Immigrant Fallis-Follis

A few Fallis-Follis immigrants to America.

  1. Various FALLIS-FOLLIS researchers have compiled different versions of the FALLIS-FOLLIS family line. A Partial Record of the FALLIS Family in America by William Stuart FALLIS of Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, Virginia who died April 8, 1952, starts with "George FALLIS, a Quaker who came from Wales at the solicitation of William PENN and lived in a Quaker Colony in Pennsylvania about 1692." This George FALLIS is supposed to be born in 1661 County Antrim, Ireland came to Philadelphia in 1682 on the ship Welcome with William PENN who was given the land known as Pennsylvania. The Welcome Society shows no one named FALLIS on the ship manifests. The ships sailed in 1681 and 1682, not the 1692 or 1698 other FALLIS family stories say our immigrant FALLIS came to Philadelphia, such as the Daniel James Fallis biography. I also have a revised copy of William's family tree done in 1975 by Miriam FALLIS HART which adds errors and confuses some of the first edition.
  2. In 1641 a Thomas FOLLIS is a Burgess in JamesCity, Virginia
  3. In 1659 a Thomas FALLIS is found in Dublin, Ireland records.
  4. In 1837 County Meath, Ireland, a civil parish is in the Barony of Skreen known as Follistown. Follisllagh was in County Galway on an 1885 atlas.
  5. An unknown FALLIS sometimes listed as George, was a glass manufacturer persecuted in Dublin, Ireland for treason for refusing to pay ruinous taxes and executed in 1698 the same year his son Thomas is said to have come to America. This is from the Kentucky banker Daniel James FALLIS biographywhose says his grandfather George was born 9 days after immigrant father Thomas came to America in 1698. There are some factual errors, but the story is mostly supported by documentation. Daniel was a son of Thomas FALLIS and Mary JAMES, son of George and Mary FALLIS, son of Thomas and Elizabeth FALLIS of Virginia.
  6. A 2009 publication "Dictionary of Dublin Dissent – Dublin’s Protestant Dissenting Meeting Houses 1660-1920" could provide clues to the validity of this tradition. Mark Follis of Dublin, Ireland responded to my question about this book: "When Cromwell was in power the dissenters had freedom to practice their religion with no interference from the state. However when Charles II came to the Throne, after Cromwell's death, he persecuted many of the dissenters for backing Cromwell during the civil war; for example, Dissenters in Ireland were not allowed to own land and were not allowed to vote. This persecution caused many of the dissenters to either flee Ireland and emigrate to America, or convert back to the Church of Ireland. If the story is true and the father of the immigrant Follis was hung for treason, then it is highly possible that he was a dissenter and possibly a high ranking official in Cromwell's Dublin government. Cromwell was despised by the Roman Catholics in Ireland, because he had tried to ethnically cleanse Ireland of all Roman Catholics, during his time in power. However I have yet to find historical evidence that says a person by the name of Follis was hung for treason in Dublin during this period."
  7. One possibility I have not researched is Thomas FOLLIS of Stafford County, Virginia who died around 1690 and is said to have had a son Thomas. This is probably the same Thomas a burgess of 1641 James City, Virginia above. It is possible this Thomas could have traveled back and forth from Dublin, Ireland and could have been executed there and his will then recorded where he lived in Virginia. It is a stretch, but not unheard of if he was a wealthy man.
  8. Doctor James Madison Fallis 1919 Kansas biography states "His paternal ancestors came from Wales and were colonial settlers in Virginia."
  9. The first Quaker Colony Hopewell formed in 1734 Frederick County. George and Mary FALLIS and their children are found in the Hopewell and other Quaker records. George Washington started as a surveyor in 1748 Winchester the county seat of Frederick County where deeds are recorded one year before Thomas bought his first piece of land in 1749. Brothers George and Thomas FALLIS owned a lot of land, the 3 younger FALLIS brothers did not. George FALLIS is listed as a chain carrier for the surveyor on several deed surveys of this time. Evidence perhaps that there was a different mother like Jane CHELDON for the first two sons George and Thomas who may have been substantially older and a second mother Elizabeth for the three younger sons Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who were minors in their father Thomas' 1755 will. There easily could have been FALLIS daughters who were not alive if a 77 year old Thomas wrote his will in 1755.

Some Sources

 

If you find research that adds to, or contradicts mine, please leave a Comment on my Follis Families in the United States Facebook page, or send me an Email.

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