According to Berkeley County Virginia>West Virginia marriage records David Faris II married Elizabeth Hendricks on June 8, 1786 in Berkeley County, Virginia (West Virginia). They were married by Rev. Hugh Vance as was his sister Nancy.

I know they are living in Berkeley County the next year and have a new baby.  I am assuming this is James who must have been born in the first year of their marriage.  The Personal Property Tax Lists for the Year 1787 for Berkeley County , Virtginia, David, Jr. Farris – Self 0,0,0,2,1

Elizabeth Hendricks is another one of my mystery ancestors.  When I first started my research I wonder why all the Faris’ left Berkeley County right after the turn of the century and how David and Elizabeth ended up in Warren County.  I have answered one question and probably will never anwer the other.  Elizabeth had two sisters or cousins Mary “Rebecca” and Ruth “Priscilla” Hendricks.  Rebecca and Priscilla ended up in Warren County thanks to the Sewell Brothers of Frederick County, Virginia.

From the History of clinton County. “David Sewell, became the owner of one of the Archibald Campbell surveys, No. 2250, on the little East Fork, of what is now Clinton County, containing 1,200 acres, more or less , and made arrangements to move to it, with his sons and son-in-law and daughter, the sons to go it once and his son-in-law and daughter to follow at an early day afterward. Up to this time Aaron [Sewell] had remained a single man. In view of the long journey before the family, he deemed it best to take a wife to himself, and accordingly on the 5th day of April, 1798, in Frederick County, Va., where the family was living, he was married to Mary Hendricks, a sister to the wife of his brother John [Priscilla]. And now, all arrangements being perfected, the party, consisting of the father and mother, John and his family, and Aaron and his family, set out on their journey, and in due time all arrived in safety at Bedell’s Station, in what is now Warren County, one mile south of where Union Village (commonly called “Shaker Town”) now is.”

Somewhere along the way the spelling of his name got changed to Farris. David and Elizabeth moved to Warren County Ohio close to the eastern most part of the county adjacent to Clinton County Ohio in 1806 as was reported in the History of Warren County, Ohio. Records about the David Farris family are found in both Warren and Clinton Counties. Looking at the map below Clarksville is in the center on the right side of the map just across the County line. When David Farris first came to the county he settled near Fort Ancient due west of Clarksville.

“In 1806, David Farris removed from Virginia with a large family, on pack horses, and settled first on the Little East Fork, near the fort in Tribbey’s bottom, and, in 1808, purchased 400 acres, mostly in Warren County, and settled on the Bull Skin road. He was a chair-maker and furnished the settlers with chairs, some of which are still in use or kept as relics of early and honest workmanship.”

David Farris, 200 acres survey 2,229. History of Clinton County, pag e 242.

David Ferris settled in what is now Adams Township as early as 1805 or 1806. History of Clinton County, p. 619; and was early settler of Vernon Township, page 771; and David Farris was appraiser of houses in Vernon Township in 1811. HIst ory of Clinton County, p. 780

I suspect David did what was necesssary to support his large family.

David Farris, 200 acres survey 2,229. History of Clinton County, page 242.

State: Ohio, County: Warren County, Township: Hamilton Township, Year: 1809, Record Type: Tax list, Page: 033, Database: Ohio Early Census Index,

Then tragedy struck when n 1814, he and a daughter, aged fourteen, died of the plague; both were buried in the same grave.

FARRIS, David – Dated 3/11/1814; recorded 6/16/1814. Wife, Elizabeth.

Sons: David, John, William and James.

Daughters: Polly, Charity, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Jane, Nancy, Dolly and Priscilla.

Executors: Eli Haney and Caleb Haney.

Signed: David Farris. Witnesses: Stephen McKinny and Dan?l Freestone. (66)

Source: Gateway to the West, Volume II, Warren Co., Will Abstracts, 18 06-1815, page 670