Ferguson family

The Fergusons were an English family that settled in New York City beginning around 1802. The patriarch, Samuel Ferguson, was a prosperous merchant who established familial and commercial relationships with other wealthy and socially prominent New York families, including the Waltons, Morewoods, Days, Ogdens, Lydes, and Fishers.

Samuel Ferguson (1769-1816) was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. After the early death of his parents, his mother's sister Elizabeth Threlkeld (later to marry, becoming Elizabeth Rawson) undertook the care of Samuel, his brother, and three sisters. Also under her care was Dorothy Wordsworth, the daughter of Elizabeth's cousin and the sister of William (the poet). Dorothy and William's parents died young, and the Wordsworth siblings were sent to live with various relatives. Dorothy lived with Elizabeth Threlkeld Rawson and the Ferguson children for nine years, and then went on to join her brother William.

Around the same time that Dorothy left, Samuel went into the firm of his cousin, Robert Griffith, a prosperous merchant of Liverpool. This was in 1787 and they maintained offices in Philadelphia and traded with America, the East Indies, and China. He traveled extensively during this time. In 1800, Samuel went into a partnership with another Englishman John Day, with Samuel attending to business in England and John Day to business in New York. Samuel would eventually marry his business partner John Day's sister Elizabeth in 1802. Soon after, Samuel and Elizabeth relocated to New York permanently and developed a close circle of friends, including the Morewoods, Ogdens, Rogers and Lydes. Two men that Samuel Ferguson and his family became very connected to were Edmund Morewood and Jonathan Ogden. Both were married to the daughters of Abraham Walton, a prominent and wealthy New Yorker. He was a merchant from a family of shipyard owners, a representative to the first Provincial Congress 1775, and a vestryman at Trinity Church. The son of Abraham Walton by the same name, was a lawyer and business associate of the Fergusons, Morewoods, and Ogdens. In addition to business, these families shared strong ties to the Episcopal Church. The Waltons, Morewoods, and Fergusons were all involved with Trinity, St. George, and Grace Church in New York City.

Samuel and Elizabeth died young leaving six children. John Day, Elizabeth's brother and Samuel's business partner, took the younger children to England and raised them there. The oldest son, John Ferguson, became a merchant and lawyer. He eventually joined his father's and uncle's friend and business associate Jonathan Ogden in what would become the firm of Ogden, Ferguson and Day.

John Ferguson married Helen Grace Morewood, the daughter of Edmund Morewood and Sarah Walton (the daughter of Abraham Walton). The Morewoods were Englishmen merchants who traveled to Germany, Russia, and New York seeking their fortunes. Edmund Morewood and his brothers and cousin went into partnership as Morewood and Company in New York. Later Thomas Morewood resigned and went into partnership with David Ogden. John Ferguson and Helen Morewood Ferguson eventually moved with their family of eight children to Stamford, Connecticut. It is here that they purchased "The Stone House" in 1842. Future generations of Fergusons would live there until 1921. John Day Ferguson, the son of John Ferguson, established the Ferguson Public Library in Stamford in 1889 with a bequest of $10,000. Edmund and Walton Ferguson, also the sons of John and Helen, bought Fishers Island in New York. This remained the summer gathering place for the Ferguson descendants for at least the next 50 years.

Sources:

Barrett, Walter. The Old Merchants of New York City. New York, NY: Carleton, 1863. Genealogical Notes of Helen Ferguson, Ferguson family papers, New York Public Library

From the guide to the Ferguson family papers, 1727-1943, 1790-1880, (The New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division.)