John Folden was born in Virginia, probably Bedford County, about 1765. His
parentage is unknown at this time. The earliest Folden/Foulden was a Lewis Folden
shown in a tax list in 1790 in Chatham Co., NC. There was also a James Foldan in
Monroe Co., VA in 1820 at Peterstown. Searches of early records should include the
name Foalden and Foulden as well as Folden.
Some Notes on early Foldens shared by others.
John married Mary Womack (bond dated) 31 Dec 1789 in Bedford Co., VA.
She was the daughter of Jesse Womack (1744-1782) and Sarah Daniel (? - 1822/3).
(The Womack Trail, 1988:31-3). Mary was born 2 Sep 1760 in VA. She died in
Greene County, Missouri 15 Mar 1846. (Murray Cem, Greene Co., MO).
John Folden and Mary made their home in Bedford Co., VA for a time.
Mary�s father had died before they married and her mother remarried 4 Sep 1792 to
Edward Hancock. John served as surety on their marriage bond. John also signed
for the marriage bond for Richard Brown and Sarah Womax (sic), Mary�s sister, in
1794. John and Mary remained in Virginia and had their first three or four children
there before they moved to Adair Co., Kentucky.
Their fifth child, Mary (Polly), was born in 1807 in Kentucky. We know they
were in Adair Co., Kentucky by 1810 as John and William Folden were appointed by
the court to assist in keeping the road. By 1812 John had died and Mary Folden was
named executrix of his will on the 6th of July. The six children named as heirs were
the same that Mary gave in her will 34 years later. John Folden died at age 47 leaving
Mary with six children, the youngest of which was a two year old son. William, the
eldest, was 22 and no doubt had to take on the responsibilities of his father.
John probably had a brother, William, who went with them to KY. We find the marriage record of Malinda Folden to Stephen Shepherd 21 Feb 1829 in Adair Co. records.
In 1820 the family was still in Adair Co., KY. Their enumeration has not been
located for 1830. By 1840 William and James are found in Gasconade Co., MO with
their mother living with James. They may have been located in Illinois or Indiana
during that interim. It appears that Mary never remarried but stayed with her
children as they traveled and came to Greene Co., MO about 1845. She died there in
1846 and was buried at the Murray Cemetery in the western part of Greene County.
Notes from her probate record and bill of sale show that she had two negro
boys aged 18 and 20, bed and furniture, side saddle, chest, bedstead and cord which
were appraised at $1,071.50. Her real estate was located in Range 23, Twp. 30 and
sections 3 and 33 in Greene County and listed as four parcels. Section 3 is by Cave
Springs and it was a lot; Section 33 is two miles west of Willard.
The first child of John and Mary Womack Folden was born in 1790 in
Bedford Co., Virginia. His wife�s name was Rachel (Adair Co. Deeds) Whitlock. She
was the daughter of William and Rosanna Sheldon Whitlock, natives of VA and TN. William is
listed as a head of household in the 1820 census of Adair Co., KY. He apparently reared
his family between 1820 and 1840. We have not located this family in 1830 as of yet.
By 1840 they were in Gasconade Co., MO with brother James and his mother, Mary.
In the household with him is his wife and a son born 1810-20. There may have been
other children who were grown and married by then. If he had children who married
in Camden Co., their records burned in the fire of the courthouse.
He moved to Greene Co., MO by 1845. When his mother died, he purchased
her negro man, Sam for $635.00.
Jim Kirk writes: "We believe that Rachel is enumerated with her son-in-law's
brother's family (Reverend Thornton Sheppard) as R. Folding age
59 born in VA in the 1850 census Morgan Co, IL, household# 1939,
family# 1985, line 36. She is also listed as buried in the Sheppard
Cemetery, Morgan County, IL but I have not seen the a tombstone
for her."
William was living in Boone Twp, Greene County in 1850 and was enumerated
as head of household, aged 59, born KY. Living with him was Sharpless B. Stott,
aged 15, born in Kentucky. We do not know if there was a kinship between them.
Living next door to him was Francis M. Wilson, b. 1827 in MO with a wife, Lucinda,
b. 1830 in Indiana. They have two small daughters: Margarette A. E. and Artaless
4/12, both b. in MO.
Jim Kirk, descendant writes: "In 1860, William Folden is enumerated with William F. Sheppard
(his grandson, possible namesake & Malinda's eldest son) and is
living 3 households from his daughter Malinda and her husband
Stephen Sheppard(my ggg grandparents) in Warren Twp, Camden
Co, MO. Malinda (Folden)Sheppard was in Illinois in 1857 and back in
Macoupin Co, IL by May 1861. (Stephen & Malinda are listed as
founding members of the Otter Creek Primitive Baptist Church,
organized 5/16/1861 in Girard, IL). Did they go to Camden, MO to
help William and return after his death?" By 1860, William had moved back to Camden County,
MO and it is presumed that this is where he died.
(There is a Nancy Jane Folden who married James M. Thornton 14 Nov 1869 in St.
Louis, MO).
We would like to know the children of this man. We know that there was a Pernelia who was married 21 Dec 1848 to Nathaniel Stanley in Henderson Co., KY.
The fourth child of John and Mary Womack Folden was born about 1802.
She married John C. Johnson or Johnston. They were originally residents of
Henderson Co., TN in 1830 but were in Greene Co., AR in 1846 when named in her
mother�s estate.
The fifth child of John and Mary Womack Folden was born 8 Nov 1807 in
Adair Co., KY. She married Abner Williams 19 Feb 1823 in Adaif Co., KY. They moved to Greene Co., MO in 1840. He was a Baptist miniter as was his son, John Wesley Williams. Mary�s mother�s probate states that they were in Greene Co., AR but they are enumerated in
Greene Co., MO in 1850 living next door to James Folden, her brother.
Abner was born 1800 in North Carolina. Their children were Lucinda b.
1827, Albert b. 1830; Eliza b. 1832; James F. b. 1834; Milton b. 1836; Leander H. b.
1841; Pernitta E. b. 1843. Living on the other side of James Folden is Sidney East
who had married another daughter of Abner and Polly. Apparently she had died by
1850 and her children were Pernicia, b. 1847 and Elmira A. b. 1848. Perhaps she
died in childbirth with the last child. The East family was from Indiana and may
have traveled with the Foldens.
Abner died in Greene Co., MO where his will was probated. Mary was the
administratrix. They listed their real estate as in Sec. 13, Twp 31, R21 which is on
the Polk County line. John W. Williams lived in Polk County. (Gail Scott has
worked on this lineage and lives in AR.)
The sixth child of John and Mary Womack Folden was born 29 June 1810 in
Adair Co., KY. (Mt. Pleasant Cem, Greene, MO). He married Nancy (maiden name
unknown). There is a James Folden in Hancock County, Indiana in 1830 (p. 11,
Sugar Creek Twp). It is unknown where their marriage occurred but their first
child, Warren H. was born 1836 in Tennessee. They had two more children born in
Tennessee, then we find them in the 1840 census of Gasconade Co., MO. Gasconade
took in a large area that included the present Osage County. It appears that his
mother, Mary, made these trips with them as she is listed with them in Gasconade
Co. and then came to Greene Co., MO with them. They had two children born in
Missouri by 1850: Samantha M. and Pamelia. There was a son, Willis born in 1858.
They made their home in Boone Twp. but some way off from where William was
living.
James was the executor of his mother�s estate in 1846. He was still residing in
Greene Co. for the 1860 enumeration of the census. He died 25 July 1864. Nancy
lived until 24 Sept 1885. They are both buried at Mt. Pleasant Cem., 3/5 miles west
of Willard in Greene Co., MO. Willis, their son, is buried beside them.
(We would like to include the children of the other brothers and sisters of James if
descendants would share with us.)
1. Warren Haney Folden b, 1836 in TN. He married Mary J. Perkins 15 Sep 1861
(Greene Co. Mg. Bk B:258). He was in Arkansas at the time of Nancy�s estate
settlement, 1885. He died in Arkansas. We have a studio picture of this man, posted
at the Album pages.
His Biograhy and descendants have been submitted by Sue and
Stuart Rogers of Tulsa, OK.
2. Sarah J. Folden b. 1838 in TN. She married Nathan J. Wilson 20 Nov 1856
(Greene Co., Mg. Bk B:97). They were living at Bois D�Ark in 1885.
3.Mary A. S. Folden b. 1841 in TN. She married Leo Fine Kile 10 Mar 1861.
(Greene Co. Mg. Bk B:255). The estate settlement states they had a daughter who
was deceased by the name of Mabel Lee Kyle. They had three children. (We have a
tin-type of Mary Folden dated about 1865 from the carte de viste sleeve).
4. Samantha M. b. 1845 in MO. She married Martin J. Wilson 28 June 1863
(Greene Co. Mg Bk B:296). By 1885 she had married a Kelso and lived in Kansas.
5. Permelia Ellen b. 26 Jan 1849 in Greene Co., MO. She married John Swaggerty
Robinson 19 Sep 1866 in Greene Co. MO. She died 13 Apr 1910 and is buried with
her husband in Mt. Pleasant Cem., Greene Co., MO.(See Robinson history).
6. Willis A. Folden b. 1858 in MO. He died 4 Dec 1866 and is buried at Mt.
Pleasant Cem.
7. Martha V. Folden b. ca 1864 in Greene Co., MO. and married Wilhelm Theis
after 1865. We have photos of some of their nine children. Wilhelm was made
administrator for the estate of Nancy Folden, his mother-in-law.
There are three little girls buried in Maple Park Cemetery: Eliza, Mariba and
Martha all died in 1888.
(There is a Martha S. Folden who married Silas P. Forrest 9 May 1858 in Greene
County. She would probably have been born ca 1840 and is not shown in the 1850
census with James or William.)