Esther Thornton, sister of Hon. Matthew Thornton, was married at Pelham, MA on December 4, 1746 to James Ferguson.

Ferguson Family

This family was of Scotch origin, and emigrated to the north of Ireland and from there to America. The earliest history of this family is found in a written statement by John Ferguson, son of Silas of Springfield, NY, which says that three unmarried brothers by the name of Ferguson came from Ireland and settled in Pelham, MA; that two of them married with the Puritans of Pelham; and that the youngest, Samuel, went to Cherry Valley, NY in 1755 and remained unmarried. The two brothers who married the "Puritans" of Pelham were William and James; William married in 1744 to Janet [last name unknown], and James married Esther Thornton in 1746.
The history of Pelham shows that the Ferguson family was prominent in the early history of that town. In the original deed of the town lands, drawn up in 1738-9, John Ferguson of Grafton, MA, was grantee of one-sixtieth part. It seems probable that the three brothers, William, James and Samuel, were sons of John Ferguson of Grafton. There was a Robert Ferguson who, in 1738, was of Grafton and subsequently of Pelham; he was probably a brother to John Ferguson of Grafton. There was also a Samuel Ferguson of Westborough (which is near Grafton) in 1730, who is supposed to have been a brother to John Ferguson of Grafton. This Samuel was among the first settlers of Blandford, MA, where he died in 1741 at age 48, leaving six children - one of whom was named John.
The records in Scotland show that in the parish of Glasgow there was born to John Ferguson and Janet Miller, on December 22, 1680, a son John, who may have been the John Ferguson of Grafton and Pelham, MA.
The first meetings of the proprietors of Pelham was held on August 6, 1740, at the dwelling house of John Ferguson, which was in the center of the town. Ferguson's house was next to the lot on which the town's meeting house would eventually be located; town meetings were held there until 1743.
The names John, William, Samuel, Robert and James Ferguson appear on a protest dated August 31, 1743 against the calling of Rev. Robert Abercrombie as minister by the inhabitants of Pelham.
John Ferguson was a selectman and assessor of Pelham for many years; in 1756, he was elected treasurer, which office he held until his death in 1758, when a special town meeting was called to choose a town treasurer in place of John Ferguson "by reason of said Ferguson's removal".

James Ferguson

The name of James Ferguson first appears in the records of Pelham, MA, on the protest dated August 31, 1743 against Rev. Robert Abercrombie.
He evidently served in the French & Indian War, as at a town meeting in Pelham on March 19, 1746-7(sic), it was "voted that James Ferguson is freed from paying rata ye 1746 for his being in ye war".
He was chosen one of the surveyors of Pelham at the town meetings in 1755, 1756 adn 1758. In 1759, he was chosen as one of the town constables. In January, 1763, he was one of the protestants against the calling of Rev. Richard C. Graham as minister.
James Ferguson served in the Revolutionary War. A muster roll of the company udner Capt. David Cowden in Col. Benj. A. Woodbridges' regiment to August 1, 1775 contains his name.
In 1779, he resided in Coleraine, MA, as is shown by a deed in which his wife Esther joins, conveying 100 acres in Pelham.

Children/Descendents of Esther Thornton and James Ferguson

The children of Esterh Thornton and James Ferguson, all of whom were born between 1747 and 1754, were: 1. Mary; 2. Esther; 3. Margaret; 4. Hannah; 5. Robert; and 6. a son.

Robert Ferguson married Jane Young in 1790. In 1796, he bought a farm in Cherry Valley, NY, the ownership of which still remains in the family [as of 1905]. Their children, born between 1792 adn 1812, were: 1. Hadassah; 2. Nancy; 3. Fanny; 4. Thornton; 5. James; 6. John M.; and 7. Eliphalet.

Nancy Ferguson was maried in 1820 to David Scollard of Springfield, NY. They had seven children, born between 1821 and 1841: 1. Fanny Mck.(sic); 2. John; 3. Davison; 4. Elizabeth J.; 5. James; 6. Mary; and 7. William. Their descendents live in Springfield and Milford, NY, and North Dakota.

Fanny Ferguson was married in 1827 to Jacob Sutphen of Cherry Valley, NY. They had sic children, born between 1828 adn 1839: 1. Jane; 2. Catharine; 3. James; 4. John; 5. Electa H.; and 6. Margaret J.
John Sutphen enlisted in the U.S. Army August 14, 1861 in Rochester, NY. He was a private in Co. H., 3rd N.Y. Vol. Cavalry; fought in the battle of Balls' Bluff (Oct. 1861); on picket duty in North Caroline under Gen. Burnside; in the following engagements during 1862: Winchester, VA-March 1st; Trent Road, NC-May 15th; Neuse Road, NC-Aug. 20th; Little Washington-Sept. 6th; Jamestown Road-Sept. 23rd; near Tarboro, NC-Nov. 3rd; Rollo Mills-Nov. 7th; Reniston-Dec. 14th; White Hall-Dec. 16th; Goldsborough-Dec. 17th. In 1863: Bottoms' Bridge-Feb. 7th; Stony Creek, VA-May 7th; Nottaway Bridge-May 8th; Chula Station-June 2d; Petersburgh-June 15th; Stanton Bridge-June 25th; Roanoke Bridge-June 26th; Rheams Station-June 29th. He was captured at Rheahms Station, escaped the same day, wandered in the woods for several days and finally reached Federal lines on July 1st. Discharged August 29, 1864. John carried the company guidon [unknown what this item is] for two years. It is still in his possession, a worn and battered remnant {as of 1905]. He was elected supervisor of Monroe County, NY in 1900.

Thornton Ferguson [son of Esther Thornton Ferguson] was married in Pelham, MA on June 6, 1831 to Lavonia Peck. They resided in Springfield, NY. Their children, born between 1832 and 1850, were: 1. Harriet; 2. Adeline; 3. Jane; 4. Lyman P.; 5. Henry Thornton; 6. Charles T.; 7. Howard; 8. Edward G.; 9. Imogene; 10. Charlotte C.; and 11. Henrietta L.
Henry Thornton Ferguson enlisted at Cherry Valley, NY in Co. D., Berdans' Sharp Shooters in 1861; died September 28, 1863 in Race St. Hospital, Philadelphia.
Charles T. Ferguson was 2nd Lt. in the 121st Reg. NY Vols., having enlisted on August 18, 1862.
Edward S.(sic) Ferguson enlisted at East Springfield, NY October 3, 1863 in 16th NY Heavy Artillery, Co. C. He joined this regiment at Yorktown on Nov. 5, 1863. On Nov. 8th, was attached to Battery L. 4th U.S. Artillery. Served in the Army of the James under Gen. Butler at Bermuda Hundred, Fortress Monroe, Petersburgh and Cold Harbor. He was in the hospital at Willetts' Point, Long Island, NY and returned to the Army in November, 1864. Fought at Richmond on April 3, 1865; discharged Sept. 10, 1865; resided in Chicago, IL.

James R. Ferguson (son of Robert) married (1) Eliza A. Rose of Springfield, NY. Their children were: 1. Elizabeth, b. 1839; 2. Eliza A., b. 1841. A second marriage to Louisa A. Bowker produced, between 1843 and 1856: 1. James L.; 2. Louisa J.; 3. Mary C.; 4. Sarah L.; 5. Lucy H.; 6. Robert Wallace; and 7. Fannie Sutphen.
Eliza a Ferguson resides at Richfield Springs, NY [as of 1905] and owns the farm at Cherry Valley which was purchased by her grandfather Robert Ferguson in 1796.

John M. Ferguson (son of Robert) married Catherine Lawson. Their children, born between 1835 and 1844, were: 1. Davison S.; 2. Jean S.; 3. Ruth M.; 4. Andrew; and 5. Mary C. Of these, Davison S. resided at South Walden, VT, and was a member of the Vermont Legislature. Andrew enlisted in the 121st Regiment, NY Vols., and died November, 1864 at Ft. Lincoln, VA.