Ferris

    #52Ancestors

      I'm a few days late but this is my post for week 3 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge and this week's prompt is 'Unusual Name'.  My direct ancestors all had traditional names such as Samuel, Daniel, Robert, and of course Mary.  I've been helping a friend with her genealogy and came across a ton of unusual names but since those are not my people I'll have to find someone in my family.  I checked Ancestry.com and looked over the names.  I didn't want any in-laws or distant cousins.  The only person I found with a name that I find unusual is the younger brother of my 3rd great-grandfather, William Davis.
     Ferris G Davis, my 4th great-uncle was born 5 July 1842 in Marlborough, NY to Charles Davis and Susan Lounsbury both of NY.  He was 10 years younger than my 3rd great-grandfather William and one of 8 children that I found but I might be missing one or more if a child was born and died between censuses.  I'm sure I'm missing children because I have Charles and Susan's first child, Isaac born in 1824 and the next child born eight years later was William.  After William I found the children to be born, one or two years apart with a few three years apart.
     Ferris was 20 years old when he volunteered to serve in the Civil War with his two brothers, David and Daniel. In Marlborough, NY the young men enlisted 6 August 1862 in Company A, New York 120th Infantry Regiment.  He served a year and a half in the Battle of Fredericksburg, was wounded at Chancellorsville and discharged 4 September 1864 due to injuries.
     In September of 1866, Ferris married a young lady named Mary in downtown Manhattan, New York City.  Their first child, a boy they named John was born in November 1868.  They were still living in lower Manhattan by the time the 1870 federal census was taken.  Their second child, daughter Margaret was born in 1872 and I'm guessing this joyous event occurred upstate because a year earlier, the Gazeteer and Business Directory for Ulster County has Ferris listed as a fruit farmer in Marlborough, NY.  In the 1875 New York State Census, Ferris, his wife Mary, and their two children are found living next-door to Ferris's mother, Susan and step-father, John (his father, Charles died in 1850).
     In March of 1876, Susan died.  I'm guessing that Ferris and family headed west soon after that because I found them in the 1880 federal census living in Minnesota.  By 1900, Ferris and his wife are living in Benton, Missouri where they would live out the rest of their days.  Mary died in 1919 and Ferris moved in with his son and family.  The 1920 census shows Ferris, a widower, living with his son, John, daughter-in-law and grandson.  Sadly, Ferris died at the age of 80 on 12 March 1923.


Ferris G Davis  1842 - 1923
4th great-uncle
Veteran of Union Army, Civil War