Notes |
- John Palmer's 1980 Genealogy of the Thomas and Mary Ferguson Family indicates that:
Thomas (Tommy) Ferguson, 5th child of Robin and Fannie Love Ferguson, b. May 15, 1808, d. Jan. 20, 1891 (age 86). Thomas married Mary Jones, 9th child of Ebed and Mary Wells Jones, b. Nov. 4, 1811, d. Dec 25, 1889 (age 78) married Jan 29, 1835.
Tommy and Mary Jones Ferguson are buried at the old Parker's Chapel Methodist Church cemetery located in the lower Crabtree (Riverside) community in Haywood County, NC. A new marker was erected on their gravesite during the summer of 1978. Both helped to organize the Parker's Chapel Methodist Church.
Tommy and Mary Jones Ferguson made their home in the Rush Fork community of the Crabtree township located on the hill above the Riley Ferguson / Glenn Palmer / G. C. Palmer house where today is planed an apple orchard. The exact location of the house is now where the 'Bell Flower' apple tree grows. In the early 1900's, this log house was used as a barn and then torn down. They carried their water up the hill from the spring for their household needs.
Tommy's father and other were: Robert (Robin) Ferguson, b. 1764, d. Feb 18, 1826 (age 62) and Francis (Fannie) Love of Ireland, b. 1768, d. Oct. 16, 1858 (age 90). they are both buried in the old cemetery at the Crabtree Baptist Church in the Crabtree Community, Haywood Co., NC. They were among the first to settle in Rush Fork valley. their home was located where the present Joe Smart home is built. They had 9 children, 8 who lived and became the progenitors of thelarge family of Fergusons in Haywood and other counties in Western North Carolina.
From census records, we are able to trace when Tommy's parents (Robin and Fannie) migrated out of upper south Carolina into North Carolina. The fourth son, william (b. April 1807), in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census records of Haywood Co., NC lists his birth place as South Carolina. tommy, the firths sone (b. May 15, 1808), in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 census records of Haywood Co, NC states that he was born in North Carolina.. Thus, some time between April 13, 1807 and May 15, 1808, Robin and Fannie Ferguson left S.C. with their first four children and moved into N.C. mountains. They first settled on the Flats of Spring Creek in Madison County (where Tommy was born) and later moved to the Rush Fork community in Haywood County. Thus, their last four children were probably all born in North Carolina.
The first mention of Tommy Ferguson in any written record is in his father's will. It is typed here exactly as it was written. It is still filed and stored with other historical records in the Haywood Couny Court House in Waynesville, N.C.
BEGIN WILL
"February the Eighteen day of 1826. this is Robert Ferguson last Will and Testament in that his property Shall be divied. Andrew Ferguson the oldest Sall have one Dollar, Robert next oldest Shall hav one Dollar, John Ferguson next oldest Shall hav one Dollar the rest of the propity is to be divieded. The Fanney Fergusson his Wife and his too Daughters is to have all the house in(?) furniture these too Daughters is to have one cow a pise, William and Thomas to tend the ground and have half what they make until Samuel the youngest son comes of age and then by maintaining his mother his lifetime if she stays with him, and by paying William and Thomas fifty Dollars and the hogs and sheep is for the youse of the famellay. the fifteen Dollas not against Noland and the acount Twenty Dollars against Andrew Fergusson for the purpose of byings a work beast for the youse of the family.
Robert Ferguson (mark)
Abraham Pence
John Ferguson
Excutive
Samuel Lovingood
Andrew Ferguson
END WILL
(Tommy was 17 years old when his father died and his youngest brother, Samuel, was 12)
Oral history, as passed down through the descendants of Tommy Ferguson, records that Tommy Ferguson purchased his homestead on Rush Fork Creek from the Lovingoods. The purchase also included a two-story log house (with lean-to on the back) which was evidently build by the Lovingoods. This house then became the Tommy Ferguson home. The 1830 Census Records for Haywood Co,, NC, lists a Samuel Lovingood, wife, and 6 children (2 under 5, 2 five to ten, and 2 ten to fifteen years old) living in Haywood County. The Lovingood property bordered the original Ferguson property on Rush Fork -- Thomas' parents homestead, which Samuel F. inherited.
Land records in the Haywood County House lists Tommy's first land transactions in Hawood County. They are:
1) 10/1831 - 50A Jonathan Cr. ($40) from John G. Blount (by Agent)
2) 1/1836 - Lands ($140) from R. & J.R. Love
3) 2/1838 - sells to Hezehiah Owens 50A on Jonathon Creek
4) 1/1842 - Real and Personal propterty ($600) to Wm., Thos, and Samuel Ferguson
5) 2/1843 50A Rush Fork Cr. ($25) from Robt. & Jas. R. Love
6) 5/1846 - 2 Tracts (218A) Rush Fork Cr. ($800) from Samuel Lovinggoon from Union Co. Georgia
7) 5/1846 - 76A rush Fork Cr ($250) from Samuel Lovingood from Union Co., Georgia
(There are many additional land transactions in succeeeding years in Thomas Ferguson's name.)
Family records show that in 1864, Tommy Ferguson grew 800 bushels of cor, cured fodder, had 20 hogs, and made 40 gallons of molasses. Family records also show that Tommy bought one slave.
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