Brown Family Research - Paternal Ancestors - Segment 12

 

Moses Ferguson and Malinda Goff

Part -1-

Early Days

Moses Ferguson was born in North Carolina in about 1803.[1] Nothing is definitively known about his early life or his parents. Given that Moses never acknowledged being able to read or write, it is likely that he never attended school. At some time, the family moved to middle Tennessee. There, he seems to have met Malinda Goff, who had been born in TN in about 1815.[2] They married in Sumner Co. on July 19, 1832. Their bondsman, or best man, was Daniel Gossage. The couple was joined by Reverend H. K. Winbourn, who was simply listed as a Minister of the Gospel.[3]

Their first child, Catherine, was born in TN in 1833.[4] Sometime between 1833 and 1839, the young family moved north to Butler Co., KY. The first of eight known children born in KY was William Alexander "Tobias". He arrived in 1839.[5] Brothers and sisters continued to appear until 1856. Timothy V. was next in 1841.[6] Then came James M., born in 1845.[7] He was followed by Thomas in 1848.[8] Then came the second daughter, Hannah Elizabeth, in 1849.[9] She was followed by John A. in

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[1] Moses' exact year of birth is difficult to pinpoint. In 1840 he is between 30 and 40 years of age (i.e. born between 1800 and 1810), 1850 he is 47 years old (i.e. born in 1803), in 1860 he says he is 53 (i.e. born 1807), in 1870 he claims to be 67 (i.e. born 1803), in 1872 he states that he is 75 (i.e. born 1797) and in 1880 he claims to be 70 (i.e. born in 1810).

[2] Malinda's place of birth is based on data which she provided in the 1850 Ohio Co., KY census. Determining her year of birth is also difficult. In 1840, she is listed as between 30 and 40 (born 1800-1810); in 1850, she is 36 (1814); in 1860, she is 45 (1815); and in 1870, she is 63 (1807).

[3] Moses Ferguson and Malinda Goff were married in Sumner Co., TN on July 19, 1832 (page 474 of the book, 35,000 Tennessee Marriage Records and Bonds, 1783-1870, Vol 1, A-F, edited by Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas, Jr. and Mrs. Ella Lee Sheffield, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1981).

[4] Catherine was born about 1833 in TN. Said to have died in Cleaton, Muhlenberg Co., KY. She is buried in Crescent Hill Cemetery, also in Muhlenberg Co, KY. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8394744

[5] William Alexander 'Tobias' was born about 1839 in KY. He married Grayson Co. born, Nancy Jones on March 8, 1857, in Butler Co (per page 1 of the index to the 1857 Butler Co., KY. Marriage Records). She died February 22, 1859, in Butler Co. (Butler Co. Death Records, 1859), and he married her older sister, Rachel, on June 23, 1860. Both weddings occurred at Moses' home. Served in the 11th Regiment of the KY Voluntary Infantry, Company C. Died February 1872 in Butler Co. The large gap between Catherine's birth and that of Tobe and the absence of any such gap after that time may indicate that there were other children who died young.

[6] Timothy V. was born October 27, 1840, in KY. In June 1880, he married a Betsy Jane Runnals (or Reynolds) in Ohio Co (she was 24 years his junior). He died of a brain hemorrhage on July 18, 1917, in Ohio Co. Timothy served in the Civil War in the 11th Regiment of the KY Voluntary Infantry, Company C. He made an application for a pension as early as 1887, claiming that his exposure to camp diseases left him unable to work. He was never awarded the desired pension, but his widow, Betsy, did obtain a Widow's Pension based on his service (certificate 846982).

[7] James M. was born April 14, 1845, in KY. He later married a woman named Nancy Oliver and moved to Ohio Co. He also served in the Civil War in the 11th Regiment of the KY Voluntary Infantry, Company C. James was captured at Bowling Green, KY, on December 31, 1862, by CSA General John H. Morgan and paroled. He reported to Company K, 4th Regiment of Paroled Forces at Camp Chase, OH, on January 2, 1863. He returned to duty in the 11th KY on March 13, 1863. Camp Chase (4 miles west of downtown Columbus, OH). Camp Chase served as a training camp, parole camp, and prisoner of war camp.

[8] Thomas was born about 1848 in KY.

[9] Hannah Elizabeth was born about October 23, 1849, in Butler Co., KY. She later married Abraham A. Frizzell on October 7, 1868. Abraham was also a Private in the 11th KY Voluntary Infantry, Company C. Elizabeth died August 3, 1923, in Ohio Co., KY. She is buried in the Slaty Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Prentiss, KY. Abe died November 21, 1932, in Ohio Co., volume 55, certificate 27041, death volume 32.

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1852.[10] Daughter Eleanor was born in 1854.[11] Finally, Elmore was born in 1856.[12] After reaching Butler Co., Moses supported his growing family as a ferry keeper and a farmer.

The winter of 1856-1857 cannot have been pleasant for the Fergusons, for their three youngest children died of scarlet fever. Four-year-old John and two-year-old Eleanor died within twelve days of each other in December. Elmore, aged one or less, died shortly thereafter in 1857.

Their second child, Tobe, married young Nancy Jones in 1858. The wedding took place at Moses' and Malinda's home. Unfortunately, Nancy died of a heart condition in February 1859. Tobe soon took Nancy's older sister, Rachel, as his bride, with the 1860 wedding again taking place at Moses' home. The relationship between Moses and Malinda and their second son was to continue to be a close one. Available records indicate that for many years the young couple may have lived on Moses' land or perhaps on an adjacent farm.[13] Tobe may have even worked for his father. Tobe, who, along with brothers Timothy and James, served with the 11th KY Voluntary Infantry, suffered from camp diseases early in the war and returned home in January 1862. Given his condition, his growing family, and his parents’ proximity, it is likely that Moses and Malinda provided both financial and emotional support during these difficult years.

Timothy and James served throughout the war, seeing duty at Shiloh, Perryville, Stones River, Knoxville, Kennesaw, and Atlanta. They were discharged at Bowling Green, KY, on December 16, 1864.

Late in 1864 or early 1865, the family seems to have moved from the Burdens community to the extreme northern part of Butler Co. to a 100-acre farm at the junction of the Green River and Indian Camp Creek. In an effort to raise a little more money, Moses and Malinda leased the mineral rights on their land to Larkin J. Proctor and Co. of nearby Edmonson Co. The lease was for a period of thirty years, and the Fergusons were to receive ten percent of the minerals discovered, though it is unknown if any were ever found.

The couple's youngest surviving child, Hannah Elizabeth, married in 1868. She took as her husband a veteran of the 11th KY Voluntary Infantry Regiment, Abraham A. Frizzell. Abraham served in the same Company as Elizabeth's three brothers. As with Tobe's two marriages, the ceremony took place at Moses' and Malinda's home. Austin and Thomas Bratcher served as witnesses to the service conducted by David Elms. Perhaps for a short time, the couple had an 'empty nest' for the first time in 35 years.

Declining and Death

By 1870, Moses' health may not have allowed him (at 67) to provide the support to Tobe as he once had, and some of the burden may have shifted to Tobe's brothers. James’ and Tobe’s families live

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[10] John A. was born about 1852 in KY. He died December 2, 1856, in Butler Co., KY, from scarlet fever (Butler Co., KY, death records, 1856, page 2).

[11] Eleanor was born about 1854 in KY. She died December 14, 1856, in Butler Co., KY, from scarlet fever (Butler Co., KY, death records, 1856, page 2).

[12] Elmore was born about 1856 in KY. He died in 1857 in Butler Co., KY, also from scarlet fever (Butler Co., KY, death records, 1857, page 2).

[13] Moses does not appear in the 1850 or 1860 Butler Co., KY Agricultural Census. It may be that his farm was too small to meet the guidelines set for inclusion.

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next to each other, and the youngest brother, Thomas (and his young wife, Elizabeth), still lived near his parents in the Brooklyn community.[14] Another Ferguson, 16-year-old John, boarded with Moses and Malinda.

The 1870 agricultural census provides some insight into Moses’ property and prosperity, as his farm was of 15 acres of ‘improved’ (or cultivated) land only. He owned no woodlands. He owned $15 worth of farm implements and machinery. He had one horse, two milk cows, and seven swine. The total value of the livestock was $200. In the past year he had produced 30 bushels of Indian corn and 200 pounds of tobacco.[15] A brief comparison of Moses’ farm with those nearby indicates that it was one of the smallest and least productive, perhaps indicative of his declining health.

Sometime after 1870, Malinda died of causes which have yet to be discovered. Shortly thereafter, on August 17, 1872, Moses remarried 50-year-old Sallie F. Nostril.[16] They were to be married at the home of their son-in-law, Abe Frizzel, with members of the Phelps family acting as witnesses.

Within six months of Moses' remarriage, change came. His oldest son, Tobe, died, and his third son, James, moved his family north to Beaver Dam in Ohio Co. Tobe's widow, long dependent upon her father-in-law, also moved to Beaver Dam, perhaps now to be near James' family.

By 1880, Moses and Sally were still living in the Burdens community. Moses, in his late 70s, continued to work the farm. In June of that year, his second son, Timothy, finally married, taking the much younger Betsy Jane Runnals (or Reynolds) as his bride. But since they lived in the Select community in Ohio Co., it cannot be expected that they were of much aid to Moses.

Moses also appeared in the 1880 agricultural census for Butler Co., KY. He appeared in the Burdens. It was noted that he owned his land, nine acres of which were under cultivation with another 50 acres of woodland. The farm and its buildings were worth $75, while the estimated value of all farm production over the last year was just $50. No crop or livestock production was recorded over the prior year, clearly a sign of Moses’ decline. No other farm was as small, nor did any other farm have zero production of goods.[17]

At this time, it is not clear when or how Moses and Sally died, nor where they are buried.

End Notes and References

1. In 1830 in Sumner Co., TN, there was only one Ferguson family (spelled Furguson in the census). It is the family of Edward Furguson, aged between 70 and 80. One of those living in this household is a male between 20 and 30 years of age. Moses would have been between 20 and 30 at this time. Except for the one statement given by Moses in his old age, the date of birth

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[14] Brooklyn is a small community in Butler Co., located 10 miles northeast of Morgantown on Welch's Creek.

[15] U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, 1870 data, Butler Co., KY, Precinct No. 1, Morgantown, page 21. The agricultural census would have included a second page of questions regarding the production of other produce but has not been filmed.  

[16] Moses married again in 1872 to a Sallie F. Nostril (Butler Co. marriage records, Book 7, page 299). He stated that his marriage to Sallie was his second. In this record, he stated that he was born in TN, that his father was born in NC, and his mother in VA. On other records, he has noted that he was born in NC.

[17] U.S., Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880, 1880 data, Butler Co., KY, Burdens District, page 1.

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would correspond to that of the male in the Edward Ferguson household in the 1830 Sumner Co., TN census. It is possible that Edward is his father, though Edward would have been between 50 and 60 at the time of Moses' birth. Also in Edward's household were one male less than 5, one female between 5 and 10, one female between 15 and 20 and one female between 60 and 70. The 1820 Sumner Co. census has three Furguson families, Edward, Polly and John, all appearing on page 153 of that document. On the other hand, the minister who married Moses and Malinda positively states that Malinda was a resident of Sumner Co. but doesn't say the same of Moses. Perhaps Moses was not a resident of Sumner Co. He may have been passing through or a resident of a neighboring county.

2. Butler Co., KY census for 1840, p. 383, see the table below.

3. Butler Co., KY census for 1850, p. 275, see the table below.

4. Butler Co., KY census for 1860, p. 873, see the table below. In 1860 Moses' personal property was estimated at $8000 (!!!), which was enormous compared to Tobe's $50 personal property. According to the census, neither had any real estate. In the case of Moses, given the absence of real estate, his high personal worth would be atypical. The number does not seem to be in the same handwriting as the other data on the page, indicating that it could be spurious information. Perhaps as the census data was being tallied, a clerk simply jotted down an intermediate result of a tabulation.

5. Butler Co., KY census for 1870, p. 334, see the table below. Note that Moses' worth is only $200, perhaps confirming that the $8000 shown in 1860 was an error or an intermediate tabulation as speculated above.

6. Butler Co., KY census for 1880, p. 364, see below.

7. The known children of Moses and Malinda are;

8. Butler Co., KY, deed book L, pages 421 and 422. How and when the Fergusons obtained this property is not clear (though when responding to the census taker in 1860, they claimed to have owned no property), nor can it be ascertained at this time as to how the land was disposed of.

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1840 Butler Co., KY Census

Head of Household	Males	Females	No. in Agriculture	Read/Write
Moses Ferguson	1 less than 5 yrs 1 between 30 and 40	1 between 5 and 10 1 between 30 and 40	1	2 over 20 who cannot read or write

1850 Butler Co., KY Census

Name	Age	Occupation	State of Birth	Read/Write
Moses Ferguson	47		NC	No
Malinda	36		TN	No
Catherine	17		TN
Wm	10		KY	In school
Timothy	8		KY	In school
James	6		KY
Thomas	4		KY
Elizabeth	8 months		KY

1860 Butler Co., KY Census

Name	Age	Occupation	Worth	State of Birth	Read/Write
Moses Ferguson	53	Farmer	8000	NC	cannot read
Malinda	45	Sewing		TN	cannot read
T. V.	19	Farm Laborer		KY
James	15	Farm Laborer		KY
Thomas	12			KY
Elizabeth	9			KY
Wm A	21	Farmer		KY	cannot read
Rachel	21	Sewing		KY	cannot read

1870 Butler Co., KY Census

Name	Age	Occupation	Worth	State of Birth	Read/Write
Moses Ferguson	67	Farmer	200	NC	write
Malinda	63	Keeping House		TN
John	16	Farm Laborer		KY

1880 Butler Co., KY Census

Name	Age	Occupation	Read/Write	State of Birth	Father's State of Birth	Mother's State of Birth
Moses Ferguson	70	Farmer	No	NC	NC	VA
Sally F.	56	Keeping House		KY	VA	VA

Attachments

1. Marriage license, Moses Ferguson and Malinda Goff, Sumner Co., TN, four pages.
2. Butler Co., KY, deed book L, pages 421 and 422, two pages. Property lease dated February 28, 1865, between Moses and Malinda and a Larkin J. Proctor to permit Proctor to explore for minerals. The term of the lease was for 30 years.
3. Marriage license, Moses Ferguson to Sallie F. Nostril, Butler Co., KY, marriage records, Book 7, page 299, two pages.

Areas for Further Research

·         Moses' son James was also in the 11th, so I'd like to check out his pension/military records and see if it has any family info.

·         Look at the tax records for Butler Co 1833 - 1880? to see when Moses showed up, to get a feel for the family's financial status while they were there, and when he died.

·         Look for wills, inventories, and appraisals.

·         Look at the Court records to see if he was ever excused from paying taxes.

·    Look at Ohio Co. papers for death notices of Timothy (1907) and James Ferguson and Hannah Elizabeth Frizzell to see if they contain anything about their parents or siblings.