Født 25 Jan 1766 Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, USA
Død 22 Feb 1865 Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, USA
The Forcey (was earlier called Forcee) family traces its beginning back to Thomas Forcey, born of French parents in 1766. As a child he was taken captive by the Indians in NC, along with his parents. Several times he attempted to escape, was recaptured, but was finally successful during the winter of '76 or '77. Realizing the necessity of concealing himself, young Thomas hid in the woods of New Jersey. At the sound of horses hoofs one day, he peered from his place of hiding to see a longed-for white man. Running out to ask his help he found the man to be George Washington. he held the reins of the great general's horse while Washington drank from a near-by spring, the boy telling him the while of his experiences. After hearing the lad's story, Washington took him along to camp, where he was made a drummer boy ( no doubt substitute) in which capacity he acted during the battle of Brandywine. While the defense troops were stationed along the Brandywine River and at Chadds Ford, Thomas was promoted to the rank of messenger to them.
Thomas, Forcey, our grandfather, was the grandson of this Thomas Forcey. His father was Matthew. Thomas came to Clearfield ( from Delaware or Maryland) with his wife, about the time of the organization of Clearfield county in 1804. There he settled at 'Polk's Bottom', now Reedsville. The last years of his life were spent on a farm called 'Fairview,' a mile or two from Dale's Church, Bradford Twp., where he was buried in 1865. The D.A.R. marker was placed on his grave during the summer of 1924.
Grave is marked by D.A.R. (moshannon chapter) as follows: 'Continental Army --- 1776'
As for source, I assume this was written to my Grandmother, Ora Holt, by her cousin, Mary Holt Myers (MHM) as they shared the same grandfather (Thomas Forcey), and passed to me by my mother, Frances Smith, daughter of Ora Holt. May Holt Myers (MHM) also provided my Mother most of the Holt data referenced here in and in my files. It could have been a carbon typed (Unknown) sheet of paper that my Mother got from her Mother , Ora Holt (or retyped). Written by Richard Holt Gates, Sr. gatesrh@@aol.com
[OWT Holt SOUTHE~1.FTW]
1. The following text is copied verbatim from papers I have received from two other members of the Forcey clan. In both cases, the text I received had been copied from an old history book, but with no reference to the book attached, and I have not been able to locate the original as yet.
'The Forcey family traces its beginning back to Thomas Forcee, born of French parents in 1766. As a child he was taken captive by the Indians in NC, along with his parents. Several times he attempted to escape, was recaptured, but was finally successful during the winter of' 76 or '77. Realizing the necessity of concealing himself, young Thomas hid himself in the woods of New Jersey. At the sound of horses hoofs one day, he peered from his place of hiding to see a longed for white man. Running out to ask his help, he found the man to be George Washington. He held the reins of the great general's horse while Washington drank from a nearby spring, the boy telling him the while of his experiences.After hearing the lad's story, Washington took him along to camp, where he was made drummer-boy (no doubt substitute), in which capacity he acted during the Battle of Brandywine. While the defense troops were stationed along the Brandywine and at Chad's Ford, Thomas was promoted to rank of messenger to them.
Thomas Forcee came to Clearfield (from Delaware or Maryland) with his wife, about the time of the organization of Clearfield Co. in 1804.There he settled at 'Polk's Bottom', now Reedsville. The last years of his life were spent on a farm, a mile or two from Dale's Church, Bradford Township, where he was buried in 1865. The D.A.R. marker was placed on his grave during the summer of 1924.'
2. In addition to this info, I have found reference in Hotten's 'Original Lists of Persons of Quality...' of a Thomas Forcey transported to Barbados on the order of the infamous hanging judge Jeffries in 1685, along with hundreds of other convicted members of the losing army of Monmouth's Rebellion. This Thomas had been in Dorchester gaol(jail) and was sold as an indentured servant to a Lt. Colonel Richard Vintner. See also the 'Complete Book of Immigrants' by P.W. Coldham. Hotten shows a Thomas Forcey coming to the New Jersey area from Barbados. I have no idea if these Forceys are Thomas' ancestors or not, although it seems a good possibility.
3. The 'Commemorative Biographical Record of Centre Co.', in an article on David Forcey, states that the family is of German and Irish ancestry, and that Thomas Forcee came to Clearfield Co. in approx.1790 from Delaware.
4. 1850 census of Clearfield Co. (Bradford township) shows Thomas Forcee, age 77 [born 1773], born in New Jersey.
6. He is buried in Dales cemetery, Bradford township, Clearfield county,PA. Tombstone states age of 99 years 1 month 27 days. Grave has a DAR marker for Continental Army - 1776, and another that says RevolutionaryWar.
7. The 'Commemorative Biographical Record of Central PA', in an article about, Thomas H. Forcey the banker, states that this Thomas was born in Delaware in 1766 and came to Clearfield county at that age of 24, which would have been about 1790. In another article on David Forcey, the same book states that the Forceys are of German stock. Doesn't quite agreewith them being French Huguenots.
