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NOTE 1:
Carpenter
NOTE 2:
His relatives were patriots during the
Revolutionary war; many of them holding responsible positions in
the army. Born during the stormy period of the Revolution,
Anthony's nature partook of the stirring and sterling character
of the times. The father died while the son was
quite young, leaving a widow with a large family to support;
which accounts, in part, for Anthony's being put, early in life,
to learn
the carpenter's trade with General Massie, an honored friend of
the family who was also Polly Nelson's second cousin.
He came to Massie's Station, now Manchester, about the year
1795. He assisted General Massie in making many of his numerous
land surveys in what are now Adams, Ross, and Highland counties;
and, in return for said services, her received several grants of
land -- to which, in
after years, he made many additions by purchase. In the early
part of the present century he selected for his home the farm in
Brush Creek
Township, upon which he lived for sixty years, and upon which he
died. That farm is still in the possession of the family --
being now owned
and occupied by his son-in-law, James P. Keech, esq. Thus, for
nearly or quite sixty years, has this farm been known as the
'Franklin Farm."
His first house was of logs, covered with boards fastened on by
means of wooden pins.
Shortly after selecting this home he married Polly, daughter of
Captain Nelson, then of Kentucky, but formerly of Virginia. To
them
were born ten children, the eldest of whom, Hon. Nelson A.
Franklin, was born in Kentucky. When Major Franklin settled in
Highland county,
the family of George W. Barrere, esq., who lived upon the
present site of New Market, were his nearest neighbors -- the
distance being twelve
or fifteen miles. The family, however, were not without
neighbors; for they were frequently aroused from their slumbers
at night by the
squealing of hogs, which were being devoured by bears; and often
when they went to feed their cattle in the morning, a deer would
leap down
from the partially consumed haystack, where it had reposed
during the night, and gallop away. Major Franklin kept an inn on
the old road
from Chillicothe, via New Market, to Cincinnati; and many noted
men have stopped at his home when passing between these points.
He took
part in the first organization of the militia of the county, and
held the rank of major. His fine appearance in uniform has
already been
mentioned. He was an excellent horseman, and took great pride in
military parades, for which his broad fields afforded ample
space.
Here, also, general muster brought the patriots together, at
least once a year; at which times foot-races and wrestling
matches were
indulged in. Major Franklin was the first sheriff elected by the
people of the county; and some anecdotes relating to this term
of
office have been recorded elsewhere...Major Anthony Franklin was
a man of generous nature-- emphatically "the poor man's friend"
-- of which
fact there are many now living who would furnish ready
testimonials...Major Franklin died in 1859, and his widow in
1864. They are buried in the beautiful cemetery at Hillsborough,
where their graves are marked by a modest monument, and tenderly
cared for by a faithful daughter and a few affectionate
grandchildren. -- History of Ross and Highland County, Ohio
pages 511 and 512.
NOTE 3:
WHO WAS ANTHONY'S FATHER: Since three years of
research has not proven to us who the father of Major Anthony
Franklin (born in 1778) was we have included much of the
information about the Franklins who MAY be our ancestors. Our
first study was the accepted DAR application of Margot Abby
Auten (July 1943) who claimed her ancestor as John Franklin as
the father of Anthony Franklin. Our reply from the DAR of
December 4, 1989, was the "Anthony Franklin may be the son of
Henry Franklin". Based on the applications of Lucia Gertrude
Ormsby Williams and Sherry Ormsby Cruise (1979) we filed an
application for DAR membership on April 9, 1990, claiming Henry
Franklin as the father of Anthony. We received a letter dated
May 21,1990 stating that this was impossible but that we could
be accepted claiming Aaron Higginbotham, Sr., who is a proven
ancestor. This is what we did and were accepted. Meanwhile we
pursued information stating that Joel Franklin and Susanna Lewis
Franklin were the parents of Anthony. After receiving a copy of
Joel's will from Amherst County, Virginia dated December 6,
1806, we find that the will only lists five daughters and that
his wife was pregnant. According to this Joel and Susanna could
not be the parents of Anthony. There are many Henry, John, and
Joel Franklins. Perhaps someone who reads this book will find
irrefutable proof of
Anthony's father then our ancestry can be traced back to
England. WHO WILL BE THE LUCKY PERSON? -- Margie Franklin Dower
and Betty Franklin Downer, "The Franklins" |