West Family Tree

Time Line for Francis Fergus 1752 - 1841
amended 4/1/04

 

AGE

YEAR
EVENT
born
1752
8 September, 1752 born in County Tyrone, Province of Ulster, Ireland, His parents were possibly Francis FERGUYS (born abt 1715) and Jane FERGUYS (born 1723).
18
1770ca
Francis immigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary War. It is not documented, but historically reported in the "Fergus Family History" book that perhaps his father and/or four brothers also emigrated from County Tyrone, Ulster Province, Ireland. All supposedly returned to Ireland except one. James Fergus is the brother who remained in America with Francis
22
1775
August 21, 1775 listed as Non-associator residing in Warwick Twp, Bucks Co, PA as Francis Forgey. Conflict and revolution in 1775-1776 was foremost in the minds of the Pennsylvania colonists.
23
1776
3 August 1776 Francis enlisted for service in the Revolutionary War in the PA Militia from Warwick Twp., Bucks Co. Pennsylvania. He was one of 600 privates in the PA Flying Camp in Col. Hart’s Company, under Captains William Roberts and John Jamison.
24
1777
3 March 1777 Francis re-enlisted and served as a wagoneer under Captain Barclay in the following battles:
- Battle of Brandywine, Chester & Delaware Co, PA 11 Sep 1777
- Battle of the Clouds, (White Horse Tavern) 16 Sep 1777
- Battle of Germantown, 4 Oct 1777
25
1778
Feb 1778 – Francis reenlisted and served for 2 months under General John Lacey.
25
1778
Francis FORGEY is listed in Warwick Twp., Bucks Co, PA Tax Records for £3 (Continental Book 1778, p. 98-111) and £1 .10sh (State Book 1778, pages 98-111)
26
1779
Cumberland Co. PA listing for Francis Forgay under column for Freemen (probably a tax for horses and signified not owning land, also a single male) Amount of Tax 3 .0 .0
29
1782
Transcript of Taxable, Newton Twp., Cumberland Co, PA listed under Freemen (single), amount of tax 2 .8 .11 PA Archives, Third Series, Vol XX, page 631
30
Ca 1782
Married Mary McCORMICK in Cumberland Co, PA
31
1783
18 Nov 1783 first son, James FERGUS, was born at McClure's Gap, Cumberland Co, PA. James lived in PA until he was 3½ years old.
32
1785
21 June 1785 first daughter, Elizabeth FERGUS, was born in PA.
34
1787
13 Feb 1787 – Francis’s second son, Samuel FERGUS, was born in Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania. The family apparently moved to Augusta Co., Virginia shortly after Samuel’s birth.
34
1787
Francis FORGUS is listed in the Census of Virginia.
35
1788
In October Francis witnessed a deed in Augusta Co. VA. Deed Book No. 26, page 585 -- Teste: James Guy, Francis Fergus, Alex. Warner, David Hogshead, John Wilson.
36
1789
1 Feb 1789 – Francis’s second daughter, Jincy FERGUS, was born in Augusta Co., Virginia.
37
1790
Cumberland Co, PA Census - no listing for surname Fergus or Forgus
37
1790
Francis FERGUS bought 140 acres in Rockbridge Co, VA. He and his family moved there before the U.S. Census for PA was taken.
41
1794
13 July 1794 third son, John FERGUS, was born in Rockbridge Co, VA.
43
1796
29 August 1796 third daughter, Ann or (Anna) FERGUS, was born in Rockbridge Co, VA.
46
1799
20 May 1799 fourth daughter, Mary (Polly) FERGUS was born in Rockbridge Co, VA .
49
1802
18 Mar 1802 – Francis’s fourth son, Sawyer Baxter FERGUS, was born in Rockbridge Co., Virginia. Shortly thereafter, the family (now consisting of Francis, Mary, and eight children) moved to a nine bedroom Colonial stone house in Montgomery Co. (now Pulaski Co.) near Newbern, Virginia.
51
1804
21 June 1804 fifth daughter, Charlotte FERGUS, was born in Montgomery Co, VA
52
1804
26 Dec 1804 – A marriage bond was posted in Montgomery Co., Virginia, for Francis’s daughter, Elizabeth FERGUS (age 19), and Heazlet SPROULL. The Sproulls apparently lived in Wythe Co., Virginia.
54
1807
15 Jan 1807 – Francis’s son, James FERGUS (age 23), married Rachael MEARS (MARRS) in Montgomery Co., Virginia. They moved to Bethel twp, Miami Co., Ohio around 1808. Miami Co. was organized in 1807, with the county seat at Troy.
57
1810
Francis’s son, Samuel FERGUS (age 23), married Catherine DITTY in Montgomery Co., Virginia.
57
1810
Francis FURGIS and his son, Samuel FURGIS, appear in the 1810 Census for Montgomery Co., Virginia.
59
1811
11 Dec 1811 – Francis’s daughter, Jincy FERGUS (age 22), married Abraham DITTY in Montgomery Co., VA. They lived for several years in Wythe Co., VA, but by 1817 they had moved to White Co., TN.
62
1815
19 Jan 1815 – Francis’s daughter, Ann Fergus (age 18), married William PATTON in Montgomery Co., VA. In 1821, William PATTON became a circuit riding Methodist minister, and the family subsequently lived in North Carolina (1833 – 1835) and New Market, Jefferson Co., TN (1835 – 1838) before moving to St. Charles Co., MO.
62
1815
15 August 1815 son John FERGUS married Nancy GUTHRIE in Montgomery Co, VA. They migrated to Shelby Co, OH, the county next to Miami Co, where John's eldest brother James lived.
63
1816
Francis’s son-in-law, Heazlet SPROULL, husband of Elizabeth FERGUS, died in Wythe Co., Virginia leaving her with 6 children, from infancy to age 10.
65
1817
17 Nov 1817 – Francis’s daughter-in-law, Nancy Guthrie FERGUS, wife of John FERGUS, died without issue.
66
1819
John FERGUS, age 25, moved to Miami Co, OH where his eldest brother James lived. Miami Co was created in 1807 with the county seat established in Troy. In 1819 Shelby Co was created from its parent county, Miami.
67
1820
4 Feb 1820 – A marriage bond was posted in Montgomery Co., Virginia, for Francis’s daughter, Mary FERGUS (age 20), and Abram BROWN. They moved to Miami Co., Ohio, shortly after their marriage
67
1820
20 Aug 1820 – Francis’s wife, Mary McCormick FERGUS, died. Her youngest child, Charlotte, was 16 years old and her oldest child, James, was 36 years old. According to the Fergus Family History, Francis lived in turn with his adult children following his wife’s death.
68
1820
The 1820 Census for Montgomery Co., Virginia, lists only Samuel FERGUS. Francis was possibly living with Samuel at the time. The stone house remained on the tax rolls in Francis’s name until 1824.
68
1821
22 Feb 1821 – Francis’s widower son, John FERGUS (age 26), married Margaret STAFFORD in Miami Co., Ohio. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Shelby Co., Ohio, which had been created in 1819 from Miami Co.
68
1821
1820 VA Census - no listing for Francis, only Samuel FERGUS - Montgomery Co, VA
77
1829
1 Oct 1829 – Francis’s son, Sawyer Baxter FERGUS (age 27), married Julia McFADDEN in Miami Co., OH. They subsequently settled in Grant Co., Indiana.
78
1831
3 Jan 1831 – Francis’s youngest daughter, Charlotte FERGUS, died in Miami Co., Ohio at age 27. Charlotte FERGUS had previously married Cyrus HAYWOOD in Montgomery Co., Virginia.
81
1834
Francis applied for a Revolutionary War pension from Montgomery Co., VA. The application (#R3498) was denied on the grounds that he did not have six months service in a military capacity – apparently, his service as a teamster did not qualify.
82
1837
Francis’s 3rd son, John Fergus, died 18 Jun 1837 from pneumonia after being thrown from a horse into the Miami River in Shelby Co., Ohio. He was 42 years old.
85
1838ca
Francis’s son, Samuel FERGUS, moved his family from Virginia to Missouri
89
1841
28 Sep 1841 - Francis FERGUS died in White Co, TN at the home of his daughter, Jincy Fergus DITTY. The farm of Jincy and Abraham DITTY is now considered to be a part of Putnam Co (created in 1854 from White Co.) He is buried in the Ditty/Fergus Cemetery, a private cemetery. At the time of his death there were 7 out of his 9 children and 30 grandchildren alive.

1841
2 November 1841 the will of Francis FERGUS was probated in White Co, Sparta, TN.

From http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~fergusfamilyworldwide/Francis_1752.htm

"I, Francis Fergus, now of the County of White and State of Tennessee, being far advanced in life but of perfect and disposing mind and memory and calling to mind the mutability of my body and that it was appointed for all to die, do constitute and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following:
- First: I give and bequeath to my son, James Fergus, One Hundred Dollars: Secondly - It is my Will and I do allow to my daughter, Elizabeth Montgomery, the matters and things she has already received to be her part of my estate. It is my Will and desire and I do allow the matters and things already received by my son, John Fergus, to be his part of my estate. I also give and bequeath to my daughter, Jincy, One Hundred Dollars and my grey mare, said mare's first living colt to my grandson, Francis Ditty. I also give and bequeath to my granddaughter, Caroline Haywood, Fifty Dollars to be paid out of my estate. It is my Will and I do allow my son, Baxter Fergus, One Hundred Dollars to be paid out of my estate."
"I do hereby revoke all former Wills by me whatever. I do hereby constitute and appoint my son-in-law, Abraham Ditty, my Executor in all things whatever. In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of June 1837."

(signature of) Francis Fergus

 

Please note that there is no mention of his son Samuel Fergus (1787 - 1842) who had migrated to Rives Co, Missouri. Also, there is no mention of Anna Fergus Patton (1796 - 1855) who had migrated to Missouri. Nor is there mention of Polly Fergus Brown (1799 - ) in this will. Why not?