Col. Francis Faulkner was born in Andover, 29th of September, 1728, and died, 5th of August, 1805, aged 78. His great-grandfather, Edmund Faulkner, who emigrated from England, was one of the founders of the church in Andover, in 1645, had his house burnt by the Indians, in 1676, and died in January, 1687. His wife was Dorothy Robinson; and his sons, Francis and John. The former was born 1651, and died 1732, aged 81, leaving sons, Edmund, Ammiruhammah, and Paul, of whom the second, father to Col. Francis, removed to Acton, in 1735, and erected the mills, which have since been owned by his descendants, where he died, 4th of August, 1756. Col. Francis was early employed in public business, and was 35 years, from 1762, successively chosen town clerk. He was a member of the Provincial Congress in 1774, and a representative in the General Court, in 1783, ’84, and ’85; and also a member of the committee of safety, and of several important conventions, held during the revolution. He held a military commission under George III.; but the oppressive and arbitrary acts of Great Britain induced him to renounce his allegiance to the crown, and step forward as one of the foremost opposers to the measures of the government. Accordingly, in February or March, 1775, he was elected major of a regiment organized at that time to oppose any anticipated invasion. On the morning of the 19th of April, Doct. Prescott was sent on express to him with information that the British troops were on their way to Concord. He immediately fired three guns in quick succession, which was the pre-concerted signal for an alarm. The express arrived at day-light, and at the rising of the sun he marched with a considerable number of men, who constituted a part of the troops collected at the North Bridge, in Concord. He was in the engagement there that morning, and with his men pursued the British troops to Charlestown. He was afterwards several times engaged in actual service during the war; was Lieut.-Colonel in the regiment of Middlesex militia, called in to reinforce the continental army, when they took possession of Dorchester Heights, in March, 1776; was in service when Burgoyne was taken; and commanded the regiment which guarded the prisoners, taken on that occasion, to Cambridge. He was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1781, and on the 29th of September, 1775, was chosen one of the deacons of the church. In all places he exhibited the character of a gentleman of sound judgment, of a cultivated mind, and of good, practical common sense. He was a courageous military officer, an able legislator, an impartial justice, and an exemplary Christian.
He married, first, Elizabeth Muzzy of Lexington, in 1755, with whom he lived 2 weeks only before her death; and, secondly, in 1759, Rebecca, daughter of Capt. Keyes of Brookfield, who was killed in Lovell’s fight, by whom he had 11 children.
- Luther Faulkner, H. C. 1802.
- Francis Faulkner, Esq., Billerica;
- Rebecca Faulkner, married to the Hon. Dwight Foster of Brookfield;
- Sarah Faulkner, married to Dr. Skinner of Acton;
- Elizabeth Faulkner;
- Mary Faulkner;
- Ammi Faulkner;
- Lucy Faulkner, married to the Hon. Jabez Upham of Brookfield;
- Susanna Faulkner, married to Hannibal Hamlen, Esq., sheriff of the county of Oxford, Maine;
- Winthrop Faulkner, Esq., died in Acton, very much lamented, 17th of March, 1813, aged 39;
- William Emerson Faulkner, H. C. 1797;
Source: Shattuck, Lemuel, A history of the town of Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts : from its earliest settlement to 1832 : and of the adjoining towns, Bedford, Acton, Lincoln, and Carlisle, containing various notices of county and state history not before published, p. 292-293; Boston : Russell, Odiorne, and Co. ; Concord : John Stacy, 1835.