Earlier in 2018 a patron visited the Worcester Historical Museum’s library wondering what materials it might have on the history of her family. She is a descendant of one of the 1718 Scotch-Irish immigrants who arrived in Worcester 300 years ago. Caleb Wall’s Reminiscences of Worcester describes this man James Furgerson as being “among those who remained in Worcester, after the removal of their countrymen.” He was that 2018 library patron’s family member.
We’re including in our online collection a history of that family written by Henry A. Ferguson and published in 1968. It provides a wealth of information on the family, for example, Henry writes that: “while no records are available to substantiate it, we believe from piecing together what we do know, that James FERGUSON (Sr), his wife Agnes and their four sons, John, William, James (Jr) and Robert migrated at this time [1718] and joined the group settling in Worcester. It is also presumed that Samuel Ferguson was a younger unmarried brother of James (Sr) and was in the party.”
We learn that James Ferguson was a “clothier” in the year 1730 when he bought a 45-acre piece of land in town. “Our ancestor, James Ferguson, like the Grays,” writes Henry Ferguson, “lived in the north end of Worcester, on the south side of the road to Rutland, as evidenced by a land deed in 1730. His brother, Samuel, owned land adjoining his at the same period… The two older boys John and William Sr. learned their father’s trade and became tailors.”
Please visit this long and detailed family history to learn more about these Fergusons and their connection to the city of Worcester.
Link: History of a Ferguson Family
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