--- title: Who is Folger? description: Chris Child traces Emily’s remarkable lineage and uncovers the deep roots of the Folger family. image: https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/folger%201.jpg --- # [Vita Brevis A resource for family history from AmericanAncestors.org](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Who is Folger? [July 08, 2025](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/who-is-folger) [Early New England](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/early-new-england), [Famous Figures](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/famous-figures), [Stories from the archives](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/stories-from-the-archives) [Christopher C. Child](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/cchild) A recent episode of *Jeopardy!* had one of the greatest instances of coincidence in the Final Jeopardy clue, where the answer was: In 1896, the Vassar-educated wife of this man wrote, “thousands of dollars may be paid for a copy of Shakespeare.” Emily Croke was the only contestant to get the clue correct with “Who is Folger?” and won the game. Emily later told host Ken Jennings that Emily Folger, the wife referred to in this clue, was her “[great-great-great-aunt](https://www.facebook.com/reel/1256297195852056/)” and her own namesake! ![folger 1](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/folger%201.jpg?width=426&height=535&name=folger%201.jpg) Emily Jordan Folger by Frank O. Salisbury (Courtesy [Folger Shakespeare Library](https://digitalcollections.folger.edu/img210)) Intrigued by this genealogical connection, I researched the champion Emily Croke’s ancestry, starting with her [parents’ marriage in 1981](https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/9279/records/12148088), and followed the lines back. I knew I was on the right track when I saw the death notice of her great-grandfather [Owen Fithian Smith in 1936](https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/175768560/) referred to him as “for the last six years connected with the estate of the late Henry Clay Folger.” Mr. Smith’s wife Mary Wells was a niece of Mr. Folger and his wife Emily, so yes indeed, Emily Folger is a great-great-great aunt of *Jeopardy! *champion Emily Croke. Kudos for getting the kinship right in her moment of excitement! ![folger 2 ](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/folger%202%20.png?width=2102&height=1704&name=folger%202%20.png) Henry Clay Folger, Jr. (1857-1930) and his wife Emily Clara (Jordan) Folger (1858-1936) are most known for the establishment of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which opened in 1932, two years after Henry’s death, who had made his wealth as President and later Chairman of Standard Oil of New York. Henry lived his entire life in New York, primarily Brooklyn, but his father who bore the same name was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and part of a family that has a material connection to American Ancestors in Boston. ![folgerr 3](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/folgerr%203.jpeg?width=1946&height=2560&name=folgerr%203.jpeg) On display now in the Treasures Vault in our newly opened [Family Heritage Experience](https://www.fhe.americanancestors.org/) on 97 Newbury Street in Boston is “[The Folger Family Tree, 1866](https://library.nehgs.org/record=b1097803)” drawn by William Coleman Folger (1806-1891), showing descendants of his ancestor John Folger through his son Peter.[[1]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/who-is-folger#_ftn1) An explanation in the lower right corner states “John and his son Peter Foulger came over from England in 1635 they settled at Watertown Mass, afterwards removed to Edgartown, Marthas Vineyard. Peter and his family came to Nantucket to reside in 1663. His daughter Abiah was mother of Doctor Benjamin Franklin” with a small note stating, “made in 1866 by William C. Folger, drawn and executed by me at the age of 60 with my left hand.”[[2]](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/who-is-folger#_ftn2) ![folger 4](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/folger%204.png?width=624&height=488&name=folger%204.png) At the very top of the tree is the elder Henry Clay9 Folger (*Samuel Brown*8, *George*7-6, *Abishai*5, *Nathan*4, *Eleazer*3, *Peter*2, *John*1) along with his younger brother James Athearn9 Folger (1835-1889), known as “[J.A. Folger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._A._Folger),” founder of Folgers Coffee Company. The brothers appear on a branch above the chart’s illustrator William Coleman8 Folger (*Alexander*7, *George*6, *Abishai*5, *Nathan*4, *Eleazer*3, *Peter*2, *John*1) who was Henry and James’s first cousin once removed. Besides these Folger men, Benjamin Franklin, and *Jeopardy! *champion Emily Croke, other Folger descendants, as shown on [FamousKin.com](https://famouskin.com/famous-kin-menu.php?name=8457+peter+folger), include William H. Macy, Ken Burns, Amy Poehler, and many more! Come visit the Family Heritage Experience and see the Folger Family Chart and many other treasures. Maybe when you are a contestant on *Jeopardy! *the Final Jeopardy Clue will pertain to your relatives!   Notes [1.](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/who-is-folger#_ftnref1) William Coleman Folger also authored the manuscript, “[The Folger Family](https://library.nehgs.org/record=b1063743),” also at American Ancestors, the early generations of which were printed in the [*Register*, 16 (1862): 269-78](https://www.americanancestors.org/DB202/i/11592/269/241797868). [2.](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/who-is-folger#_ftnref2) According to [*The Great Migration Directory*](https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/the-great-migration-directory?srsltid=AfmBOooy3VwDFRpBrROVcXH_4mlQsFBmmPVaEMpw9J9tfbr_3l0UJ9vF&pass-through=true), John Folger did not arrive in New England until 1638. Other sources for Chart, kindly designed by Ellen Maxwell: “[Mrs. Clyde S. Carter](https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-nassau-edition-marriage-of-car/175772710/),” *Newsday*, 28 Sept. 1953; [gravestone of Clyde Spencer Carter](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71194099/clyde-spencer-carter); [Marriage of Owen Fithian Smith and Mary Wells](https://a860-historicalvitalrecords.nyc.gov/view/9097368), 1920, Brooklyn; [World War I Draft Card of Owen Fithian Smith](https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6482/records/9324083); [Social Security Death Index](https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/3693/records/53131295), Mary Rollhaus; Gravestones of [Enoch Harden and Mary (Folger) Wells](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137422005/mary-wells), and [Henry Clay and Eliza Jane (Clark) Folger](https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/138513656/henry_clay-folger). ### Share this: - [mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/who-is-folger](mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/who-is-folger) - - - More - - ![Christopher C. Child](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Chris_Child_Jan25.jpg) ## About Christopher C. Child Chris Child has worked for various departments at American Ancestors since 1997 and became a full-time employee in July 2003. He has been a member of American Ancestors since the age of eleven. He has written several articles in American Ancestors, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, and The Mayflower Descendant. He is the co-editor of The Ancestry of Catherine Middleton (American Ancestors, 2011), co-author of The Descendants of Judge John Lowell of Newburyport, Massachusetts (Newbury Street Press, 2011) and Ancestors and Descendants of George Rufus and Alice Nelson Pratt (Newbury Street Press, 2013), and author of The Nelson Family of Rowley, Massachusetts (Newbury Street Press, 2014). Chris holds a B.A. in history from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Areas of expertise: Southern New England, especially Connecticut; New York; ancestry of notable figures, especially presidents; genetics and genealogy; African-American and Native-American genealogy, 19th and 20th Century research, westward migrations out of New England, and applying to hereditary societies. Chris has lectured on these topics and edits the genetics and genealogy column for American Ancestors.[View all posts by Christopher C. 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