John Ferguson

  General Notes:

Revolutionary War soldier.

"John Forgason and his parents had arrived from Poquoson, York County, Virginia about 1769, and had settled at Hick's Ford in Meherrin Parish, Brunswick County (the place is now known as Emporia, and is in Greenville County). Hannah and John were married about 1774-1775, in Brunswick County. In July 1776, John and Hannah purchased land from Hannah's father, William Barrow of Brunswick County. They bought 200 acres for 70 Pounds, and it was located in Meherrin Parish, Brunswick County. (Brunswick Co., VA Deeds, Vol 12, 64-66).

John was drafted for his first term of service in the Revolutionary War from Brunswick County near Hick's Ford in the fall of 1777.

Following John's first military experience guarding the area of Smithfield, Virginia from British foraging raids, he was released from the Militia. It was at this time, on 22 October 1779, that Hannah and John sold their land in Meherrin Parish, Brunswick County, Virginia, where Hannah and John are named in a deed. They moved to property at Kerby's Creek at the juncture of the Dan River in Guilford County, North Carolina. They eventually received a Patent of 166 acres from the State of North Carolina. (Rockingham County Deed Book C, 1790; pg 189, at Wentworth, NC) The Ferguson plantation was contiguous to that of Moses Barrow, Hannah's brother. (This part of Guilford County would become Rockingham County in 1785,)

"John was drafted to serve in the militia in various North Carolina campaigns on three more occasions. By June, 1801, Hannah had fourteen children. At least one and maybe two of the oldest daughters were married before the youngest, Sarah, was born.
reports of lands far away and across the Ohio River that eventually led John Ferguson to take his family to Indiana to settle in the newly opened fertile lands.

"Hannah was never mentioned in documents after the family moved to Ohio/Indiana. She probably died in Rockingham County, North Carolina, before the family moved in 1811."
(Note: She is accounted for in the 1810 census of Rockingham County.)
From Richard Oyler's "Ferguson Ancestors and Descendants" and The Barrow family history compiled by Sandra Paser.

Children:
1) Mary Ferguson, born April 6, 1776, died April 1849
2) Martha "Patsy" Ferguson, born November 22, 1777
3) Rebecca Ferguson, born January 15, 1779
4) William Ferguson, born March 9, 1781 in what is now Stokes Co North Carolina.
5) David Ferguson, born June 7, 1783
6) Nathan Ferguson, born May 25, 1785
7) John Henry Ferguson, born February 5, 1786
8) Elisabeth Ferguson, born October 12, 1787, died September 1, 1888
9) Joseph Ferguson, born October 12, 1787, died January 29, 1848
10) Benjamin Ferguson, born August 31, 1790
11) Hannah Ferguson, born January 16, 1792
12) Moses Ferguson, born December 23, 1793
13) Amy Forgason, born December 19, 1796
14) Sarah Ferguson, born June 6, 1801

It was in Union Co that John Forguson married his second wife, Bethena "Bethany" Deacons. They were married May 26, 1828, by a justice of peace, Samuel McLean in Brownsville Township. A copy of their marriage record is on file in the county courthouse. John was 73 years old and Bethany was only 34, less than half his age.

The following December after his second marriage, John and Bethena gave birth to a son whom they named Jonathan. And in March of 1831, at the age of 76 John was the proud father of his sixteenth child who was named after her mother, Bethany. These two births are recorded along with the other fourteen in the Forguson Family Bible.

After the birth of Bethany in 1831, John and his family moved from Union Co where they had lived for about 18 years. They again headed west to Boone Co Indiana, named for Daniel Boone, and settled on the Sugar River near Thorntown just northwest of present day Indianapolis.

The 1840 census for Boone Co listed him as being between 60-90 years old. He was 87 whe he died in 1842.

John married Hannah Barrow, daughter of William Barrow and Amy Lee, in 1770 in Stokes County, NC. (Hannah Barrow was born in 1751 in Meherrin, Brunswick, VA and died in 1827 in Rockingham County, North Carolina, USA.)