Major William Farrar III 1682-1721

This is the fun ancestor: Major William Farrar III, 1682-1721.
 Well, that's because he is the ancestor of a well known American author, and also of an actor I admire.

"6th Great Grandfather of Nelle Harper Lee...Nelle is better known as Harper Lee the author of To Kill a Mockingbird." - shared by J. Sweit to Ancestry in 2011. (I know, this doesn't make it true, but I can hope so.)

She's the same source in 2012 of "8th Great Grandfather of actor Tommy Lee Jones."

William Farrar III was referred to as "Major" William Farrar. He was born, died and buried on Farrar's Island, Henrico Co., VA (see accompanying historical marker and map for location of Farrar's Island).

Major William Farrar III, with his uncle, Lt. Colonel John Farrar, was appointed executor of his father's will in 1678. In 1685, he was appointed guardian of his brother, John.

The French and Indian Wars (Colonial Wars) is the name used in the United States for the series of intermittent conflicts between the years 1689 and 1763 in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars.

In 1698, William Farrar, III's record as a Captain in the Henrico Co., VA militia in command of 54 soldiers during the Colonial Wars (French and Indian Wars) became part of the assembled record.

During the period of 1685-1715, he served as Justice of the Peace in Henrico Co., VA.

He served as a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, 1700-02. On 07 Aug 1701 he was on a committee of burgesses appointed to "wait upon his Excellency (the governor) and acquaint him with the Resolutions concerning building the Capitoll...". This concerned Governor Nicholson's efforts to move the capitol from Jamestown to Williamsburg.

William also served two stents as Sheriff of Henrico Co., VA, 1690-92 and 1712-13.

He served on a coroner's jury in Henrico Co., VA on 10 Aug 1685 with his brother-in-law, Walter Shipley.

His war record and other public service qualifies him to be used for applying for membership into the hereditary society, "General Society of Colonial Wars".

He married first, Priscilla Baugh, daughter of William and Jane Baugh, before 01 Apr 1681 at Henrico Co., VA. Priscilla died in 1706 at Henrico Co., VA. He married secondly in 1707 Mary (Tanner) Ligon. She was the widow of William Ligon and the daughter of Joseph and Mary Tanner.

William Farrar III's marriage to Priscilla Baugh, evidently occurred between June 1679 and 01 Apr 1681, for on the latter date William Baugh, Sr. made a deed to further define a tract of land on the Appomattox, adjoining William Lockett, which he transferred to his granddaughter, Priscilla Baugh, 01 June 1679, "now wife of William Farrar (III)". (Henrico Co., Rec. 1677-92, "I", p157)

The children of William and Priscilla (Baugh) Farrar III were:

1) William Farrar IV b. 1683 Farrar's Island, d. 19 Jun 1744 Goochland Co., VA
2) Abell Farrar b. Farrar's Island, Henrico Co., VA
3) Priscilla Farrar b. Farrar's Island, Henrico Co., VA. Her grandmother's, Jane Gower, will dated Jan. 1710 bequeathed "a silver porringer" to her.
4) George Farrar b. 1695 Farrar's Island, d. 16 Mar 1772 Mecklenburg Co., VA, m. 1717/18 Judith Jefferson (aunt of POTUS Thomas Jefferson) at Mecklenburg Co., VA

William's widow, his second wife, Mary (Tanner) Ligon Farrar, was appointed administratrix of his will on 03 Apr 1721. William Randolph and William Ligon were securities.

William Farrar III and his wife, Priscilla, were buried in presently unknown graves on Farrar's Island, Henrico Co., VA.

Sources:
1) "The Farrars" by William B. and Ethel Farrar, 1964, p15.
2) "Some Farrar's Island Descendants" by Alvahn Holmes, 1979, p57,140.
3) "The Farrar's Island Family" by Alvahn Holmes, 1972, pp146-47.
4) "Virginia's Colonial Soldiers" by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck, 1988, pp229,231.
5) "Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5" by John Frederick Dorman, Vol. I, 4th Ed., 2004, p930.

Bio by Gresham Farrar.
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Here's some of the same info, but with on-line links for sources:

About:

Major William Farrar III, born 1657 in Farrar's Island, Henrico Co., VA; died 1721 in Farrar's Island, Henrico Co., VA. He was the son of Col. William Farrar II and Mary Williams. He married Priscilla Baugh 1682 in Henrico Co., VA and second to Mary, widow of Henry Ligon.

 Notes

Major William Farrar, was born (as shown by a deposition), in 1657, and died about 1721. He was a justice of Henrico, 1685-1715, sheriff 1690, 1691, 1712, 1713, and a member of the House of Burgesses 1700, 1701, and 1702. (Henrico Records). There is on record in Henrico, a deed dated April 2, 1683, from William Farrar and Priscilla, his wife ("late Priscilla Baugh"), conveying to Thomas Lockett, a tract of land on Appomattox river, formerly deeded by Mr. William Baugh to William Baugh, his grandson, December 6, 1668, and since confirmed by gift of said Mr. Baugh to said Priscilla Farrar, sister to the grandson, William Baugh. He married, first, in 1682, Priscilla, daughter of William Baugh, Jr., of Henrico, and second, Mary, widow of William Lygon. The destruction of many of the Henrico records makes it difficult to obtain full information in regard to Major William Farrar and his descendants. He probably died in 1721, as in May of that year there is a suit vs. Mary Farrar, administratrix of William Farrar, deceased, and she also presented an inventory of his estate, for record. There is no record of his will. 

Occupation: Justice of the Peace BET 1685 AND 1715 Henrico Co., Virginia 2 •Occupation: sheriff BET 1690 AND 1692 Henrico Co., Virginia •Note: He was sheriff again in 1712. 2 •Event: Captain of the Militian Misc 1698 Henrico Co., Virginia 2 •Event: member of the House of Burgesses Misc BET 1700 AND 1702 Henrico Co., Virginia 2

Sources: 1.Abbrev: L. Farrar Title: L. Farrar www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/8216/farrar2.html farrar2.geo at yahoo.com (substitute "@" for "at") farrar2.geo at yahoo.com (substitute "@" for "at"). 2.Abbrev: Jan Parsons Armstrong Title: freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~janarmstrong/baux.htm#TOC (Jan Parsons Armstrong <JArmstr904@aol.com>)s Armstrong <JArmstr904@aol.com>. 3.Abbrev: Marriages at St. John's Church, Henrice Co., VA Title: file submitted for use by Patty B. White <pwhite at afnetinc.com>(substitute "@" for "at"), Marriages at St. John's Church, Henrice Co., VA (ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/henrico/vitals/marriages/1699.txt) afnetinc.com>(substitute "@" for "at"), Marriages at St. John's Church, Henrice Co., VA afnetinc.com>(substitute "@" for "at"). Marriages at St. John's Church, Henrice Co., VA. ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/va/henrico/vitals/marriages/1699.txt.
Links  http://www.rockcreekexperiment.com/b2067.htm
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Farrar's Island. itself no longer exists as it once did, since 1930 at least there's been a canal which cut the curve of the James River off, saving shipping about 6 miles of travel, so I'm glad there was that historic marker.

My line is through his daughter Martha Farrar Whitlow, who married William Whitlow Jr (posted about yesterday! They are my 7th great grandparents, so I'm in the same generation as Tommy Lee Jones, sharing the Farrars as our 8th great grandparents)


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I find ecstasy in living -- the mere sense of living is joy enough.

Emily Dickinson