F - Biographies of Miller County Persons

SAMUEL FARLEYSamuel Farley died in Miller County in October 1852 and his probate estate can be found in Miller County Probate Records. The probate was filed on 16 Oct 1852 with William P. Dixon, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Recorder of Deeds. Information for the estate records were given by his son, Evi B. Farley and his widow, Permelia (Clark) Farley. Permelia was appointed the administrator of the estate.The heirs listed in 1852 included: Emily Farley Keith of Clark Co., MO; Rachel Farley of St. Louis, MO; Editha A. Farley Robertson of St. Louis, MO; E. B. (Evi) Farley, Chloe Farley, Sarah Jane Farley, Eliza Farley, Lucy V. Farley, Emarine Farley, Susan Farley, Virginia Farley, Francis C.C. Farley and his widow, Permelia Farley, all of Miller County, MO.Samuel Farley was born c/1795 in Monroe County, VA, which today is part of West Virginia. He was a son of Francis Farley and Rachel (McMullen), both natives of Virginia. They were parents of 4 children including Samuel and Martin. The names of the other two children are not known at this time. Francis Farley, Samuel's father, died in 1802 and his mother then married Henry Ballengee in Monroe County, VA. The Ballengee family and their children came to Missouri in the early 1830s and settled in what was then Cole County. Later, after the formation of Miller County in 1837, they were residents of Miller County. Samuel Farley came with his mother and stepfather to Missouri and they all settled near one another.Samuel married back in Virginia but the identity of his first wife has not been found. They were parents of seven children including: Emily, Rachel, Evi, Editha, Chloe, Sarah Jane and Eliza. After coming to Missouri, Samuel married his second wife, Permelia A. Clark in Cole County, MO on August 17, 1841. She was 25 years younger than Samuel. Permelia became the mother of five more children before Samuel's death in 1852. Their children were Lucy V., Emarine, Susan, Virginia, and Francis. Since most of Samuel's children were daughters, the name Farley was passed on through his son, Evi B. Farley who married Amanda M. Allen in 1850.Samuel Farley was appointed a road commissioner by the Missouri General Assembly in 1850 to overlook the building of a road from Spanish Prairie, Crawford County, to Tuscumbia, Miller County. He also once lived near Fair Play, on the Osage River, north of present day St. Elizabeth, and while there he owned a steamboat named "Big Red Indian" which ran down the Osage river to the Missouri; onward to the Mississippi; and eventually carried materials and goods all the way to New Orleans.Samuel's brother, Martin Farley, also came to Miller County and settled in Jim Henry Township near present-day Marys Home. Martin and his wife, Elizabeth, married in Virginia before coming to Miller County. I believe they did not come to Missouri as early as Samuel because their children, enumerated in the Miller County 1850 census, appear to have all been born in Virginia and Kentucky. Their children were Nancy, Catherine, Mahala, Owen R., Peter, and Agnes. Some of these Farleys married into the families of Jenkins, Golden, Winters, Morgan, Burtchett, Edgeman, Berry, Staton and Hamacher....Most of the descendants of the Farley family in central Missouri today are from the family of Martin and Elizabeth Farley. Getting back to the family of Samuel Farley, there are some interesting things recorded about his son, Evi B. Farley in Miller County's history. He married Amanda M. Allen in 1850 and they were parents of at least three children: John T. Farley b. 1856; Frank W. Farley b. 1858 and Lucy A. Farley b. 1860. There were probably more children born after 1860 but I have no record of others.Evi B. Farley was prominent in Miller County's politics before and during the Civil War. He was County Clerk and Clerk of the Circuit Court/Recorder from 1857-1863. He was one of the first Trustees of the Village of Tuscumbia and was appointed as the Superintendent of construction when the new courthouse was built in 1858. He was a school commissioner and a commissioner of the Miller county seat of justice. Before he became involved in politics, he was an early school teacher in some of the Miller County schools.Evi supported "Secession" from the Union for Miller County at the beginning of the Civil War. He was among several men who sympathized with the South and as these troops came into the county, he helped them secretly store gunpowder in the courthouse. When discovered by the Union troops, they overtook the courthouse and seized the cache of gunpowder and in the raid, found a small iron cannon! They took the cannon to Camp Union, near Brumley, and put it into use there. In 1862, Evi was one of several men who were levied a fine for supporting the Confederacy. His fine was quite substantial for that day....$160.00.This way of life lasted for two more years for Evi B. Farley. In 1864, he fled from Miller County to avoid arrest and probable imprisonment. I do not know what happened to him and his family because they do not appear in Miller County census records after 1864..... I wonder if he went back to one of the Confederate states to live and rear his young family or did they venture westward to find a new life?

F - Biographies of Miller County Persons

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