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Before 1790, Samuel Francis and his wife Ann recorded the births of three children in the register of St. James Parish, Monkton, MD, one of the oldest churches in Baltimore County. These were: Charles, b. 12 May 1780, William, b. 20 October 1782, and Sarah, b. 23 August 1790. Other siblings are believed to be: Samuel Francis, b. ? (but presumably the eldest), James Francis, b. about 1785, and Thomas Francis, b. 18 June 1787. Samuel�s sons served in the war of 1812: William, Samuel and James in the Maryland Militia, Randall�s Rifle Battalion, Captain Henry Fowler�s Rifle Company; Charles and Thomas in the 41st Regiment, Captain Joshua Taylor�s Company.
We do not know who the elder Samuel�s parents were, but an 1897 genealogy says (without evidence) that �Samuel Francis was born in England, and was one of five brothers who came to America, settling in Baltimore County.� There is a possibility that Samuel was one of three orphan boys - Henry (aged 16), William (14), and Samuel (9) - who were indentured to Dr. Orlando Griffith in Frederick County, MD in March 1749/50. Dr. Griffith had taken in the boys and their mother Mary and she died in his care. Court records say that Griffith petitioned for the indenture of the boys to repay him for his efforts. Later, in 1761, the same Dr. Griffith petitioned the court for reimbursement of the terminal expenses of a John Francis who also died in Griffith�s care after an illness of 30 days. We do not know whether the orphans and John were related. Some of the descendants of Revolutionary War hero Captain Henry Francis of Virginia believe that he was the eldest Griffith orphan. According to colonial Virginia records, this Henry Francis apparently had brothers named John and William.
Some early records spelled the name �France� or �Frances.� Later, Francis seems to have become the more common spelling. All of Thomas�s descendants used the spelling �Francies� with the exception of Thomas�s son, Richard C. There is one explanation that in England, these names originally referred to anyone from France.
The same male names William, Charles, and James recur in the early generations of the family. However, there are no Henrys. Early members of the family often lived near each other. For example, in the 1850 census, Charles�s sons Charles, Jr., Joshua, and Isaac were living in the 2nd District of Baltimore Co. In the 1860 census, Isaac and William�s son James W. were living near each other in the 9th District. In 1870, Isaac, Charles, Jr. and James W. lived near each other in the 9th District. In 1880, Charles, Jr. and James W. both lived in Woodberry in the 9th District.
In the first few generations, Francis family members married spouses with surnames: PICKETT, PLOWMAN, CARTER, PROCTOR, HANCOCK, BALDWIN, SIMS, BLAKELY, TODD, CHENOWETH, and WILLINGHAN. Family members are buried in several country cemeteries in northern Baltimore County, mostly Methodist: Fork Chapel, Waugh Chapel, Camp Chapel, and Providence Burying Ground. Here is a brief outline of our current knowledge of Samuel and Ann�s six children and nineteen grandchildren.
Children and Grandchildren of Samuel and Ann Francis
1 Samuel Francis +Ann ?
..... 2 Samuel Francis +Nancy Pickett
..... 2 Charles Francis 1780 � 1855 + ?
............3 Joshua Francis 1805 � 1888 +Eliza Jane Plowman 1812 - 1885
............3 Charles Francis, Jr. 1815 - ? +Sarah A. Carter 1823 - ?
............3 Isaac Francis 1821 � 1900 +Maria Proctor 1823 - 1904
..... 2 William Francis 1782 � 1840 +Elizabeth Hancock 1790 - 1850
............3 William Francis ? - 1852 +Elizabeth R. Baldwin 1817 - 1878
............3 Mary Ann Francis 1811 � 1878 +John Simms 1807 - 1894
............3 James W. Francis 1817 � 1908 +Sarah A. Blakely 1822 - 1909
............3 Augustus Francis 1820 � 1903 +Elizabeth Blakely 1831 - 1899
............3 Elizabeth Francis 1823 � 1911 +John Blakely 1820 � 1911
���3 Bethiah (?) Francis 1827 � 1904 + Joshua C. Blakely 1827 - 1913
..... 2 James Francis 1785 - ? +Susannah Todd 1785 - ?
............3 Samuel Francis 1817 - ? +Elizabeth 1818 - ?
............3 Alexander Francis 1826 - ?
............3 Jane Francis 1830 - ?
............3 Elijah Francis 1831 - ?
..... 2 Thomas Francies 1787 � 1832 +Priscilla Chenoweth 1792 - 1885
............3 George W. Francies
............3 Maria Francies 1814 - ?
............3 Thomas Francies 1816 - ? +Ann 1820 - ?
............3 Priscilla Francies 1823 -
............3 Richard C. Francis 1827 � 1929 +Eleanor 1832 - 1914
............3 Mary J. Francies 1830 -
............3 Charles Francies 1832 � 1892 +Martha A. Willinghan 1842 - 1942
..... 2 Sarah Francis 1790 - ?
e-mail contacts:
David Francis - [email protected]
Christopher Francis - [email protected]
Betsy Merrick - [email protected]
Wayne Francis - [email protected]