William Few, Sr.

A Patriot of the American Revolution for GEORGIA. DAR Ancestor # A038262

McCall's Roster of Revolutionary Solders in Georgia:

P-67. Greenberry Lee married Elizabeth Few (in 1774, in old Bible); she was born 1752 in Harford County, Maryland, daughter of Col. William Few, Sr., who was born in 1714 at Kennet Square, Chester County, Pennsylvania; he married Mary Wheeler, a Roman Catholic, in 1743 at Hickory, Harford County, Maryland." They removed with their young children to Hillsboro, Orange County, North Carolina in 1758, where his home was destroyed by the English, during the "Battle of Alamance" on May 17, 1771; they soon removed to Richmond County, Georgia. His son, James Few, was hanged without a trial by the English on May 17, 1771.

Three Revolutionary soldiers: Col. Greenberry Lee, William Few, Sr., and Lieut. Col. Thomas Short. Their female descendants are accepted for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution by furnishing following proof:

• lst: The signature of Greenberry Lee, Col. He gives proof of
• 2nd: William Few, Sr's Revolutionary service.

"STATE OF GEORGIA

This is to certify, That William Few hath steadfastly done his duty, from the time of passing an Act at Augusta, to wit, on the 20th of August, 1781, until the total Expulsion of the British from this state; and the said William Few cannot, to my knowledge or belief, be convicted of plundering or distressing the country; and is therefore, under the said Act, entitled to a Bounty of Two Hundred and Fifty Acres of good Land, free from taxes for ten years, Given under my hand, at the 29th day of Feb. [note: handwritten by Col. Lee over crossed out 'March' which is also hand written] 1784. Greenberry Lee, Col"

William Few, Sr. (son of Isaac Few,Sr and Hannah Stanfield)18, 19 was born May 16, 1714 in Kenneth, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and died 1794 in Columbia County, Georgia. He married (1) Ann Hunt on Bet. 1731 - 1764. He married (2) Mary Wheeler on 1742 in Baltimore (Now Hartford) County, Maryland, daughter of Benjamin Wheeler and Elizabeth Unknown.

Includes NotesNotes for William Few, Sr.: William Few Sr. on reaching manhood (21 years ?) he moved across the Pennsylvania line into Baltimore ( now Hartford) County, Maryland. He settled on a farm in the Deer Creek area. However short the move geographically, He was no longer in Quaker Pennsylvania, but in Catholic Maryland. He met Mary Wheeler, the daughter of a well-to-do planter and devout Catholic, Benjamin Wheeler. More about William Few Sr. He is considered the "PATRIARCH ' of the Fews in American. He and Mary were the parents of 3 sons who fought the British. See notes on James Few. He emigrated to the Quaker settlement near Wrightsboro in St. Paul's Parish, Georgia in 1773. [Br%C3%B8derbund Family Archive #17, Ed. 1, Birth Records: United States/Europe, Birth Records AAI Birth Records Extraction, Date of Import: Jun 8, 2004, Internal Ref. #1.17.1.10748.24]

Individual: Few, William Birth date: May 16, 1714 Birth place: PA CD# 101 Discontinued[Br%C3%B8derbund Family Archive #17, Ed. 1, Birth Records: United States/Europe, Birth Records AAI Birth Records Extraction, Date of Import: Jul 18, 2004, Internal Ref. #1.17.1.10748.24]

Individual: Few, William Birth date: May 16, 1714 Birth place: PA CD# 101 Discontinued

WILLIAM FEW, SR. was born 1714, married Mary Wheeler, daughter of Benjamin Wheeler, His grandfather, Isaac Few, came to the American colonies in 1682, settling in Pennsylvania, married Hannah Stanfield. Isaac died in 1734, leaving a large family. William Few, Sr. lived in Maryland, later becoming a resident of Georgia.

About 1758 he removed his family of a wife and six children to North Carolina, locating on the Eno River in Orange Co. erecting a saw and grist mill on the banks of that river. Several years later, a public disturbance resulted in a son, James Few, being sent to the gallows. He seems to have been identified with the Regulator uprisings, which was a colonists open rebellion against the mother country, protesting government outrages. The rebellion included some of the most substantial citizens of that section, and culminated in the battle of Almance. James Few, following this battle, in which the Regulators were defeated, was taken and hanged without trial, being the first martyr of the Revolution. William Few, Jr.., it seems was left embarrassed for his known connection with the Regulator affairs as a bondsman for those outlawed.

The family then removed to Georgia, first receiving Land Grants in Richmond Co. in 1769, again in 1784.

Richmond Co. Deed dated 1/29/1776, James Brown and his wife, Ann, of St. George Parish, Ga., deed to William Few, Sr. of St. Paul's Parish, Ga. (Richmond Co.), 350 acres located in St. Paul's Parish, which adjoin lands of William Few, et al. Again, on 12/4/1789, William Few, Sr. granted to Ignatius Few 34 acres on Rae's Creek. William Few, Sr. granted to Ignatius Few the land which was originally granted him in 1769.

From "Papers and Addresses of William Preston Few" President of Duke University, by Robert H. Woody: "William Preston Few, descended from William Few of Maryland, who purchased land in 1758 Orange County, North Carolina. He was born 1714, died 1794, a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. William moved to Wrightsboro, Richmond Co., Georgia, and a son, Colonel William Few represented Georgia in the Continental Congress, and his sons, Major Ignatius Few and Colonel Benjamin Few, were officers in the Patriot Army. Ignatius married Mary, daughter of William Candler, and their son was Ignatius A. Few, Founder of Emory University, then Emory College."

William Few, Sr. died in Columbia Co. 7/1/1794, his LWT dated 10/22/1789, probated 7/21/1794, Columbia Co., naming wife, Ann; stepdaughters, Katherine Hunt and Hannah Hunt; sons, Benjamin, William and Ignatius; daughters, Hannah Howard and Elizabeth Andrews. Exrs: Benjamin Andrews, Benjamin Few, Ignatius Few, Rhesa Howard.

More About William Few, Sr.: Date born 2: May 16, 1714, PA.20 Burial: 1794, Unknown. Military service: Colonel in American Army during the Revolutionary War.

More About William Few, Sr. and Ann Hunt: Marriage: Bet. 1731 - 1764

More About William Few, Sr. and Mary Wheeler: Marriage: 1742, Baltimore (Now Hartford) County, Maryland.

Children of William Few, Sr. and Mary Wheeler are: Benjamin Few, b. 1744, Three Sister's Plantation, Baltimore County, Maryland, d. 1805, Nannahubba Bluffs, Tombigbee River, Alabama. +James Few, b. 1746, Three Sisters' Plantation, Baltimore County, Maryland, d. May 17, 1771, Alamance County, Alamance Creek ,North Carolina. +William Few, Jr, b. June 18, 1748, Three Sister's Plantation, Baltimore County, Maryland, d. July 16, 1828, Beacon, New York. +Ignatius Few, b. 1750, Three Sister's Plantation, Baltimore County, Maryland, d. date unknown, Unknown. +Hannah Few, b. 1753, Three Sister's Plantation, Baltimore County, Maryland, d. date unknown. +Elizabeth Few, b. date unknown, Unknown, d. date unknown, Unknown.

[ Issue with Mary Wheeler: 1) Benjamin Few (1744-1805) m. Rachel Wiley; 2) James Few(hung at Alamance) (1746-1771) m. Sarah Wood; 3) William Few, Jr.(1748-1828)m. Catherine Nicholson (1764-1854); 4) Ignatius Few (1750-1810) m. Mary Candler (1762-1824), Mary Frail Hicks; 5) Hannah Few (1753) m. Rhesa Howard (d. 1799); 6) Elizabeth Few (1755-1829) m. Greenbery Lee (1750-1785), Benjamin Andrew, exq., Thomas Bush (d. 1812)]

8. Francis Few, b. 13, 6 mo., 1719; m. Rebecca Barker, 1743 ?; complaint by Wilmington M. M. for marriage by priest: disowned 3, 11 mo. 1746. In a deed signed 2 May 1754 in New Castle Co., Delaware, Rebecca and Francis Few conveyed to Samuel Barker 2, 125 feet of land her father Joseph Barker and mother Joannah had deeded to Rebecca in 1741 [Del. Co. Book Z. vol. 1. p. 327].

9. Samuel Few, b. 25, 1 mo., 1722. Disowned for disunity 6 May 1747. “Left these parts without certificate.” In 1756, a Samuel Few was listed on “Muster Rolls, Granville and Colleton Co. Regiment 1756, S. C. Port Royal.” (The S.C. Hist. Magazine, 70 [1969]:227).

Additional sources: Potts, Our Family Ancestors, page 361. Futhey & Cope, Chester Co. Pennsylvania, pages 44-45, 166, 192. Pa. Arch., series 2, 12:756; series 3, 24L:74. Horace Burr, trans. The Records of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, Wilmington, Delaware, from 1697-1773 (Wilmington: Hist. Society of Delaward, Delaware Printing Co., 1890), page 304. Chester M. M., Births, 1677-1884; Deaths, 1682-1884, page 294, mfm., Swarthmore Library. Chester Co., Administration Book 2, page 148, mfm., Pa. Archives. Hist. Collections of Georgia, DAR, 4:164 (from “Few Family Bible” owned by Mrs. W. B. Daniel, Eastman, Georgia). Abstracts of Chester Co. M. M., Chester Co. Hist. Society, West Chester, Pennsylvania.

http://www.fewgenealogy.net/documents_and_images/Biographies_and_Ob...

William, son of Isaac Few, Sr. and Hannah Stanfield. Married Mary Wheeler, daughter of Benjamin Wheeler and Elizabeth Clements 16 May 1743, Baltimore Co., MD. To this marriage were born: Benjamin, James, William, Jr.,Ignatius, Hannah and Elizabeth.

William Few Sr. on reaching manhood (21 years ?) he moved across the Pennsylvania line into Baltimore ( now Hartford) County, Maryland. He settled on a farm in the Deer Creek area. However short the move geographically, He was no longer in Quaker Pennsylvania, but in Catholic Maryland. He met Mary Wheeler, the daughter of a well-to-do planter and devout Catholic, Benjamin Wheeler. More about William Few Sr. He is considered the "PATRIARCH ' of the Fews in American. He and Mary were the parents of 3 sons who fought the British. See notes on James Few. He emigrated to the Quaker settlement near Wrightsboro in St. Paul's Parish, Georgia in 1773.
WILL; Columbia County Probate Court records, Appling, GA. Will book "A" pages 41-42. Researched by Donnie Ruyle.

William Few, Sr. was appointed Commissary 08 Nov. 1777 by Executive Council of Georgia, to the two battalions of Minutemen raised for the defense of the State of Georgia, An order on the Treasury was given for 1.357 pounds to William for buying provisions for the two battalions. He was to furnish the soldiers with good & wholesome provisions in like proportion as is ordered for the Continental troops within the state at the rate & pay of one shilling & seven pence per ration per day for each soldier & non-commissioned officers, to repay the above sums (if received by him) for the same when called upon by the Assembly to do so. It was singed by William Downs, William Few, and John Dooly, with John Lindsay & William Few, Jr as Witnesses. William Few, Jr. being a member of the Executive Council.
William Few made bond for 10.000 pounds for security.
The records are in :The Telamon Cuyler Collection Box 380, Folder 8, MS#1170, at University of Georgia Hagrett Library, at Athens, GA ,

William Few, Sr. 7th Great Grandfather of Sandra Jayne Savage Ruyle
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173510574/william-few