John Ferguson

G.E.Howell's records gave his birth place as Stokes Co., N.C., and year as Abt. 1755, while the below reference gave exact date and York Co., Va. The above did give a christening as York Co., Va., though. Note: Proof that this John Ferguson is the father of Mary Margaret Ferguson comes from will material printed in O'Byrne below, where a "Mary Chimault" (Chenault) is named. It might seem incredible that his last child was born when he was 76 years old, but this information comes from revolutionary war pension files that are basically original records. !Land Grant: John Ferguson Gent of Union Co., Indiana, 6/6/1832, 80 acres in Boone Co., Indiana. A full transcription reads as follows: ["Examined" is hand written on the top of the document]. "Certificant No. 14868. The United States of America, To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting: Whereas, John Ferguson Gent of Union County Indiana, has deposited in the general land office of the United States, a certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Crawfordsville, whereby it appears that full payment has been made by the said John Ferguson Gent, according to the provisions of the act of Congress of the 24th of April, 1820, entitled `an act making further provision for the sale of the public lands,' for the East half of the North West quarter of section [ten] in township nineteen, north of range two, west in the district of [lands] subject for sale at Crawfordsville, Indiana, containing eighty acres according to the official plot of the survey of the said Lands, returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General, which said tract has been purchased by the said John Ferguson Gent. NOW KNOW YE, That the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in consideration of the promises, and in uniformity with the several acts of Congress, in such use made and provided, have given and granted, and, by these present, do give and grant, onto the said John Ferguson Gent, and to his heirs and assigns forever. In testimony whereof, I, Andrew Jackson, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these Letters to be made Patent, and the Seal of the General Land Office to be hereunto affixed. Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the Sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and thirty two and of the Indpendence of the United States the fifty sixth. By the President, signed April 5, 1833, Andrew Jackson, By [A. P. Donelson Esq], Commissioner of the General Land Office." ---------- The following are misc. early records that contain the name "John Ferguson". It is not known whether any of these refer to the John Ferguson of this database entry. There is a record of a John Fergusson, Esq., of Westham Cottage dying on Oct 1, 1824 in Richmond, VA, at age about 53. This appears in the Richmond Enquirer paper on 8 Oct 1824. [Puts his birthdate at c.1771, possibly a child of this John Ferguson?] Note the spelling with 2 ss's in the paper. There is a Marriage bond in Amelia Co., VA, of John Ferguson and Olive Williams, on Apr 21, 1789. On Aug 20, 1746, John Ferguson appears as a tithable in Augusta Co. Court Records. -------------------- There are also the following marriage bonds in Amelia Co., VA: 26 Nov 1761: Francis Farmer and Mary Fargus. (dau. of John Ferguson) Note: This John would be too old to be the current entry. 9 Apr 1760: Robert Ferguson and Martha Lorton Note: A good chance that these are the parents of the John that married Olive Williams in this same county. 23 Apr 1789: Robert Ferguson and Sarah Stewart -------------------------------------------------------- THE FOLLOWING RECORD IS HIM: From ["Roster of Soldiers and Patriots of the American Revolution buried in Indaina", compiled by Mrs. Roscoe C. O'Byrne. Brookville, In. Pub. by Indiana dau. of the American Rev., 1938, pg. 139-140]: "FERGUSON (FORGASON, FORGUSON), JOHN, Boone County Born: Jan 15, 1755, York County, Virginia Service: While a resident of Brunswich Co., Vir., he enlisted about Sept., 1777, and served 3 mos. as a pri. in Capt. Charles Lucas' Co., Col. Grey Jenkins' Vir. Regt., and was stationed as a guard at Smithfield, Vir. Later he moved to Guilford Co., N.C., and served 3 tours in N.C. Troops. Two of these tours were for 3 mos. each in Capt. John Mackeden's Co., Col. John Bausley's Regt., and the other was for 5 mos. in Capt. Wm. Bethel's Regt., Col. Abram Phillips. During this time he marched to Camden, S.C., and joined the army under Gen. Gates and was in the defeat at that place; he stated that he was also in a skirmish at Eutaw Springs. Proof: Pension claim W. 10777. Died: Feb 14, 1828. Buried Cox Cemetery, Boone Co., Stone. Married: 1828, in Union Co., Ind., to Bethand Dickens or Bethena Deacons (probably a second marriage). Ch. of the soldier, Mary Chimault; Mary Knott; Rebecca Knott; William; David; John; Elizabeth Young; Joseph; Benjamin; Hannah Green; Moses; Sarah Hill; Jonathan b. 1829; Bethany b. 1831. Collected by Mrs. Minnie McClaine, Lebanon, Indiana." In the Rev. War Pensioners Census of 1840, he is listed (p. 181) as: John Forgason, age 86, lives with John Forgason on 6/1/1840, Boone Co., Indiana ---------------------------------------------------- The following is from ["Genealogical Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files", by Virgil D. White, Vol. II, 1991, pg. 1234]: "FORGUSON, John or John Ferguson, Bethany or Bethena, W10777, BLW #26925-160-55, NC & VA Line, sol was b. 15 Jan 1755 in York Co VA about 12 miles below Little York VA & when a lad his father moved to Brunswick Co VA & sol lived there at enl & later moved to Guilford Co (the part that later became Rockingham Co) NC & also enl there & in 1831 moved to Boon Co IN & sol appl there 21 Apr 1834 a res of Sugar Creek Twnshp IN & sol d there 14 Feb 1842, sol had m Bethene, Barthena or Bethany Deacons or Dinkins on 26 May 1828 in Union Co IN, wid appl 10 Apr 1856 Putnam Co IN aged 62, children shown were; Jonathan b 7 Dec 1829 & Bethany b 20 Mar 1831, in 1855 an Anderson G. Dinkins of Putnam Co IN stated he was at the wedding of sol & Bethany Dinkins but his relationship to wid wasn't stated"