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Probate

• 1803 Will of Josiah Ferguson, Fayette County, KY - 11 children, wife is executrix
  • daughters: Judith Wilson, Susannah Right, Mary Duhamel, Jane Tomkins, Betsy, Nancy, Catherine Jones
  • sons: Thomas, John, Josiah, William and Joshua
  • witness: Tho Clarke, George Muir (?), Robert Marshall

• 1830 Otober Estate of Josiah Ferguson, Montgomery County, KY
  • property divided to William, Josiah and Joshua Ferguson and Nancy Williams
  • Joshua died some years ago, no children, his shared divided by 10 brothers and sisters
  • Mrs Ferguson is deceased
  • Thomas Triplett is in accounting
  • Kentucky Probate Records, 1727-1990 Montgomery Will records, Index, 1828-1835, Vol. D Image 115

Josiah Ferguson b. ~1725, Belfast; m. ___ Thornton

• The Haplogroup of this line has yet to be definitively identified. Tests to date indicate it to be either I-M223 >> Y4752 Isles/Sc - 15 or R-M269 Basic
• Irish info comes from a DAR application - Brenda Ison, 2006
• Ancestral File Number: K8HT-19 [FamilySearch]>
• Descendants of Josiah Ferguson through his son, William Ferguson by Claudia Harper, Magoffin County Historical Society, c1997

Josiah Ferguson b. ~1738, VA; m. Priscilla Ford

• Marriage mentioned in the will of Thomas Ford, 1774 - [ Gayle Londeree, 2010 boards.ancestry.co.uk]
• The Will of John Ferguson Proved 19 Feb 1761 [ King and Queen Co. - Records Concerning 18th Century Persons by Beverley Fleet, 1961 ]

  Fairfax County, Virginia Will Book B, Page 245
  Written 30 Oct 1760; Proved 19 Feb 1761
  John Farguson "of Truro Parish."
  To Grandson, Josiah Farguson, only son of my oldest son John Farguson, land in King and Queen County, which was bequeathed by my father to be equally divided between my three brothers -- James, Joshua and Joseph -- as tenants for life only and not to them and their heirs forever by which means I became entitled to reversion of the same as eldest son and heir at law of my said father and as two of my brothers have been dead some years and I lived at so great a distance that I never had occasion to make use of the said land I think it proper to mention it thus particularly to show that I never intended to quit or give up my right or claim to the said land having always been of opinion that my father never intended to deprive my heirs of the said land but only to give it to my three brothers during their lives because he was at that time disobliged with me for not settling and living on the said land in his lifetime which he was desirous I should do.
  Item. I do give and bequeath all my Negroes, mulattoes and other estate that I am now possessed of to be equally divided between my son Joshua Farguson and my daughter Mary Coffer only that each of my children Joshua and Mary shall keep the girls which I have already given them to wit: Joshua shall keep Jane Simpson and Mary keep Michol Simpson and the rest to be equally divided between them by my friends William Peake, William Bailey and William Kitchen or any two of them within three months after my decease.
  Lastly, I do constitute and appoint my son Joshua Farguson my sole Executor and revoking all others I do declare this to be my last
  will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand affixed my seal this 30th day of October 1760.
  Signed sealed and declared to be John X Farguson
  the last will and testament of John his mark
  Farguson in presence of us
  Charles Green, Robert Lindsay, Mary Willis, Margaret Green
  

  Tree Inferred From Will

  • John Ferguson will dated 1761
    • John oldest son
      • Josiah, grandson
    • Joshua, son and Executor
    • Mary Coffer, daughter
  • 3 Brothers: James, Joshua, Joseph; two of whom are deceased before 1761

I think that the following will is for the Joshua listed as brother of John and noted as deceased before 1761. [Bruce Ferguson, Sep 2018]

• Will of Joshua Farguson of Hannover Parish, King George County,VA [Will Book, Vol A-1, 1721-1751]
  • Proved 5 Jan 1749
  • Written: 15 Nov 1749
  • Father: resided King George County,VA
  • Daughter: Mary Pitman, grandson: William Pitman, son-in-law: Thomas Pitman
  • Daughters: Ann, Peggy and Sarah Farguson
  • Young Son: John Farguson
  • Son: Joshua Farguson, Executor "of my estate"
  • Josiah Farguson and my daughter Ann Farguson, executors of "my last will and testament"

Comparison Table

A comparison of the children attributed to Josiah Ferguson & Thorton, to Josiah Ferguson & Priscilla Ford, and those named in the 1803 will of Josiah Ferguson. At this point no document has been found which definitely names the parents of any of the children mentioned in the will. The data presented does not preclude there being two Josiah Ferguson as the two families seem to be one generation apart. The DNA tests say the two Josiah are unrelated.

The will is a better fit to Josiah Ferguson who married Priscilla Ford in that there is no evidence of any of the daughters Josiah Ferguson and ___ Thornton having emigrated to the US. Furthermore of the brothers said to have come from Ireland are two names not listed in the will: Joseph and Robert.

William Ferguson & Susanna Smith

• Census records yield date and place of birth as about 1787, VA which agrees with his headstone [Find A Grave Memorial# 12024830].
• Priscilla Ford is estimated to have been born about 1740 in which case she was about 47 years old when William was born.
• William & Susanna had a son perpetuating the Ford name, he is Joshua Ford Ferguson b. 17 Mar 1826; d. 20 Mar 1848 New Orleans

Josiah Ferguson & Frances Smith

• The will of Enoch Smith indicates he had two daughters that married a Ferguson, i.e. Susanna and Frances.
• Fannie R. Reese d. 1922, Mount Sterling, Montgomery, KY d/o Alfred Ragland Priscilla Ferguson
• Frances E Ragland 1844-1922 buried Machpelah Cemetery Mount Sterling Montgomery County KY wife of Phillip Reese 1837-1897
• Priscille Ragland b. Jan. 11, 1824 d. Jun. 7, 1903 buried Machpelah Cemetery Mount Sterling Montgomery County KY
• 1860 Census - [illegible] Ferguson, age 75, b. VA

Differences

• On the same page are two entries for William Ferguson who married Susanna Smith. In one case he is said to be son of Josiah Ferguson and Priscilla Ford, in the other of Josiah Ferguson and Frances Smith which appears to be in error [Montgomery County Genealogy Trails]
• Thomas James Ferguson b. 21 Dec 1809 Mount Sterling, Montgomery, KY is said Christina Crandall, 2011 to be son of Josiah Ferguson and Frances Smith. According to David Hughes, 2010 he is the son of John Stone Ferguson and Mary James. On the site Ferguson Family Footprints, 2000 his parents are John Stone Ferguson and Mary Jones.