Ferguson - Franklin County, Va.

John Ferguson, born before 1765, son of John and Elizabeth (?) Ferguson.
Recorded in Franklin County from 1789; owned land on Little Creek, Reed
Creek,
and Blackwater River; also owned tracts in Henry, Giles, and Montgomery
Counties.
1810: Franklin County
Died in Franklin County after 1823, before 1825
married, Franklin County, 21 January 1790, Mary Hill, daughter of Thomas and
Aliana (?) Hill  [Note by CJB:  Aliana Standifer.]
Children: 10

Perizade, born Franklin County 1793/94
married, Franklin County, 11 February 1813, John Bowman, born in Penna.
1782,
son of John and Elizabeth (?) Bowman; he died in Franklin County 1871.
Children: 4 (Bowman)  [Note by CJB:  Elizabeth Eichenberg.]

Naomi, born 1790/91
married firstly, Franklin County, 14 June 1813, Skelton Richardson
married secondly, before 1825, Will L. Poston

Standifer, born Franklin County 1794/1800 q.v.
married, Franklin County, 17 November 1829, Lucinda T. Llewellyn,  d. GreerB

Davis, born Franklin County, 1802/04 q.v.
married, Franklin County, 23 January 1828, Rhoda H. Rogers; to Carroll
County,
Tenn., ca 1830.

Amelia, born Franklin County 1801/02
married, Franklin County, 8 March 1822, Mankin Teel, born Va. 1801/02; 1850:
blacksmith, Henry County  Children: 10 (Teel)

Theresa, born Franklin County 1799/1800
married firstly, Franklin County, 20 February 1823, Otey Divers, born
Franlin
County, son of Aquilla and Nancy (Bradley) Divers; he died in Franklin
County
Jan/Feb 1840.  His widow moved with her children to Johnson County, Mo., ca.
1844.  Children:  6 (Divers)
married secondly, Johnson County, Mo., 24 September 1848, James Brown, born
in
New Jersey 1802

Cynthia, born Franklin County 1800/04
married, Franklin County, 3 March 1823, Henry F. Walker

Elizabeth, born Franklin County 1809/10, married Franklin County, 8 August
1825, her cousin Charles Ferguson, son of George and Mary (Crump) Ferguson;
he
died in Franklin County December 1838.  Children:  3 (Ferguson)
married secondly, Franklin County, 24 November 1840, William Waid, b 1815/16

Edwin, born Franklin County 1804/10
Moved to Carroll County, Tenn.

Sophia Hill, born Franklin County 1804/10, married Franklin County, 10 July
1826, Benjamin Bowman, born 1804, son of John and Elizabeth (?) Bowman;
moved
to Kanawha County, Va., ca. 1842; to Cape Girardeau, Mo., in 1857; he died
in
1873.  Children:  11 (Bowman)

[Note by CJB:  Benjamin and Sophia Hill Ferguson Bowman are my 3rd great-
grandparents.  In Genealogy of a Bowman Family, compiled by Byron Whitener
Bowman, October 1956, it states she was born 7 May 1805 and died 6 April
1896
in Marble Hill, Bollinger County, Missouri.  Her biography in this genealogy
also states she had "Scotch, Irish, French and Spanish blood in her
veins..."
There is another reference to her youngest child, Thomas Anderson Bowman,
having had correspondence "with some of his Ferguson cousins who were in
Texas..."]

Carol J. Bowman
Boulder, CO

I have forwarded your letter to a close cousin in my home town of Sikeston,
MO, Judy Bowman  and also to a more distant cousin, Hughleta
Edmiston (whom I met on line, so you may be hearing from
them.

It was   (Hughleta Edmiston) who provided the documentation you need
on John Ferguson, Sr., having married Elizabeth Standifer.  I will type the
information exactly as she sent it to me on 02/09/97:

...the next day I got out my Wilkes Heritage Book and found the following:

>From Vol. 1, Article 548:  SIR JAMES & ELIZABETH Ferguson

James Ferguson, came from Franklin Co., Virginia.  He was born between
1750-1755, the son of John and Elizabeth Ferguson of Pigg River.  He married
Elizabeth Smith in Virginia and their first four children were born in Va.
 He was called Sir James, but his descendants did not know why.  He left a
will that was probated in the Nov. Term of court in 1837.  Ten children were
listed in his will, the first 4 being born in Va. and the remaining 6 b. in
NC.  The children in order of age are Elizabeth (Davis), Sarah (Tilly), John
(m. Umphrey), James Jr. (m Castevens), Mary (Carroll), Wm. (m. Holderman),
Jane Parsons, Martha (Merrymon), George (m. Estes)     (Note by CBowman:
 Estes is another of my lines.)

(NOTE:  SMITH & SARAH COX Ferguson had a son, JAMES HARVEY Ferguson, b 16
Feb. 1826.  He and & 2nd w. SARAH FRANCES PHILLIPS had a dau., DORA ALICE b.
1869 and m. WILLIAM HIGGINS.  WILLIAM & DORA ALICE Ferguson HIGGINS had a
dau., FANNIE HIGGINS who m. LINDSAY JARVIS WALSH.  Fannie and Jarvis had a
dau. BEAUTRICE MAE b. 1913 who m. JAMES HOWARD EDMISTON.  Beautrice was the
m. of my husband Johnny Jarvis Edmiston, b. 1940-HE)

>From Vol. 2, Article - JAMES Ferguson   (Pat - Here comes your
documentation!)

James Ferguson moved to Wilkes Co., NC with his w., Elizabeth Smith, and
their 1st 4 ch. at the close of the Revolutionary War.  His ch. and
descendants were described in Wilkes Co. Heritage Vol. 1.  Only now has his
origin been proven.  James was b. in Franklin Co., Va. circa 1750.  His
parents were JOHN Ferguson (1730-1789) and ELIZABETH STANDIFER (1740-1806).
 John and Elizabeth lived along the Pigg River near Rocky Mount.

John and Elizabeth had at least 9 children:
1.  JAMES Ferguson (1750-1837) m Elizabeth SMITH.  (Hughleta's line)
2.  WILLIAM Ferguson (1751-1824), m Sarah ?
3.  JOHN Ferguson, JR., m  Mary HILL.  (Carol Bowman's and Pat's line)
4.  THOMAS Ferguson m Mary SOLSBURY.
5.  GEORGE Ferguson (d. about 1836) m. Polly CRUMP.
6.  MARY Ferguson m Thomas MCCARRELL.
7.  FANNY Ferguson m Moses WADE.
8.  SARAH Ferguson m William WEEKS.
9.  CHARLES Ferguson (d about 1797) unmarried.

John's son, George, served in Swinfield Hill's Company during the
Revolutionary War.  It is possible that his brothers, including James, also
served in the conflict, though no records have been found to confirm it.

John Ferguson's will was recorded in Franklin Co., Will Book 1, on pg. 50.
 His son James is apparently the only one of the family to migrate to NC.
 Most of his other children eventually moved westward.

Of John Ferguson's origin there is no proof as yet.  There are records to
indicate he came from Amelia Co., VA; however, the Daughters of the American
Revolution (DAR) claim he came from Pittsylvania Co.--Charles R. Andrews

--End of Hughleta Edmiston's letter--

1.  Naomi, born 1790/91, married firstly, Franklin County, 14 June 1813,
Skelton Richardson; married secondly, before 1825, William L. Poston.

Sorry for the omission.

Carol Bowman
 

The Hills and Fergusons are certainly intermarried, though.  Check pp. 120,
121 and 122, "Pioneer Families of Franklin County, Virginia," by Marshall
Wingfield, Chesapeake Book Company, Berryville, Virginia, 1964.  In a letter
written by Arthur Bernard in 1934 (he was 75 at the time), he says Robert Hill
came from Ireland sometime prior to 1740.  He gives Robert's wife's name as
Velie (Violet) Linus and says one of Robert and Velie's sons, Thomas, married
Aliana Standifer.

(Thomas Hill and Aliana Standifer Hill had a daughter, Mary Hill, who on 21
January 1790 in Franklin, Co., VA,  married John Ferguson II, born before
1765, son of John and Elizabeth (?).  John Ferguson II and Mary Hill were the
parents of my 3rd great-grandmother, Sophia Hill Ferguson who married Benjamin
Bowman.)

At the end of Mr. Bernard's letter, it says:  In the old Tan Yard grave yard
at Rocky Mount are the following tombstones with legible inscriptions:

1.  Robert Hill, 10 Aug. 1778

2.  In remembrance - Violet Hill, Aug. 1803 (1808?)

3.  In remembrance of Thomas Hill, dec'd. 1827

4.  Linus Hill - dec'd __01

5.  In Memory of Lucy Hill

6.  In Memory of Ruth Bernard who departed this life 18th March 184, aged 83
years, 18 days.  (She was a daughter of Robert Hill)

7.  In Memory - Walter Bernard, who departed this life 5 Feb. 1841, aged 82
years, 11 months, and 5 days.

Sincerely,
Carol Bowman
Boulder, CO