From: Tom & Linda Martis
Subject: [Ferguson] Roll Call
My Ferguson Family:
John Ferguson, born 16 August, 1816, in Harrison County, Ohio. His father (possibly named Richard) probably came to Ohio from Maryland or PA. His mother's name MAY have been Rachel, and he may have had a mentally retarded brother named Obediah.
John married Cyrena McClain (be. 1818) in Coshocton. Later John became a physician, and the family moved to W. Cairo, Allen County, OH.
John probably died in the mid-1890s, but I am unsure of the date. Cyrena lived until 1910, and died in Lima, and is buried in W. Cairo Cemetery.
At some point, the spelling of the family name was changed to Firguson, and this may have been due to a rift in the family (and not just a spelling error).
I hope someone knows of this family. I have not been able to find out what happened to John, and also have hit a brick wall as to who his ancestors were. John is my GGgrandfather.
Linda Ferguson Martis
Cleveland, OH

Subject: [Ferguson] Richard Ferguson-Ohio-1830
Listers:
Is anyone connected to either of these 2 Richard Fergusons:
1. Lived in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. In the 1830 census. Was married to Rachel DeMuth, whose family was Moravian, and moved from Europe to PA, and then Ohio.
2. Lived in Harrison County, Ohio, in the 1830 census. Name of wife is unknown, but could have also been Rachel. Also had 8 children.
I am thinking that there is a chance these two Richards are the same person, after looking at the ages and numbers of the children.
Is it possible for the census to pick up the same family in two different places, if they moved from one place to the other while the census was being conducted?
I am fairly certain that one of these Richards is my GGGgrandfather, but need to make the connection to the descendants I already know about...Both of them had sons of the appropriate age to be my GGGF John Ferguson.
Can anyone help?
Linda Ferguson Martis
Cleveland

From: Linda Martis
Subject: [Ferguson] Roll Call
Hello List!
My Fergusons came through western PA (maybe from Edinburgh, SCT) to
Harrison, Coshocton, Licking, and later, Allen Counties in Ohio.
My GGGF was John Ferguson, born 1816 in Harrison County , OH in 1837 to
Cyrena (Harper) McClain, born 1818 in Coshocton. John's mother's name
MAY have been Rachel (maiden name unknown).
John and Cyrena had children William Jacob, Jared Cone, Caroline, and
John. One of the sons later moved to Texas. They were in Coshocton
County in the 1850 census. In 1870, I found them in Licking County, and
John was listed as a physician. There is no sign of them again until
Cyrena appeared (as a widow) in the 1900 census, living in Lima, OH. By
this time Cyrena and her son William had changed the spelling of their
last name to FIRGUSON. William's first son Roy was born in Hardin
County, OH. Cyrena died in 1910 in Lima, at the age of 92.
Any connections? I would love to know who John's parents were, and
where he was buried. My branch of the family never left Ohio.
Linda from Ohio

From: thomas martis
"Subject: Re: [Ferguson] Eli Ferguson, Elijah Ferguson Virginia Pennsylvania"
Don:
"Did your Eli have brothers and sisters, and, if so, what do you know about them?"
Linda Ferguson Martis

Subject: [Ferguson] John Furgason-Ohio
"My gggrandfather(John, married to Cyrene) appears in the 1880 census in Ohio"
"with the spelling ""Furgason"". He lived in Allen County, Ohio at that time,"
and was a physician. I lost him after that.
"My family spelled the name ""Ferguson"", and I understand from what little"
information my family can provide that there was a rift that led to a change
of the spelling.
"Later on, my gggrandmother, Cyrene, changed the spelling of the name AGAIN to"
"""Firguson"", and this is the spelling on her death certificate."
Does anyone connect to this information?
Linda Ferguson Martis

From: thomas martis
"I haven't posted in a long time, and thought I would try again. Does"
"anyone connect to my gggrandfather John Ferguson, born August 5, 1816"
"(probably in Harrison County, Coshocton, or Jefferson County, Ohio)."
He married Cyrena McClain (parents were William McClain and Nancy
Harper) in April of 1837. They were married in Coshocton. They had
"children (William Jacob, Jared Cone, Caroline, and John-possibly one"
more). The children were born in Coshocton County.
"In the 1870 census, they were living in Lima Township, Licking County,"
"OH, and John was listed as a physician. The 1900 census chows Cyrena,"
"his wife) living as a widow in Lima, Allen County, OH."
"I would love to find out what happened to John, where he was born and"
"where he died and was buried. I also know nothing about his parentage,"
"although my father says our Fergusons came to Ohio from Edinburgh, SCT,"
via PA.
"Any of this familiar? John is my major brick wall, and has been for over"
two years!!!
Linda from Ohio
From: thomas martis
Subject: [Ferguson] Rachel/Obediah Ferguson
"Does anyone have information about Rachel Ferguson, and her son Obediah,"
"who were living in Washington Twp.of Coshocton County, Ohio at the 1850"
"census? Obediah is listed as her son, aged 18, and he is described as"
"being an ""idiot"". Thankfully the terminology has changed since then..."
It is my understanding that the census takers moved from one property to
"the one next to it. My gggrandfather, John Ferguson, wife Cyrena, and"
"three children lived on the next property, and I am thinking that there"
is a good chance Rachel is my ggggrandmother. I know nothing about
"John's parents, so this may be an important clue!"
Linda in Ohio