Sarah Springer and Jacob Follis Family
Colonial Shenandoah (1831 became Page) County, Virginia
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Jacob FOLLIS was born before 1745, he is listed as a minor in father Thomas' 1755-56 will, then sold his inherited Frederick County, Virginia land in 1766 when he was over legal age of 21 years, and died around May 1797 in Shenandoah (now Page) County, Virginia. About 1765 he married Sarah Springer probably also born around 1745, whose father might be Isaac Springer of Philadelphia. Sarah died October 8, 1809 in Shenandoah County, Virginia according to the Wood Family Bible.
I am looking for any information on the Isaac Springer family as I have nothing more than what is here.
Jacob FOLLIS of Stafford County on February 2, 1778 bought 354 acres of land on both sides of Jeremy’s Run in that part of Great Britain called Scotland Proprietor of The Northern Neck of Virginia next to Nehemiah Wood from Right Honorable Thomas Lord Fairfax and it is assumed they were buried there. Records indicate the original survey exists. Vaughn's Mountain, shown in map above, is south of their land, and daughter Sarah Fallis' husband Benjamin WOOD, son of Nehemiah, a Revolutionary War Veteran is buried less than a mile a way to the northeast in the Wood-Conn Cemetery on the Wood Colonial land. Jacob FOLLIS is mentioned as the adjoining land in several land transactions mentioning Nehemiah Wood. Son Isaac FALLIS married Mercy VAUGHAN and daughter Phebe FALLIS married Mercy's brother John VAUGHAN. It is assumed their Vaughan family is connected with Vaughn's Mountain closer to Culpepper where their assumed father Jacob VAUGHAN died in 1774.
Pioneers of Old Frederick County 1995, by Cecil O'Dell page 418 describes the location of Jacob FOLLIS' 515 acres of land on Virginia 340 adjoining Rileyville with Country Road 662 to the north and 611 to the south purchased March 21, 1780 from Charles Whitson in two tracts while discussing McKay's. This implies Jacob owned 869 acres of land.
I'm still trying to figure out exactly where Jacob's land is located along the South River aka Shenandoah River - South Fork flowing northeast through Luray, VA now known for the Luray Caverns not discovered until 1878 long after my ancestors moved west to Ohio and Indiana by 1813.
The Library of Virginia has some deeds online in databases, but links to the deeds won't copy, so you will have to search to find these. August 12, 1794 Jacob Follis is adjoining neighbor of Frederick Harbenger and John Broughill near Jeremy Run. A grist mill is mentioned on Jacob's land in Library of Virginia Northern Neck Grants A, No. 2, 1805-1812, December 30, 1807 p. 138-139 deed. Google Images has lots of grist mill photos and MillPictures.com has lots of Robert T. Kinsey photos who I believe is related to my Christian Kinsey of Berks County, Pennsylvania and sent me photos of Christian's 1734 log cabin still standing near Reading. Grist Mills and Mill Ruins of DC, MD, VA and SPOOM Society for Preservation of Old Mills.
September 8, 1766 brothers Isaac and Jacob Follis deed for 125 acres on the drains of the Opeckon adjoining Murty Handly, John Ridgway &c. February 2, 1778 Jacob Follis bought 354 acres of land in Dunmore County on Jeremy's Run from Lord Fairfax. It says a survey exists for Jacob Fallis, but I have not seen it. If you have a copy please let me know. Jacob Follis is mentioned in a Joseph Barns deed June 1, 1789 land on survey on the South River and John Broughill deed August 12, 1794 adjoining Jacob Follis on Jeremy's Run. All children listed on pages 138-139 of December 30, 1807 deed for 4 acres of land on Jeremy's Run near said Jacob Fallis' grist mill. Daughter Elizabeth Fallis with husband Benjamin Horner and rest of children on survey pages 277-278.
A strenuous 14.2 mile hike is Jeremy's Run Mountain on the Shenandoah National Park web site with good Trout Fishing and DEQ map that indicates Jacob's land is likely a short distance outside the Shenandoah National Park boundaries. Jeremy Run Overlook elevation is 2410 feet.
The eight children of Sarah SPRINGER and Jacob FALLIS are:
- Sarah FALLIS born November 17, 1766 in Shenandoah County, Virginia married Benjamin Wood on January 25, 1792 Shenandoah County, Virginia. She died March 27, 1822 and is buried on their land in the Wood Conn Cemetery Shenandoah now Page County, Virginia. I would like to know the actual location of this cemetery since Benjamin Wood's land was adjoining his father-in-law Jacob FOLLIS.
Several sources claim a December 7, 1775 marriage for Jacob and Sarah in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which makes no sense since Sarah SPRINGER is listed in the WOOD Family Bible as mother of Sarah FALLIS born in 1766 shown in the Find-A-Grave tombstone photo on the right for Sarah's Revolutionary War husband Benjamin Wood. This is obviously a replacement tombstone since granite wasn't available until the late 1800's.
You can read about her family in the book below:
Biographical sketches of the Wood families by Wood by Jacob Samuel Fallis, 1839-1925 published in 1923, now on Internet Archive. A page-by-page viewable copy is also at FamilySearch and webpage version on the Wood Surname History on the Wayback Machine.
Sarah's daughter Nancy WOOD married Wharton JONES, notice the bottom her tombstone says "daughter of Benjamin and Sarah Follis Wood died December 18, 1867." Follis spelled with an "o". There is the question among family researchers whether the "correct" spelling is Fallis or Follis. This evidence shows the spelling went back and forth from the beginning since mother Sarah 1766-1822 is Fallis with an "a" in the photo on the right.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF THE WOOD FAMILY by Jacob Samuel Fallis Woods no longer has photos online, but the book in libraries does. Internet Archives loads very slowly. Chapter IV is about Benjamin and Sarah FALLIS WOOD. "Benjamin, son of Nehemiah Wood had a magnificent home near where Rileyville now stands. Following the old English custom of giving names to their homes, he called his home Cedar Point. This place was honored by the first post office in that locality being named Cedar Point. Later a village called Rileyville was established there and the name of the post office changed to Rileyville. Benjamin was a devoted member of the Old School Baptist faith, and when a church was organized at Big Springs in that locality, he and his wife Sarah (Sallie) were charter members. He was chosen clerk and acted in that capacity until his death. Many of his descendants followed his example, and are devoted Christians and many of them are Missionary Baptists. However, the name "Missionary" is now left off and this large and influential body is known as "Baptist".
Many of the Wood family have been preachers, two of which are of my father’s family. I should say the old church at Big Springs organized in 1824 is still at work. I am indebted to Mrs. Mildred Schlosser for the information that Benjamin Wood my grandfather, served faithfully and honorably, three years in the revolutionary war. His army papers are on record at Richmond, Va. After a long and useful life, he passed to his Heavenly Home A.D. 1829. He was twice married. His first wife was Sarah Fallis, married February 12, 1791 (I notice in James W. Wood’s history her name spelled "Follice", and in the "Brumback Families" by G. M. Brumback "Follis". The name has come down in our branch of families----Fallis. My Father was named for his mother’s people, William Fallis, and I have the same name. Also several persons, but I do not know how the original name was spelled). Since writing the above I have had the Page County Va. Record examined and find my grandmother’s name was spelled Fallis." Chapter III says: " Nehemiah, the ancestor of our branch of the Wood family located near where Rileyville now stands,---possibly eight or ten miles from Luray, the county seat of Page County. He had four sons,---Benjamin, John, Joshua and David. David never married. He died at the age of 60 and was buried on his father’s estate. The other three brothers owned large bodies of land in the Shenandoah valley. James W. Wood, in his history says, "Benjamin, Joshua and John Wood owned almost the entire northern end of the county". There are 97 deeds conveying land to and from the Wood family on the records at Woodstock, Shenandoah county, and 235 recorded at Luray, Page county. In 1818 Joshua built the first brick house in that part of the county, and probably the first one in the county. It contained much carved work, all done by hand. The Roof was shingled with the best yellowpine shaved shingles which were still doing good service 85 years later. In those days they were considered wealthy."
- Phebe FALLIS born around 1768 in Shenandoah County, Virginia married John VAUGHAN on January 23, 1790 in Shenandoah County, Virginia and died before 1823 in Greene County, Ohio buried on the pioneer VAUGHAN Farm near some large rocks on top of the ravine overlooking Sugar Creek in Greene County, Ohio now part of the Sugarcreek Metro Park with no tombstones.
- Jacob FALLIS Jr. born around 1778 married Elizabeth YOUNG on April 11, 1797 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. Not mentioned in the Benjamin Horner 1807 deed, he is found in the 1800 and 1810 Jefferson County, Kentucky census with his brother Isaac, then 1820 Ross Township, Greene County, Ohio census with 9 children. He is probably deceased by the 1830 Federal Census and is likely buried in his brother Isaac's FALLIS Pioneer Cemetery.
- Isaac FALLIS born May 7, 1779 in Shenandoah County, Virginia married Mercy VAUGHAN, sister of John VAUGHAN, on October 10, 1797 in Shenandoah County, Virginia. Isaac died March 9, 1858 and is buried in the FALLIS Pioneer Cemetery in Sugar Creek Township, Greene County, Ohio on his farm three miles north of Bellbrook, Ohio.
- Elizabeth FALLIS married Benjamin HORNER November 23, 1784 Shenandoah County, Virginia. Have to wonder how he is related to the HORNER's of New Jersey and Joseph HORNER spouse of Margery FALLIS in 1748. Not much is known, I would like to know more. Bentley Fallis 2000 query.
- Rebecca FOLLIS married Joel MARTIN on July 19, 1794 Shenandoah County, Virginia by Minister Jno Counce. Joel MARTIN is thought to have died in 1799 Halifax County, Virginia, his father Joel and uncle William MARTIN were both killed during the Revolutionary War. Rebecca's son Jacob MARTIN lived near his FALLIS WEBB cousins in Madison County, Indiana. Would like to know what happened to them too.
- Susanna FALLIS born after 1784 married Reverend Ambrose C. Booton on May 9, 1809 Shenandoah County, Virginia and died before September 9, 1822. Ambrose remarried living until 1865. His second wife Elizabeth Frye is buried in the Spitler Cemetery near Stanley, Virginia. Ambrose was a Hawksville Baptist Church minister and slave owner. A former web page Is There A Former Slave Auction Block in Luray, Virginia? discusses slaves owned by Rev. Ambrose C. Booton.
- William FALLIS of Shenandoah County, Virginia. Was administrator of his fathers estate along with brother-in-law Benjamin Wood in May 1797. No further information has been found. I would like to know what happened to him, did he have a family? His sister Sarah FALLIS WOOD has a son named William Fallis WOOD. Makes one wonder if something happened to William that she honored her brother by naming a son after him? This William Fallis WOOD named a son Jacob Fallis WOOD. Sarah's daughter Ann WOOD JONES had sons William Fallis Jones, Isaac Springer Jones and Harrison Booton Jones passing along several family names.
Sources
- A Partial Record of the Fallis Family in America by William Stuart FALLIS
- Nehemiah Wood of Shenandoah County, Virginia by Leo and Hazel LAWLER
- Shenandoah County Virginia Marriage Bonds 1772-1850 by Bernice M. Ashley
- December 30, 1807 Benjamin Horner Northern Neck land deed
- various FALLIS-FOLLIS family researchers, IGI files, census records, cemetery records, estates
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