George William Ralls (1751 - 1795)

Born 9 Oct 1751 in Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co, VA

Ancestors

Husband of Jane (Dame) Ralls — married 13 Jun 1776 in Elizabeth City, Hampton, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died Feb 1795 at age 43 in Centreville, Loudoun Co, VA

Biography

This biography was auto-generated by a GEDCOM import. It's a rough draft and needs to be edited.

Title

Title: Capt.

Event

Event:

Type: Chr/Bpt.

Date: 24 NOV 1751

Note

Note: #NI0077

Sources

Notes

Note NI0077Estate apparently not settled until about 1835, court documents saying that due to the death of administrator George Calvert, the estate remained unrepresented until 9 Nov 1835 when French Strother bas appointed adminstrator.

Served as Capt. in Va Navy during Rev War. Pension Claim rejected.

"The History of Virginia's Navy of The Revolution by Robert Armistead Stewart, ISB #0-8063-1392-7, Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 93-78985 Originally published 1934, reprinted 1993 by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, Md.

Capt. George Ralls, of Elizabeth City Co., Captured at sea twice. LBP

Dr. Brown

There are several pages that occasionally mention Capt. Ralls.

p23

"To the man who proved the agent's undoing John Ball had endeavored

to open Aylett's eyes on March 25, 1777: "Capt. Ralls has not been to

Carolina and from all I can understand will shortly return from hence

without his errand."

p24

"On April 2 Vanbibber pursued for Aylett the theme of the Master of

the Jenny Boat: "As to Pastures & his Boat they are boath clever, I

wish the same cou'd be said of Capt. Ralls and his Crew. He arrived her

after a passage of about 20 days with a Woman passenger. I was at first

determined to load him agreeable to your Instructions the same as if he

had been to Charles Town & performed his voyage, but was the same day

Prevented from it by him and his Crew making publick there Errant."

But Ralls, after discharging his cargo and doubtless the woman in

transit, was supplied with funds by Van Bibber and dispatched to Charles

Town to consummate his indigo commission. And while the Jenny was thus

occupied a prize afell ti a Virginian captain, as Van Bibber recounted

to Aylett in a letter of april 21: "There is just arrived here the

Capt. & Crew of a very fine Schooner that Sailed from here about Two

Hours before Capt. Saintclare (Sinclair) & was bound for Newfoundland,

but Capt. Saintclare over Haul'd him that Night & altered the Schooners

voyage to Virginia and landed such of his Crew (as did not chuse to go

to Virginia) on the Island of Saba. etc.

p25

"Pardon me for Entertaining you with my Remarks & oppinions of your

Officers.

"I speak Impartially & only wish you to know those that are worthy

of your Esteme."

It was conceivably this success that aroused in Ralls, returned

with his cargo of indigo, a sanguine ambition, which without delay came

to fruition. Against a prey marked in advance he stole out one dark

night in his Jenny Boat for a shadowy waylaying that resulted in a

deplorable aftermath. Concerning the whole wretched fiasco Van Bibber,

on June 17, poured out his heart to Col. Aylett, with original diction

and spelling, in a peculiarly affecting recital etc.

(Cont) the 21st May Arrived here Capt. George Ralls in Jenny Boat, he

haveing a Commission I was Obliged to become Security for his good

behaviour & before he could be admitted to an Entry, this being done i

received the goods he brought with him & was ready to Deliver him

another Cargo the same day if he woul have received it but he Delayed

until the 23rd May without any seeming desire to return with a Cargo as

was Intended for him: but came to me the said 23dMay and Inform'd me of

Sundry Vessels then lying in the Road that was British property &

valuable Cargoes that was to Sail soon & in particular one which was to

sail that night, which he seemed determined to capture etc.----However

he left me to proceed on his scheme & did so far well that he went &

cleared out his Vessels property, & the same day A gent'n from Boston

Mr. Samuel Pain said he had been in Company with Capt. Ralls & that he

was very indiscreetly bragging of his Intentions of Making a Prize,

Ralls came to my lodging some time in the afternoon to see me & I verry

unfortunately was not within nor did I see him afterwards, but was again

Informed he had maed Interest with the Capt. of an Armed Sloop in this

Road to let him have some more Hands, on this Information I was Induced

to write & send of a Note mearly of Advise. I never Intended it as

Orders neither did he view them as such, about Eight that night he went

to Sea & in rheww hours after being out Captured a Sloop loaded with

Cotton bound to Antigua; then it's said Ralls & all hands got Drunk &

lay hull to until they were surprised by a man of War & both him & his

Prize was taken, then it was that the poor timid writch endeavoured to

Screen himself by Accusing me. And as they have long wished for.---The

Note of Advise sent to Ralls is figured into positive & Extensive

Orders. I am held as a burger of the Island & that Note of Advise is

held as Treasonable Against the Prince & States & as Waging War Against

Great Britan.---How this will end in this Despotic Arbetary Government

God Only Knows, etc.p27

Among the effects of the captured Ralls was discovered the note from Van

Bibber suggestine a profitable vehicle for the disposal of

prizes---which indiscretion on paper came in due course beneath the

angry regard of Admiral Young of his Britannic Majesty's fleet in

Antigua. Young straightway hotly protested an prevailed over his Dutch

Excellency, who was so terrified---if one may credit the comment of the

unreserved William Graham---that he would have even stooped to pay

indelicate homage to the Admiral's person. etc.

Cont. "I do not know of any service which you can do me any other way

than the supply of Money to Mrs. Ralls at Hampton

And so Capt. Ralls, whose strength was not equal to his sense of

resentment, was borne into captivity in Plymouth, England. Yet, early

in 1779, he was back in Virginia, and, after fitting out the Alliance,

renewed his former ambitions. But these buds of hope were soon

blighted. In consequence of sharp attack that appeared in "Purdie's

paper" on February 3, exposing the captain's lack of discretion and

balance in St. Eustatius, Thomas Whiting and Duncan Rose, of the Board

of Trade, bluntly refused him the command of the Alliance, the

Bouverneur, or any other vessel trading with the Dutch ports. This

verdict Ralls confided to the columns of the Virginia Gazette of August

14 of this year, and presumably waited for the current to set in in his

favor.At any rate he was subsequently in service once more, with ill

luck still in his train. The Gazette of July 27, 1780, records what was

probably his final removal from the Revolutionary scene; "A letter from

Williamsburg informs us the state schooner Alliance Captain Stratton, in

company with Capt. Ralls and Tucker, not far from the Capes was captured

and carried off by enemy on Sunday the sixteenth instant."

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Gordon Ralls for creating WikiTree profile Ralls-278 through the import of Ralls043013.GED on Jun 20, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Gordon and others.