William and Juda Ferguson and children

William Ferguson, born 11 May 1754, Amelia Co., Va., served 5 tours of
duty during the Rev. War, all enlistments from Amelia Co., but last
discharged in Bedford Co., Va., where he lived for a couple of years
prior to removing to Hawkins Co., Tenn., where he is found on a tax
list, along with Belfield Wood. William Ferguson married Juda Wood, dau,
of Belfield Wood, marriage recorded on 10 Mar. 1791, Greene Co., Ky.
Shortly after this marriage William and Juda, along with Belfield Wood,
removed to NC, but were in the Pendleton Dist. of SC by Feb. of 1792 as
Belfield Wood is on a deed in that district in that month and year.

Children of William Ferguson and Juda Wood:
Hugh, born late 1791 or early 1792, SC, removed from the Pandleton Dist
at or about the same time his parents went west, removing to Buncombe
Co., NC, this in 1811, he married first Mary Ann Higgins. By looking at
exact dates of birth for children, and the states in which they were
born, we see that Hugh removed to Habersham Co., Ga. in either 1826 or
1827. Mary Ann (Higgins) Ferguson died sometime after 1840 and prior to
1848, when Hugh married second Mary A. Garrins.

Henry Wood Ferguson, born 1793 SC, removed from the Pendleton Dist with
parents, married Elizabeth N. Davis. Resided Hamilton Co., Tenn. and
Fentress Co., Tenn., removed to Morgan Co., Mo. in 1836 with brothers
William and Belfield Ferguson, all recording land on the same day in
March, 1837. Henry Wood sells his land in Morgan Co., in Sept. of 1839
and is shown in the 1840 census of Marion Twp., Taney Co., Mo., Marion
Twp. being cut off into Ozark Co., Mo. Henry Wood Ferguson then removes
to Scott Co., Ark. and dies in that county in 1848. This section of
Scott Co., was cut off into Logan Co., Ark. in Dec. of 1870.

William Ferguson, born 1794 SC, removed to Cumberland Co., Ky. with
parents, married but wifes surname unknown. From children shown in the
1850 census of Morgan Co., Mo. we see that William was in Ind. for a
short period prior to removing to Morgan Co., Mo. with brothers Henry
Wood and Belfield Ferguson. Last seen in the 1860 census of Sebastian
Co., Ark., the location where he resided in this census was under 10
miles from the descendants of Henry Wood Ferguson.

John, born 1797 SC, removed with parents to that part of Cumberland Co.,
Ky. that was cut of with a portion of Wayne Co. to form Clinton Co., Ky.
in 1836. Married a Mahala and by the 1830 and 1840 census reports we see
they had but one child, a dau. This dau. id apparently the Mary who
married William Groom, and they reside next door to John and Mahala
Ferguson in the 1850 census. In the home of William Groom we see two
young Fergusons, Jasper Newton and William Marion, both sons of James
Hamilton Ferguson. Judge Thomas Campbell Ferguson was a son of William
Marion Ferguson, who married second late in life. Prior to his death I
corresponded at some length with Thomas C. Ferguson, and he said his
father had told him about working for William Groom one summer. John
Ferguson is last seen in the 1850 census of Clinton Co., Ky.

Elizabeth, born 1799 SC. In some respects Elizabeth is a puzzle. In the
History of Lawrence Co., Mo. we see her named as being now Mrs. Lewis
Wright. 8 of the 13 children of William and Juda are referred to in this
history. The manner in which this is stated woulkd indicate that Lewis
C. Ferguson, the subject of this portion of the history, was more
familiar with this Elizabeth than with other siblings to his father.
John H. Ferguson, son of Hugh Ferguson, married Martha Wright, dau. of
Elizabeth Wright, and circumstances indicate that Elizabeth may have
been a widow and removed to Ga. at the time Hugh Ferguson moved his
parents and 3 younger brothers to Habersham Co., Ga.

James Hamilton, born 1802 SC, removed with parents to Cumberland Co.,
Ky., married Mary Campbell, they apparently separated about 1848 after
having a number of children. James Hamilton last seen in the 1850 census
of Clinton Co., Ky., he resides next door to Elizabeth Wright and the
elder children reside with him, the younger ones with their mother Mary.

Belfield H., born 1804, SC, removed with parents to Cumberland Co., Ky.,
married Ruthy Shelton in Wayne Ci., Ky. in 1827, she a dau. of Ezekiel
Shelton and Margaret Davis. Belfield removed to Morgan Co., Mo. with
brothers Henry Wood and William Ferguson. Last seen in a marriage
performed in his home in 1864, Morgan Co., Mo.

Elijah, born 1807 SC, removed with parents to Cumberland Co., Ky. and in
1830 removed to Hempstead Co., Ark. with the John Williams family.
Elijah married Maranda Rochester and had several children. Elijah died
in 1875, Hempstead Co., Ark.

Ellis, born after Elijah and prior to 1810, SC. He removed to Cumberland
Co., Ky. with parents and in about 1832 he followed his brother Elijah
to Hempstead Co., Ark. At their first meeting they were attacked by a
rabid panther and while Ellis was able to subdue the beast, he died
later of rabies. Articles regarding this and other things in the
Washington Gazette are interesting. 

Unknown dau, born between 1800 and 1810, SC, probably between Belfield
and Elijah. In her pension deposition Juda (Wood) Ferguson names James
S. Davis as a grandson, the only way that could have come about is for
William and Juda Ferguson to have had a dau. who married a Davis. Room
for this dau. is seen in the 1810 SC census and the 1820 Cumberland Co.,
Ky. census. 

Champion, born 1813, Cumberland Co., Ky. Sometime between Sept. of 1833
and Dec. of 1834, Hugh Ferguson moved his parents and 3 younger brothers
to Habersham Co., Ga., Champion married there Rachel Duckett, dau. of
Jacob and Amy Duckett, (See Ga. marriages). Champion removed to Meigs
Co., Tenn. and died there in 1881. 

Edward, born 1816, Cumberland Co., Ky., removed to Habersham Co., Ga.,
married Selina Duckett, sister to Rachel, removed to Clinton Co., Ky. to
escape the Confederacy and was killed there by Confederates in 1862,
buried in the Hopkins Cemetery.

Andrew J., born 1820 Cumberland Co., Ky., removed to Habersham Co., Ga.,
married Jane Higgins, dau. of John J. and Mary Higgins, died in 1897.

        The foregoing are the 13 children of William and Juda (Wood) Ferguson,
all had at least one child save Ellis, who never married. While the
works regarding these is under my name, a number of people contributed
to it. On the line of Henry Wood, Elijah and Ellis, John Ferguson and
his dau. Rebecca were most helpful. On the line of Hugh Ferguson
Willette Dalton was very helpful, sharing with me letters written by my
great grandfather to his sister and nephew back in Ga., also data
generated by Gresham Duckett, Willettes grandfather. Allene Barber was
helpful in establishing the later generations from Champion Ferguson,
and early on Virginia McCabe gave me some information that was very
helpful. Last but not least I would like to thank Toni Lowhorn and my
cousin A.Y. Damron for being gophers and reading certain census reports
that were not available to me at the time, without their help this works
would have been impossible. 

Leonard L. Damron