The family of Richard Falley 1740-1808

 I've written of Richard Falley, Jr. earlier, who participated in the French and Indian War, Fort Edward, Bunker Hill, Saratoga, and Shays' Rebellion, and whose work supported other battles.  There is a biography of him called "General Wasahington's Secret Armory by Robert R. Madison, so he is important not just to our family, but to the success the Patriots finally had in the Revolutionary War.  Today I am going to write about his family.

Richard was born to Richard and Anna Lamb Falley in 1740 in what is now Knox County, Maine, but was part of Massachusetts at the time.  He married Margaret Hitchcock, the daughter of Samuel and Ruth Stebbins Hitchcock, in 1761 in Westfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts, when he was already something of a war hero, having been taken prisoner at Fort Edward as a youth and help captive in Quebec until he was ransomed.  Richard, having traveled more than many of his family in the service of his country, died in 1808 in Westfield.  Richard and Margaret had at least 10 children together, but details on some of them are quite sketchy.  

Their first known child was Louisa or Lovisa, born in 1762 and died in 1807.  She married Medad Fowler, the son of Ebenezer and Catherine Root Fowler.  (Catherine was a granddaughter of our ancestors John and Mary, the widow Ashley, Root.  Their children are Bethsina or Bethaina, Sophia, Margaret, Richard, Frederick, Harvey, Josiah, Catherine, and Louisa.  

Frederick was a very young son when he was a fifer in the Revolutionary War, at the battle of Bunker Hill.  He was born in 1765.  He may be the Frederick Falley who asked for compensation from the government after the war of 1812, for loss of a schooner and cargo, but was denied.  There is a Frederick Falley who died in 1828 at Castalia, Erie County, Ohio, but I am not sure this is the same man.  Census searches for him have turned up empty.  Perhaps he died young.

Margaret was born in either 1766 or 1776.  I accept the 1766 date but want to mention that others think it was 1776.  She married William Cleveland, the son of Reverend Aaron and Abiah Hyde Cleveland.  Margaret and William are the grandparents of Stephen Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.  Margaret and William's children are Francis, William, Margaret, Susan, Richard, another Susan, Martha, Jacob, James, Ann, Andrew, and Phebe.  

Richard was born in 1768 and died in 1835 in Castalia, Erie County, Ohio.  He married Amanda Stanley, the daughter of Amos and Zerviah Gray Stanley.  Their children are Amos, Margaret, Zerviah, Amanda, Richard, Orilla (apparently there were two by this name, one having died young), Samuel, a twin to Samuel who did not survive, John, and Francis.  

Russell was born in 1770 and died in 1842 in Perrysburg, Wood County, Ohio.  He married Parmela or Pamela Chapman, the daughter of Benjamin and Abigail Riggs Chapman.  Their children are Clarissa, Eliza, Almira, and Susan.  

Then there is the matter of Daniel.  I have found him born in 1772 and died a little over a month later, in 1773.  Some also give a second Daniel, born about 1773 and died in 1857 in Granby, Oswego County, New York.  Again, I am not sure that he belongs to this family, but am mentioning him as a marker to be researched further, by someone, sometime.  

Ruth was born in 1775 and died in 1826 in New York City.  She married Samuel Allen, the son of Ephraim and Huldah Maynard Allen.  Their surviving children are Lewis, Anthony, and Richard, with a notation that several others died young.  I don't know how Ruth ended up in New York City, or even whether that location is accurate, as I'm not finding records to support that.  

Lewis was born in 1777.  The only other information I've found of him is that he died in Charleston, South Carolina in or before 1810.  I don't know how reliable that is, and I've not found a spouse for him.  He's still a mystery to me.

Samuel was born in 1780 and died in 1871 in Granville, Licking County, Ohio.  He married Ruth Root, the daughter of Martin and Ruth Noble Root, whose ancestry also goes back to John and Mary Root, through two different lines.  Their children are Lois, Clarissa, Richard, Charles, Samuel, Francis, Ruth, Edmund, Linus, and Eunice.  I will follow this family in my next post.  

The last known child was Alexander, who was born and died in 1783, having lived a little over 6 weeks.  Margaret was 42 at the time, and it appears that her child bearing years were over after this.  

I've mentioned many times how proud I am of the contributions our ancestor made to this country, but seldom have I found an ancestor whose life seemed as dedicated to service.  I'm sure some of these children have stories to tell, too, as well as the grandchildren.  They had an example right in front of them.