Samuel Ferguson (1698 - 1741)

Born 18 Sep 1698 in Aghadowey, Londonderry, Ulster, Ireland

Husband of Eleanor (Mitchell) Baird — married 1724 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA or Ireland?

Descendants

Died 19 Sep 1741 at age 43 in Blandford, Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Darin Neves [send private message] and Erinne Kennedy-Dock [send private message]

Biography

In the book History of the Ferguson Family, by Henry Ferguson
(http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=29495), he writes that during the upheaval in England may of the Scottish Fergusons went to Ireland. When the troubles were over they sought to return to native Scotland but instead too refuge in America.

Samuel may have immigrated to America with James Sr. and his family, landing at Boston on August 4, 1718. This family group joined with other Scots Irish disembarking at the same time and settled in Worcester, Massachusetts Bay Colony. (emphasis mine)

• p. 231 Samuel Forgeson on same list as Jean Wilson with four children who were warned out of Boston 24 Oct. 1719 coming from Merrymeeting Bay.
  
• p 234 Samuel Ferguson on list of Merrymeeting Bay Scotch Irish Settlers, 1718-1722 along with Alexander and James Ferguson who were at Kittery in 1711. Same as John Cochran, James McFarland, James Wilson and Jean Wilson with four children.
  
• p104 John Wilson from Londonderry, Ireland, Master arrived July 28, 1718 with emigrants, unnamed ship. Another, the brigantine "Robert" James Ferguson, Master from Glasgow and Belfast bringing the future settlers of Londonderry, NH.

In March of 1726, the Scots Irish Families signed a pact with Governor Shute to settle in America and some 300 families moved there. There are NO name records of who came nor their ties so basically the Author is operating on assumption when giving the name of Samuel Ferguson as one of the Migrants.

His genealogical section begins with the Samuel of this profile , and does have an error, listing his daughter Isobel as the wife of William Fox instead of William Knox. However the other daughter Ketavin (being such a strange name) is also listed making this family group comparable to the family in this profile.

Samuel married Eleanor Mitchell presumably at Worcester in the early 1720's. They had six children:

1.Ketavin born in MA prior to 1725. She married William Michel in 1739.
2. Samuel Jr. married Margaret Stewart at Blandford on January 4, 1753.
3. Isabel Ferguson married William Fox (should be Knox) at Blandford on Dec. 21, 1749.
4. James born at Hopkinton, MA on June 28, 1733.
5. Ann born at Hopkinton on July 20, 1735.
6. John born at Blandford in 1740. He married Dorothy Hamilton in 1759."

NOTES ON TEXTS

Source Bibliography: BOLTON, CHARLES KNOWLES. Scotch Irish Pioneers in Ulster and America. Boston: Bacon and Brown, 1910. Reprint. Heritage Books, Bowie, MD, 1989. 398p. Page: 234 Book can be found at https://archive.org/details/scotchirish00boltrich Name: Samuel Ferguson
Arrival Year: 1718-1722
Arrival Place: Maine
(no confirmation that this is our Samuel Ferguson.) Source Publication Code: 648.10
Primary Immigrant: Ferguson, Samuel
Annotation: Date and port of arrival, date and place of settlement, or date of request for emigration with intended destination; a few are date and place of mention of residence in New World. In appendices, pages 317-377, indexer assumed all names listed had immigrated.

There is one problem with this listing. Although it is the right time frame there is NOTHING in there to suggest or link this person with the person listed here.

See "Ulster Scots and Blandford Scouts" by Sumner Gilbert Wood (1928) p 125 Samuel Ferguson, husbandman, of Westborough, Ma. obained a lease on land 27 Oct. 1732 in Hopkinton, Ma. John and William Ferguson both of Grafton, Ma. together bought 2 lots the next year. (1733 Hopkinton, Ma.?) p 126 Samuel Ferguson appears to be among early refugees from Casco Bay in Maine. p 185 Samuel Ferguson, husbandman, of Hopkinton, Middlesex Co. Ma. bought on 23 June 1735 two 60 acre lots from Christopher J. Lawton in Glasco, known now as Blandford, Hampshire Co. Ma. He owed debt to Lawton of 20 lbs. at his death in 1741. p 238 Samuel and Eleana Ferguson both signed with their mark on 29 April 1739 when they sold to Steven Coots of Westfield, Ma. lots 18 and 15 containing 60 acres in the 2nd division for 60 pounds. See "Hampden Co. Ma. Deeds" Vol K p355

No Samuel Fergusons are listed in Ethel Stanwood Bolton's "Immigrant to New England, 1700-1775"

Will of Samuel from the collection Henry Ferguson

"In 1739, Samuel appears to have been in ill health, as on August 7th of that year, he wrote his will saying "I, Samuel Ferguson of Glasgow in the county of Hampshire, perfect mind and memory...I do give unto Eloner my Dearly beloved wife all my household goods with all my moveables. With the benefit of my whole Estate until such time as my beloved son Samuel shall be of lawfull age, and then to have an equal third of the whole during life. I do give my well beloved son, Samuel, my home lot with all privileges whereto belonging so soon as he is of age..." Page 38 of History of a Ferguson Family by Henry Ferguson .
***'Glasgow was the name of Blandford Massachusetts when it was first bought and created by William Knox Sr (died 1774)'

He mentions that the further events of Samuel's Life and doings will be noted in either Taverns and Turnpikes by Sumner wood OR in Soldiers and Sailors of Blandford MA also by Sumner Wood. I have read thru the book Taverns and Turnpikes and the name Ferguson is not mentioned.........I cannot find a copy of the Sumner Wood book at this time.

Elanor serves as the administrator of the will. David Campbell, Hue Hamilton and Sam Chenen were the witnesses. Samuel signed with an X.

Headstone Inscription: In memory of Mr. Samuel Ferguson who died Sept 19 1741 in ye 43rd year of his age

Note: stone barely readable in 2011; next to Eleanor’s

Conflict of information

See "Westborough, Ma. VR to 1850" is the record of Ferguson's children and says he is from Aughadewy, Ireland.

Sources

Bolton, Ethel Stanwood. Immigrants to New England, 1700-1775. Catalog. Salem, MA: Essex Institute, 1931. Ethel Stanwood Bolton.

"Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FC4P-37M : 4 December 2014), Samuel Ferguson in entry for Isabell Ferguson, 06 Dec 1730; citing WESTBORO,WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0824365 IT 2.

https://archive.org/details/scotchirish00boltrich

Ferguson, Henry A.,. History of a Ferguson family : a genealogy of the Scots-Irish family of James Ferguson (ca. 1687-ca. 1737), his wife, Agnes, their four sons, John, William, James (Jr.), and Robert, who migrated from Ulster Province, Northern Ireland, to Massachusetts Bay Colony, America, in 1718. Gardena, Calif.,: Printed by Clearmark Print. Co., 1968. found at: http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=29495 https://archive.org/details/tavernsandturnp00woodgoog gives a bio of the town of Blandford and has some interesting notations but not of Samuel Ferguson.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=53376322

See "Will of Samuel Ferguson of Blandford, Ma. 7 Aug. 1739 at Northampton, Ma." Vol. 1 p 367. He left 55 acres to his cousin Samuel Wolson. Ferguson died in 1741. Our Samuel Wilson died fifteen years later in 1756. After Samuel Wilson's death his wife Elizabeth and son William Wilson of Barre, Ma. and his his other children signed off on Ferguson's will on 30 May 1758.

See "NH State Archives" Vol 15 p186. Dec. 1, 1726 Coulrain Charter near Salmon Falls between Maine and NH. Never granted. Among others who signed the petition were James Caldwell, George Wilson, Nathan McFarland, Joseph Caldwell, William Cochern, James Ferguson, John Ferguson, and Samuel Ferguson. Vol 25 p446 John Ferguson bought land 10 Oct. 1741 in Dracutt, Ma. Vol 45 p355 John Ferguson of Pelham sold land in Pelham to John Ferguson of Dracutt, Ma. Pelham est. in 1746 in Rockingham and Hillsborough Counties. Vol 40 p411 George Ferguson on 22 June 1753 bought land in Pelham from John Ferguson's est. late of Pelham.

See "Hampden Co. Ma. Reg. of Deeds" Vol P p95 John and William Ferguson of Pelham, NH sold 60 acres of land in Blanford for 16 pounds on 5 Nov. 1745 to Samuel Wilson, husbandman of Blandford. Vol P p632 On 4 May 1749 they sold to Michael Wilson of Blanford lot #31 2nd. div. Number 8 on east range, 60 acres for 60 pounds. Vol 6 p273 John Ferguson of Blandford on 12 July 1764 sold 1/3 part of the 18th lot 1st. div. west range, about 70 acres, land that was left to him in his father's will, to Samuel Ferguson, husbandman and others.