Family and History of
Francis John Chapman and Mary Leigh

Home Home   Photos Start slide show

Francis John Chapman (1779 - 1852) and Mary Leigh (1789 - 1866) were married on 16 Jan 1806 by Samuel Harville, J.P according to Liberty Co., Ga. records. Francis John and Mary had four sons and six daughters who married into the families of Westberry, Delk, Strickland, Hiers, Anderson, Harrington, Burney, Sullivan, Baggs, and Owens. Their children are:

  F i Keziah CHAPMAN was born 1808.
  M ii John CHAPMAN was born 15 Apr 1810 and died 30 May 1895.
  F iii Mary Leigh CHAPMAN was born 17 Feb 1812 and died 3 Dec 1889.
  F iv Eleanor CHAPMAN was born 1814 and died 26 Apr 1851.
  F v Nancy E. CHAPMAN was born 1818.
  M vi Nathaniel Francis CHAPMAN was born 1820 and died 1875.
  M vii James Fleming CHAPMAN was born 18 Jul 1822 and died 16 Aug 1890.
  F viii Jemima CHAPMAN was born 12 Jul 1825 and died 1 Sep 1908.
  M ix Sheldon Madison CHAPMAN was born 25 Jan 1829 and died 8 Jul 1911.
  F x Rosena Clementine CHAPMAN was born 15 Feb 1832 and died 29 Feb 1920.

Francis John Chapman was born in 1779 in Orangeburg, SC. He was a large landowner and had successful draws in several of the early land lotteries. He was a member of the Jones Creek Baptist Church and at one time Postmaster of the Jones Creek Post Office. Much of his land is still owned by his descendants today.

The ancestry of Francis John has not been determined. Clyde L. Chapman in his "A Short History of the Chapman Family" indicated that he believed that Francis John's father immigrated to this country sometime prior to the Revolutionary War along with five or six brothers and their father. He further indicated that Francis John's father was killed as a result of his participation in that war. There is no evidence presented for this view.

Mr. James Forsyth presented to the Chapman reunion of Brooks County, Georgia some evidence indicating that Francis John's parents were Charles and Mary Chapman of St. Pauls Parish, South Carolina. Recently commisioned research by Mr. Brent Holcomb casts considerable doubt on this.

This research by Mr. Brent Holcomb, C. G. did turn up a gift deed from a Mary Chapman to her children Francis and Elander (possibly Elanor), in Orangeburg South Carolina in 1780. The deed describes cattle as marked by a "crop, hole, and under keel" cut in both ears. Our Chapman family has used a "crop, hole and under bit" in one ear as a cattle mark until the present. Mr. Holcomb believes this is the same family. He speculates that Mary was the second wife of Francis and Elander's father. He further speculates that the father died intestate. If so, the eldest son by the first wife would have inherited all of the real property by primogeniture laws in effect at the time. This would have left only the personal property to be divided. One third of this would have gone to the wife. Mr. Holcomb also believes that Francis John named his 3rd daughter Elanor in honor of his sister Elander (or Elanor) named in the deed. According to Mr. Holcomb the records of Orangeburg County were destroyed by the Yankees under Gen. Sherman during the Civil War and tracing this family further will be very difficult.

Related articles:

Mary Leigh Chapman(1789 - 1866)
wife of Francis John Chapman (1779 - 1852)

Mary Leigh Chapman was a charter member of the Jones Creek Baptist Church (minutes).

Mary Leigh was the daughter of Lionel Leigh (1769 - 1810) and Kiziah Wood (1772 - ). She was born Nov. 7, 1789 and married Francis John Chapman on 16 Jan 1806 at Liberty Co., Ga. She was one of the members of Beard's Creek Baptist Church who were dismissed to constitute a church at Jones Creek. Johan and Ann Leigh, who also had been baptized members of Beard's Creek, may have been her brother and sister. A Jones Creek Historical Marker acknowledges Mary Leigh as a founding member.

 

Mary Leigh Chapman (1789 - 1866)

The wording on the stone says:
 
Sacred to the memory of
Mary Chapman
Consort of
F. J. Chapman Deceased
Died June 29th 1886
Aged 76 Yrs. 7 Mo. & 22 D's
A member of the Baptist Church
at Jones Creek over 50 Yrs.
 
A Model Christian.

 

Francis John Chapman (1779 - 1852)
Husband of Mary Leigh Chapman