Anyone In Virginia? Help With Some Research

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.

dennee · 4th May 2006, 09:03 PM

I checked the Library of Virginia site to see what they have regarding Prince George County. With regard to those counties whose courthouses were burned or otherwise destroyed during the Civil War, it says:

"Several Virginia counties, most of them in the eastern part of the state, have suffered tremendous loss of their early records during the intense military activity that occurred during the Civil War, and others lost records in fires. At some point, almost everyone conducting genealogical or historical research will face the problem of finding information from a so-called "Burned Record county." Burned record counties might be grouped into three basic categories: Hopeless, Almost Hopeless, and Difficult. Included in the Hopeless category are James City, New Kent, Buckingham, Nansemond, Dinwiddie (before 1782), Appomattox, Buchanan, King and Queen, Warwick, and Henrico (before 1677). Almost Hopeless are Hanover, Prince George, Elizabeth City, and Gloucester."

4th May 2006, 12:10 AM	#1
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	#2
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	#3
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	#4
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	#6
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.

4th May 2006, 09:03 PM	#7
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	I checked the Library of Virginia site to see what they have regarding Prince George County. With regard to those counties whose courthouses were burned or otherwise destroyed during the Civil War, it says: "Several Virginia counties, most of them in the eastern part of the state, have suffered tremendous loss of their early records during the intense military activity that occurred during the Civil War, and others lost records in fires. At some point, almost everyone conducting genealogical or historical research will face the problem of finding information from a so-called "Burned Record county." Burned record counties might be grouped into three basic categories: Hopeless, Almost Hopeless, and Difficult. Included in the Hopeless category are James City, New Kent, Buckingham, Nansemond, Dinwiddie (before 1782), Appomattox, Buchanan, King and Queen, Warwick, and Henrico (before 1677). Almost Hopeless are Hanover, Prince George, Elizabeth City, and Gloucester."