Person:Samuel Ferguson (14)

Land Record of Samuel Ferguson

• April 19, 1770. Samuel Fargeson the Elder of St. Mark's Parish for love and affection to Sarah Fargeson, widow of my son, Benjamin, dec'd., and William Pendleton and Betty, his wife, my grand daughter and daughter of the said Sarah Fargeson and my son, Benjamin, dec'd., 350 acres in Gourd Vine Fork of the Rappahannock River.

Will of Samuel Ferguson

• May 18, 1772. Will of Samuel Fargeson, Sr., dated Feb. 5, 1772. Wife Ann; Francis, dec'd., and his wife Elizabeth, living; son Samuel; daughters Elizabeth Fargeson, Susanna Daniel and Ann, wife of Francis Strother; Benjamin, son of my son Francis, dec'd.; daughter Lucy, wife of John Graves; granddaughter, Elizabeth Daniel; grandson, Benjamin Fargeson; grandsons Samuel, George and Philip Clayton; grand daughter, Elizabeth Pendleton, 5 shillings to buy her a Bible; grand daughters Ann and Susanna, daughters of my son, Francis, dec'd., 10 shilling to buy them a ring; grandson Samuel, son of my son Samuel, my little gun. Witss., Henry and James Pendleton.

Records in Virginia

• Pages 17-22. 26-27 Oct. 1742. Joseph Cotten and Catherine his wife of St. Mark's Parish, Orange County, to James Johnson of same. Lease and release; for £12.10.0 current money. 100 acres, part of a pattent granted unto Jos. Bloodworth and Conrad Amberger 2 Aug. 1736, being half of a tract which Joseph Cotten purchased of Conrade Amberger... in the great fork of Rappahannock River... on Buttock Run on the east side thereof... Richard Nall's line... ()signed) Joseph (I) Cotton, Katherine (C) Cotton. Wit: Samll. Furgeson, Jos: Bloodworth, Henry Franklyn, Alexr. McQueen. 26 9ber [Nov.] 1742. Acknowledged by Joseph Cotton. Catherine wife of Joseph relinquished her right of dower. [Orange County Virginia Deed Book 7, Dorman, pg. 40].

• Francis Browning, 6 Aug. 1747 - 27 AOct. 1747; 100 acres; from warrant - on Cannon River where his son Nicholas lives & on little fork of Goard Vine River; from survey - in little fork of Rappa. River, North side of Goard Vine at mouth of Cabbin Branch; adj. John Washburn, a pat. granted to Henry Willis (now James Pendletons), from plat - Samuel Ferguson's tract was on opposite side of Goard Vine River. Chain Carriers - Edmond Browning & Thomas Bywater. Sur. George Hume. [Abstracts of Virginia's Northern Neck Warrants & Surveys, Orange & Augusta Counties, with Tithables, Delinquents, Petitioners, 1730-1754, Volume One, Peggy Smomo Joyner, pg. 2].

• N-326: Thomas Washburn, 200 acres in Gourd Vine Fork in Culpeper County. Surv. (by) Phillip Clayton. Adj. Samuel Fargeson, Joseph Thomas, John Cooper now Smith's, mouth of Cat a Mount Br. 8 Dec. 1766. [Virginia Northern Neck Land Grants, 1742-1775, Vol. 2, Gertrude E. Gray, pg. 186].

1.   Samuel Ferguson (actually spelled Fargeson in most records) was the youngest son of John Ferguson and Ann Stubbleson of Essex County, Virginia. The year of his birth is unknown but various dates have been published in genealogy forums ranging from 1693 to the early 1700s. We know that he was the sixth child of John and Ann who were married in about 1682. If we assume on average a year and a half between births, Samuel would have been born sometime in 1691, for an average of two years between births, he would have been born in 1694, and for an average of two and a half years, he would have been born in 1696.
   
   Samuel may have been born on his parent’s 150 acre estate (known as Cherry Walk) near the town of Tappahannock, located on the Rappahannock River. Samuel certainly grew up on this estate because records show that his father paid quit rent taxes on it in 1704. It is not clear, however, whether or not this land was purchased by John and Ann prior to Samuel’s birth.
   
   Samuel does not show up in Essex County records until 19 March 1717 when his father’s Will was presented in Court. The landed portion of the estate was left to two older sons (John and James), but the Will does state that “it is my will and desire that if my wife do marry that then immediately after such her marriage, my two Negroes, Nacher and Bess, and all my personal estate shall be appraised and the whole value thereof be equally divided (after my just debts and funeral charges are paid) between my loving wife Ann and my two youngest sons, Joseph and Samuel Fargeson.” Only about six months later, Samuel’s older brother, Joseph, also died leaving Samuel “all my land as I have in Beverley Park Patent.” This land was located in present day King and Queen County (exact location unknown) and the number of acres involved was not stated in the Will. Because Joseph was relatively young when he died, the estate probably was not large, however.
   
   Marriage. Samuel’s father’s Will was witnessed by Daniel Brown, a long-time family friend. On 20 February, 1722 [actually 1723 if this date uses the old style calendar] Daniel granted his daughter Ann and his son-in-law, Samuel, a 100 acre plot of land in Essex County that he had inherited from his father Francis Brown. This may have been part of Ann’s dowry, or perhaps a wedding gift. Because of this gift, it is generally assumed that Samuel and Ann were married sometime in 1722 or 1723. We know for sure that it was not later than this date.
   
   Family. Samuel’s Will dated 15 February 1772 indicates that he and Ann had eight children – three sons and five daughters (see attached chart). We do not know the birth order of the children or any of their dates of birth. However, since Samuel and Ann probably were married in 1722 or 1723, it may be safe to assume that most of their children were born between 1723 and 1740. Two of the sons pre-deceased their parents – first Benjamin in about August 1760 and then Francis in 1768. The third son was named Samuel Jr. (my ancestor). In addition, one of the daughters (name unknown) died prior to Samuel and Ann leaving three grandchildren to be raised by their father, (FNU) Clayton. The Will also suggests that Samuel was well connected with prominent Virginia families including the Pendletons, Strothers and Claytons. Samuel’s Will was proven in Court on 18 May 1772, indicating that he died earlier in the month, probably in his late 70s.
   
   http://thistleandbee.com/1700va/personalities-samuel-ann-brown.html