We have found a connection to the Folmsbee's of New York!

Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & NH: b. 1637, joiner, finished Portsmouth church and schoolhouse.  In 1671 he had moved from Great Isl, and hired the Abraham Corbett house near the meetinghouse, when Mr. Henry Dering, also removing to Strawberry Bank, hired the same house under a better title, whereupon the sheriffs turned T.F. out without notice in the depth of winter with no habitation provided for 'his wife and many smale chidlren'.  In 1673 his wife Mary +/- 34, ab. midnight hearing Rachel Webster cry murder, rose up and went to the window and asked said Webster why out of her house at that time of night.  In 1674 his 'boy' had done work for the town.  Rem. ab. 1677 to Newbury, O.A. there 1678.  First w. Mary, 2d Sarah (either she of a dau. d. 6 Nov. 1683), 3d (int. 4 Apr. 1713) Jane Mosemore of Boston. Living 1717.

Ould Newbury, by John J. Currier, p. 147:  Another strip of the same size as this [26 feet wide on the street and running back one hundred and eighteen feet], and on the eastern side of it, had got into the hands of Thomas Follingsby, of Newbury, and his wife Mary.  They had the frame of a house set up on the lot when they sold it with the frame to Mr. Tucker for 14 pounds, Dec. 7, 1677 (book 31, leaf 12).  [This appears to be land near Greenleaf's Lane going down to Watts Cellar: now in Newburyport.]

Bassett-Preston Ancestry:  he settled in Portsmouth, NH, where in 1660 he married his first wife, Mary, the mother of all of his children.

First settler of Newbury.

Durham Wills and Inventories, published 1929 by Surtees Society (this may be Thomas1s grandfather's will):

"THOMAS FOLLANSBYE.*

 April 12, 1630.  In the name of (God, Amen, I, Thomas Follansbye of Rockwod hill, in the pish of Durham, Gent, being sick in body.  To be buried within my pish Church.  And for my temporall goods and blessings that god hath indued me with, dispose them as followeth, etc.  I doe give 6£. 13s. 4d. to help raise and increase the stock of money belonging to the poor people of my parish, and the consideracon arising of the same to be even and equally divided year by yeare and distributed to the poor upon Good Friday und the Friday before the feaste day of the nativity of our Blessed Savior Jesus Christ, and so to continue for ever.  I doe give to my loveing wife, Margaret Follansbye, by legacy my graye mare.  I doe give unto my eldest sone, Christopher Follansbye, 40s., for a full Satisfaction of his child’s porcon, further I doe release and acquit my said sone of All former bond or bonds, debts or demands whatsoever between him and me.  I doe give unto my son, Robert Follansbye, 3£. 6s. 8d., for a full satisfaction of his child’s portion.  I give unto my son, Thomas Follansbye, 3£. 6s. 8d.m fir a fykk satisfaction of his child’s portion. .  I doe give unto my son, Robert Follansbye, 3£. 6s. 8d., for a full satisfaction of his child’s portion.  I give unto my son, Henry Follansbye, 3£. 6s. 8d.m for a full satisfaction of his child’s portion. .  I doe give unto my son, John Follansbye, 3£. 6s. 8d., for a full satisfaction of his child’s portion.  I give unto my son, William Follansbye, 40£., for a full satisfaction of his child’s portion, if it do please god that he be living and come in person to demand the same, or otherwise if he be dead then my will is that it be equally divided amongst my other children then living after the knowledge of his deathe.  I doe give unto my daughter, Grace Cossin, 3£. 6s. 8d., for a full satisfaction of her child’s portion, and my will is that the same be equally divided amongst her children now in livinge, being her former husbandes.  I give to my daughter, An. Follansbye, fower score poundes, for a full satisfaction of her child’s portion upon this condition, that she shall and will be directed and advised by her mother and my nephew, Henry Follansbye, or otherwise my will is that her portion be but three score pounds by this my Will.  I doe give unto my daughter, Alice Sanderson, 3£. 6s. 8d., for a full satisfaction of her portion.  I doe give to William Hodgson, Clerke, my writer, by legacy ten shillings.  All the rest of my goods moveable and unmoveable, my children’s portions, debts, legacies and funerall expences discharged, I doe bequeathe to my loving wife, Margrett Follansbye, whom I doe make the executrix of this my last Will and Testament, And my nephew, Henry Follansbye, to be Supervisor.
  INVENTORY, 290£. 15s. 7d.  Proved.  1630.

* There is a hiatus in the Hamsterley registers at the time of the testator’s burial; his son, Christopher, mar. Margaret Vasey, 30 Mch., 1619; Thomas, mar. Elizabeth Pinkney, 25 Nov 1628; Henry, bapt., 18 Mch., 1596/7; mar. Jane Gibbon, 4 Nov., 1623, she was bur., 26 Jan., 1650/1; John, bapt., 10 Feb., 1599-1600; William, bapt., 21 Feb., 1590/1; Grace, mar. Richard Maior, 26 Oct., 1619; Alice, bapt., 19 Feb., 1587/8, bur., 6 Nov., 1661, mar. Stephen Sanderson, 23 May, 1609, bur., 23 Sept., 1659.  All dates from Hamsterley."
 

Harriot Kimball Emery 1/9/1819 - 9/7/1906 = 87&241 (533211)
Haydn Brown 2/16/1819 - 1/15/1899 = 79&333 (533222)

Harriet Emery Brown 9/11/1844 - 2/13/1864 = 19&155
Lucy Hills Brown ABT 1846 - 8/20/1849 = 3+/-
Brown 4/14/1849 -
Gilman Weld Brown 4/5/1857 - 2/24/1942 = 84&325
Horace Brown ABT 1852 - 7/4/1883 = 31+/-

1 First child of the
1 First child of the
2 Second child of the
3 Third child of the
3 Third child of the
5 Fifth child of the Patriarch

For privacy reasons, I do not show birth dates for anyone born after 1900 who may still be with us.

John W Follansbee of Atlanta made the news big-time in 1885, read about it here.

I was driving to Weare NH in Sept 2001 and took the scenic route.  On the Goffstown - Weare line on Quaker Street I passed a cemetery.  I scanned gravestones as I drove by.  Emerson, Emerson, Emerson, Emerson, Emerson, Follansbee!  I took the following photos:

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We originally believed that Thomas had lived in St Dunstan's parish in Stepney, London, England.  When I first visited England in 1997, I visited the remains of the church there.  During a trip in 1999, my mother and I decided to visit Yorkminster.  While queuing to exit the train, a fellow traveler told us that he thought Durham Cathedral (20 miles south) was even more impressive.  The next day we went to Durham Cathedral, took the tour and climbed the tower.  Subsequently we learned that Thomas may have come from Hamsterley near Durham.

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There are many Follansbee families throughout the USA.  The following table shows how many families had listed phone numbers in each state in 1995.