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- Ancestor to President Stephen Grover CLEVELAND
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Made a will in Exeter, Rockingham Co, NH, 24 Nov 1715, proved 6 Dec 1715.
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A Genealogy of the Folsom Family by John Chapman.
Dea. John Folsom was a man of high standing and good property, active both in church and in political affairs. He is among the worthies of the first centuries of Exeter, of whom Judge Smith, in his centennial address, July 4, 1838. says that "they filled acceptably the municipal and public offices conferred upon them." He was frequently sent to the general assembly.
?In the first volume of "Provincial Papers," already quoted with reference to his father, there is a deposition (pp. 554-7) from the son, as constable, bearing date 1684, "that he had received a list of names in Exeter, with fines annexed, amounting to 50£; that he was required by the Governor & council to go & demand the sum; but the people refused to pay, saying the taxes should be raised by the General Assembly, which answer he gave to Gov. & council : whereupon they took the scroll out of his hands & delivered it to Thos. Thurton, provost marshall, & he was ordered by a warrant from the Secretary to aid the said Thurton."
?This summary treatment was honorable to him from such a government as that of Cranfield's, and shows how "acceptably," at least to the people if not to the party in power, he filled that special office of constable by forbearing to push the demand for oppressive and unconstitutional taxes and fines.
The following quotation from the same portion of the "Provincial Papers" will show the sort of " aid" he gave to the provost marshal, and that he could turn with wrath and contempt on the public foes, deacon though he was. Under date of December 29, 1684, there is a deposition of this Thurton, that "being sent to collect those fines, and one of 50 shillings on John Foulsham for neglecting the duty of his office as constable, Foulsham told him that if he came to levy execution at his house, he should meet him with a red-hot spit and scalding water ; and bade him go, like a rogue as he was."
The women of the Gilman family must also have some of the fame of this affair; for the provost marshal adds, that "being at the house of Edward Gilman [s/o the first Edward, and lost at sea abt. 1653] the wife of James Gilman [grands/o the first Edward, b. 1659] told him she had provided a kettle of scalding water for him, if he should come." He thought it rather rough treatment, especially as no money had yet been demanded of them. In one instance, in which Dea. John's wife had been slandered by his sister-in-law Hannah, wife of his brother Nathaniel, he was determined the offender should smart for it ; and accordingly, making complaint before Mr. Commissioner Dalton, he obtained sentence against her that she should "make acknowledgment at some public town-meeting."
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WILL OF DEA. JOHN FOLSOM, EXETER,
NOVEMBER, 1715.
I John Foulsam of Exeter, in the Province of Newhampshire, being weak of body, but of sound & perfect memory, praise be therefore given to Almighty God, do make & ordain this my present last will & testament, in manner & form following. That is to say, First & principally, I commend my soul into the hands of Almighty God, hoping through the merits, death & passion of my Savior, Jesus Christ, to have full & free pardon & forgiveness of all my sins, & to Inherit everlasting life ; And my body I commit to the Earth to be decently buried, at the discretion of my Executrix, hereafter named. And as touching the disposition of such temporal estate, as it hath pleased God, in his providence to bestow upon me, I give & dispose of as followeth.
Imp'r. I will that my Just debts & funeral charges be payed.
Item. I give unto my son Abraham Foulsam, four acres of salt marsh, at Hampton, to be taken out of the South end of the great Lot ; & I give him three fifths of my Lower pasture, in Exeter, known by the name of Pine hill pasture, he taking his part next to Jonathan Smith's land.
Item. I give to my son John Foulsam, twenty acres of land, lying upon Pickpocket Road, on this side of the great River; & thirty acres, on the other side of the great River, where now he lives.
Item. I give to my son Jonathan Foulsam my house & barn & the land adjoining to it ; & all my marsh, both in Hampton & Exeter not already disposed of, & three acres of land in the common field, & three acres of swamp in the neck, & the whole of my upper & lower pasture, not already disposed of, & my part in the saw mill. ?Item. My will is that my sons, Abraham & Jonathan shall not have their portions till after my wife's decease. ?Item. I give to my son Jeremiah Foulsam, an hundred acres of land at Lamperele River where now he lives. ?Item. I give to my daughter Abigail Gillman, seven pounds. ?Item. I give to my daughter Sarah Stevens twelve pounds. ?Item. I give to my daughter Mary's two children each five pounds apiece. ?Item. I give to my son John Foulsam, & to my daughters, Lydia Stockman & Mercy Dudley all my Land at the white pine plains & over the great River, known by the name of Foulsam's Meadow, being by estimation, two hundred acres, be it more or less to be equally divided between them. ?Item. My will is that my son Jonathan Foulsam shall pay my just debts & funeral charges, & that he shall pay his two sisters, Abigail Gilman t& Sarah Stevens, their portions as above named, & likewise his two cousins, my daughter Marys children immediately after his mothers decease.
Item. I give to my well beloved wife Abigail Foulsam, the use of my dwelling house & barn & the land, adjoining it, — of my saw mill & all my marsh both at Hampton & Exeter, & all my upper & lower pasture lying by son Abraham's & my land both in the common field & neck, during her life ; and I give her the whole of my stock & moveable estate both within doors & without, as her own proper estate, & to dispose of to whom she sees fit.
?Finally. My will is & I do hereby appoint my beloved wife, Abigail Foulsam, to be full and sole executrix to this my last will & testament, and do hereby revoke disannul and make void all former wills and Testaments by me heretofore made.
?In witness whereof I the said John Foulsam have to this my last will & Testament set my hand & seal this twenty fourth day of November Anno Domini one thousand seven hundred and fifteen Annoq. R : Regis George Brittanniae &c. Secundo. Signed Sealed & owned in the presence of, — John Foullsam ?John Odlin [SEAL] ?Thomas Edgerly ?Daniell Thing ?Portsmouth De. ye 6 1715 ?John Odlin & Daniel Thing personally appearing before me, Richard Waldron Esqr. Judge of Probate of Wills &c and made oath that they were present and saw John Foulsam sign seal & declare the foregoing instrument to be his Last Will & Testament, and that they also saw Thomas Egerly who was then present sign as a witness, & that Mr. Foulsam at the same time was of a sound & disposing mind & memory. Coram Rich'd Waldron.
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Old Dead Relatives
Abt 1638 - 1715 (~ 77 years)
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