Life History

Other facts

Notes

• North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
  Maj Ignatius Few (1750-1810)
  "Ignatius Few (1750-1810), was lieutenant of the First Georgia Dragoons, 1776, Captain, 1777, and rose to the rank of Major.  He suffered imprisonment at the British fortress St Augustine.  He was born in Maryland and died in Columbia Co, Ga."
  Wife Mary Candler
  Their daughter was Lodviska Few, married Augustus G Brown.
  Child Lodviska Few
  --  DAR Record #17936 for Mary O Rousseau Kline, Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Book : NSDAR : Volume 018 : 1897, pp 341-342;  From the Ancestry.com Collection North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
  
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  U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
  Clarence Monroe McCutchen
  Birth 19 Sep 1888 Wichita Falls, Wichita, Texas
  Descendant of Major Ignatious [sic] Few born Maryland 20 August 1750, died Columbia Co Georgia (date unknown)
  Son of William A McCutchen and Evelyn Romey McCutchen
  Grandson of Lawrence Rooney and Georgia A Brown (birth/death info unknown)
  Great grandson of Augustus Brown and Lodoiska [sic] Few (birth/death info unknown)
  Gr-gr Grandson of Ignatious [sic] Few and  wife unknown (birth/death info unknown)
  Gr-gr-gr Grandson of William Few and Mary Wheeler (birth/death info unknown)
  Gr-gr-gr-gr Grandson of Mr Few of Penn (wife and birth/death info unknown)
  --  Application #29895 of 24 May 1917, p 2
  
  Earliest ancestor "Mr Few, one of the original settlers, who came from Wales over to this country with William Penn.  Wm Few his son was born in Philadelphia, Penn, 1709 and had four sons who were all brave men and proved themselves during the Revolutionary War, earnest and ardent patriots.  The third son William Few was noted for his intelligence, ... a member of the convention which met in Philadelphia, May 25th, 1787, to form the Constitution of the United States of America. ... The youngest brother of this Wm Few was named Ignatious [sic] Few, the great great grandfather of Clarence Monroe McCutchion [sic] and son of Wm and Mary Few of Philadelphia.  He was born in Maryland, near the head of the Elk [River], Aug 20th, 1750.  Ignatious Few was an ardent patriot of the Revolution and died at the age of 60 in 1810 in Columbia Co Ga.  He was Captain of Dragoons in the Continental Army, was in many actions and retired at the close of the war with the rank of Major. ... He had suffered during the war the tortures incident to his long imprisonment of nine months in St Augustine, at that time a British Fortress."
  
  --  Application #29895 of 24 May 1917, p 3
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  "William Few, the first, father of Senator William and of Ignatius and Benjamin, died in this county in 1789.  His children were:  Benjamin, William, Ignatius, Hannah Howard, and Elizabeth Andrew [sic, for Andrews]. ... He came from Maryland and was the grandfather of Dr Ignatius A Few.  There were many Marylanders in Columbia"
  --  The Sunny South (now The Atlanta Constitution), Atlanta, Georgia, 28 July 1901, p 8, Section on William Few (died 1789) and Sons, Religion Section,  via Ancestry.com, accessed 27 November 2017
  
  Ignatius was one of the executors of his father's estate when he died in July 1794.
  
  William Few Will
  Page 1:
  Mentioned in the will:
  Wife Ann Few
  Stepdaughter Katherine Hunt
  Children Benjamin, William, Ignatius, Hannah Howard and Elizabeth Andrews
  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)
  --  Will of William Few, written in Columbia County, Georgia, on 24 October 1789, 5 years before his death in 1794;  probate docuemnts date from 21 July 1794.  --  Columbia County, Georgia, Court Records, accessed on Ancestry.com, Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742-1992, 27 November 2017.
  
  Ignatious divorced his wife Mary Candler for infidelity, and there was a matter of financial irresponsibility, documented in records of Columbia County, Georgia.  Note also a reference in a newspaper in 1973 to the relinquishment of Mary's dowery.
  
  The following three documents are from genealogy researchers on Ancestry.com using pseudonymns, accessed and edited for readability 27 November 2017.
  
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  We recently examined the Ga divorce laws.  Now consider the aftermath of a divorce.  Under the current Georgia law, if the husband was the defendant in the divorce action, and the divorce was granted, he was to be able to contract another marriage after the death of his divorced wife.  This law in action brought about an unusual will and estate settlement.
  
  Mary Candler oldest child of Elizabeth Anthony and Col Wm Candler married Ignatious Sr and relinquished her dower Aug 10 , 1792 ...  which was recorded 31 Jan 1809
  --  Family Puzzlers #285, 5 April 1973, Frontcover, "Aftermath of a Divorce"
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  Relinquishment of Dower
  Mary Candler Few
  vs
  Ignatious Few
  
  On receiving the sum of $500 sterling, Mary Few relinquishes all dower rights.  "We are mutually agreed this day to make a final seperation as man and wife, and it is my sincere wish that the General Assembly may divorce me from said Ignatius Few"
  Signed Mary Few, 1792 Aug. 10
  Recorded 31 January 1809 Columbia Co Ga
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  AFFIDAVIT-Thomas Sandrick, for Ignatius Few.
  Swears that Mary Few signed renunciation of dower.
  
  Swears that he never heard Capt.  Few mention her name, or any circumstances relating to her, but on that day Capt.  Few called at his house to borrow his pistols, and Dr.  deYamport was with him.
  
  Deponent lent the pistols, but expecting they were about to be used in a duel, offered his services in concilating matters.  On their way to Wrightsborough, Capt.  Few stated that William Slatter had made his escape from justice, after having, in concert with said Mary Few, procured poison from said Dr.  deYamport, to administer to him, Few.  Hoped that deponent would help him.
  
  Procured new warrent at Wrightborough, on most positive deposition of deYamport as to the facts.  On the following day went out to a relative of said Slatter, where they stated that Slatter and Mary Few had slept the night before.  Slatter's brother reprobated the conduct of said William in living with Mary Few, promising he should leave the State in 14 days, Capt.  Few giving him that long to settle his affairs.
  
  Deponent then came to Mrs.  Few's and found her very violent, and denying the fact of procuring the poison, until she found that Capt.  Few had brought Dr.  deYamport with him.  She then burst into tears and said, "The doctor is just as bad as me..he told me to give it." On being ask how she and Slatter came to give a bond for 200 lbs to the said deYamport, she made no answer.  She continued to cry and begged forgiveness.  Said she would write to her sister over the mountains, and live virguous [virtuous?] in the future.  Capt.  Few reminded her of several deviations from virgue which she confessed, also to having taken two bonds for 120 pounds each.  She had been given 50 pounds as seperate maintainance and assurance of pecuniary relief if she returned to her sister, and left the connection with Slatter.
  
  But on Monday morning she had the audacity to tell the deponent she had altered her mind, and was determined to live with Slatter, because she was not yet 30 years of age, and people would always say she lived with somebody.  She declared she once had had a consent from Capt.  Few to marry the said Slatter.  (At this point others came in...Flournoy, Atty; Weatherby, Preacher, etc.)
  
  It was proposed that an instrument of divorce should be drawn up, and deponent positively saith no threats were made.
  
  Capt.  Few has since proposed that if she would name a trustee to prevent her squandering away her property in the shameful manner lately practised, he would make any purchases she chose.
  
  Further deponent saith not.
  
  --  Columbia Co Court Records, 3 Dec 1794, Recorded April  4 1806
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  It appears the Court records of the probating of his will are incomplete.  Documents available are dated as late as November 1811, 16 months after his death in July 1810.  No copy of the actual will was found in the digitized file of Ignatius' probate court records.
  
  It would appear that some files are missing, since there was such a long time before the court issued letters testamentary to his son William as executor.  But the original witnesses to the will and a mentioned codicil certified both in the document transcribed here dated 8 March 1811.  Date of the will or codicial is not mentioned anywhee.
  
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  Columbia Georgia Probate Records
  Few Ignatius, deceased
  William and Ignatius Few ------? [his sons?] vs Executors of Ignatius Few (?)
  
  William Rousseau, Thomas Hunt and John Clarke, who are subscribing witnesses to the will of Ignatius Few deceased with William Hunt deceased.  Being duly sworn saith that they saw Ignatius Few Senior sign his name to the will now ---? -- that each of the deponents at the request of said Ignatius signed their names in the presence of the testator and they have no doubt whatsoever that the said Ignatius Few was at that time of sound disposing (?) mind and in his proper senses.
  
  And the said Thomas Hunt and John Clarke further deposeth that they were two of the subscribing witnesses to the codicil of said will and that said Few signed the same in their presence -- that they witnessed and subscribed it at the testators request and in his presence and that said Ignatius Few was at the time of sound disposing mind and in his proper senses.
  
  Signed:
  John Clark
  Thomas Hunt
  W Rousseau
  
  Sworn and subscribed before me this 8th March 1811
  Peter H Collins
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  Columbia County, Georgia, Probate Records
  In the Court of Ordinary July 1810
  
  William Rousseau, Thomas Hunt and John Clarke, witnesses to the will of Ignatius Few deceased being examined extempore and deposed in substance as following in the next page viz:
  
  Columbia County, Georgia, Probate Records
  In the Court of Ordinary Nov 4th 1811
  
  William Few named Executor in the last will and testament of Ignatius Few deceased came forth and with said will and with the decision of the Hon the Superior Court of said County on the caveat against proving said will directing this said will and testament to be returned to this court for recording whereupon ordered the said will be recorded and that letters testamentary warrant of assignment issued to said William Few on his qualifying as an Executor under said will.
  
  [No further detail, signatures or annotations.  No copy of the actual will is in the file.]
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Sources

• 1. The Atlanta Constitution
• 2. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
• 3. North America, Family Histories, 1500-2000
• 4. Columbia County, Georgia, Court Records
• 5. Family Puzzlers Magazine
• 6. Roster of Revoloutionary Soldiers in Georgia Vol. I
• 7. Find a Grave Memorial Registry