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William Franklin Draper was born in Virginia on 18 Nov 1824 and died on 30 August 1896 in Springdale, Washington County, Arkansas. On 18 December 1845, he married Mary “Polly” Goode, daughter of Samuel and Nancy Goode, in Henry County, Virginia.1 So far it’s William Franklin’s first “recorded” appearance – at age 21 in 1845 Henry County.
Mary “Polly” Goode was born on 17 Feb 1824 in Franklin County Virginia, and died in 1916 in Los Angeles County, California. Mary’s parents were Samuel and Nancy Craig Goode, and William and Mary’s first two children were named Samuel and Nancy. The Goode family moved from Pennsylvania to Augusta County, Virginia, just like George Draper, but later moved east to Franklin County. Samuel and Nancy married in Franklin County, Virginia, and moved to Henry County in 1833.
Samuel Goode’s grandparents are said to have emigrated from Palatine, Germany, to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Nancy Craig’s grandfather, Thomas Craig Sr., is believed to have immigrated from Scotland or Ireland around the mid 1700s, while his father-in-law, John Jameson, emigrated from Ireland around 1700.
William Franklin and Polly had two children in Henry County in 1846 and 1848: Samuel Martin and Nancy F., probably named for Polly’s parents (and in Samuel’s case William’s father as well). His second son, John Harrison, was born in Henry in 1851, and was probably named for Martin’s brother.
William Franklin does not appear to have owned or purchased land while in Henry County, but he was working a farm in Henry in the 1850 Federal census. William only left three deeds of trust in the Henry County records, but they indicate William owed $100 in 1850, which became $156.70 by the end of 1852, and appears to have had trouble repaying it.
Smith & Clark was either a law firm, bank, or bail bondsman, and posted the money for William, who soon secured the debt with money from his aunt, Frances Draper, William D. Draper Sr.’s widow. He then owed more to Smith & Clark the following year. It seems impossible to find the reason for the debt or the final outcome, but Frances Draper died in 1853 and William left Henry County around that time.
Deed of Trust, Henry County;
9 June 1851
Deed Book 14, page 46
William Draper is indebted to Smith & Clark for $100, and sold to John R. Smith the following property. If William was unable to repay the $100 by 25 Dec 1851, Smith would sell the property at auction.
1 table, 1 wood clock, 6 chairs, 2 beds, three buckets, 1 coffee mill, 1 churn, 1 flat iron, 1 wheel, 1 hand saw, 3 augers, five chisels, Blacksmith’s tools, 1 sett shoemaker’s tools, 1 claw hammer, 1 chest and kitchen furniture, 1 still supposed to hold 300 gallons, 1 still about 80 gallons, 6 or 7 hogsheads, 1 cask, 1 coffee Mill, 1 black horse, 6 head of cattle, 2 [do hogs] & all plantation tools, 1 sett wagon gear, 1 man saddle, 1 woman saddle, 1 crop Tobacco made in year 1850, 1 cutting knife together with all of the crop of Tobacco, Corn, Oats & Wheat now or being made this year.
Deed of Trust; Henry County;
11 Aug 1851
Deed Book 14, page 62
Jonathan Davis became security for William F. Draper for $100 or thereabouts due 25 Dec 1851, and payable to Frances Draper [widow of William D. Draper Sr.]. To secure Davis against loss William F. Draper sold the following property to Christopher Y. Thomas unless the debt was paid by 1 Jan 1852.
2 Stills, two feather beds, steads & furniture, two tables, six chairs, and Walnut Chest, one wood clock together with “all the remainder of my household and Kitchen furniture, also two bay mares, six head of cattle, all my Crop of Corn and Tobacco now growing upon the land on which I now reside, and my plantation and blacksmith’s tools.
Deed of Trust; Henry County
13 April 1852
Deed Book 14, page 137
William Draper is indebted to Smith & Clark for $156.70, and sold to John R. Smith the following property. If William was unable to repay the $156.70 by 25 Dec 1852, Elkanah B. Turner would sell the property at auction and pay Smith & Clark.
9 head of hogs and their increase, two horse waggon, one sorrel mare & her increase, four barrels of flour, together with his growing crop of Corn, Oats Tobacco & Wheat.
Based on this information it is easy to see that William grew Tobacco, Corn, Oats & Wheat, and before the debt at least, he raised cattle and hogs. Most interesting was his commercial-size stills. Elkanah Brammer Draper, his cousin, ran a store near the county courthouse, and obtained a license to sell liquor. It is easy to assume Elkanah may have been William’s outlet. It is also possible the stills lead William into trouble. The standard bail amount back then was $100.
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