From: MMeadPond@aol.com Subject: Re: [Ferguson-L] Gilbert Ferguson-NY? Hello, I have volume I of a book by Frank J. Doherty called "Settlers of the Beekman Patent, Dutchess County, New York. An HIstorical and Genealogical Study of all the 18th Century Settlers in the Patent." Pleasant Valley, NY: 1990. Volume One is the large book of historical records, and descriptions of the Patent, --mostly just the historical records. But in susbsequent volumes, (of which, I have none) Mr. Doherty has proceeded to publish a genealogical study on each of the persons mentioned in Volume One. I am not sure if Mr. Doherty is complete with the volumes, or not, but I would imagine that the volume with Ferguson should be complete by now-- and in the libraries. When I attended a lecture by Mr. Doherty at the FGS/Federation of Genealogical Societies in Rochester, New York in 1996, I asked him when my Slocum, Rood, and Wilcox lines would be complete and published. ( I figured that alphabetically, my primary lines would be a bit at the end of the publishing cycle.) Mr. Doherty was kind and friendly, and asked that I write to him for any further information. I thought it would be helpful for me to list his address, in case Mr. Doherty can point y was trying to ensure (which I understood to mean GIVING volumes)that the subsequent, genealogical editions were in the major libraries across the country. You may want to check with your local library and if not there, try for an inter-library loan.) I checked the Index of Volume I and here are the listings for Ferguson in the Beekman Patent (a listing means that this individual appears somewhere in the collected historical documents of the Beekman Patent. Most times, it's merely a list on a tenant book, or witness or Loyalty oath, or other legal events.) : ---, 762 Abraham, 658 Benjamin, 414 Charles, 250 Elijah, 177, 179, 415 Elijah, Jr. 415 Ephraim, 178, 346 Farrington, 80, 81, 216, 251, 565 Francis, 241 Gilbert, 455 (I copy that, below) "Capt. Francis West lived in the Oswego area of Beekman and the roll of his company, dated Fort Clinton 23 Sept. 1778, lists almost all very familiar Clove-Oswego area names. The pay due his company at the time was £925/17." "Francis West, Captain Roger Morey, Lieut. Tilling[hast] Bentely, Lieut. Theoph[olus] Sweet, Lieut. John Forbus, Sergt. Peter Darling, Sergt. Andrew Carmen [sic for Germond] Benjamin Cornell, Corpl. Amos Sweet, Corpl. Jacob Cole, Corpl. PRIVATES John Thompson Thomas Oakley Mathew Cook Elias Doty Mathew Diamond Jabez Spencer John Eagle Caleb Green Christian Elliot Isaac Bosehonse Cornelius schermerhorn Simon Dutcher Phineas Fillow Enoch Fillow Norris Collier William Chadwick John Luke [Lake?] Gilbert Ferguson <-- Benjamin Cummins Francis Losee Jerry Jenkins John Wilkinson Thomas Willay Charles McCrady Benjamin Thorn Cornelius Christian Daniel Davison William Wolven Gameliel Taylor Joseph Taylor Jere Cook William Eldred" <end of record ------------------------------------ More FergusonS in the Index: Jacob, 416 James, 327 Jeremiah, 658 John, 78, 82, 84, 414 John, Jr. 178 Stephen, 200, 414, 447, 449, 516, 584 William, 477 ------------ Here's the address: Frank J. Doherty "The Settlers of the Beekman Patent" 181 Freedom Road Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 One last thing...in my syllabus information, he mentioned a new source by Linda Koehler, called "Dutchess County, NY Churches and their Records: An HIstorical Dictionary" Published by Kinship, 1994. "This recent publication is the best source for all church records in Dutchess County." I hope this helps a bit. Good luck! Maureen Mead Pond Tracing Ferguson in Chesterfield County, VA with Adkins, Farmer, and Newby. <<Thank you very much for sharing your information. It's very much appreciated. My library only has Mr. Doherty's books thru the letter "C". I would very much like to purchase the book of the letter "F", if it's available. Would you know Mr. Doherty's PO Box so that I could contact him? Many thanks again. Bob Ferguson Hi, Bob! Yes, this is his address from the syllabus papers I picked up in Rochester in '96. The historical house in which he lives (according to the book) was the primary impetus for writing the volumes on the Beekman Patent. Mr. Doherty's address is: Frank J. Doherty 181 Freedom Road Pleasant Valley, NY 12569 Good luck! Oh, another thing...in the syllabus from the conference, Mr. Doherty lists a bibliography of books, as well as records available in Dutchess County....including Cemeteries, Census Records, Church Records, Baptisms, Court Records, compiled Genealogies concerning Dutchess County families, Dutchess County histories, Land Records, Newspaper abstracts, Periodicals, Probate records, Revolutionary War records, and Tax lists. I don't think he'd mind if I shared a copy with you. If it sounds like something you might like, need, want--let me know. regards, Maureen
From: MMeadPond@aol.com Subject: [Ferguson-L] Native American Fergusons While I've not yet found a record or hint of Native American ancestry, it would come as no surprise to discover native ancestry in either my New England or my Southern families. In fact, while my FARGUSON/Ferguson family didn't leave Chesterfield Co., VA--an online cousin who does share this family (hello, Christie)! does claim NA ancestry. Whether the NA relationships began in VA or later in NC, SC, or points west and south--I'm not certain, but I'd like to share the following regarding some Scots-Irish families and their relationship to the Cherokee: Ref: Richardson, James M. "The History of Greenville, South Carolina." pub. 1930. Reprinted by Southern Historical Press, 1933. p. 21 (regarding the settlement of SC in the upcountry/Piedmont) "In 1707 John Archdale, in his publication "A fertile and Pleasant Province of Carolina," tells us that Charles Town then traded 'near one thousand miles into the Continent.' Anthony Park, one of the early settlers of what is now Newberry County, traveled several hundred miles into the Indian country, going west of the Allegheny Mountains. In 1758 he recounted that in his journeyings he encountered a number of white men, chiefly Scotch and Irish, who told him that they had lived among the Indians as traders for more than 20 years, a few for 40 and 50 years, and one whose abode had been there for 60 years." Next paragraph, regarding the settlement of the traders and the "cow drivers": "Having decided upon a suitable location, the trader or cattle man went to work with the assistance of the Indians, and soon built himself a dwelling house. Next was constructed a store house for the trader and "cowpens" for the cattlemen. And after having established himself, the next act of the white man was to take an Indian maid for his wife, selecting, if possible, the daughter of some local chief." "Under the care of his thrifty wife, his crib was usually well stored with corn, the yard swarmed with poultry and the common pastures with his swine, horses and cattle. Cherokee women of intelligence made the best housekeepers on the continent; in their habits and persons, they were as cleanly as purity itself. The everyday life of the trader in the Nation was one of primitive and most delightful freedom and simplicity." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Hudson, Patricia L and Ballard, Sandra L. "The Smithsonian Guide to Historic America. The Carolinas and The Appalachian States." New York: 1989 Stewart, Tabori and Chang, Inc. p. 16 "In the Introduction, there is a discussion of the Scotch-Irish who were brought to America by Scottish Laird, "Sir Alexander Cuming, (who also dreamed of settling 300,000 Jews from Europe among the Cherokee) and other benign Scotsmen, who were successful in providing in America some release from the suffering of the Highlanders, Cuming sought to rescue the Highlanders threatened in their religion (Roman Catholic) and deprived of their lands--after their Jacobite revolt against the English was suppressed in 1746." "Unimpressed by the aristocratic pretensions of the Tidewater planters, Highlanders in North Carolina provided the backbone of the upcountry 'Regulator' revolt against the King's governor and the Tidewater planters was put down in 1771, after the Battle of Alamance, with a ferocity equal to that of Cumberland after Culloden. " ". . .in the fall of 1780, the Scotch-Irish and the Highlanders demonstrated how quickly they could adapt to Indian ways, in dress and in warfare. They learned to give a close and terrifying approximation of the Cherokee war scream, and give it they did as they assaulted the Tories ranged on the crest of Kings Mountain.. . (This was the same sound that became the "Rebel Yell" in 1861") That's all for now. I'm sure there are more articles and stories about this interesting part of Southern history, but I remembered these snippets, and thought I'd share.