Faulconer Family
Toliver Craigs' oldest daughter, known as Jossie, Joyce or Rejoice, married John Faulconer about 1755. Their first recorded land purchase in Spottsylvania County, Virginia was 31 May 1760 for 200 acres in St. George Parish; the next is on 7 October 1765 for 100 acrs in County aforesaid and is part of land whereone said Faulconer lives. "This last portion was purchased from John Craig".
In 1772 John Faulconer sold a "tract of land", but in the late summer of 1779, within one month of Lewis and Toliver Craig's sales, the Faulconers sold 300 acres, in preparation for the trip to Kentucky. At this time our 5th or 6th great grandmother, Anne Faulconer, was anticipating her tenth birthday, to be held on the Cumberland Trail, October 28.
The trek across Virginia was typical not only of many Colonial residents of Virginia, but of the pioneer spirit of the Faulconer family. In James G. Faulconer's book, Thomas Faulconer and His Descendants, the following excerpts reveal something about the family and its name. Many of the citations are found in a variety of publications, and may be obtained from the Virgina State Archives.
| In the early days
names were usually given either by one's location or by one's trade....Falconer
was the one who took care of the birds used in hunting small game. The spelling
of the name has many manifestations, some almost unrecognizable. Often court clerks sounded out a name and wrote down some approximation. The worst representation I have encountered was "Forquener." The most common versions are Faulkner, Falkner, Falconer and Faulconer. In doing my research I assumed that Faulconer is one of the more difficult spellings, having three syllables and an extra "u." From that I assumed that this spelling requires a certain intentionality and wherever found must be of the same clan. And thus far that hypothesis seems to be true. Many Faulconers have become Faulkners through the years, but the reverse seldom if ever happens. This book is mostly about Faulconers, for even that was challenge enough.The immigrant ancestor, Thomas Faulconer/Faulkner arrived in Virginia on the "Mary Providence," in 1622. He was the servant of Robert Salford, who arrived on the "John and Francis" in 1611. (Both of these are listed in John Hotten's Original Lists of Emigrants, page 250).At this time people who could not afford passage from England could work for a sponsor for an agreed upon time, then given fifty acres of land and their freedom. Later, as an incentive to sponsor other immigrants they received fifty acres for each person they sponsored. By 1639 Thomas Faulconer and his wife, Margaret, had sponsored 4 other people as noted in Cavaliers and Pioneers, V. I, page 111: Thomas Faulkner, 300 acs, June 5, 1639. A ridge of land behind Nutmeg Quarter between the Swamp and Reedy damm and W. upon the plantation of Joseph Stratton. 50 acs. due for per adv. of himself and wife Margaret Faulkner, and 200 acs. trans of 4 pers: Robert Richardson, Leo Wood, Antonia de Grote, Tho. Vipon. Note: Renewed 12 Oct 1642.Thomas Faulconer became a minister of the Church of England, probably after his arrival in Virginia. He is listed in The Colonial Churches and the Colonial Clergy of the Middle and Southern Colonies, 1607-1776, page 101, as the third minister of the Warwisqueake Parish (Isle of Wight), VA Episcopal church. His service began in 1642. The fourth entry is for Robert Parke - 1680. It is not clear whether Thomas Faulconer served continuously from 1642 until 1680, but it is assumed that he did.In 1642 the Isle of Wight County was divided into two parishes, with the understanding that the profits of the whole county "remain unto Mr. Faulkner, clerke, during his residence there." Another reference from 1642, lists Thomas Faulconer as "aged 43 or thereabouts." This coincides with his age listed as 28 when he arrived in Virginia in 1622, and means he was born in 1594.Thomas Faulconer did not leave a will, but circumstances suggest at least 2 sons, Thomas and David. In 1624 Thomas Faulconer is listed as living at Elizabeth City (The Complete Book of Immigrants 1607-1660, p.43), then in 1704 Thomas Faulkner is shown owning 50 acres in Elizabeth City. One author assumes this to be an inherited amount of the original stake. David Faulconer's name is mentioned in 1658, when Toby Smith's estate is inventoried. As Toby Smith is listed as a neighbor of Thomas Faulkner in 1644 (Cavaliers and Pioneers, p. 155), this suggests a relationship to Thomas - probably he was a son. David died before February, 1693 when his son, Nicholas, sold fifty acres of the estate to Thomas Winslow. |
Nicholas Faulconer, son of David Faulconer, grandson of the immigrant Thomas Faulconer, married the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Newton and possibly later married Sibillah, by whom he had a son Nicholas II, Thomas, Mary, Martha, John (great grandfather of Newton Henry), Frances, Elizabeth, Ann, Samuel, Sarah, and James. The son of Samuel married the daughter of Thomas, and their son, Reuben, was the father of one group of Faulconers that settled in the Raven Creek District of Harrison County after the Henrys were there. Another group descended from a William Faulkner, a friend of Taliaferro Craig, Jr. This William, whose children were lucy, Nicholas, John, and Johnston, died in Orange County, Virginia in 1777. Most of the Faulkners/Faulconers in Kentucky are related to some extent, not only to other Faulkners, but also to other families who "came out" with them from Virginia.
Source:
Information previously posted by: Jo
Thiessen
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