Anyone In Virginia? Help With Some Research

B.I · 3rd May 2006, 11:48 PM

hi,
sorry for the delay, but have just got this information. this is all he has of his early history (before going to england and starting his military career). i have put this straight here, and have yet to delve into the wonders of google's search engine.
i really hope someone can yield some answers.

Francis Laforey, born in Virginia 31st December 1767. Only son of Sir John and Eleanor Laforey. Remained unmarried.
His father was Sir John Laforey, naval officer, owned a number of plantations in Antigua, married Eleanor in Antigua in 1763.
His mother was Eleanor, daughter of Colonel Francis Farley who was a member of Antigua's Council, and a judge.

B.I · 4th May 2006, 12:10 AM

most of the info i have found during a 'light' search is basically to do with his military history. what i am after is as much, or any new info on his life in the US.
from a website -

LAFOREY, Sir Francis, bart., British naval officer, born in Virginia about 1760; died in England in 1835. His great-grandfather was of a noble family in Poitou, France, and went to England with William III. During the American Revolution Sir Francis entered the British navy. In 1791 he attained the rank of commander, and in 1793 that of captain. He was nominated a K. C. B. in 1815, promoted vice-admiral in 1819, and admiral in 1832. He commanded the "Spartiate," of 74 guns, at the battle of Trafalgar, and at one time captured two French frigates. His last duty seems to have been on the Barbadoes station as commander-in-chief. He left no heir, having never married.

nechesh · 4th May 2006, 12:57 AM

There seems to be quite a number of pages that pop up on this fellow with a google search of his name. He was apparently very well known so i wouldn't imagine that finding info on him would be all that difficult. It would seem he entered the British Navy at a fairly young age, so i'm not sure what kind of info one would dig up on a school boy in Virginia. It would seem that his life has been distinguighed by his military career. I'm not sure what he might have done as a child to gain any notice. Can you be more specific as to what kind of info your friend is looking for.

B.I · 4th May 2006, 11:38 AM

hi nechesh,
i suppose i am after any real information of his life in virginia (or US). how long was he there for, before embarking on his british military career. was he an adult before he went.
the main enquiry is whether he was an important figure in US or virginian history in the few years before he left. is his fame purely british, or can he share it with the country of his birth? for this, he would have to have achieved something in the US, even if it was a small matter in comparison to his later achievements in the british forces. unfortunately, as his later accomplishments were well documented, his earlier life has been overlooked, hence the need to search further than general google pages.

Rick · 4th May 2006, 02:48 PM

Hi B.I. following the timeline given he would have been 15-20 years old when he left the States .
Possibly his entire family left the country .

Not much time to accomplish much of note over here .
Most likely he joined the RN as a Mid with his family's influence .

I think you're in for a tough search .

nechesh · 4th May 2006, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Hi B.I. following the timeline given he would have been 15-20 years old when he left the States .
Possibly his entire family left the country .

Not much time to accomplish much of note over here .
Most likely he joined the RN as a Mid with his family's influence .

I think you're in for a tough search .

Rick points more directly to what i was implying in my post. Some sites list his birth as late as 1767. If he joined the British navy in the Revolutionary War it sounds like he entered quite young so i highly doubt he had any time to distinguigh himself all that much on American soil, unless it was for an "A" in spelling class at school.

dennee · 4th May 2006, 04:02 PM

I suggest you might first try Prince George County, Virginia. There is a 1766 ad for a runaway slave published for John Laforey at "Maycox" in Prince George. Maycox was an estate on the James River---although it was associated with the John Ravenscroft and David Meade families. The following is a link to folks interested in the Laforey name there and in the Caribbean:

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/s...e+George+Board

You may find some information about the family, but you will be hard-pressed to find anything personal about a young man. Church records seem like the only possibility (apparently, the Laforeys were Huguenots; but who knows what church? You might try Chamberlayne's "Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George & Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798."). Among government records, you may find land transactions ot trusts, but they would presumably relate to Laforey's father. Real and personal property and capitation taxes would almost certainly name only the head of household.

3rd May 2006, 11:48 PM	#1
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	hi, sorry for the delay, but have just got this information. this is all he has of his early history (before going to england and starting his military career). i have put this straight here, and have yet to delve into the wonders of google's search engine. i really hope someone can yield some answers. Francis Laforey, born in Virginia 31st December 1767. Only son of Sir John and Eleanor Laforey. Remained unmarried. His father was Sir John Laforey, naval officer, owned a number of plantations in Antigua, married Eleanor in Antigua in 1763. His mother was Eleanor, daughter of Colonel Francis Farley who was a member of Antigua's Council, and a judge.

4th May 2006, 12:10 AM	#2
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	most of the info i have found during a 'light' search is basically to do with his military history. what i am after is as much, or any new info on his life in the US. from a website - LAFOREY, Sir Francis, bart., British naval officer, born in Virginia about 1760; died in England in 1835. His great-grandfather was of a noble family in Poitou, France, and went to England with William III. During the American Revolution Sir Francis entered the British navy. In 1791 he attained the rank of commander, and in 1793 that of captain. He was nominated a K. C. B. in 1815, promoted vice-admiral in 1819, and admiral in 1832. He commanded the "Spartiate," of 74 guns, at the battle of Trafalgar, and at one time captured two French frigates. His last duty seems to have been on the Barbadoes station as commander-in-chief. He left no heir, having never married.

4th May 2006, 12:57 AM	#3
nechesh Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 940	There seems to be quite a number of pages that pop up on this fellow with a google search of his name. He was apparently very well known so i wouldn't imagine that finding info on him would be all that difficult. It would seem he entered the British Navy at a fairly young age, so i'm not sure what kind of info one would dig up on a school boy in Virginia. It would seem that his life has been distinguighed by his military career. I'm not sure what he might have done as a child to gain any notice. Can you be more specific as to what kind of info your friend is looking for.

4th May 2006, 11:38 AM	#4
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	hi nechesh, i suppose i am after any real information of his life in virginia (or US). how long was he there for, before embarking on his british military career. was he an adult before he went. the main enquiry is whether he was an important figure in US or virginian history in the few years before he left. is his fame purely british, or can he share it with the country of his birth? for this, he would have to have achieved something in the US, even if it was a small matter in comparison to his later achievements in the british forces. unfortunately, as his later accomplishments were well documented, his earlier life has been overlooked, hence the need to search further than general google pages.

4th May 2006, 02:48 PM	#5
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,347	Hi B.I. following the timeline given he would have been 15-20 years old when he left the States . Possibly his entire family left the country . Not much time to accomplish much of note over here . Most likely he joined the RN as a Mid with his family's influence . I think you're in for a tough search .

4th May 2006, 04:02 PM	#7
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	I suggest you might first try Prince George County, Virginia. There is a 1766 ad for a runaway slave published for John Laforey at "Maycox" in Prince George. Maycox was an estate on the James River---although it was associated with the John Ravenscroft and David Meade families. The following is a link to folks interested in the Laforey name there and in the Caribbean: http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/s...e+George+Board You may find some information about the family, but you will be hard-pressed to find anything personal about a young man. Church records seem like the only possibility (apparently, the Laforeys were Huguenots; but who knows what church? You might try Chamberlayne's "Births from the Bristol Parish Register of Henrico, Prince George & Dinwiddie Counties, Virginia, 1720-1798."). Among government records, you may find land transactions ot trusts, but they would presumably relate to Laforey's father. Real and personal property and capitation taxes would almost certainly name only the head of household.