Person talk:John Ferris (13)

alternative wife [18 September 2013]

"The Descendants of Jeffrey Ferris web site gives a different name for John's second wife: Grace Pauling."

I tried following the link on MySource:DataAnalyst/Descendants of Jeffrey Ferris www.rootsweb.com/~ctfairfi/stamford/ferris data.htm, apparently www.rootsweb.com/~ctfairfi/stamford/ferris data.htm (or ferris_data.htm?), but there did not seem to be any ~ctfairfi directory or anything below it. By searching I found, http://www.ctgenweb.org/county/cofairfield/pages/stamford/ferris.htm which may be the same website? It was links to other websites. One website for John Ferris only showed the wife Mary Jackson, the other apparently is more interested in soliciting donations, but playing around I was able to find a page of genealogy and it said Grace Pawling based on an AFN but said that NYGBR 126, No. 4, says Grace (Norrington) Burling.

The reason why I go through all this, is of course, because it does not matter that some website says something is so, it matters WHY it says something is so. If there is no evidence, well, ho, humm, just more erroneous genealogy on the Internet. If there is evidence, then I need to know what it is to respond. So not having the evidence abstracted, and not being able to find the website, means I cannot address the argument.

While Pauling and Burling are similar enough to suspect different interpretations of the same written name, it appears there are two theories involving two different women, as much as I can tell from quick research.

Source:Randall, R. Ferris. Ancestors and Descendants of William Ferris, the Irishman, 1765-1976,p. 136, says "After her death he married Grace ---, perhaps Grace Prawling, who was listed as a servant in the household in the census of Westchester." This is clearly assumption.

Source:Thompson-Stahr, Jane. Burling Books, p. 23, says Grace (Norrington) Burling "married, second, in 1706, John Ferris, Sr., her eldest son's father in law". Her son Edward burling had married 1700 Phebe Ferris. This books cites "Marriage Intentions and Dealings Related to Marriage from Men's and Women's Monthly Meetings, Flushing, 1676-1800", typescript from notes of John Cox, Jr, showing first intentions, second intentions 3.2.1706, and document 11.19.06, available in Archives of the N.Y. Yearly Meeting.

Thus it appears, the Burling alternative has actual evidence, though the description is a little confusing, and confirmation would be nice, especially, as noted above, the similarity between the two names. Several sources, including Anderson, still list her as "Grace ----". This may also be addressed by the NYGBR articled cited, but I do not have access to it. --Jrich 17:26, 18 September 2013 (EDT)