I have long known the story that my 4g-grandfather was a Frenchman who came to America to fight with Lafayette in the American Revolution. Census records for his children confirm that their father was from France. Thanks to the French records at "Combattants francais de la guerre americaine 1778-1783" (https://archive.org/details/combattantsfranc00fran), I think I found him. The records are extensive, but many are missing. Nonetheless, I think there's good reason to believe that François Pollée was my guy. He was born in 1758 in Dampierre-sur-Loire. Back then, it was in Anjou. Now it's in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire.
François Pollée enlisted with the Saintonge Regiment on 16 Nov 1776 and served till 1784. Under Rochambeau's command, his regiment plus others sailed from Brest, France, and arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780. He appears to have been a foot soldier, i.e., an infantryman. Tracking the movements of his regiment, it's likely that he fought at Yorktown. A 1900 article about my 3g-grandmother's 97th birthday celebration says that her father came "from France with Gen. Lafayette,...fighting by his side through the war of the American Revolution."
After the war (and perhaps some further service with his regiment), he settled in New York City and anglicized his name. It appears two ways -- Francis Joseph Powley and Joseph Francis Powley. He went by Francis, which is consistent with his French name. The names Francis and Joseph were used in subsequent generations. The newspaper article about his daughter's 97th birthday celebration describes how her father immigrated to New York and married a Miss Shafer. Miss Shafer has yet to be further identified.
His surname appears as Poully and Pailly in early NYC censuses -- perhaps the surname spelling in transition or enumerator confusion? NYC death certificate 4194 says that daughter Charlotte (Powley) Orr's maiden name was Pollee -- my best confirmation of her father's surname.
His death date and location are my best guesses based on what I know so far.
To my knowledge, he had up to nine children including Catherine, Maria[h], Charlotte, Peter (1808-1887), and Francis. There may also have been a John and a Jacob.
--- Mary Richardson July 2022, 3g-granddaughter of Catherine (Powley) Clark
François Pollée enlisted with the Saintonge Regiment on 16 Nov 1776 and served till 1784. Under Rochambeau's command, his regiment plus others sailed from Brest, France, and arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780. He appears to have been a foot soldier, i.e., an infantryman. Tracking the movements of his regiment, it's likely that he fought at Yorktown. A 1900 article about my 3g-grandmother's 97th birthday celebration says that her father came "from France with Gen. Lafayette,...fighting by his side through the war of the American Revolution."
After the war (and perhaps some further service with his regiment), he settled in New York City and anglicized his name. It appears two ways -- Francis Joseph Powley and Joseph Francis Powley. He went by Francis, which is consistent with his French name. The names Francis and Joseph were used in subsequent generations. The newspaper article about his daughter's 97th birthday celebration describes how her father immigrated to New York and married a Miss Shafer. Miss Shafer has yet to be further identified.
His surname appears as Poully and Pailly in early NYC censuses -- perhaps the surname spelling in transition or enumerator confusion? NYC death certificate 4194 says that daughter Charlotte (Powley) Orr's maiden name was Pollee -- my best confirmation of her father's surname.
His death date and location are my best guesses based on what I know so far.
To my knowledge, he had up to nine children including Catherine, Maria[h], Charlotte, Peter (1808-1887), and Francis. There may also have been a John and a Jacob.
--- Mary Richardson July 2022, 3g-granddaughter of Catherine (Powley) Clark
I have long known the story that my 4g-grandfather was a Frenchman who came to America to fight with Lafayette in the American Revolution. Census records for his children confirm that their father was from France. Thanks to the French records at "Combattants francais de la guerre americaine 1778-1783" (https://archive.org/details/combattantsfranc00fran), I think I found him. The records are extensive, but many are missing. Nonetheless, I think there's good reason to believe that François Pollée was my guy. He was born in 1758 in Dampierre-sur-Loire. Back then, it was in Anjou. Now it's in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire.
François Pollée enlisted with the Saintonge Regiment on 16 Nov 1776 and served till 1784. Under Rochambeau's command, his regiment plus others sailed from Brest, France, and arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780. He appears to have been a foot soldier, i.e., an infantryman. Tracking the movements of his regiment, it's likely that he fought at Yorktown. A 1900 article about my 3g-grandmother's 97th birthday celebration says that her father came "from France with Gen. Lafayette,...fighting by his side through the war of the American Revolution."
After the war (and perhaps some further service with his regiment), he settled in New York City and anglicized his name. It appears two ways -- Francis Joseph Powley and Joseph Francis Powley. He went by Francis, which is consistent with his French name. The names Francis and Joseph were used in subsequent generations. The newspaper article about his daughter's 97th birthday celebration describes how her father immigrated to New York and married a Miss Shafer. Miss Shafer has yet to be further identified.
His surname appears as Poully and Pailly in early NYC censuses -- perhaps the surname spelling in transition or enumerator confusion? NYC death certificate 4194 says that daughter Charlotte (Powley) Orr's maiden name was Pollee -- my best confirmation of her father's surname.
His death date and location are my best guesses based on what I know so far.
To my knowledge, he had up to nine children including Catherine, Maria[h], Charlotte, Peter (1808-1887), and Francis. There may also have been a John and a Jacob.
--- Mary Richardson July 2022, 3g-granddaughter of Catherine (Powley) Clark
François Pollée enlisted with the Saintonge Regiment on 16 Nov 1776 and served till 1784. Under Rochambeau's command, his regiment plus others sailed from Brest, France, and arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1780. He appears to have been a foot soldier, i.e., an infantryman. Tracking the movements of his regiment, it's likely that he fought at Yorktown. A 1900 article about my 3g-grandmother's 97th birthday celebration says that her father came "from France with Gen. Lafayette,...fighting by his side through the war of the American Revolution."
After the war (and perhaps some further service with his regiment), he settled in New York City and anglicized his name. It appears two ways -- Francis Joseph Powley and Joseph Francis Powley. He went by Francis, which is consistent with his French name. The names Francis and Joseph were used in subsequent generations. The newspaper article about his daughter's 97th birthday celebration describes how her father immigrated to New York and married a Miss Shafer. Miss Shafer has yet to be further identified.
His surname appears as Poully and Pailly in early NYC censuses -- perhaps the surname spelling in transition or enumerator confusion? NYC death certificate 4194 says that daughter Charlotte (Powley) Orr's maiden name was Pollee -- my best confirmation of her father's surname.
His death date and location are my best guesses based on what I know so far.
To my knowledge, he had up to nine children including Catherine, Maria[h], Charlotte, Peter (1808-1887), and Francis. There may also have been a John and a Jacob.
--- Mary Richardson July 2022, 3g-granddaughter of Catherine (Powley) Clark
Gravesite Details
After immigrating to NYC from France, he lived out his life there. It's likely that he's buried in NYC. Perhaps in Cypress Hills or Greenwood where some of his descendants are buried.
Family Members
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