Francis Holley

"HOLLEY, Francis (c. 1755 Maryland - May 7, 1807 Alabama). Private, Maryland Line. Martha Holley Thompson applied for pension (R10549) in Morgan County, Alabama on Dec. 15, 1842, aged 78, stating she married first to Francis Holley on Feb.2, 1780 on the Noley Chuckey River in North Carolina. He served in the Maryland Line initially, moved to North Carolina and then to Georgia where he enlisted again. Francis died on May 7, 1807, leaving these children: Rebeckah Holley (born May 20, 1781), Mary Holley (born May 8, 1783), James Holley (born June 24, 1785), Shirell Holley (born Nov. 4, 1787), John Holley (born Feb. 8, 1790), Benjamin Holley (born Feb. 27, 1892), Patsy Holley (born March 8, 1794), and Sarah Holley (born Aug. 13, 1796). Martha married second to "Electious Thompson", q.v., who was aged 78 on Jan. 7, 1826 and died on Dec. 30, 1840. Shirell Holley, son of Francis, filed an affidavit in 1842 in Alabama (Ref: P-1681). Another source states that Francis Holley married Martha Sherrell, served as a soldier and spy in North Carolina, and died July 5,1807 (Ref: X-1460)."

ALABAMA SOLDIERS, REVOLUTION, WAR OF 1812 AND INDIAN WARS, Volume 13 :

HOLLEY, Francis Revolutionary War Morgan County

R-10549, Francis Holley - House of Representatives, January 3, 1842

J.L. Edwards, Esq.
Commissioner of Pensions

Sir, I enclose you pension papers in the case of Martha Thompson.
You will please examine them for the old lady and give me an answer as early as convenient.
Very respectfully,
Your obedient Servant
J.C. Edwards

DECLARATIONS: MORGAN COUNTY, ALABAMA

In order to obtain the benefit of the third section of the Act of the 4th of July 1836 and of the first section of the act of 3rd of March 1837.

State of Alabama}
Morgan County}


On this 15th day of December 1842 personally appeared before the Honorable Horatio Philpott, Judge of the County Court held at the Court House in Summerville in said County, Martha Thompson now but formerly Martha Holley widow of Francis Holley deceased, she being a citizen of Morgan County now near seventy-eight years of age, who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on her oath make the following Declaration in order to obtain the Benefit of the provisions made by the Act of Congress passed July the 4th 1836 and the Act Explanitory of said act passed March 3ed 1837 that she was married to Francis Holley on the 2nd day of February 1780, who was a private soldier in a company of spies ordered out by Colonel Sevier then the commanding officer of the Southwest Territory the frontier parts of North Carolina then a citizen on Nolichucky River where this same Francis Holley was kept in actual service before and after the marriage took place for a considerable length of time within my own knowledge. Some months after the marriage took place we moved from Nolichucky River to the frontier parts of the State of Georgia where my husband, Francis Holley, was ordered to serve in Station on the Extreme frontier parts of that state, and from that station, a Draft was ordered and accordingly Francis Holley was Drafted to serve three months tour under Captain Marborough. Captain Marborough with his company of men were ordered to re-enforce General Ways (sic) army with intent to attack the British force at Savannah Town in Georgia, where kept in actual service until Cornwallis was taken and the British army left Savannah Town. He was then discharged from service at the expiration of his three months tour, he afterwards returned home to me quite sick and afterwards remained a sickly man until the seventh of May 1807 when Francis Holley died, leaving Martha Holley, his lawful married wife, a widow with the following named children: Rebeckah born the 20th day of May 1781, Mary born the 8th of May 1783, James born the 24th of June 1785, Sherell born the 4th day of November 1787, John born the 8th of February 1790, Benjamin born the 27th of February 1792, Patsy born the 8th of March 1794, Sarah born the 13th of August 1796. She further declares that her husband, Francis Holley, was a citizen of a Frontier settlement at the time the marriage took place between him and myself and continued to live in a frontier settlement until his death which finally deprived me from having the opportunity of keeping a Bible record which would show my children’s ages or marriage or death, therefore I, Martha Thompson, now do certify that my Declaration contains all the material facts which I now recollect. She further states that she afterwards married Electious Thompson, a pensioner of the United States at the rate of fifty dollars per annum, a private soldier in the Maryland Continental Line, placed on the pension Roll September 17th 1833, age seventy-eight on the 7th day of January 1826, who died on the 30th day of December 1840 and that she is a widow at the time and on the day she signed this her application for a pension for the services rendered by her first husband in the defense of the general government and still remains a widow as will more fully appear by preference to the proof hereunto affixed.
Martha (her X mark) Thompson

Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written by me,
Horatio Philpott, Judge of the County Court for the County of Morgan, State of Alabama.





State of Alabama, Morgan County, December 12th 1842
Be it known that before me, H. Skidmore, Justice of the Peace in and for the said county, personally appeared Jacob Holley, a citizen of Marshal County and State above, now near seventy-five years of age, and after being duly sworn according as the law directs deposeth and saith that he was born in the State of South Carolina, and near the beginning of the War my father, Jacob Holley, moved into Nolichucky, then on the frontier part of North Carolina where I was very well acquainted with Francis Holley who was ordered out by *Colonel Sevier to spy against the hostile Indians with Joseph Buller and Joseph Caney and first started out from a fort known by the name of Limestone Fort at that time. These three men were kept in actual service of spying against the hostile Indians by the orders of Colonel Sevier for a period not less than four years and by their services so rendered they were freed from all other and every other call made by Colonel Sevier in a Draft or otherwise to go out against the British and Tories, and during the time of this four years, Francis Holley entered marriage with Martha Sherell to my certain knowledge and she the same Martha Sherell then, and afterwards, Martha Holley, and after the death of Francis Holley, I, Jacob Holley, had full knowledge of her while a widow and have had perfect knowledge of her ever since until the present hour. She, the identical same woman, is now present in her own proper person and do know Francis Holley moved from Nolichucky River to the south. This deponent further states that Colonel Sevier ordered a Draft to raise men to go against the British and Tories in South Carolina and my father was Drafted and marched to that part and was in two engagements at the Cowpens and at ninety six. At one of these battles my father was wounded by the enemy therefore I do know that Colonel Sevier had power to order out men for the defense of General Government all the time the war of the Revolution lasted. I also know that Francis Holley was kept in actual service by orders of the same Colonel Sevier who ordered my father, Jacob Holley senior, out and was in service at the same time, spying and guarding the frontier parts of North Carolina at that time, he, the said Francis Holley, was ordered to spy on the line between the whites and Indians for a certain distance which is unknown to this deponent. All this I know that the whole of the four years mentioned above was against the common enemy of that part of the general government and during the war of Revolution.
Sworn and subscribed this 12th day of December 1842
Jacob (his X mark) Holley (Seal)

W. Skidmore, JP
State of Alabama
Morgan County
Personally appeared before me the undersigned a justice of the peace in and for the said county, Jacob Holley, who being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that by reason of old age and the consequent loss of memory he cannot swear positively as to the precise length of service rendered by the above named Francis Holley but do know his service was not less than the period mentioned above and for want of proper education cannot recollect the date of the year nor the day of the month but do know it was during the Revolution struggle.
Sworn to this 12th day of December 1842
Jacob (his X mark) Holley (Seal)


State of Alabama
Morgan County

Be it known that before me, W. Skidmore, a Justice of the Peace in and for the said County personally appeared Sherell Holley, a citizen of the said County, now fifty-five years of age and made oath in due form of law, that he, the said Sherell Holley was well-acquainted with Francis Holley and Martha Holley, his wife, until Francis Holley died on the 7th day of May 1807 and have been well-acquainted with Martha Holley, his widow, ever since until the present hour. She being now present in her own proper person and that while Francis Holley, my father, was laboring in his sickness, often made statements to me and to others in my hearing relative to his services which he rendered a spying for Indians while he lived on Nolichucky River in North Carolina at that time and that he was kept in actual service for five years at that place. I also heard him say that he moved from Nolichucky River to the frontier parts of Georgia and when he arrived on the frontiers of Georgia he was ordered to a station on the extreme frontier parts of Georgia where he, the said Francis Holley, was drafted for to serve a tour of three months and was marched to Savannah Town. At that place he remained in actual service until Cornwallis was taken, that he saw the British forces leave their station at Savannah Town in the state of Georgia. These statements were made to me by Sherell Holley, by my father, Francis Holley, in detail of his service which he rendered in defense of the general government in the war of the Revolution. Therefore, I have born these words in mind until the present hour. This deponent further states that Major Russell, a man of note, a citizen of Franklin County, Tennessee, at that time he, hearing my name called while in Ranks at a General muster in the town of Winchester, came to me and asked me to state to him what my father’s name was or if he was living. I gave him my father’s name. Major Russell then said, "Your father was one of my men spying against the Indians on Nolichucky River for five years and I do think he was one of the most undaunted men ever was in that expedition". Russell said he was then a Captain and served as such for five years on Nolichucky River, a spying. These words spoken by Major Russell himself in relation to Francis Holley’s service with him in the year 1813. This was the first acquaintance I ever had with Major Russell. Although Major Russell is now dead, this man was generally known by the title of "Major" is the reason I cannot give his given name. This deponent further states that he has full knowledge of the death of Electrous Thompson and that he was a pensioner of the United States at the time he died.
Sworn to and subscribed this 12th day of December 1842

W. Skidmore, JP Sherell (his X mark) Holley (Seal)

Last Update Friday, 29-Mar-2019 07:55:35 MDT