James Alfred Farley

James Alfred Farley

• Father: (?) Farley
• Mother: Eliza (?) b. circa 1796

• James Alfred Farley was born in 1824 in Virginia.
• He married Sarah Elizabeth Hoxey, daughter of Thomas Hoxey, on 18 February 1850.
• William G. Farley and Lenora E. Harmon appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Montgomery County, Alabama. Other members of the household included James Alfred Farley, Sarah Elizabeth Hoxey.
• The following appeared on 4 May 1853 in the Tri-Weekly Alabama Journal: Messrs. Editors: I have recently heard and read a great deal about spiritual rappings, but being very incredulous on the subject, I have heretofore discountenanced it. On yesterday, there were present at my house, W. G. Farley and lady, W. D. Hall and lady, Mrs. Hill, T. T. Rodgers and James A. Farley, besides my wife and self. In the afternoon, at the suggestion of my wife, we commenced experimenting with a small pine-table in the parlor, by placing our hands upon it, each one being connected with the other, and in less than twenty minutes, the table moved entirely around, so that every person had to leave their seats and walk around in order to keep their hands in the same position on the table. We then moved the table out of the parlor for the purpose of experimenting in an open passage, where there was no carpet, and commenced the same process, and in a very short time, the table commenced moving again. Mr. James A. Farley then said, if there was a medium present, it would make it known by the table moving towards that person, and immediately it moved towards Mrs. Hill, my wife's sister. Mrs. Hill then said, if the spirit of any deceased friend was present that wished to communicate with any one, it would make it known by the table moving half way around, and at once it did so. We then desired to know what spirit was present, and she requested that when the letters of the alphabet were called in their regular order, the table would incline over towards Mrs. Hall whenever the initials of the name were called. She commenced, and when the letter E was called, the table inclined as requested. She then commenced again, and when C was called the table inclined. Again she commenced, and at H it inclined. She knew these letters to be the initials of a deceased frient, and desired if her spirit was present, it would spell her name in full. She then proceeded to call the alphabet, and the table inclined at the letters H, I, L, L. Mrs. Hill then said that Mrs. E. C. Hill, of Tennessee, was a deceased friend of hers. She then asked if the spirit of Mrs. E. C. Hill was present; and if so, to make it known by the table inclining over, and it leaned over considerably.
       The next question was, of what disease did Mrs. Hill die? A number were called over, and when pneumonia was called, the table inclined. Mrs. Hill then informed us that she did die with pheumonia. She then asked, in what month did she die? and commencing with January, tyhe table inclined when July was called. We then asked for a day of the month, and commencing at the first, the table inclined when the 10th was called. Mrs. Hill then informed us that the month, and the day of the month were correct.
       I then requested Mrs. Hill to learn when my father died, and she requested the table to incline over, when the year was called. I told her to commence at 1835, and when 1838 was called, it immediately tilted up on two legs. I then desired to know the date of my mother's death, and told Mrs. Hill to commence at 1836, and when 1840 was called, the table again inclined over on two legs. I state positively that these were the years in which I lost my father and mother.
       Mr. W. D. Hall, who is very hard of belief, then asked for the date of his father's death, and requested Mrs. Hill to commence with tye year 1816. She did so, and at 1820, the table inclined over. Mr. Hall then said it was correct, and that no person present except himself knew when his father died.
       All of this, to me, who had been extremely incredulous, appeared very strange, and I offer no rasons for it, but simply aver the above to be facts, and refer to each of the persons present to substantiate every thing I have stated. We obtained no raps, though they were asked for. W. G. Farley was the only person present who did not participate in the experiments, though he was an eye-witness to the whole proceedings. Yours, truly. Wm. H. Ogbourne. Montgomery, May 21, 1853.
• James Alfred Farley and Sarah Elizabeth Hoxey appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Montgomery County, Alabama. Other members of the household included Lenora Farley, Zoonanna Farley, Sarah J. Farley, Cora Annulette Farley and Eliza (?)
• He was a banker, according to the 1860 census.
• He served as a private in Company C, 30th Alabama Infantry Regiment, CSA.
• James Alfred Farley and Sarah Elizabeth Hoxey appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Montgomery, Alabama, and four domestic servants.. Other members of the household included Lenora Farley, Zoonanna Farley, Sarah J. Farley, Cora Annulette Farley and Lewis Farley.
• He was a banker, according to the 1870 census.
• James Alfred Farley and Sarah Elizabeth Hoxey appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Montgomery, Alabama. Other members of the household included Cora Annulette Farley, Lewis Farley and Hoxey Carter Farley.
• He was a banker, according to the 1880 census.
• James Alfred Farley died in 1888.
• He was interred at Oakwood Cemetery, Montgomery, Alabama.

• Last Edited: 30 Apr 2010