William M. Fortenberry (1827 - 1884)

Born 2 Jan 1827 in Lawrence, Arkansas, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Matilda Jane (Gibson) Fortenberry — married 9 Dec 1847 in Lawrence, Arkansas, United States

Descendants

Died 7 Oct 1884 at age 57 in Rosston, Cooke, Texas, United States

Biography

William and Matilda Fortenberry and their children moved from Arkansas to Denton County, Texas by covered wagon in 1858. Their oldest son Sloan was seven years old and walked most of the way behind the wagon. The Fortenberrys descend from Huguenots. It is thought that the family was originally in France with the name "Fortin" and were Huguenots. In about 1600, they fled to Sweden to escape the persecution of the French Protestants in La Rochelle, France by the Roman Catholic Church. In about 1650 they moved to America and landed on the east bank of the Delaware River in present day New Jersey. In 1677, when the first English settlers arrived in western New Jersey, they were assisted by an Indian interpreter named Henry Jacobs Faulkinburg (Fortenberry). His son Henry, born 1685 moved to Virginia and then to Anson Co, North Carolina in 1746. William's brother, Oliver Rice Fortenberry died in 1874 at the age of 52 and left a wife and children. William buried Oliver at Pilot Point, Texas and purchased a very nice marble tomb. He then cared for Oliver's wife Nancy and her children until they were grown.^[1]

William and Matilda Fortenberry and their children moved from Arkansas to Denton County, Texas by covered wagon in 1858. Their oldest son Sloan was seven years old and walked most of the way behind the wagon. The Fortenberrys descend from Huguenots. It is thought that the family was originally in France with the name "Fortin" and were Huguenots. In about 1600, they fled to Sweden to escape the persecution of the French Protestants in La Rochelle, France by the Roman Catholic Church. In about 1650 they moved to America and landed on the east bank of the Delaware River in present day New Jersey. In 1677, when the first English settlers arrived in western New Jersey, they were assisted by an Indian interpreter named Henry Jacobs Faulkinburg (Fortenberry). His son Henry, born 1685 moved to Virginia and then to Anson Co, North Carolina in 1746. William's brother, Oliver Rice Fortenberry died in 1874 at the age of 52 and left a wife and children. William buried Oliver at Pilot Point, Texas and purchased a very nice marble tomb. He then cared for Oliver's wife Nancy and her children until they were grown.

William was born in 1836. He is the son of Jacob Fortenberry and Elizabeth Osburn. ^[2]

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Parents

Jacob Fortenberry 1789–1862
Nancy Taylor Fortenberry 1791–1831

Spouse

Matilda Jane Gibson Fortenberry 1831–1899

Siblings

Matilda Fortenberry Childers 1815–1844
Oliver Rice Fortenberry 1821–1874
Ambrose H Fortenberry 1829–1868

Children

Elizabeth Fortenberry Pruner 1851–1878
Sloan Fortenberry 1851–1911
Meltin Fortenberry 1855–1878
Ambrose Sevier Fortenberry 1860–1949
Absalom Fortenberry 1863–1878
Alpha Jane Fortenberry Hughes 1865–1917
Nancy Lee Fortenberry Brownfield 1868–1938
Malcomb Fortenberry 1872–1878

Burial

William M. Fortenberry
Birth 2 Jan 1827 Lawrence County, Arkansas, USA
Death 7 Oct 1884 (aged 57) Denton County, Texas, USA
Burial Rosston Cemetery
Rosston, Cooke County, Texas, USA
^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Stephanie Sanchez.
2. ↑ Entered by Stephanie Sanchez, Saturday, September 28, 2013.
3. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #45165988

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Stephanie Sanchez for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Stephanie and others.

Thank you to Stephanie Sanchez for creating Fortenberry-235 on 28 Sep 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Stephanie and others.