John Faris (1766 - 1826)

I had originally intended this to be one blog post, but have decided to combine two "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks" blog prompts into one post about one ancestor.  The prompts I am combining are Week 18: "Where There's a Will" and Week 21: "Tombstone."

John Faris (born 1766) and his wife Eleanor Belt (born 1772) were early settlers of Fleming County, Kentucky.  At this time, they are both brick wall ancestors.  I'm able to trace back to these ancestors, but can't go back any further.  The documentation I have about them is very scarce also.  My wife's family has a family tree that I received years ago and the only information that I have for them is their names, their birth dates, marriage date, and that they were parents of Joseph Belt Faris, born July 24, 1800, in Fleming County, Kentucky.

Unfortunately, I did not do a good job of asking questions when I received the chart.  I do know that it was made by Ada "Sweet" Danbridge Ball, but I do not know when it was created. It was likely made to support her Daughters of the American Revolution application.  I also do not know where Sweet got her information from nor do I have any supporting documentation to verify the information in it.

Cropped image of the undated documented family tree by Ada D. Ball in the personal collection of ©Edward R. Olsen 2020. 

For a little historical reference - Kentucky became a state in 1791 from land that once was part of Virginia.   Fleming County, Kentucky was formed in 1798.

Fleming County, Kentucky.  Image Credit: https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/index.php?curid=67642

This past week I found some new information that sheds light on this family that I had known little about.  I found the Last Will and Testament for John Faris.  John's will was written on March 10, 1826, and executed on July 3, 1826.

For the transcription below, I have transcribed the will as it was written.  I have used the spelling as it was in the original document except that in words where "f" was used in place of the current use of "ss".  I also used the random capitalizations found in the original.  Each line of text is the actual line in the original document.  In this scanned copy of the document, it is hard to tell if punctuation was used.  So in the transcription, there is little use of a period to indicate the end of a sentence.

Will of John Faris

First Image - Page 279.  The will starts in the bottom right of the image.

Page 279:

In the name of God amen  I John Faris of Fleming
County and State of Kentucky being weak in Boddy (sic)
but of sound and ^ perfect mind + memory blessed be almighty God
for the same do make publish + declare this my last
will and testament in manner + form Following, to wit:
I give + bequeath to my beloved wife Eleanor Belt Faris
the (illegible) profits proceeds use + intrust of all my estate
both real + personal such as my Town property, the

Second Image - Pages 280 and 281

Page 280:

the plantation on which I now live being the same
I purchased from Robert McCart with all
my slaves and plate and house hold furniture and
Kitchen Furniture + all my live Stock + farming
utensils (sic) + all the cash and notes or obligations
+ accounts if any that may be on hand at my
death: - To the discharge of my debts + to her use
+ benefit So long as She remains my widow And
in case of her marrying again or making unnecessary
waste ^ of the estate then for her to be put to her thirds or give
Security for the proper management care + use of
the estate to my surviving heirs if they require the
Same:- After the death of my wife, I give to
my Son Joesph Belt Faris all the tract of land
on which I now live being the same ^I purchased
from Robert McCart as aforesaid to him + his heirs
forever ^ and as I  have heretofore given aided and
assessed my said son more than I have any of
the rest of my ^ other children I conceive the legacy here
conveyed to be a full Share with what I may hereafter
give to my ^other children or heirs I give to my
Son Robert Wilson Fleming Faris one negro boy
named Philip Son to old Alley I give  to my son
John Edward Marshall Faris one negro boy
named Allen Son to old Alley I give to
my Grand son William Denis Acres one negro

Page 281: 

man boy named Ezekiel Son to old Alley and I
give to my Grand son John Faris Fleming one
negro girl name Easter Daughter to Clay all of which
gifts they are to have possession of the death or pleasure
of my wife It is my further will and desire that
after the death of my wife all my estate both real
and personal not herein otherwise disposed of Shall be
sold at the best advantage to wit: all my in + out
lots in the Town of Flemingsburg and all my slaves not
otherwise disposed of + every species of property of every
kind that I have given to my wife shall be sold on
such terms as in the judgement of my executors may be
to the greatest advantage to my heirs and the money
arising from those sales when collected or in proportion
as fast as it can be collected Shall be equally divided
amongst my heirs namely my Daughter (illegible) Faris
John Edward Martial Faris
Fleming my son Robert Wilson Fleming Faris and
my Grandson William Denis Akers and it is my
further will and desire that in case of the death of
either one or more of the last four named without
lawful issue or heirs of their boddy (sic) that part of my
estate which by this will is given to him her or
them They having deceased as aforesaid Shall be equally
divided amongst the other surviving ones of the last
four named It is my will + desire if William

Third Image - Page 282 and Page 283

Page 282:

Dennis Akers be living and under the age of
twenty one years at the death of my wife his
Share in cash shall be put out for intrust (sic) to the
best advantage with good security + the intrust (sic)
of each year to be added with the principal and
put into the bond so as to bear intrust (sic) until (sic)
he is twenty one years of age  And then if he the
Said ^William Dennis Akers Should die at any time
without leaving alive a lawful begotten child
of his boddy (sic) the legacy here given to him shall
decend + it go to such of the three last named of my
children as may be living or have legal heirs  It is my
will and desire  that in case my wife Eleanor Belt
Faris Shall marry after my death that upon her giving
security to the satisfaction of my heirs for the preservation
and delivery of my estate bequeathed to her as aforesaid
She may keep possession of the whole until her death
I desire that none of my Books may be sold ^ but that
they be by my Executor given to such of my heirs
as I may designate note them for by writing their
name in the front of the book with my own
hand  I do hereby appoint my beloved wife Eleanor
Belt Faris Executor and my son Robert Wilson Fleming
Faris Executor of this my last will and testament
and desire that no security be required from either  of
them for the performance of their duty as such
unless under the previous provision of wast (sic) being
suggested and established by my heirs I also give
to my Executor Robert Wilson Fleming Faris full power

Page 283:

and authority to convey by deed in fee simple all my
in + out lots in the Town of Flemingsburg to such person
or persons as may become the purchaser there of at the sale
of my estate after the death of my wife  In testimony where of
I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal the tenth day
of March  in the year of our Lord 1826

Signed sealed + acknowledged )                 John Faris   (seal)
in the presence of                      )
Nathan Barnes
William Botts
George W. Botts

At a court held for Fleming County on the 3rd of July 1826
This writing purporting to be the last will and testament
of John Faris Deceased was this day produced in court
Proven by the oaths of William Botts + Nathan Barnes two of the
witnesses thereto regarding to same
+ ordered to be recorded which is done.

Attest Joshua Stockton Clerk

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This turns out to be a very important genealogical document.  We learn and have confirmed quite a bit of information from it:

• Confirms marriage between John Faris and Eleanor Belt; I did not have any other documents confirming this marriage.
• Confirms parent/child relationship between John, Eleanor and Joseph Belt Faris; I did not have any other documents confirming this relationship.
• Introduces us to additional children and grandsons of John and Eleanor; based on Sweet's family history chart, I had thought that John and Eleanor only had one child - Joseph.
• Confirms that this family is from Fleming County, Kentucky
• And, lastly, it tells us that the family owned at least 6 slaves in 1826. Line 3 on page 280 indicates that there may have been more slaves than those named in the will.
• Alley and sons Philip, Allen, and Ezekiel.
• Clay and daughter Easter.

Our new expanded family tree based on the information in John Faris' 1826 will.  Compare this to the small family tree above.

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Tombstone of John Faris

I believe that this is the likely tombstone for John Faris.  The grave is in the  Stockton Graveyard, Flemingsburg, Fleming County, Kentucky.  A search on findagrave.com for John Faris and Fleming KY resulted in only this grave.  The information about this grave is scant.  The information we have is only the information that can be transcribed from the tombstone.  Apparently the cemetery had become overgrown and was recently cleaned up based on information from the creator of this memorial.  Many tombstones are broken or partially buried.  The tombstone reads: "In Memory Of John Faris who departed this life on the 24th M,,, 18,,"  Our John Faris died on May 24, 1826.  So I really do suspect that this is most likely his grave.  Also the cemetery includes a grave for a Robert W. F. Faris who died in 1833.  This could possibly be the Robert Wilson Fleming Faris mentioned by John in his will as his son.

Photo by: Alma Lareina Cropper Bierley, downloaded from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203247935/john-faris/photo 2020.05.23.

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How I'm "related" to John Faris and his wife Eleanor Belt:

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52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is a series of weekly prompts to get you to think about an ancestor and share something about them.  The weekly prompt is provided by www.amyjohnsoncrow.com.  The prompt for Week 18 is "Where There's a Will" and for Week 21 is "Tombstone."

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References:

(Will digital images were downloaded from "Kentucky Probate Records, 1727-1990," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GP3W-6N8?cc=1875188&wc=37RL-929%3A173383301%2C173642002 : 20 May 2014), Fleming > Will records, Index, 1821-1828, Vol. C > image 148 of 276; county courthouses, Kentucky.)