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Descendants of Mister Francis

Generation No. 2


2. HENRY2 FRANCIS (MISTER1)5 was born Abt. 1733 in Maryland6,7, and died October 14, 1780 in Shallow Ford, North Carolina8. He married LEAH8 Bef. 1753 in Virginia9. She was born Abt. 173510, and died Aft. 1786 in Montgomery, Wythe County, VA10.

Notes for H
ENRY FRANCIS:
From the research of Charley Francis, sent to Kathy Beaudry in March, 2000 (used with permission):

      According to the Frederick County, MD, Court record, dated March, 1749-50, Orlando Griffith petitioned the courts to bind children to him to repay him for taking them and their mother into his home. He stated that he had taken an old woman named Mary Francis and her 3 children into his home 5 years earlier. Mary had now died and he wanted the court to bind to him Henry, about 16, William, about 12, and Samuel, about 7, "for such a term of years as you will judge necessary . . . to make him satisfaction for the trouble and charges he has been at." He further stated that this is what Mary wanted.
      The Justices of the Court . . . did grant the request and bound William and Samuel to Mr. Griffith until their 21st birthdays with the provision that he teach them to read, write and learn "the three first rules in arithmetic." At the expiration of their servitude he was to give each of them a coat, waist-coat and breeches, a hat, a pair of shoes and stockings and two shirts. Henry was ordered to stay with the petitioner until the next court to prove his age.     
      Another court record, dated November 1761, showed another petition by Dr. Orlando Griffith requesting reimbursement of charges he incurred while attending John Francis, deceased.
      From these court records, it would appear that this is the family of our Henry Francis, that his mother's name was Mary, and that he had brothers John, William and Samuel. No father was mentioned.
      The first record of Henry in VA is in the payroll records of Colonial Soldiers of VA. The July 13, 1756 roll of Capt. Christopher Gist's Company showed: Henry Francis, private, enlisted on Feb. 1, 1756, age 22 years, 5' 7" tall, dark. He was from MD and his trade was shoemaker. He enlisted at Fredericks, VA.
      There was a John Francis living in Bladensburg, MD at this time and he was a shoemaker. When he died, Henry had shoemaker tools in his inventory.
      The Oct. 4, 1757 record listed Henry in Capt. Robert Spotswood's Company as a corporal. His occupation was listed as Planter, from from Prince Williams County. He was "24 years, 5" 7' tall, dark, well set and had black hair." Henry served in the VA Regiment for 6 1/2 years, obtaining the rank of Sgt., and was a loyal soldier before being discharged by Col. Adam Stephens.
      Henry settled on a small creek in the area of the present Cripple Creek. He owned land on both sides, and it is still known as "Francis Mill Creek." The exact date of Henry's settling in unknown, but he we do know that he was in Augusta County, VA in 1768; he was listed as being a purchaser at the sale of James Cartie. In 1770, Henry was appointed Constable of Cripple Creek, in Botecourt County. He was one of several men appointed to oversee the first road built along Cripple Creek. The road would connect the Newlands at the headwaters with the Lead Mines at the New River. Henry was on the Tithable List of Botecourt County in 1770-1771, but in 1773 he is mentioned as being a member of the Grand Jury of Fincastle County. In 1773 he was also given leave "to build a mill on land where he now lives." The following year he recorded his stock mark, "a crop and half a crop on the right ear and single crop on the left ear." He was granted land on both sides of Cripple Creek in 1774.
      In January 1776, Henry was back on active duty with the Montgomery County, VA Militia, being appointed Ensign on January 10. He was promoted to Lt. on April 4, 1776. He took the Oath of Allegiance in 1777, and was promoted to Capt. of the Militia in April of 1778. He fought in several battles in VA and NC, often being sent to protect the Lead Mines in Virginia. Revolutionary War Pension Records indicate that Capt. Henry Francis and his sons, John and Henry, Jr., were in the Battle of Kings Mountains. When Henry, Jr., died it was noted that he was one of the last of the Kings Mountain Heroes.
      While still on patrol in NC, word was received that a large patrol of Tories were in route to cross the river at Shallow Ford. The two forces met at "Battle Branch," about one mile from Shallow Ford. At this battle, on October 14, 1780, Capt. Henry Francis was killed by a Tory. Henry's son, John, shot at the Tory, and it is thought that he killed him. A reminder of this battle is marked with a Tombstone bearing the inscription: "Henry Francis, Captain, Rev War VA Militia, October 14, 1780."

      (Note:The original stone, which had replaced a field marked, placed at Shallow Ford was donated to Huntsville in the 1940's or 1950's by J. Hampton Rich. Mr. Rich was touring the countryside, looking for a place to commemorate. He discovered the Shallow Ford Battleground story and had a tombstone made to place at the site of what was thought to be Henry's grave. However, the stone had incorrect information, and was replaced in May, 1994, with an identical stone bearing the correct information. A dedication ceremony was held on June 12, 1994 by descendants of Henry Francis, the Yadkinville Historical Society and the Shallow Ford Chapter of DAR.)
      Henry's sons John and Henry, Jr., also took the Oath of Allegiance and were members of the Montgomery company Militia. The Revolutionary War (1775-1783) often pitted brother against brother and father against son, as 13 of the 22 British-American Colonies chose to declare their independence from England. This meant the reenactment of the various state militias, since there was no official US Government. The military fighting forces were composed of the local militias, the "State Lines," and the Continental Lines. Local militias were generally used for short call outs limited to short periods of service, or a specific need. The State Line were soldiers administered by individual states, and volunteers served varying lengths of time. The Continental Army was subject to the authority of the Continental Congress, and were paid and outfitted by that body. Since Henry and his sons were found in the records of local militia and The State Line soldiers, it is assumed they had to provide their own horses and fighting equipment.
      Since the Militias and Lines couldn't afford to pay their volunteers, an inducement of free land was promised instead. Henry filed for his land in Montgomery County on Oct. 6, 1779. He stated he was entitled to 200 acres for his time of service, and also an additional 50 acres for each of his two brothers who had died in service.
      The following was taken from the book, "Virginia's Colonial Soldiers," which showed excerpts from Montgomery County, VA, court records:
      "Henry Francis is the eldest brother & heir at law of John Francis,
      deceased, who was a soldier in the 1st Regiment under Col. Washington
      for about three years and was killed by the Indians." (dated May 3, 1780)

      "Henry Francis is the heir at law of William Francis, deceased, who was
      a soldier in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Americans for three years
      and died in the service." (dated May 3, 1780)

      In May, 1780, A Bounty Land Certificate was issued to Henry, but since he was killed in Oct. of 1780, he didn't get a change to use it. His sons, John, Henry, Jr. and Samuel, are mentioned as settling on land in KY, probably obtained with his Bounty Certificate.
      On Nov. 7, 1780, Leah Francis became the Administratrix of Henry's estate. On may 8, 1782, she and her son, John Francis, were summoned to court to give "counter security for the faithful administration of the estate of Henry Franics, deceased." On Sept. 28, 1784, John Francis, of Lincoln County, KY, gave Power of Attorney to James Newall, Jr., in Montgomery County, VA, for the administration of Henry's estate. On April 26, 1786, Widow Francis was granted the "Right of Dower" in 650 acres of land lying and being on Cripple Creek, "where she now lives." It is assumed that Leah continued to live in the house with any younger children.
      No complete listing of Henry and Leah's children can be found, but John and Henry, Jr. are listed on the militia rolls, and both referred to their father on their pension applications. A reference to Samuel was made in Wayne County, KY records on June 21, 1802, regarding a deed; the sale was witnessed by John Francis. Charles was in the area later, and it is thought he may be a younger son and joined his brothers when he was older. Charles moved to Ashe County, NC in the early 1800's, and raised his family there. There is also mention of a Catherine who might be a daughter, but no clear evidence has yet been found to verify that.
      Henry didn't leave a will, but there is an inventory of his estate, recorded in Montgomery County courts on Nov. 10, 1780. He appeared prosperous for that time, owning several horses, cows, sheep, hogs and pigs. A Dutch oven and still with all the attachments were also listed. Not many families had those two items. Most pioneer families didn't have much cash, but Henry's estate listed 750 pounds, a large sum for those times. He was "one of only six farmers that seemed to be well prepared for all agricultural pursuits."

References (used by Charley Francis):
      LDS Records
      Early Adventures on the Western Waters
      Glimpses of Wythe County, VA
      Virginia's Colonial Soldiers
      Colonial Soldiers of the South
      This was the Life
      The Heritage of Yadkin County
      The Draper Collection
      State Records of North Carolina
      Locating Your Revolutionary War Ancestors
      Court Records     


From the Newspaper THE LANDMARK, Statesville, North Carolina, dated February 17, 1887:

"A LEAF OF HISTORY, A Reminiscence of the Revolution Battle of "Shallow Ford"

"To the editor of The Landmark:     
      ". . . In the Revolutionary times what is now Davie county was part of Rowan and known as the 'Forks,' living as it does in the forks or prongs of the north and south Yadkin rivers . . . the hunting ground of Daniel Boone in his youth, the home and cradle of such families as the Pearces, the Clements . . . and many others . . . among these . . . a large and influential family by the name of Bryan. This family was extensive, wealthy for that day and influential. But they were all loyalists, Tories, one of them being the celebrated Col. Bryan. Another was known as Capt. Bryan, who raised a Tory company and held it subject to orders for the protection of the loyalists - the 'Forks' being about equally divided between the Whigs and Tories.
      "During this trying period of our history it was common throughout this section of the county for leading partisans on either side to band together their partisan friends in a kind of military organization or company and to place themselves at their head as Captain. This is what Captain Bryan did. Higher up the river in that part of the county . . . was more decidedly Whig. And Capt. Francis, in what is now the lower part of Wilkes county, hearing that Bryan had raised a Tory company in the 'Forks,' called out his company of Whig patriots and started down the Yadkin to disband Bryan's company and relieve their Whig friends in the 'Forks.' Bryan at the same time that Francis had called out his company of 'rebels' . . . started up the river to put down Francis and relieve his loyal friends. Neither Bryan nor Francis knew the other was on the march until their companies met face to face . . . Bryan on the hillside east and Francis on the hillside west of what has ever since been called the 'battle ground branch, ' about one-half mile west of the little town of Huntsville and one mile west of the Shallow ford on the Yadkin River, and has always been known in tradition as the battle of the Shallow Ford. (The town of Huntsville was built after the time of the battle)
      "When these little armies met they were both surprised . . . But without much military arrangement on either side a battle commenced almost immediately across the branch, the parties on each side taking care of themselves as best they could, which lasted in rather an irregular way for several hours . . . until the leaders on both side and a large number of the men under them were killed, when it finally ended in favor of the Whigs, the Tories leaving their dead and wounded on the field . . . Captain Francis was buried on the hillside east of the branch and his grave was enclosed by Col. Williams, and was kept marked and enclosed . . . until the late war (the Civil War) when the enclosure went down and never has been erected since . . . The exact spot will soon be lost unless something is done to preserve it . . .
      "This little battle, while not having a great deal to do with the final result of the Revolution, still was one of the small currents that flowed in the right direction and went to make up the great sum total. But it was a matter of great importance to the 'Fork' county. It emboldened, and to a great extent relieved, them from a Tory dominance, galling to their patriotism and dangerous to their lives and property . . ."



Notes for L
EAH:
Reprinted from the "Francis Newsletter, Summer 2000." Used with permission:

"At a court held for Montgomery County, November 7th, 1780.

                  PRESENT
                        __
William Preston                        |
William Davies                        |
James Newell                        | Gentlemen
Adam Dean                        |
William Love                  _      |
                       

      On motion of Leah Francis, who made oath according to Law, certificate is granted her for Obtaining Letters of Administration of the Estate of her deceased Husband Captain Henry Francis, she having with Security entered into and acknowledged their Bond, according to law.
      Ordered that William Love, William Campbell, George Ewing and James White or any three of them being first Sworn do appraise the personal Estate and Slaves if any of Henry Francis dec'd. and return the appraisement to the next court."
     
Children of H
ENRY FRANCIS and LEAH are:
3. i.   JOHN3 FRANCIS, SR., b. Abt. 1753, Virginia; d. October 09, 1829, Near Monticello, Wayne County, KY.
  ii.   HENRY FRANCIS, JR.10, b. April 01, 175510.
  iii.   WILLIAM THOMAS FRANCIS10, b. Abt. 175810.
  iv.   CHARLES FRANCIS10, b. Abt. 176510.
  v.   SAMUEL FRANCIS10, b. Abt. 176610.
  vi.   TABITHA FRANCIS10, b. Abt. 1767, probably Kentucky10; m. WILLIAM HICKS10, February 22, 1792, Madison County, Kentucky10.


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