FramptonNarrative

"Framp" means "strong or firm" and is from a British word meaning "fair" or "Brisk," and the "ton" at the end of the name means "farmstead" or "enclosure." Frampton means "one who comes from Frampton." It is a habitation name, taken from various places. There were about ten places in Glouschestershire and one Dorset, England with the name. Most locations take the name from the Frome river and the Old English word "tun" which means an enclosure or settlement. A primary location was the homestead Frampton on the Frome River in England. It was in what was known as Freola's people village--"freo," means free. The place called Fampton in Lincs probably gets its name from the Old English name "Framece," a derivative of "fram," which means valient, plus the Old English "tun." In Doresethsire, northwest of Dorchester, was a town of Frampton. Three parishes are known as Frampton Courts.

Framptons are from the Anglo-Saxons in England of about the 10th century. Descendants are traced to Norman, Welsh, Saxon, or Irish ancestors. The family was of the aristocracy of England--the House of Frampton. They derived maternally from a Norman chieftan. The "ton" ending of the name indicates they were Anglo-Saxons--not Celts, Danes, or Germans since the ending is not found in those names. At the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, the principal seat of the English Framptons was at Dorsetshire, in the County of Dorset. In 1794, a pavement of unusual size and beauty was unearthed at Frampton in Doreset. It was a pavement laid during the Roman occupation.

In 1300, John Frampton's oldest son married Marjorie Morton, of Morton (Moreton) House. A Frampton served as a member of Parliament in 1354, was knighted in 1371. A Frampton was Knighted, made Sheriff in 1387, and was granted a crest and a coat-of-arms. The Framptons actually have two family crests or coat-of-arms. The first is a greyhound sitting and has a collar ring with wings. The second crest a fabled creature--a demi-griffin (a half-griffin)--with claws outstretched. Between the claws is a mullet or staff.

In Burke's "Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland" the Frampton family of England are spoken of as "Frampton of Moreton in 1355. John De Frampton was returned to serve in that year in Parliament for the borough of Dorchester in the County of Dorset His son Walter De Frampton acquired the manor and estate of Moreton by marriage. It was entailed and is in the possession of the family still. There seems to be a William in almost every generation.

Mr. James Frampton built the present house at Moreton in 1746 on the site of the ancient mansion, also the church in 1776 on the site of the former church. He died in 1781 and was succeeded by his only son, the present James Frampton of Moreton. Col. James Frampton served as high sheriff for the County of Dorset in 1793." They have arms and a crest, the latter a greyhound; the motto is "Perseverando." The family seat is at Moreton in Dorsetshire.

John Frampton of England, born in 1581, was a merchant and a compatriot of John Hampden, Oliver Cromwell and other members of the Parliament which resisted the aggressions of Charles I., and founded the English Commonwealth.

According to Tony Rebuck in his files on the Framptons and Northumbland County Genealogy in the USGenWeb Archives and from which much of this information is taken, John Frampton was probably the grandfather of William Frampton, the ancestor of the American branch. In the Pennsylvania Archives, and in the Colonial Records, are found numerous references to his services and participation in important affairs. He was a brother-in-law of Robert Turner (a prominent member of Penn's council), with whom we frequently find his name associated in public service. His business was evidently that of merchant, as his name first appears in the Provincial records in the year 1683, as a merchant to whom certain bills (given) were due for merchandise; and among the proceedings attending a common council meeting March 1, 1683-84, from minutes of the common council, City of New York, 1675-1696, we find the following:

"Pursuant to an order from the Mayor and aldermen and common Council, bareing date the 23rd of Feb. 1683-4 appointing us underwritten as A Committee to make a listt of all barques, sloopes, and open boates, Belonging to this Porte, and to inquire wt vessels are in Areare for their Dockage doe returne this underwritten as Our Report (233) and cannot understand what vessels are in Ateare. 2 Sloopes - Francis Richardson, Wm. Frampton." Then follows a long list of other boats and owners.

In New, York is also found a record, 27th day of 9th month, 1678, showing that William Frampton was present at the marriage of George Masters and Mary Willis, [Item found in Lennox Library, New York City.] At the Hall of Records, New York City, there are two deeds, both long documents, one from William Frampton to Alexander Farley, Lib. XIII, page 42; date of instrument Oct. 17, 1681; recorded May 16, 1684; place of residence, New York City; Merchant. The second is from "Wm. fframpton & Elizabeth his wife, Grantors, to Daniel Butts, Grantee. 13 Lib., 44th Page. Date of Instrument, May 15th, 1684. Recorded May 27th, 1684." This property was on Newe street, a short street two blocks long, extending from Wall street to Exchange place. The deed is dated thus: "15th day in the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Sovereign Lord Charles ye 2nd by the grace of God of Eng., Scot., France & Ireland, Defender of the faith."

William Frampton was a large landholder in Philadelphia county, as shown in the Pennsylvania Archives, where lists are preserved of the first purchasers of lots in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia was laid out in 1682, and as previously noted William Frampton was a member of William Penn's first Provincial council, for the government of the Province of Pennsylvania (and the lower counties, now called Delaware), and he represented Kent County, Del., in that council.

William Frampton married Elizabeth, sister of Mary, wife of Philip Richards, but as we find no record of his marriage it was presumably lost or destroyed, as he was too prominent a man for the record not to have been made. His widow remarried, as in the meeting held 8th Mo., 26th, 1688, Richard Basnet or Bassnett and Elizabeth Frampton declared their intentions of marriage. Elizabeth was desired "to make what reasonable provision she could for her children before the next monthly meeting." 9th Mo., 13th, the Friends finding nothing to obstruct their marriage set them at liberty to accomplish it "according to the good order of Truth." No record appears to have been preserved of their marriage certificate, though there is the following record: "At the Philadelphia monthly meeting, Elizabeth Frampton to Richard Bassnet, 9th Mo., 30th, 1688."

Thomas Frampton, son of William, married an Ellis, first name unknown, who was probably the daughter of Thomas Ellis of Burlington, N. J. They had three children: John, Hannah (who married David Price) and another child, name unknown. [The death of a Thomas Frampton, 10th Mo., 27th, 1726, is mentioned among the Friends' records.]

John Frampton, son of Thomas, lived and died in Cumberland county, Pa., in Derry township, near the town of Carlisle, which was then little more than a trading post. He owned a farm. He married a Critchfleld, first name unknown, and they had sons: William, John, Samuel, Nathaniel and Arthur, who have numerous descendants in various parts of the country. One of Nathaniel's descendants became a Mormon. John, Arthur and Samuel served in the Revolutionary war, as members of the "Cumberland County Rangers."

William Frampton, son of John, was a very successful and wealthy farmer of Mifflin county, Pa., living near what is now Lewiston. He married Sarah Staley, and died in 1829, in Clarion county, when over eighty years old, and is buried near Churchville, in that county. Previous to his time the family had all been Quakers, but he became a Baptist, and all his numerous descendants have clung to that faith. He had an only son, David, and several daughters, whose descendants are numerous.

David Frampton, son of William, born near Lewistown, Pa., removed to a farm near Reidsburg, Clarion Co., Pa. He married Hannah Lobaugh (also spelled Lobach), who was of Holland-Dutch lineage, and they had sons Samuel, William, Abraham, Jonathan, David and Reid, and a number of daughters.

Samuel Frampton, son of David, born in 1810, died in 1887. He was a well-to-do farmer residing near Clarion, Pa. He married Eveline Reynolds, granddaughter of a Revolutionary soldier, and of Scotch and English descent. They had children: Richard; Thomas; Byron Hays; and several daughters, one of whom, Ida, is the wife of J. S. Wrightnour, D. D., a graduate of Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Byron Hays Frampton, of Clarion Pa., youngest son of Samuel, married Nellie Mohney and they became the parents of three children: James Villiard (who was a student at Bucknell University), Samuel and Romaine.

The foregoing information was assembled from various web sites including the USGenWeb Archives by Tony Rebuck.

William Frampton, son of William, was born near Reidsburg, Pa. After his marriage to Mary Williams, they settled in an area near Mechanicsville, Pa. where he cleared enough acres to farm and build a home. He started both peach and apple orchards. Many years later this home burned down. This is according to information from Clair Gross, son of Ada Guthrie and Alfred Gross, great great grandson of William Frampton

The Clarion County Historical Society's publication in 1975 titled "Clarion County and its beginnings" reads as follows:

"MECHANICSVILLE, formerly called Frampton Post Office, is on the road from Clarion to New Bethlehem. It was one of the very early villages and is about one and a half miles from Brush Run settlement, the earliest settlement in what is now Clarion County. The post office was named Frampton, for William Frampton, an early settler there. His wife, Mary Williams, was daughter of Amos Williams of Williamsburg. William Frampton was not only a farmer, but also a mechanic and made all his own tools and some for others. He had three apprentices who worked for four dollars a month, and they had to provide their onw candles. This activity resulted in the settlement being called Mechanicsville.

WILLIAMSBURG is a village situated on the road about half way between Clarion and reidsburg on route 68. It was settled by Amos Williams for whom it was named. He came from Mifflin County in 1807. He had a family of nine daughters ... by his first wife Elizabeth Mitchell. His first wife died and he married Ruth Lowrey Andeson. They had four sons and a daughter. . . . . The pioneer Amos Williams was the first treasurer of Clarion County, appointed by the Commissioners. He was also instrumental in organizing the Zion Baptist Church in Reidsburg. He received a warrant for 360 acres of land from the state April 27, 1838. He was one of the few in Clarion County that had slaves, two young boys as shown in the 1850 census."

Wiliam and Mary who were married June 20, 1827, had nine children: Eliza Jane, Agnes Nancy, Amos Jasper, James Fulton, Samuel Ard, Hannah Phylistia, Sarah Emily, Mary Eloner and Martha Anna.

Eliza Jane married William McCullough and had a son David. Agnes Nancy married Samuel Elder and had a daughter Nora. James Fulton married Margaret Humphrey in 1854 and had three sons: William, James and Smith. Samuel Ard married Nancy Magee and had five sons: John, James, Arthur, William and Edward; and three daughters: Cinia, Mary and Sarah.

Amos Jasper born June 11, 1837, son of William and Mary, married Hannah Adelaid McKee born January 30, 1843 on June 26, 1860. They had twelve children.