Life History

Notes

• William Few, wife Mary Wheeler.  William's father is reported to be a Mr. Few, immigrant from Wales, who came to Pennsylvania with William Penn.  William Few's birth date is here reported to be 1709 in Pennsylvania, while other historical sources report he was born in 1714.
  --  Clarence McCutchen, application for the Sons of the American Revolution, dated 24 May 1917, Ancestry.com genealogy library
  
  Family Data Collection - Individual Records
  William Few
  Spouse Mary Wheeler
  Parents Isaac Few, Hannah Stanfield
  Birth 16 May 1714  Chester County, Kennett Township, Pennsylvania
  Marriage 1742 Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA
  Death 27 Jul 1794 Chester County, Pennsylvania
  
  Note that the date of death is reported above as 27 July 1794, but his will was probated on 21 July 1794, which would indicate he died some days before.  The will was written in 1789.
  
  U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
  William Few
  Birth 1714  PA
  Spouse Name Mary Wheeler
  Spouse Birth 1710 PA
  Marriage 1742 PA
  
  Information about William's service in the American Revolutionary War is found in a descendant's 1905 application for membership in the Sons of the America Revolution.
  
  U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
  SAR Membership 18177
  Application Submitted 6 October 1905, Approved 3 Feb 1906, Accepted by the Board 14 Mar 1906
  Marion Letcher, born Cross Keys, Macon, Alabama 4 Sept 1872
  Descendant of William Few Sr, born Chester County, Pennsylvania 16 May 1714, died in Columbia County, Georgia in 1794
  and Rhesa Howard (William Few's son-in-law), born in Maryland about 1740, died in Columbia County, Georgia in 1799
  Son of Dr Francis Marion Letcher and wife Clandia Caroline Howard
  Grandson of William John Howard and wife Ann Flewellen Billingslea
  Great Grandson of John Howard and wife Louisa Stever
  Great Great Grandson of Rhesa Howard  and wife Hannah Few
  Great Great Great Grandson of William Few Sr and wife Mary Wheeler
  William Few was a colonel in the commissary department of the Georgia Militia
  Rhesa Howard served in the Georgia Militia and received a land grant in reward for his service.
  
  William died about 17 July 1794, in Columbia County, Georgia.  Probate was opened on 22 July 1794 with the recording of the will.  The will was accompanied by affidavits from two witnesses and signatories of the will dated 21 July 1794.  No death date is reported in the probate documents.  No death record has been found.
  
  ------------------
  William Few Senior Will File Cover
  Will dated 24 October 1789
  Recorded 22 July 1794 in Book A, page 21
  
  The probate file contains 3 additional documents.
  
  Document 1
  Will of William Few of Columbia County, Georgia.  The will was written in Columbia County, Georgia, on 24 October 1789, 5 years before his death in 1794.
  
  Will Page 1
  Mentioned in the will:
  Wife Ann Few
  Stepdaughter Katherine Hunt
  Children Benjamin, William, Ignatius, Hannah Howard and Elizabeth Andrews
  
  Document 2
  
  Will Page 2
  Mentioned in this page of the will:
  Wife Ann Few
  As executors:
  friend Benjamin Andrews (apparently his son-in-law)
  sons Benjamin Few and Ignatius Few
  Rhesa Howard Esquire (William's son-in-law, husband of Hannah Howard)
  
  Witnesses Signed :
  Waters Dunn
  Ben Butler
  Ann Her X Mark Taylor
  Wm Few
  
  Beginning of the affidavit of a signatory, Ann Taylor.
  
  Document 3
  Probate documents accompanying the Will.
  
  Page 2 of the affidavit of will signatory, Ann Taylor.
  
  Affidavit of will signatory Walters Dunn
  Notarized 21 July 1794
  
  (Date of death not mentioned in the probate records.  It would have been before these affidavits opening up probated.  Date on recording of the will for the court is 22 July 1794.  One report of his date of death as 27 July 1794, then, is wrong.)
  
  --  Columbia County, Georgia, Court Records, accessed on Ancestry.com, Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992, 27 November 2017
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  William Few, Sr
  Birth May 15, 1714 Chester County, Pennsylvania
  Death Jul 21, 1794 Columbia County, Georgia
  
  William, son of Isaac Few, Sr. and Hannah Stanfield.  Married Mary Wheeler, daughter of Benjamin Wheeler and Elizabeth Clements 16 May 1743, Baltimore Co., MD.  To this marriage were born: Benjamin, James, William, Jr.,Ignatius, Hannah and Elizabeth.
  
  William Few Sr. on reaching manhood (21 years ?) he moved across the Pennsylvania line into Baltimore (now Hartford) County, Maryland. He settled on a farm in the Deer Creek area.  However short the move geographically, he was no longer in Quaker Pennsylvania, but in Catholic Maryland.  He met Mary Wheeler, the daughter of a well-to-do planter and devout Catholic, Benjamin Wheeler.  More about William Few Sr.  He is considered the "PATRIARCH ' of the Fews in American.  He and Mary were the parents of 3 sons who fought the British.  See notes on James Few.  He emigrated to the Quaker settlement near Wrightsboro in St. Paul's Parish, Georgia in 1773.
  --  WILL; Columbia County Probate Court records, Appling, GA. Will book "A" pages 41-42. Researched by Donnie Ruyle
  
  William Few, Sr. was appointed Commissary 08 Nov. 1777 by Executive Council of Georgia, to the two battalions of Minutemen raised for the defense of the State of Georgia.  An order on the Treasury was given for 1.357 pounds to William for buying provisions for the two battalions.  He was to furnish the soldiers with good & wholesome provisions in like proportion as is ordered for the Continental troops within the state at the rate & pay of one shilling & seven pence per ration per day for each soldier & non-commissioned officers, to repay the above sums (if received by him) for the same when called upon by the Assembly to do so.  It was signed by William Downs, William Few, and John Dooly, with John Lindsay & William Few, Jr as Witnesses, William Few, Jr. being a member of the Executive Council.
  William Few made bond for 10.000 pounds for security.
  --  The records are in :The Telamon Cuyler Collection Box 380, Folder 8, MS#1170, at University of Georgia Hagrett Library, at Athens, GA
  
  Spouse Mary Wheeler Few (1710 - 1788)
  Children James Few (1746 - 1771)
  
  Burial Unknown
  
  Created by Donnie Ruyle Dec 05, 2016
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #173510574, https://old.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=173510574
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Sources

• 1. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 2. Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
• 3. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900
• 4. Family Data Collection - Individual Records
• 5. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
• 6. Columbia County, Georgia, Court Records
• 7. The Atlanta Constitution
• 8. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
• 9. MyHeritage Trees
• 10. Genealogy.com Trees
• 11. Appletons' Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1600-1889