Abijah Flora

Other Events:

• Military: 1780, Hampshire County, Virginia, United States; served in the Revolutionary War transporting provisions, by boat, from the mouth of the Conococheaguee to Old Town, Maryland, under Captains Stockton and Lee, and Colonel Mitchel
• Residence: 1799, Ross County, Northwest Territory
• Census: 1830, Twin Township, Ross County, Ohio, United States
• Military Pension: 19 Nov 1832, Ross County, Ohio, United States; applied for Revolutionary War Pension and was denied due to length of service.
• History / Bio: 1871; Pioneer Record and Reminiscences of the Early Settlers and Settlement of Ross County, Ohio (Cincinnati: Printed for the authors by Robert Clarke & Co., 1871), p44

Notes:

...Enlisted for six months in the companies of Captains Stack and Lee of Colonel Mitchell's regiment, Hampshire County, Virginia in the spring of 1780.
...Abijah Flora, a carpenter from Virginia served in the Revolutionary War. He settled in Hellers Bottom on Paint Creek in Twin Township, Ross County, Ohio. He died at the age of 70.
...In his pension application he claimed to have been born in 1757 in Hampshire County, Virginia and that he moved to Ross County, Ohio in 1799. Abijah probably followed his uncle Robert Flora to Mason County, Kentucky and spent a few years there before coming to Ohio in 1799. Abijah Flora appears as witness on a Mason County, Kentucky land deed in 1798.
...A party of forty or so families from the Mason County, Kentucky area started a new settlement on Paint Creek, now Ross County, Ohio. Some of the settlers were also from the Hampshire County, Virginia area and included Abijah. His son Thomas, a long time resident of Ross County, furnished a substitute in the war of 1812. Friends were: Rev. James B. Finley, William Murphy, Jacob Myers and Simon Girty, Jr.
...The 1784 census of Hampshire County, Virginia lists Abijah Flora three souls, 1 dwelling. Abijah and Isaac Flora witnessed a survey for Joseph Flora at mouth of Steer run on the Potomac River. 9 July 1782. (Source: Gladys Donson and Lawrence F. Athy, Jr., "The Thomas Flora Family of London, Maryland & Virginia", (Houston, TX: Donath Publishing, 1995), pg. 18)

REVOLUTIONARY WAR PENSION RECORD...(R. 3, 616)
Virginia
Ohio, Ross County, 19 Nov. 1832
...Personally appeared before the Judges of the Supreme court of Ross County, Abijah Flora, a resident of Twin Township, aged 75 years, doth on his oath make this declaration:
...That he enlisted in the Revolutionary Army from Hampshire County, Virginia, where he resided, about the spring of the year 1780. He served under captains Stocton and Lee, in Col. Mitchell's Regiment of Regular Troops. He was employed the whole time Boating Provisions from the mouth of the Conegochea to Old Town in Maryland for the Western Army. At the Expiration of his tour of 6 months he was discharged, but he has lost his discharge.
...That from information received from his parents he was born in Hampshire County, Virginia, in the year 1757, where he resided until 1799, when he removed to Ross County, Ohio, where he has resided for the last 33 years.
...That he has no documentary evidence of his services, and knows of no Person whose testimony he can procure, except the testimony of Phillip Hartley, which is herewith attached.
Signed Abijah (his mark) Flora

...Phillip Hartley of Pike County, Ohio, deposed that he was intimately acquainted with Abijah Flora while he resided in Hampshire County, Va., which was from his youth until the close of the Revolution.
...Said Abijah Flora enlisted and served his country, boating for the time of six months previoius to the surrender of Cornwallis.
...Mr. John Hicks and Mr. William Keane, both clergymen and residing in Twin Township, certify that they are well acquainted with Abijah Flora and believe him to be 75 years of age, and from long acguaintance with him know that he is a man of strictest truth.
Ohio, Ross County, 27, Sept. 1852

...Thomas Flora, aged about 70 years, and Robert Flora, aged about 64 years, residence of Ross County, state on oath that they are sons of Abijah Flora, deceased, who was a soldier in the Revolution, whose claim for a pension is suspended at the Pension Office at Washington City.
...Said Abijah died in Ross co. in 1840, they believe May 10.
...Their mother was named Margaret Flora, died in Ross County, 22 March 1838. Their father and mother were married in 1775. They resided in Ross Co. from 1799 to their deaths.
...They have appointed James McLain, attorney, to procure for them and other heirs at law of Abijah Flora, to demand and receive from the U. S. Government all manner of Claims for Pension, Increase of Pension, land, or what may be due us as children of Abijah Flora.
...John Flora, aged 62, adds his testimony in same words, except that he states his brothers and himself were the only surviving children of Abijah at his death. (Source: Compiled by, Walter W. Bunderman, "Flory, Flora, Fleury", (Lebanon County Flory Reunion Organization 1948) pg. 272 supplement)


- One of the first settlers in "hallers bottom" (Upper Twin Rd.)- Was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War
- Twin Twsp. election of 1810 he was elected "fence viewer".
- He entered service from Hampshire Co. VA 1780-81 to transport military supplies by riverboat during the Revolutionary War.
- He moved to Ross Co. in 1799.
- Application for bounty land warrant was denied because he did not serve 6 months.
- Supposedly is buried in Old Twin Cemetery.
- Info from: Virginia/West Virginia Genealogical Doct. from Rev. War Pension and Bounty Land Records Vol. 2 Dabbs - Hyslop. compiled by Patrick G. Wardell Lt. Col. US Army retired. Heritage books Inc
Find A Grave Memorial# 46257895

Birth:
now West Virginia

History / Bio:

Abijah Flora, a carpenter, emigrated from Virginia to Ohio, or the then Northwestern Territory, at a very early day; he served in the war of the Revolution as lieutenant of his company; was one of the first settlers in Heller's bottom on Paint creek; died age seventy years. His son, Thomas, has been a resident of Ross county upward of sixty years; he was called out during the war of 1812, and furnished a substitute. He was a great hunter in his younger days; and when quite a lad he went on hunting expedition with his father and the Rev. James B. Finley, William Murphy, Jacob Myers, and Simon Girty, Jr., son of the noted Simon Girty, of historical notoriety. The company started with dogs and guns, and upon arriving at a small creek—now known as Black run, the dividing line between Huntington and Twin townships—on the farm now owned by Mr. John Schligle, of Chillicothe, just above the barn now being built on the left of the road, the dogs treed a bear up a large poplar, of which tree the stump and part of the body still remain. They managed to shoot the old hear, and cutting down the tree found two young cubs. Mr. Flora says he enjoyed the sport finely, and would like to live those days over again. At another time, his father and Mr. George Vincent Heller were out walking on Sunday morning, through the beautiful forest bottoms of Paint creek, when they discovered some bear tracks in the soft ground, and followed them to a large elm tree, and found there was a den in the hollow of the tree several feet up. They started to inform their neighbors, and soon collected quite a number of men, women,, and children, who with dogs and guns went along to see the fun. The first thing they did was to cut a small tree and lodge it against the one containing the bear; this accomplished, Jr. Jacob Heller went up the tree which had been lodged, and found the hole in the tree extended several feet down in the body, but they managed to get Mr. Heller a long papaw pole, to which they attached a bunch of hickory bark, which they set on fire, and when in full blaze, Mr. Heller thrust it down in the hollow of the tree. Bruin soon made his appearance at the entrance of the hold, when George Heller raised his gun to shoot; he told Jacob his head was in the way; he answered to fire away, as he was the matter of an inch or so out of the way; his brother fired, and the fur from the bear flew into his face and eyes, so close was he to the bear. The bear fell to the ground, and amidst the howls of dogs, and shouts of men, and screams of women and children, bruin was hastily dispatched.
At another time, a Mr. Murphy treed a bear, and collected several of his neighbors, with their dogs and guns' among them Mr. Flora, my informant, then quite a lad. The tree was hollow, and when it fell the tree broke in two where the hole was. An old bear and two cubs rolled out, and immediately took to flight, the dogs and men in full chase; they soon overtook and dispatched them.
On returning, they passed by the tree which they had felled, when Mr. Flora, out of curiosity, stooped down and peeped in the hollow tree as it lay, when, to his surprise, out jumped another yearling bear, which took after him. He ran a short distance, and finding the bear about to overtake him, he turned and ran back, the bear in full chase. He mounted the stump of the fallen tree, when the dogs came to his relief, and soon one of the party of men came up and dispatched the bear with his rifle, much to the relief of the boy.

Abijah married Margaret _____ in 1775 in Hampshire County, Virginia, British Colonial America. Margaret was born before 1761 in Hampshire County, Virginia, British Colonial America; died on 22 Mar 1838 in Ross County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Deborah married William Murphy on 24 Aug 1804 in Ross County, Ohio, United States. William and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Robert Flora, age 73, is listed with Hugh Murphy and Sarah his wife in the 1870 census. (Sarah is a daughter of Robert) Robert appears in Jackson County, Ohio tax records in 1826, 1829 and 1831.

Robert married Elsy Detty on 20 Feb 1817 in Jackson County, Ohio, United States. Elsy was born about 1795 in Virginia, United States; died before 1873. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Census: 1830, Twin Township, Ross County, Ohio, United States

Notes:

John is listed in the 1860 census of Ross County, age 68, born Virginia

John married Sarah Findley on 30 Oct 1817 in Jackson County, Ohio, United States. Sarah died about 1836 in Ross County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

John married Susanna Ward on 3 Jan 1841 in Clermont County, Ohio, United States. Susanna and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Name: Caty Flora

Catherine married Simon Johnson on 7 Feb 1820 in Ross County, Ohio, United States. Simon was born on 23 Mar 1798 in Kentucky, United States; died on 14 Feb 1876 in Ross County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married James Peterson on 22 Oct 1820 in Jackson County, Ohio, United States. James and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Birth: Abt 1800, Virginia, United States
• Census: 1830, Twin Township, Ross County, Ohio, United States

Notes:

Ross County, Ohio, 1827, Thomas Flora creditor, estate of Jacob and Nancy Meyers. 13 September 1828 Thomas Flora and Mary, his wife, of Ross County sell 35 acres on Paint Creek to William Everhart. Witness: William Murphy. (Source: Donald H. Strong, "Southeastern Ohio Genealogies", (Preston, ID: D.H. Strong, 1992), pg. F6)

1830 census of Ross County, Ohio.
Males age 5-10 (1)
Males age 40-50 (1)
Females age 0-5 (1)
Females age 5-10 (1)
Females age 10-15 (1)
Females age 15-20 (1)
Females age 20-30 (1)
Females age 30-50 (1)

1850 census Ross County, Ohio
Thomas Flora age 36 male, born Virginia
Martha age 30 female, born Virginia
Anne age 14 female, born Ohio
Catherine age 12 female, born Ohio
America age 9 female, born Ohio
Rebecca age 7 female, born Ohio

Family/Spouse: Mary Meyers. Mary (daughter of Jacob Meyers) was born in in Virginia, United States; died on 23 Apr 1833; was buried in Apr 1833 in Ross County, Ohio, United States. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]