James Few was born in 1746 in Hartford (present-day

Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

). His parents were William Few, Sr., and Mary Wheeler (James was their second-oldest son). James migrated with his parents and siblings to

Orange County, North Carolina Orange County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 148,696. Its county seat is Hillsborough. Orange County is included in the Durham–Chapel Hill, NC Metrop ...

circa 1758. Circa 1770, James married Sarah Wood in Orange County, North Carolina. They had twins, William and Sarah, who were born February 9, 1771. James may have been a carpenter, but so far no primary source documents have come to light to prove that he was or that mentions his occupation. James was executed west of

Hillsborough, North Carolina The town of Hillsborough is the county seat of Orange County, North Carolina, United States and is located along the Eno River. The population was 6,087 in 2010, but it grew rapidly to 9,660 by 2020. Its name was unofficially shortened to "Hillsb ...

on May 17, 1771, after taking part in the

Battle of Alamance The Battle of Alamance, which took place on May 16, 1771, was the final battle of the Regulator Movement, a rebellion in Province of North Carolina, colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control, considered by some to be the ...

. He was executed by North Carolina militia troops while they were serving under North Carolina's royal Governor,

William Tryon Lieutenant-General William Tryon (8 June 172927 January 1788) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as governor of North Carolina from 1764 to 1771 and the governor of New York from 1771 to 1777. He also served durin ...

. James was hanged at the militia's camp approximately five miles northeast of the Alamance battlefield (as described by William Tryon in his orders book). His children moved to

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

with their grandparents after his death; his wife Sarah later remarried a

Loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

officer and moved to

Greenwood County, South Carolina Greenwood County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 69,351. Its county seat is Greenwood. Among the 22 counties located in the Piedmont of the state, Greenwood County is cotermino ...

. It is unknown what happened to his body after he was executed; either his family members retrieved it (it took about one day to get to the campsite from their home east of Hillsborough at that time; the campsite was directly on the public road from Hillsborough to

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

, just after the ford over Great Alamance Creek) or he was unceremoniously buried at the campsite in an unmarked grave nearby by the militia troops that hanged him. According to historical rumors, James's "fiancée" was seduced by

Edmund Fanning Edmund Fanning (July 16, 1769 – April 23, 1841) was an American explorer and sea captain, known as the "Pathfinder of the Pacific." Life Born in Stonington in the British Crown Colony of Connecticut to Gilbert and Huldah Fanning, from ne ...

, and James was the "sole support of his widowed mother." However, James was already married (to Sarah Wood) and had twins by her (William and Sarah), and his then 60- or 61-year-old mother lived with his father, William (who didn't pass away until 1794) on their farm near Hillsborough. His brother,

William Few William Few Jr. (June 8, 1748 – July 16, 1828) was an American Founding Father, lawyer, politician and jurist. He represented the U.S. state of Georgia at the Constitutional Convention and signed the U.S. Constitution. Few and James Gunn w ...

, later became known for his service as an officer during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and as a politician in Georgia and

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

External links

The Few family farm
{{DEFAULTSORT:Few, James 1746 births 1771 deaths People from Orange County, North Carolina People from Hillsborough, North Carolina People from Baltimore County, Maryland People of colonial North Carolina History of North Carolina People of colonial Maryland