Person:Frederick Fraley (2)

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Overview

Much of the following is based on Hamilton's Article on Frederick Frayley, with additional information added as indicated.

Frederick Fraley (in early records also spelled Friley, Frayley, and even Froley) was an early settler in Castle's Woods; Hamilton believed that he was in the area by 1769, but provides no direct evidence for that view. He apparently came to SW VA from NC, for his will and subsequent court cases suggests a NC connection; Hamilton believes that he came to NC from Augusta County VA, where he was known as Frederick Froelich. His will identifies his wife as "Chloe", but that he was previously married. Frederick and Chloe had numerous children, as evidenced by both his will and Chloe's, as well as court records related to his estate.

He initially settled in Castle's Woods near Mill Creek where acquired the property and mill of John Lynch. Later he purchased from John Snoddy the lands once owned by William and James Moore, and on which Moore's Fort was located. The mill property was subsequently sold to Henry Hamlin, who in turn sold it to Charles Bickley, by whose name it would be commonly known. Two descriptions of Frederick's home from this period survive, as recorded by Hamilton:

The late Mr. S. A. Fraley of Abingdon, great-great-grandson of Frederick, in an undated letter (which was written sometime in the 1930s) to the late James Taylor Adams, says, "The house that Frederick Fraley built was made of oak logs, sawed square and fitted tightly together. The corners dove-tailed and spiked together with iron spikes, which was said to have been carried on horseback from Lynchburg, VA. The floors, window frames and doors, and almost all the inside woodwork was of black walnut. There were port holes cut in the walls upstairs, on all four sides."

The late Mr. R. L. Gose, has this to say: "I do remember knowing and seeing the Indian Fort located at the Sally Meade place, willed to her for life by her late husband Charles Meade. I remember distinctly seeing the old building built of logs with port holes in the walls to shoot through. I am now 89 years of age. My next birthday the 2nd of August, 1954, I will be 90 years old."

The reference to "port holes in the walls to shoot through" clearly places it in the period of Indian Hostilities, and suggests that this was a fort house, similar to that of the surviving Kilgore's Fort House. However, it may also be that Fraley made use of existing construction of Moore's Fort, and that his home was actually one of the stockaded cabins built into the walls of the fort. [See Thwaites description of Fort Dobbs.

Land Records

Fide Hamilton:

Land records for Washington County (Survey Book C:199) [fide Hamilton show

a survey for 325 acres for Henry Hamlin on Clinch at the mouth of Mill Creek, and the certificate says, in part, "who was assignee of Frederick Fryly who was assignee of John Lynch...in Castle s Woods on both sides of Mill Creek on the south side of Clinch, 216 acres of which was surveyed the 21 March 1774." Hamilton, undated. A letter from the Fincastle Surveyor, Daniel Smith, to William Preston, confirms some of this, stating:

"Castle's" Woods March 22, 1774: So the next day I came down here and surveyed Mr. Lynch s Mill Seat yesterday" (Draper's MSC 3 QQ 15))

Frederick acquired three tracts of land in Lower Castle Wood, by buying the patent warrants of old John Smyth, William Moore and Mathias Mounts, totaling some 900 acres, more or less, all, or most of which he was in possession of at the time of his death in late 1792 or early 1793, as evidenced by his wife, Chloe Fraley being granted administration of his estate. (Russell, Law Order Book 2, p. 56, 70, and Will Book 4-A, p. 103).

Civic and Military Activities

Frederick Fraley is listed on the roster of Moore's Fort on June 30, 1777. (Draper Mss I XX 20, 24).

In 1776 he was one of the appraisers of the estates of person:Isaac Crisman and person:Samuel Cowan, both of whom were slain by the Indians, (Washington Co. Court Records), [Need specific record citation; it may be given in Summers, 1929]

[[Source:Pension Statement of James Fraley|Revolutionary pension statement of his son, James, "he was the Surgeon who removed the bullet from the dying James Coil", also killed by Indians.

Col. Arthur Campbell to Gov. Patrick Henry, dated June 7, 1785 (Vol. 1, p. 32, Calendar of Virginia State Papers), in which he says: "Sir: Since my last (letter) the Indians chased a son of Mr. Friley s on Clinch, and run him until within sight of his father s house."

Bibliography

Source:Will of Frederick Fraley

Source:BILL OF COMPLAINT, FRALEY vs. FRALEY & SMITH

Hamilton's Article on Frederick Frayley