Joshua Fry (Continental Army)

Lucy Gilmer FRY, b. in Albemarle County, Virginia, 23d March, 1788, d. 27th January, 1874, dau. of Joshua and Peachy (WALKER) FRY. Joshua FRY, b. circa 1760, was a soldier in the War of the Revolution at 14, and was at Cornwallis' surrender. He received the best classical education and had a decided taste for scholarly pursuits. He inherited a large estate and in 1798 left Virginia for Ken- tucky with his family and settled at Danville and became the owner of very large tracts of fine land. His tastes led him to teaching and he became the most noted educator in Kentucky. Being a man of large means, he would never receive com- pensation for teaching and gave instruction to hundreds of pupils gratuitously. In the published biographical sketches of many of the most prominent Kentuckians, the fact of being educated by Joshua FRY is especially mentioned. His father was Col. John FRY who commanded the Virginia troops in the early colonial wars, and was a Member of the House of Burgesses 1761 to 1764. His mother was Sarah ADAMS, dau. of Ebenezer ADAMS, of New Kent County, Virginia. The father of Col. John FRY (See Adams line, p. 8) was Col. Joshua FRY. Col. Joshua FRY was educated at Oxford, England, emigrated to Virginia previous to 1710, during which year he was vestryman Essex Parish, Virginia, Magistrate Essex County, Virginia, 1710-1720; here he in. Mrs. Mary Micou Hill, of Hugenot descent; Master of Grammar School William and Mary College, 1729; Professor of Natural Philoso- phy and Mathematics at William and Mary College, 1732 to 1737; Presiding Justice, Surveyor and County Lieutenant for Albemarle County, Virginia, at its forma- tion, February 28th, 1745. Together with his intimate friend Peter JEFFERSON (father of Thomas JEFFERSON) he was Commissioner in 1745-1749 of the Crown in marking boundary lines between Virginia and North Carolina. Joint author of FRY and JEFFERSON's map of Virginia in 1749; Commissioner for Crown at Treaty of Logstown (near Pittsburg) with six Nation Indians in 1752; Member of House of Burgesses, 1745-1754, and Council; commissioned 25th February, 1754, by Governor Dinwidie as Colonel and Commander-in-Chief of the Virginia forces in French and Indian War, his compensation being 15 shillings ($3.75) per day and £Ioo per year for his table. George WASHINGTON was the Lieutenant Colonel, compensation as such per day 12s. 6d. ($3.I2J). While in command at Fort Cum- berland, Vriginia, on the Potomac River, he d. 31st May, 1754, and was buried near there. George WASHINGTON, who, by reason of Colonel FRY's death became Commander in Chief, and the Army attended the funeral, and on a large oak tree which served as a tomb and monument to his memory, George WASHINGTON cut the following inscription: "Under this oak lies the body of THE GOOD, THE JUST AND THE NOBLE FRY" ("Memoir of Col. Joshua Fry,"-Rev. P. Slaughter.)