captured with almost the entire regiment on 5-12-1864 near Spotsylvania court house (VA) at the Battle of Bloody Angle. He arrived at Belle Plain, VA on 5-18-1864 and was incarcerated at the Point Lookout, MD P.O.W. facility. On 7-30-1864 he was transferred to the federal prison on the Chemung river at Elmira, NY. He stayed there from 8-2-1864 until 6-19-1865, when he took the oath of allegiance to the United States of America. Upon release he walked to his home, which was on the Smith river one mile north of Waller's ford near the present day town of Fieldale, VA. He then resumed farming. (see service record in the National Archives, D.C. and pension application in the VA state library at Richmond, VA) He married Mary Ann Wray on December 03, 1868 at Mary's home in Henry county. They had seven children..
James was born March 07, 1844, but lived only a few years, as he died sometime before October 29, 1850.
On September 07, 1848 Edward was born. He was married to Mary Jane Stone on December 01, 1870. They had eleven children.
Buck was born March 17, 1839 in Henry county. In June 1861 William enlisted in the confederate army at Mt. Bethel in Henry co. On July 3, 1861 in Lynchburg, VA he was attached to Company G, 42nd VA Regiment infantry. He was wounded twice. The first injury, a broken right rib, occurred on August 9, 1862 at the Battle of Cedar Run. The second injury was sustained on July 3, 1863, this time to the right arm and leg. He was captured July 4, 1863 at South Mountain, MD and consequently transferred to the U. S. Army General hospital at Frederick, MD. He was paroled at Ft. Henry and later returned to company G, where he served as a sergeant. He married Lucinda Shumate on January 06, 1868. (I have on source naming her Lucinda Shumate Panill, but most do not have the "Panill.") She was born February 07, 1843 in Henry county. They had nine children while residing in Henry county: Martha, James Edward, Sally L., John W., Mary E., Lucy E., Anna, Nannie, and W. Henry Lee (Kit). About 1907 William moved his farm to Roanoke, where both he and his wife died.
James Edward was born March 28, 1870 in Henry county. He apparently moved to Ohio after reaching adulthood, because he married in Pike county, OH on August 30, 1902. The bride was Iva Alma Merritt, who was born April 28, 1884 in Pike county. Between 1904 and 1912 they had four children: Hazel Marie, Beatrice Lillian, James Robert, and Helen Bernice. Also during that span they moved to Pickaway county, OH, where James Robert was born. James Edward died in Circleville (Pickaway county), OH on April 22, 1953. However, Iva lived to a ripe old age--she died 20 days before her 99th birthday, on April 08, 1983 (also in Circleville).
James Edward and Iva's only son, James Robert, was my grandfather. Bob was born in Circleville, Ohio on October 06, 1917. He was employed at Container Corporation of America (now Jefferson Smurfitt Corporation) at Circleville for over 30 years as Maintenance Supervisor. He was also a gunsmith and spent a lot of time helping out his neighbors repairing things---he could do anything mechanical that needed to be done. He married Dorothy May Newland on May 12, 1940 in Circleville on her twentieth birthday. They had two children, James Randall and Sherryl Ann. On November 19, 1994 James Robert passed away suddenly but quietly in his sleep after a bout with bone cancer.
James Randall was born to Bob and Dot in Circleville on January 08, 1942. He joined the United States Air Force in March of 1964, and was stationed in Texas, at the Lackland base in San Antonio and then Goodfellow base in San Angelo. While in Texas he met his future wife, Margaret Eloise Allensworth. She was born September 27, 1946 in San Antonio. They married September 10, 1965 in San Antonio. Jim was later stationed at the Hakata base on Japan's Kyushu island and then Brooks Air Force base in San Antonio. After honorary discharge from the Air Force in March of 1968, Jim attended the Art Institute of Chicago and then Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He graduated from S.H.S.U. on December 17, 1971 with a bachelor's degree in photography. Meanwhile Peggy was attending Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio, where she graduated May 18, 1969 with a bachelors in education. In 1972 they moved to Chicago, where Peggy taught elementary school and Jim moved gradually from retail into outside sales, much of which was for photography studios. In 1977 they moved with their two young boys, James Andrew and Jeremy Tyler, to Rockford, IL. They have lived in the Rockford area since then, moving once to a suburb in 1987. In August of 1986 Peggy graduated from Northern Illinois University with a master's degree in family counseling, after which she started her employment at Children's Home and Aid Society of Illinois, where she is still employed as adoptions supervisor. Jim is now a church resource specialist (a fancy name for sales) for Church Impressions, a company which produces printed goods for churches (like directories, for instance).
Andy is currently employed at Kysor/Western in Byron, IL in a computer-related field.
Jeremy sophomore in college. He transfered from University of Minnesota to University of
Florida to study architecture. Go Gators!
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