THOMAS FOLSOM - ANN ROGERS

4H(F). Thomas Folsom, born in Duplin, North Carolina Cumberland County, on 13 November 1805, to George Folsom on 13 November 1805, to George Folsom and his wife Miss Edith Pennywell. He came with his parents when they moved in his boyhood to Pulaski County, Georgia (between 1808 and 1810), and when about grown, he moved with his widowed mother to Lowndes County (now Brooks), Georgia.

In 1828, he married Ann Rogers and they had seven children. Ann died in 1961. In Brooks County, Georgia, 18 January 1963, Thomas Folsom married Queen Victoria Wilkerson, the widowed daughter of Dr. Morgan Williams of upper Georgia. By her, five more children were born.

The homeplace of Thomas Folsom was on lot of land 217 District of Lowndes (Now Brooks) County, which he owned; it is located about fie miles north of Quitman on the road that goes to Barwick. He lived there until his death, 15 November 1877. The house completely burned down in the early part of the twentieth century.

Whenever Brooks County was being formed out of parts of Lowndes and Thomas Counties, 11 December 1858 a plan of organization was made. The following was copied from "An Act to Lay Out and Organize a new county from the counties of Lowndes and Thomas," which was included in The History of Brooks County, Georgia by Folks Huxford.

Section VII

"And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all public business of said new county shall be transacted at Thomas Folsom's in said new county until the public site shall be located by the inferior court as aforesaid; and said place shall be one of the election precincts for said new county as long as the public business of the new county is transacted there."

Thomas Folsom also enlisted in the "Seventh Militia District of Brooks County, 81 at Batallion of the C.S.A." His name appears on the list of those between ages of 50 and 60 on that list on 27 October 1864, and on a Militia Enrollment List compiled for reorganization for the militia.

  Page 180 Corrections/Additions

In Jan. 1859, a month after the creation of Brooks County, the home of Thomas Folsom in Quitman was used as the county's first court room. Subsequently, a temporary courthouse was built.

County History: Brooks County was created by an act of the General Assembly approved on Dec. 11, 1858 (Ga. Laws 1858, p. 353). Created from portions of Lowndes and Thomas counties, Georgia's 131st county was named for South Carolina congressman Preston Brooks, an ardent supporter of states' rights.

County Seat: Quitman. The act creating Brooks County directed the judges of the inferior court to select a site within four miles of the center of the new county for erection of public buildings. The act further directed that the new county seat be named Quitman. The name honored Gen. John Quitman, former governor of Mississippi, American hero in the Mexican War, and Mississippi congressman at the time ofhis death in July 1858. Inferior court judges picked a site on the railroad connecting southwestern Georgia with Savannah. Quitman was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly approved Dec. 19, 1859.

Source:  http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/courthouses/brooksCH.htm

for the state of Georgia for the 1199th District of Brooks County, Georgia listing his age as being 59. At the time of Thomas Folsom's enlistment, he had already lost three sons in the war.

Thomas Folsom bought his first tract of land in Brooks County, 500 acres, at 50cents per acre and then bought adjoining land until he owned 5000 acres. The land bought between 1848 and up to his death is recorded in the clerk's office of the courthouse of Brooks County, Georgia.

Also, in 1830 in Lowndes County, Thomas Folsom is listed as owning 5 slaves, two females, three children: however it is reported that by the time the War Between the States began, he was one of the largest slave owners in the area, and at the beginning of the war, he was to have set 100 slaves free. Also, some of the slaves are supposed to be buried in the cemetery where he is buried.

In 1850, when his land was in the Lowndes County area, the value of his real estate was listed as being $6000. In 1860, in Brooks County, his real estate was valued at $12,250, and his personal property (including house, buildings, machinery, slaves, etc.) was valued at $45,850. Reports are that Thomas Folsom hid several thousand dollars worth of gold on his property somewhere. If it was ever found, the finder did not acknowledge his find openly.

Thomas Folsom is buried along with a few other family members in a private cemetery back on the property he owned near his homeplace. His grave is on the property that is presently owned by one of his descendents, Mrs. Hazel Jones Carmichael of Quitman.

Copied form the Quitman Free Press, Saturday 17 November 1877

"Mr. Thomas Folsom, an old and well-known citizen of this county, died at his residence on Tuesday evening. He had been in feeble health for some time. He leaves a wife and seven children."
 

     m1. ANN RODGERS, born 30 October 1799 in Bladen or New Hanover County, North Carolina. She married Thomas Folsom in Georgia in 1828. She had come to her brothers, William H. Rodgers (or Rogers) and Uriah Rogers, also  her sister Mary Rodgers who married Benjamin Devane around 1813. (Mary was born 28 July in N. C.; d. 1874). Ann died in 1861 in Brooks County, Georgia. Her grave has not been identified, however it is probable that it is in the same cemetery  as that of her husband, with no mark for her name.

Parents: William Thomas Rodgers and Lucretia Treadwell, daughter of Maj. John Treadwell. Ann's brother, William H. Rodgers had 2 sons that were Confederate Soldiers, both killed in line of duty. One, Uriah J. Rodgers, was elected Captain of his regiment shortly before his death. He had been one of the first school teachers in Brooks County, Georgia. The other, Mitchell Adams Rodgers, was promoted from third corporal shortly before his death.

There is a letter in existence that was written to William H. Rodgers concerning the death of his two sons. It was taken from the Brooks County History and will be included in this section.

Headstone and grave of Thomas Folsom

Last Will and Testament of Thomas FOlsom.

Will Book A, p.153, Brooks County Courthouse Office of the Ordinary

                                                                                                                                                                                     185

                                                                                                                                                 Brooks County, Ga.

Last Will and Testament of Thomas Folsom

State of Georgia                                                                                 In the name of God --- Amen

Brooks County

I Thomas Folsom being of sound and disposing mind and memory do make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and cancelling all other wills heretofore made by me.

Items first: I desire my body buried in a manner suited to the condition in life. My soul I commend to God.

Item second: I desire that my just debts be paid as soon as practicable.

Item third: I desire and demand that all my property be kept together until my grand daughter youngest surviving child comes of age, and that our of income of said property my children b my wife Q. V. Folsom and also my said wife during her widowhood shall receive a support and maintenance, and my said children by my said wife out of said income shall receive a fair English education. If any of my said children by my said wife should marry before the time arrives for the distribution of my estates as hereinafter provided, I desire that such married son or daughter be allowed an advancement of one thousand dollars or less, according as my estate may afford, keeping in view the number of my legatees and the principles of equality among them, but in case of such marriage, of any of my children, their right to support out of my estate shall cease to such married child.

Item fourth: When my youngest living child shall come of age, I desire and demand that the right to support and maintain and provide for my wife and children in the preceding item shall cease, and that then, all my estate, real and personal, closes in action and money shall be equally divided between my widow and my children by her share and share alike. But the share herein provided for my said wife shall be a child's part, shall continue in her only for her lifetime or widowhood, and at her death or marriage shall be equally divided among my said children by my wife share and share alike. If any of  my said children by my said wife shall die before my youngest child reaches majority, then any child left by such a deceased son or daughter shall represent its parents in the distribution of my estate.
 

and if any such child of my said child shall die leaving no children surviving at the time of the distribution of my estate the share of such deceased shall lapse.

Item fifth: I hearby nominate and appoint my wife, Q. V. Folsom executrix of this my last will and testament and I humbly confer upon her the power and authority to sell or purchase property as in her judgement may be necessary to the protection and preservation of my estate.

This second day of November, 1877.

                                                                                                                                      Thomas Folsom

Signed, sealed , delivered, declared and published by Thomas Folsom as his last will and testament in the presence of us the undersigned who subscribe our names hereto as witnesses in the presence of said Thomas Folsom at  his special request and in the presence of each other, this November 2, 1977.

                                                                                                                                       Aaron Parrish

                                                                                                                                       E. A. Jukes

                                                                                                                                       Jimmy Wilson

Filed in office, November 7th, 1877

                                                                                                                                        A. P. Puham

                                                                                                                                         Ordinary