CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Hello again Can anyone look up this Ferris family?
James Ferris, wife Mary Ann, son SOLOMON b. Queens Co,about 1868, no idea what parish, sorry... Solomon married Laura Roans in York Co. at age 20, these parents names were on the Marriage Record.
Would like to know history of Ferris family in Queens Co. ... is anyone researching them? I appreciate any information!
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
James' parentage is a little in question. He is, PERHAPS, the James Henry Ferris b. @1825, s/o George Ferris and Jane Blizzard. Here is what I have in my files on Solomon:
Name: Solomon Ferris Birth: 08-OCT-1870 in: Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada Death: Father: James Ferris Mother: Mary Jane Cole
Notes: 1901 Canada Census for St. Marys, York Co, NB:
34 23 348 Ferris Solomon M Head M Oct 8 1870 30 34 24 348 Ferris Laura F Wife M Mar 28 1865 36 34 25 348 Ferris Annie F Daughter S Jun 25 1895 5 34 26 348 Ferris Glyads F Daughter S Aug 23 1897 3
Married: 08-OCT-1889 in: York County, New Brunswick, Canada Name: Laura (Roans) Rowan Birth: 28-MAR-1865 Death: Father: Mother:
Children
Annie Madeline Ferris, b. 26-JUN--1895 in: Nashwaak, York County, New Brunswick, Canada Sadie Gladys Ferris, b. 23-AUG-1897 OR 1898 in: Nashwaak, York County, New Brunswick, Canada Muriel Jane Ferris, b. 25-JUN-1901 in: Gibson, York County, New Brunswick, Canada
And my notes on James Ferris:
Name: James Ferris Birth: 01-APR-1831 in: New Brunswick, Canada Death: Father: Mother:
Notes: Born as early as 1827 or 1828, based on 1881 Census for Waterborough, Queens Co, NB:
James FERRIS M Male Scottish 53 New Brunswick Farmer Baptist Maryjane FERRIS M Female Scottish 52 New Brunswick Baptist William FERRIS Male Scottish 17 New Brunswick Farmer Son Baptist Soloman FERRIS Male Scottish 11 New Brunswick Baptist Maryann FERRIS Female Scottish 9 New Brunswick Baptist
Some indications that this James is James Henry Ferris, b. 1825, s/o George Ferris and Jane Blizzard!
Was James Henry Ferris married twice? First to Sarah Drillen, having children up to 1868, then to Mary Jane Cole???
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Here's one of the reasons I believe (though certain birth dates for James conflict) that James Ferris who married Mary Jane Cole is the SAME James Henry Ferris who was earlier married to Sarah Drillen/Dillon... the 1871 Census for Waterborough Parish, Queens County, Division 1, Part 2:
1871 - Waterborough Parish (Div 1/Part 2):
89 94 Ferris James M 43 NB Baptist English Farmer M Ferris Mary Jane F 42 NB C of E English M Ferris James H. M 16 NB Baptist English Farm Labourer (James Henry Ferris b. @1853) Ferris William E. M 7 NB Baptist English (first s/o Mary Jane and James?) Ferris Iness. F 6 NB Baptist English (not in 1881 Census) Ferris Solomon M 1 NB Baptist English
This "connecting" census record, MAY provide the reasoning behind James Henry Ferris being married twice. First, to Sarah Drillen, then to Mary Jane Cole, who is obviously the one in the above record.
James Henry Ferris, Jr., b. 1853, listed in above record, but not in 1881. Solomon listed in above AND 1881 record. Obviously, this James is married in 1871 to Mary Jane Cole. Also, as I recall, he married her in about 1868, so she would NOT have been mother of "Junior" as he was born to Sarah.
If such IS the case, then we KNOW that James Henry Ferris is son of George Ferris, Jr. and Jane Blizzard, from other sources.
Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any need for further clarification.
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Charrie Anne & Jared,
Yes, James Henry Ferris was married twice. Sorry... have not had time to research this family info!
First marriage was to Sarah Elizabeth Drillen b about 1826? James Henry & Sarah Elizabeth were married sometime in the early 1850's. These are their children: Hannah b abt 1852 James Henry b abt 1853 Charlotte b abt 1856] George Peter b abt 1860
I am unaware if they had more children. By 1868 Sarah Elizabeth apparently dies from some cause.
I found this tid bit info in Daniel Johnson's newspaper collection:
December 31, 1868 Saint John m. 26th Nov., by Rev. A.B. MacDonald, James FERRIS, Waterborough / Miss Mary Jane COLE, Johnston (Queens Co.)
Jared has listed the rest of the family info!
Cheers! Linda E Drilling
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Linda, thank you very much for this information, I really appreciate it.
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Jared, thank you very much for this info, it really completes the picture. This is certainly "our" Solomon; his Bride, Laura Melissa Roans lists her parents as William and Mary Roans, Mary being Mary Alicia McLean, d/o Capt. Archibald McLean of St. Marys, York.
There are several "George" s of the surname Ferrie, some of them Loyalist.... do you have information on the parents of James Ferris and MaryJane Cole?
I'd very much appreciate any thing you have on this family. It is my husband's mum who is related, Muriel Jane Ferris was her mum, married Thomas Newton Jarvis.
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
CharrieAnne... NOW you asked for it! :-) Bear in mind, there are MANY Ferris/Farris researchers out there, with their own opinions on how this family fleshes out. I'm offering only my own, with the inputs of SOME others, and without consideration of some. I can only base my own notes and assumptions on my past experience and without relying on information that was overly presumptive, but that still does NOT mean this is "concrete" evidence of how this family arrived in NB, from its earlier times in NY and/or CT... Please bear that in mind, as I offer my views...
As Linda Drilling had mentioned, there is reason to believe Mary Jane Cole MAY have been a widow, or at least previously married. Nothing CERTAIN, but may be a "genealogical hunch" based on information I've not yet seen/found.
As for the GEORGE Ferris connection... :-) Welcome to the club!
There is information indicating this Ferris family originated with the Westchester County, NY Ferris line, which, itself was 'started' by the Stamford, CT Ferris line, and move to NY through Jeffrey Ferris and his family.
As to which Ferris was the progenitor of the name in Queens County, there are a few possibilities. My own "hunch" is that those of this name in Queens County LIKELY descend from Peter... but let's address the GEORGE issue! :-)
James Henry Ferris (Sr.) b. 1825-1830 (depending on source), was son of George Ferris (sometimes called "Junior") and his wife, Jane Blizzard.
Now, depending on which source is consulted for this GEORGE's ancestry, we come across SOME confusion. Some sources indicate this George who married Jane Blizzard was the son of George Ferris (Loyalist). In any case, George Ferris "Jr" WAS the son of a Loyalist, as he was born in 1785 or 1786, in NB.
First theory, and likely reason for the "Jr" label, is that he was s/o George (Loyalist) Ferris and mary Perkins (there is also the Ferris vs. Farris debate, which I will not address!). The other is that George "Jr." was s/o John Ferris (as one by this name was christened at Gagetown Anglican on 14-Aug-1790, along with a sister, Margaret, who were said to be children of John.
We DO know that George Ferris married Jane Blizzard on 02-Jul-1811 (likely in Queens Co). She was b. @1788, in Canada (prob. NB).
Though I've not yet found them in 1851 Census (doesn't SEEM Queens Co was enumerated), the 1861 Census for George and Family reads:
Family 174: George Farris aged 76 Jane aged 74 Mary aged 45 Archibald aged 32 Oliver aged 25 Hannah aged 28 (daugther-in-law) (Hannah J. Drillen - m. Archibald) Martha Ann aged 3 (grand dau - by Archibald) Cornelia Ann aged 11 months (grand dau - by Archibald) Elizabeth aged 23 (another daughter-in-law) (Elizabeth Abigail "Betsey" Hamm - m. Oliver) George Thomas aged 5 (grand son - by Oliver) Parmelia Ann aged 3 (grand dau - by Oliver) Rebecca GC
The attribution of John Ferris as father of George Jr. is found in the Wiggins History, though several have challenged its accuracy in this area over the years.
In either case, we can safely presume that George "Jr", b. 1785/86 was GRANDSON of Gilbert Ferris, by either son John or Son George. This Gilbert Ferris (in some sources, seen listed as GEORGE, again!) was likely son of Peter Ferris and his wife (maybe Sarah).
This Peter is the one that helps tie this Ferris line in to the Ferrises of Westchester. Though there is still work to be done in ironing out EXACT direct lines of ascent/descent as many early records are not exactly precise. For example, a child was born "bef. 1691"... and may have been born as early as 1656! Or, "died young", could mean as an infant, or just before adulthood, or even in YOUNG adulthood! Depending, of course, on context and source.
So, for the time being, a careful balancing act is in place, before saying with any certainty how the line of descent might flow down from Peter to the George b. 1785/86. Surely, over the course of history, SEVERAL assumptions HAVE been made (Wiggins is a good example), and there is now a need to ferret-out those assumptions from the KNOWN facts, and see what the facts support.
The fact that there WERE so many with the same given names, from Stamford, CT to Westchester, NY to Queens Co, NB, has NOT been helpful! It does give one the comfort of knowing this is the same family, but did they HAVE to have a George, Gilbert, Richard, Peter, John, and Joseph in EVERY generation of EVERY family! :-) The first sign of a Solomon, in fact, is as a child of Gilbert (ONE of the Gilberts).
Here is another researcher's take on how the early family was "laid out":
1. Joseph Ferris (NFI) (b. in CT, moved to NY)
2. Peter Ferris m. Susannah (b. and perhaps died in NY)
3a. Gilbert Ferris (b. in NY moved to NB) 3b. Joshua Ferris (b. NY, looks like he moved to NS then MAYBE NB) 3c. Jonathon Ferris (b. and d. NY - by most accounts) 3d. Caleb Ferris (b. NY... he DID move to NB, but, permanently or temporarily?)
3a. Gilbert Ferris had: (all b. NB?) 3a1. Richard 3a2. Susan 3a3. Eleanor 3a4. Stephen 3a5. George 3a6. Solomon 3a7. John
Here's the "quip" from the WIGGINS history of Queens Co, NB:
"FERRIS. There were six Loyalists of this name, in all probability members of the same family, viz.; Caleb, George, Joshua, Joseph and Peter, of Westchester County, New York. Caleb and Joshua were protesters against the Whigs in 1775. George, Jos hua and Peter settled in Saint John in 1783, and were grantees of that cit, Joseph was a Captain in the Rangers, under Colonel Butler. During the war he was captured by his brother-in-law, who was a rebel, but escaped from captivity. At the close of the struggle he went to Newfoundland, but subsequently settled in New Brunswick. He lived in Eastport, Maine, afte r it was captured by the British in 1812, but returned to this Province after its restoration to the United States. He received half pay. He died at Indian Island in 1836, aged ninety-two.
John came to St. John in 1783, and subsequently settled in Scotchtown, on lot number 23, of which he was the original grantee. His children were: John, who married Mary McLean; George, Miss Blizzard; Joseph, Miss Cottle; William, Miss Myers; als o three daughters, Nancy, Catherine and Elizabeth. The family is one of the most extensive in Queen's and includes some of its most industrious population. John Ferris, Esq., son of John, is its most wealthy citizen, and has represented the constituency for more than a quarter of a century both in the Local and the Dominion Parliament."
My Comment on Wiggins: The Ferris/Farris families of Queens are very hard to accurately list prior to the early 1800s, due to so many given names in common from one family to another. If Wiggins were more "SOLID" a work, would be far easier to determine the correct beginnings, but many researchers find errors in the Wiggins work, so it is, to say the least, discouraging to insist on a specific line of descent or ascent, within this family from the 1780s to the 1810s.
Humbly offered for your CONSIDERATION...
Jared
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Linda,
Thought I'd included it in the earlier post, but I DO have marriage information on James Henry and Sarah... 28-Dec-1847, Queens Co (believe this is in the Marriage book).
As you said, it would appear Sarah died around 1865-1867, and James later married (26-Nov-1868), to Mary Jane Cole (whether a widow or not) :-)
Of note, in my recent online database updates, I STILL had William Emerson Ferris (b. 01-Apr-1864) as son of James and Mary Jane. That has now been corrected, for my next upload (which should be in the Summer if all goes well).
The only two children I have now for Mary Jane and James are Mary Ann, b. 13-Sep-1871, and Solomon, b. 08-Oct-1870 (or, as my note say, perhaps 1869). The 1870 date is from 1901 Census, which, like the 1911 one, is often a year off! :-)
Jared
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Oh my!! I am over-come :}
Jared, you've out-done yourself, thank you for all this ... going to take a bit of time, go over all your notes, compare with what I have, and with what I now find in Johnson's database (now that I know what to look for!) and in PANB's files... will definitely get back to you soon. I do have some thoughts on Wiggins, later.'For now, a HUGE thank you.
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Re: CENSUS Look-up for FERRIS, James
Jared,
Thanks for the marriage date of James Henry & Sarah.
I went & checked the 1871 Waterborough census about James Henry & Mary Jane. There is also a daughter Iness (?) who was 6 yrs old & William E was 7 yrs old. I am assuming that Iness is also the daughter of James Henry & Sarah. Have you checked the 1881 or 1891 censuses?
Isn't this fun!!! :-)
Cheers! Linda
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