Dickinson Family Tree - Person Sheet
Dickinson Family Tree - Person Sheet
Occupationjudge of superior court, 2nd district of Georgia, 1796-17992
Occupationdirector of Manhattan Bank, NYC, 1804-18142
FatherWilliam Few Sr. (1714-1794)
MotherMary Wheeler (1710-1779)
Notes for Lt. Col. William Few Jr.
William Few, Jr, born 1748, has an impressive list of achievements for one who has been labeled "in every sense a selfmade man...who conquering almost insurmountable odds, fought his way from obscurity to honor and distinction." From his own autobiography we read: "When about 6 or 7 years of age, I was sent to a country school of the lowest grade. The teacher was an ill-natured, arbitrary man, who punished with vigor and enforced his precepts by terror." His next teacher, however, gave him the greatest incentive to learn: the desire for knowledge.
He was offered the commission of Captain in the North Carolina Continental Troops, but having settled his father's business,he decided to join his family in Saint Paul's Parish, Georgia, in the fall of 1776, at the age of 28. He joined the Colonial militia and fought against the British. He was elected to the Georgia legislature in 1777. In 1780 he was sent by Georgia, to the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia. In 1786 William Few was appointed a member of the United States Congress. On 17 September 1789 William Few signed the Constitution on behalf of Georgia. In 1796 William was named Judge of the Superior Court of the Second District of Georgia and held this position until 1799 when he resigned due to health.
At age 51, William Few Jr. began a second career in New York. His wife Frances (Whitter) Nicholson, was born in New York. In 1804 he was named Director of Manhattan Bank, a position he held until 1814, when he was appointed president of City Bank of New York. He died 16 July 1828 at Fishkill, New York, but in 1973 his body was returned and buried in Augusta, Georgia.
Received Dec. 26, 1999 from Charles Lee (cllee@fls.infi.net) National Archives Record of William Few.
William Few Georgia
Image: National Archives, Records of Exposition, Anniversary, and Memorial Commissions (148-CP-157)
Few was born in 1748. His father's family had emigrated from England to Pennsylvania in the 1680s, but the father had subsequently moved to Maryland, where he married and settled on a farm near Baltimore. William was born there. He encountered much hardship and received minimal schooling. When he was 10 years of age, his father, seeking better opportunity, moved his family to North Carolina.
In 1771 Few, his father, and a brother associated themselves with the "Regulators," a group of frontiersmen who opposed the royal governor. As a result, the brother was hanged, the Few family farm was destroyed, and the father was forced to move once again, this time to Georgia. William remained behind, helping to settle his father's affairs, until 1776 when he joined his family near Wrightsboro, Ga. About this time, he won admittance to the bar, based on earlier informal study, and set up practice in Augusta.
When the War for Independence began, Few enthusiastically aligned himself with the Whig cause. Although largely self-educated, he soon proved his capacity for leadership and won a lieutenant-colonelcy in the dragoons. In addition, he entered politics. He was elected to the Georgia provincial congress of 1776 and during the war twice served in the assembly, in 1777 and 1779. During the same period, he also sat on the state executive council besides holding the positions of surveyor-general and Indian commissioner. He also served in the Continental Congress (1780-88), during which time he was reelected to the Georgia Assembly (1783).
Four years later, Few was appointed as one of six state delegates to the Constitutional Convention, two of whom never attended and two others of whom did not stay for the duration. Few himself missed large segments of the proceedings, being absent during all of July and part of August because of congressional service, and never made a speech. Nonetheless, he contributed nationalist votes at critical times. Furthermore, as a delegate to the last sessions of the Continental Congress, he helped steer the Constitution past its first obstacle, approval by Congress. And he attended the state ratifying convention.
Few became one of his state's first U.S. senators (1789-93). When his term ended, he headed back home and served again in the assembly. In 1796 he received an appointment as a federal judge for the Georgia circuit. For reasons unknown, he resigned his judgeship in 1799 at the age of 52 and moved to New York City.
Few's career continued to blossom. He served 4 years in the legislature (1802-5) and then as inspector of prisons (1802-10), alderman (1813-14), and U.S. commissioner of loans (1804). From 1804 to 1814 he held a directorship at the Manhattan Bank and later the presidency of City Bank. A devout Methodist, he also donated generously to philanthropic causes.
When Few died in 1828 at the age of 80 in Fishkill-on-the-Hudson (present Beacon), he was survived by his wife (born Catherine Nicholson) and three daughters. Originally buried in the yard of the local Reformed Dutch Church, his body was later reinterred at St. Paul's Church, Augusta, GA.
He was offered the commission of Captain in the North Carolina Continental Troops, but having settled his father's business,he decided to join his family in Saint Paul's Parish, Georgia, in the fall of 1776, at the age of 28. He joined the Colonial militia and fought against the British. He was elected to the Georgia legislature in 1777. In 1780 he was sent by Georgia, to the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia. In 1786 William Few was appointed a member of the United States Congress. On 17 September 1789 William Few signed the Constitution on behalf of Georgia. In 1796 William was named Judge of the Superior Court of the Second District of Georgia and held this position until 1799 when he resigned due to health.
At age 51, William Few Jr. began a second career in New York. His wife Frances (Whitter) Nicholson, was born in New York. In 1804 he was named Director of Manhattan Bank, a position he held until 1814, when he was appointed president of City Bank of New York. He died 16 July 1828 at Fishkill, New York, but in 1973 his body was returned and buried in Augusta, Georgia.
Received Dec. 26, 1999 from Charles Lee (cllee@fls.infi.net) National Archives Record of William Few.
William Few Georgia
Image: National Archives, Records of Exposition, Anniversary, and Memorial Commissions (148-CP-157)
Few was born in 1748. His father's family had emigrated from England to Pennsylvania in the 1680s, but the father had subsequently moved to Maryland, where he married and settled on a farm near Baltimore. William was born there. He encountered much hardship and received minimal schooling. When he was 10 years of age, his father, seeking better opportunity, moved his family to North Carolina.
In 1771 Few, his father, and a brother associated themselves with the "Regulators," a group of frontiersmen who opposed the royal governor. As a result, the brother was hanged, the Few family farm was destroyed, and the father was forced to move once again, this time to Georgia. William remained behind, helping to settle his father's affairs, until 1776 when he joined his family near Wrightsboro, Ga. About this time, he won admittance to the bar, based on earlier informal study, and set up practice in Augusta.
When the War for Independence began, Few enthusiastically aligned himself with the Whig cause. Although largely self-educated, he soon proved his capacity for leadership and won a lieutenant-colonelcy in the dragoons. In addition, he entered politics. He was elected to the Georgia provincial congress of 1776 and during the war twice served in the assembly, in 1777 and 1779. During the same period, he also sat on the state executive council besides holding the positions of surveyor-general and Indian commissioner. He also served in the Continental Congress (1780-88), during which time he was reelected to the Georgia Assembly (1783).
Four years later, Few was appointed as one of six state delegates to the Constitutional Convention, two of whom never attended and two others of whom did not stay for the duration. Few himself missed large segments of the proceedings, being absent during all of July and part of August because of congressional service, and never made a speech. Nonetheless, he contributed nationalist votes at critical times. Furthermore, as a delegate to the last sessions of the Continental Congress, he helped steer the Constitution past its first obstacle, approval by Congress. And he attended the state ratifying convention.
Few became one of his state's first U.S. senators (1789-93). When his term ended, he headed back home and served again in the assembly. In 1796 he received an appointment as a federal judge for the Georgia circuit. For reasons unknown, he resigned his judgeship in 1799 at the age of 52 and moved to New York City.
Few's career continued to blossom. He served 4 years in the legislature (1802-5) and then as inspector of prisons (1802-10), alderman (1813-14), and U.S. commissioner of loans (1804). From 1804 to 1814 he held a directorship at the Manhattan Bank and later the presidency of City Bank. A devout Methodist, he also donated generously to philanthropic causes.
When Few died in 1828 at the age of 80 in Fishkill-on-the-Hudson (present Beacon), he was survived by his wife (born Catherine Nicholson) and three daughters. Originally buried in the yard of the local Reformed Dutch Church, his body was later reinterred at St. Paul's Church, Augusta, GA.