Volume One

 

The Ancestry of Genevieve Simmons James

 

8. Fallis Line

 

1. Thomas Fallis was born about 1698. He died on February 3, 1756 in Frederick Co., VA. He married in 1745 in Shenandoah Co., VA, Elizabeth Jane Cheldon, born about 1701 in Shenandoah Co., VA. They had four sons:

 

1. George Fallis was born about 1747 in Philadelphia, PA. He married in 1754 in Virginia, Mary Ridgeway, born about 1748.

George, son of Thomas Fallis, migrated to Stafford County, VA and became a substantial landowner, probably with funds inherited from his father Thomas. His plantation bordered the Washington plantation. George Washington at the age of sixteen went to the Shenandoah Valley as a surveyor on the wilderness holdings of Lord Halifax. So George Fallis was well acquainted with George Washington as well as being his neighbor.

The first record of Quaker affiliation is from minutes of the Hopewell Monthly Meeting, VA, dated May 7, 1764, granting membership to George Fallis of Stafford. When the revolution broke out he gave considerable amounts of money to the Continental cause directly through his neighbor, General Washington. Because of his Quaker beliefs, he did not bear arms, but he did give direct aid and sympathy which was regarded later as ancestral ties by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

He was formally received back to the Hopewell Monthly Meeting by minutes dated May 10, 1777. The last record that mentions him is in the Hopewell minutes of July 7, 1780 indicating disunity for "taking a test".

 

2. Isaac Fallis, Sr. was born about 1743 in the East Jersey Colony, VA. See below.

 

3. Abraham Fallis was born about 1753.

 

4. Jacob Fallis was born about 1755 in Shenandoah Co., VA. He died in May 1797 in Shenandoah Co., VA. He married Sarah Springer (abt. 1756-1809), daughter of Isaac Springer of Philadelphia, PA. to Shenandoah Co., VA.. They had a son Isaac Fallis.

In 1731 Thomas Fallis purchased 50 acres on the boundary between East and West Jersey on Crosswicks Creek in Monmouth colony of New Jersey. Lord Fairfax granted Thomas the same pieces of land which are found in his will dated 1755/1756 in Fredrick County Colony of Virginia. The land is now in Berkeley Co., WV. In the Will his wife is listed as Elizabeth and his sons are George, Thomas, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In his Will Thomas signs his name. A witness to the will (Richard) has caused some misunderstanding as to Thomas's name. Because of this some people believe that Thomas's name should include Richard. But Richard was a witness, a person to himself.

2. Isaac Fallis, Sr. was born about 1743, East Jersey Colony, died 1806, St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. He married about 1768 in Henry Co., Kentucky, Susanna Martaine (Martin), parents unknown, born September 4, 1751, from Virginia, died May 29, 1826, St. Charles, Missouri. The Missouri Historical Society reports that Isaac Fallis was living in St. Charles, IL, between 1804 and 1806.

 

They had ten children as follows:

 

1. Isaac Fallis, Jr. was born 1763, in Kentucky, died May 14, 1832, Mercer Co., KY. He married August 23, 1786, Mercer Co., KY, Elizabeth Campbell. They had 5 children.

 

2. Dr. George Fallis was born July 31, 1773, in Berkeley Co., VA, died July 25, 1832, Henry Co., KY. He married February 15, 1798, Edna Simmons, born about 1773. They had 13 children.

 

3. Elizabeth Fallis was born about 1775 in Shenandoah Co., VA, married twice: James Griffon and George Everhart.

 

4. Richard Fallis was born January 15, 1780, Fredericks Co., VA. He died in 1855 in Harrison Co., MO. He married Nancy Ann White of Kentucky.

 

5. Rachel Fallis was born 1780, Harrison Co., KY. She married James Swift.

 

6. David Fallis was born 1781, died 1807, Henry Co., KY.

 

7. Dr. Samuel Fallis was born 1784, in Shenandoah Co., VA, died June 12, 1853, Switzerland Co., IN. He married in December 17, 1805 in Shelby Co., Kentucky, Rebecca Adams (1792-1872)

 

8. Eleanor (Nellie) Fallis was born about 1785 in Virginia. See below

 

9. William Fallis was born 1788, Shenandoah Co., VA, died 1873. He married October 14, 1813, Nancy Ann Margaret Roberts. They had 4 children.

 

10. Thomas Chilton Fallis was born 1792, died September 17, 1843, in St. Louis, MO. He married August 25, 1814, Docas Johnson. They had 7 children.

 

Isaac lived in Berkeley and Fredrick County, Virginia Colony, Mercer County Kentucky and St. Charles Upper Louisiana. His will was probated on April 4, 1806 in Upper Louisiana. Isaac and Susanna's graves were washed away in the great flood of 1844.

It is believed that Isaac was married twice but the name of his first wife is unknown. It is a possibility that Isaac Jr. may have been the child the first wife of Isaac Sr. because of the ten year gap between him and the other siblings.

3. Eleanor (Nellie) Fallis was born about 1785 in Virginia. She married William (“Uncle Billie”) Van Burkleo, Jr. 

 

Eleanor died in 1818. Her brother was a doctor who lived close by. It is recorded that he sold slaves before the Civil War.

 

William Van Burkleo’s house, which is over 150 years old, is still occupied. He also married (2) Mary Blackstone, born about 1785, and (3) Charity Jane Van Gilderland.  Charity Jane was younger than her husband's oldest granddaughter.

 

See the Van Burkleo Line elsewhere in this volume.