Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday--William From/William Frum


William From/Frum, my ggggg grandfather, has a memorial tombstone in the Mt. Pisgah Church Cemetery, located on State Route 73 (formerly Smithtown Road) southwest of Morgantown. It is in the back left hand corner of the cemetery. There are also tombstones for other members of his family in the short row, namely, his son William, William's wife, Catherine, unknown Frum and Solomon Frum. This marker was placed at Pisgah for his DAR ceremony. I have been told that his actual burial place is on property that used to be his farm on Toms Run, Monongalia County, West Virginia.

William From was born in Scotland in 1755. He immigrated to America in time to have a role in the Revolutionary War. Muster roles from Maryland list him as a private from Frederick County, Maryland--Middle District in Captain Vallentine Creager's Militia.

There is some mystery as to who William married. Those of us who have done research feel that his wife was Anna Smith, daughter Jeremiah Smith a captain in the French and Indian War from Back Creek, now known as Gore, Virginia in Frederick County. There are records of William in Frederick County, Virginia and the first six of his children were born there. My gggg grandfather, Sampson Smith Frum, inherited a large tract of land owned by Samuel Smith in Frederick County, Virginia leading to the speculation that William From was married to a Smith. William may have married twice, records found to date are inconclusive.

The From family removed to Monongalia County, (West) Virginia by 1790 and four more children were born there.

William owned a number of land parcels in Monongalia County. Land owned included, 134 acres in Monongalia County purchased from William Lanham (another ancestor of mine). This purchase was made on July 28, 1816. His original 87 acres in Monongalia. He also bought another 134 acres from Moses Doolittle with the financial assistance of his son, Sampson Smith Frum.

William died in 1842 in Monongalia County, probably on his farm in the Clinton District.
Sources:

-1810 Virginia Federal Census, Monongalia County.

-1813 List of Tithables for Monongalia County, Virginia.

-1820 Virginia Federal Census, Monongalia County, Eastern District.

-1830 Virginia Federal Census, Monongalia County, Eastern District.

-Cullen, Ruth, personal letters.

-Jones, Virginia Lee, Pisgah Church Cemetery Readings, Internet, 1996.

-Maryland in DAR Patriot Index, page 253.

-Monongalia County Tax Lists—1804

-Monongalia County Tax Lists—1805

-Monongalia County District, Superior and County Court Records.

-Muster Rolls of Maryland Troops in the American Revolution 1775-1783, page 72.

4 comments:

  1. William FRUM (FROM) is my 3X grandfather. I have seen no proof that he was born in Scotland. I believe his father is Johann C. FRUM, b. abt 1727 in Germany/Palatinate before immigrating to US. While several German families fleeing war, famine, disease etc. passed through England on their way to the US., I find it unreasonable that Johann arrived in the US and had a son later born in Scotland?

    Does anyone have any proof of his birth place?
    Thanks
    Eric ejmlandon@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. William Hobart FRUM is my 3x great grandfather. DAR lists him born in "Scotland". This is VERY VERY unlikely as his father, Johann Conraadt FRUM (FROM, FROMME) immigrated from Germany (Palantine) arriving on the ship Lydia in 1739 by way of London (originating in Rotterdam). I believe Scotland is Scotland, MD. (NOT UK). Does anyone have proof of his birthplace? Appreciate any information leading to settling this. Thank you.
    Eric Landon
    ejmlandon@yahoo.com
    '

    ReplyDelete
  3. William H. FRUM is my 3great grandfather and I do NOT believe he was born in Scotland, UK. My records show his father is Johann Conraadt FRUM arriving in Philadelphia on the ship Lydia in 1739 by way of Rotterdam.

    Thus it's highly unlikely he somehow went to Scotland, had a son, and returned to Virginia.
    A more probable scenario is Scotland, St. Mary's, Maryland. Looking at the map, many Palantinate Germans made their way to Virginia, ultimately West Virginia, and Scotland, St. Mary's is certainly on the way there.

    I would appreciate any information (confirmation)of the place of his birth. DAR records are not correct.

    Thanks!

    Eric Landon (born: Gary John GREEN, grandmother Jessie Edna FRUM 1892 - 1971).
    ejmlandon@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I firmly believe you're correct about his having been born at Scotland, St.Mary's county, Maryland.
    In the 1780s there was a surge of settlers in the area that came from Maryland and Delaware, including the REED family who intermarried with William's daughter, Nancy, in 1806.

    ReplyDelete