IN ENGLAND PRIOR TO 1630 LIVED WILLIAM FORKNER, A DRAPER MERCHANT.
HIS WIFE ELIZABETH FILMER,WAS THE DAUGHTER OF SIR EDWARD FILMER.
THEIR SON JOHN FORKNER SET OUT FOR AMERICA ON THE SHIP AGREEMENT TO MAKE
HIS FORTUNE. HE PAID FOR HIS PASSAGE WITH ABOUT THREE HUNDRED POUNDS OF
TOBACCO FROM HIS FAMILY ESTATE. HE SETTLED IN THE COUNTY OF KENT,MARYLAND
HIS SON JOHN,JR. HAD TWO SONS ONE OF THESE SETTLED IN ROWAN COUNTY.
WILLIAM FORKNER IS FIRST LISTED IN 1768. THE FIRST LEGIBLE LAND GRANT WAS
DECEMBER 8, 1778 IN SURRY COUNTY. SURRY COUNTY EVOLVED OUT OF ROWAN IN 1771
ONE OF WILLIAM FORKNER'S GG GRANDSONS WAS JOSEPH R. FORKNER.JOSEPH R. FORKNER WAS BORN IN 1849. HE SETTLED DOWN IN ARARAT WHERE HE MET
AND MARRIED SALLIE ANN INMAN. SALLIE WAS FROM WESTFIELD, BORN TO A QUAKER
FAMILY. HER MOTHER WAS REBECCA SHELTON INMAN AND FATHER BENJAMIN RILEY INMAN A SHOEMAKER DURING THE CIVIL WAR. JOSEPH AND SALLIE RECEIVED THEIR
MARRIAGE LICENSE MARCH 25,1870 TWO YEARS LATER THEY WERE MARRIED BY THE
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE. FROM THIS UNION TWELVE CHILDREN WERE BORN SIX BOYS
SIX GIRLS, OF THESE NINE LIVED TO MATURITY AND THREE DIED IN INFANCY.JOSEPH WAS THE PATRIARCH OF THE FORKNER CLAN IN THE SURRY COUNTY AREA OF
ARARAT. HE WAS A MERCHANT, A DEPOT AGENT IN CHARGE OF ALL SUPPLIES WHEN
THE RAILROAD WAS BEING BUILT TO MT.AIRY, A SCHOLAR HE BUILT A TWO ROOM
SCHOOL HOUSE AND HIRING THE TEACHERS FOR THE CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY
A POSTMASTER, A MASON FIRST 33RD DEGREE MASON IN SURRY COUNTY,MT.AIRY,
HE HELPED FOUND THE MASONIC LODGE IN ARARAT. HE WAS A MAN OF MANY ''LETTERS
AND TALENTS.'' HE SAW MANY USES FOR TOBACCO, BUILDING HIS OWN THREE STORY
FACTORY EMPLOYING SEVERAL PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY. HE MADE MANY TYPES.
ONE OF THE PLUG TOBACCOS WAS NAMED PEARLEE BELLE AFTER HIS LITTLE GIRL
AT THE TIME MRS.J.W. BEASLEY. DRUCILLA HIS DAUGHTER MRS. SAMUEL FULK TOLD
STORIES ABOUT THE DRUMMERS TRAVELING MERCHANTS WHO CAME IN ON THE TRAINS
AND STAYED AT THEIR HOME. THE DRUMMERS WOULD BRING THEIR WARES, SHOWING
THEM TO ALL WHO WISHED TO SEE. SEVERAL WOULD EVEN BRING THEIR MONKEYS WITH
THE ORGAN GRINDERS. THE HOME WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT IS STILL IN EXISTENCE
TODAY. OWNED BY THEIR GRANDSON ROBERT W. MILLS HE IS THE SON OF THEIR DAUGHTER STELLA AND HUSBAND ELLIS MILLS.
THE HOME IS LOCATED ON TOP OF A HILL OVER LOOKING THE RAILROAD, THE STATION
AND THE RIVER AT THE TIME THE FORKNERS LIVED THERE IT HAD IT'S OWN ICE HOUSE. ICE WAS CUT FROM THE ARARAT RIVER IN THE WINTER WHEN THE RIVER WAS
FROZEN AND STORED IN STRAW WHICH HELPED IT TO LAST ALL SUMMER. IN THOSE DAYS
THEY WOULD HAVE FROLIES WHICH WOULD LAST A WEEK AT A TIME IN WHICH WHOSE
FAMILIES WOULD VISIT EACH OTHER. SQUIRE DANCES, QUILTING PARTIES, BARN
RAISINGS WERE THEIR FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT.
JOSEPH R. FORKNER DIED JUNE 11,1900 THE AGE OF 51 LEAVING HIS WIFE, SALLIE
ANN WITH NINE CHILREN. FIVE OF THEM WERE UNDERAGE.SOURCES: COURT RECORDS, FAMILY BIBLES, WILLS, TAX RECORDS
AND GENEALOGY RESEARCH AND WORD OF MOUTH.--REBECCA FULK BLALOCK
AND CAROLE BEASLEY SPERRY Line in Record @I011224@ (RIN 85) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
QUAY 0
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Line in Record @I011224@ (RIN 85) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
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SALLIE WAS A STOUT,
CHEERFUL WOMAN WITH A WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR. SHE WAS COURAGEOUS TO REAR,
EDUCATE AND MANAGE A LARGE FAMILY AND RUN THE BUSINESSES AND FARMS IN HER LATER YEARS YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD STILL VISIT HER TO HEAR HER YARNS OF YEARS
AGO AND TO HAVE A MEAL WITH HER. SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE BUILDING AND
GIVING OF LAND FOR THE FIRST QUAKER CHURCH IN ARARAT. SHE SPENT A LOT OF
TIME ON THIS PROJECT. SALLIE PASSED AWAY BUT SHE LIVES ON IN THE HEARTS
OF MANY WHO KNEW HER.SOURCES: COURT RECORDS, FAMILY BIBLES, WILLS, TAX RECORDS
AND GENEALOGY RESEARCH AND WORD OF MOUTH.--REBECCA FULK BLALOCK
AND CAROLE BEASLEY SPERRY Line in Record @I011711@ (RIN 167) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
QUAY 0
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Line in Record @I011711@ (RIN 167) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
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