Richard Falley Jr. (January 31, 1740 – September 3, 1808) was a soldier who fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Early life Falley was born on January 31, 1740, in St. George, Maine. He was the son of Richard and Anna (Lamb) Falley. His father was born on Guernsey, but was reputedly kidnapped as a boy and brought to Nova Scotia.Excerpts From The Hitchcock Genealogy, Compiled for the Register by H. G. Cleveland, Esq., of Cleveland, Ohio.
Career At age 16, Falley joined the Provincial Army and was among those captured by Native Americans at the surrender of Fort Edward. He was taken to Montreal and adopted into the tribe. Later he was ransomed from the tribe by a woman for 16 gallons of rum and returned to Westfield.Roberts, George Simon. Historic towns of the Connecticut River Valley. Robson & Adee, Schenectady, New York, 1906. convenience link He later joined Captain Park’s company as an ensign and commanded a company at the Battle of Bunker Hill where his 14-year-old son, Frederick, served there as a drummer, and reportedly "drummed all through the fight." During the American Revolution, Falley made guns for the Continental Army at an armory at the foot of Tekoa Mountain in Montgomery, Massachusetts. For many years he supported the Arsenal as Master Armorer and later the Armory at Springfield, Massachusetts.
On May 27, 1775 after the Battles of Lexington and Concord Falley was appointed as Massachusetts Armorer on order of the Provincial Congress . In 1777 George Washington with the suggestion of Henry Knox established an arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts to store muskets, cannon, and other weapons. Falley witnessed the surrender of British General John Burgoynea and Hessian General Friedrich von Adolf Riedesel Continental Army to American General Horatio Gates after The Battles of Saratoga on October 17, 1777. On December 8, 1798 Falley was awarded a contract to produce 1,000 Charleville type pattern muskets for the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts
Personal life On December 24, 1761, Falley married Margaret Hitchcock (b. May 25, 1741, Westfield, MA - d. February 11 or 18, 1820, Volney (now Fulton), NY) in Westfield, Massachusetts. Together they had 11 children, 10 of whom survived. Lovisa Falley, b. Dec 3, 1763 Frederick Falley, b. Jan 2, 1765 Margaret Falley, b. Nov 15, 1766 Richard Falley III, b. Sept 15, 1768 Russell Falley, b. Oct 5, 1770 Daniel Falley, b. Dec 3, 1772 (did not survive) Daniel Falley, b. Nov 15, 1773 Ruth Falley, b. Dec 7, 1775 Lewis Falley, b. Jan 15, 1778 Samuel Falley, b. Oct 9, 1780 Alexander Falley, b. Apr 4, 1783
Death and legacy Falley died on September 3, 1808, in Westfield, Massachusetts. He was buried at the Old Burying Grounds off of Mechanic Street in Westfield.
Through his daughter Margaret, Falley was the grandfather of Richard Falley Cleveland, who was the father of Grover Cleveland (twice President of the United States).The New York Times, 20 August 1884. "Gov. Cleveland's Grandmother; Something about His Family on the Maternal Side". Retrieved May 31, 2011.
Falley Drive in Westfield, Massachusetts, is named for him.
References
External links Historical Marker for Lieut. Richard Falley. The twice president and the Guernsey boy, BBC News. 2024 Patriots Day Ceremony – Lt. Richard Falley, Jr.. Richard Falley Jr., The Agawam Cultural Council. Richard Falley Jr. (1740-1808), Find a Grave Memorial. Lt. Richard Falley Monument - Westfield, MA, Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com. Agawam author shares slice of Western Massachusetts history, - masslive.com. Richard Falley Musket, Revolution Happened Here.
Bibliography `Madison, Robert R. (2022). Biography of Lt. Richard Falley, Jr.: General Washington’s Secret Armory. Silver Street Media. ISBN 9781542206877.