Richard Ferris Sr. (1596 - abt. 1643)

Born 1596 in England

Husband of Sarah (Hambleton) Ferris — married about 1637 in Curles Neck, Henrico co., VA

Descendants

Died about 1643 at about age 47 in Curles Neck, Henrico County, Virginia

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Biography

He was born about 1596 in England.

In 1636 he emigrated from England to the Virginia colony. ^[1] Robert Hollom obtained a patent in Henrico County, Virginia, on 02 June 1636 for the transportation of twenty persons, one of whom was listed as Rich. Ferris1.

The first person of this surname in Henrico County, Virginia, was that of Richard Ferris. He resided at Curles in Henrico County, Virginia. ^[2]

Richard Ferris married about 1637 at Curles Neck, Henrico County, Virginia to Sarah Hambleton.

He died about 1638 or about 1647 at Curles Neck, Henrico County, Virginia.

Research Notes

In 1611 Thomas Dale founded the Citie of Henricus, on a peninsula in the James River that is now called Farrar's Island ^[3]

It is not known when or where Richard Ferris was born, or when he migrated to Virginia. There are many spurious attempts to link him to the well known and famous family of Nicholas Ferrar and Mary Wodenoth.

Nicholas and Mary did have a son Richard, but according to biographers, Richard Ferrar was the blacksheep of the family and to spite his father, spelled his name Farrar (not Ferris). This Richard never migrated to Virginia, he married an Elizabeth, had two children, Mary and Richard Jr.

There is an ongoing attempt, perpetuated by the internet and over eager researchers to morph Ferris into Ferrar or vice versa simply because both names have an F and two R's, and apparently Nicholas Ferrar was an officer of the Virginia company.

A user-generated family tree published on WeRelate.org citing "Some Virginia Families" by Hugh Milton McIlhany says Nicholas Ferris=Farrar, b: c1545 Yorkshire, England; d: Apr 1620; (son of John Ferrar of Hertford); m: c1580 to Mary Woodnoth ^[4] and Nicholas is linked to two sons:

- William Farrar, b: c1590; d: c1637

- Richard Farris=Ferris, b: 1596 ^[5] or 1600; d: 1637 or 1690. ^[6]

However, Mclhany doesn't mention the last name Ferris, nor does he mention a son of Nicholas and Mary Woodnoth called Richard; Mclhany says the line of descent for Rebecca Farrar, descended from William Farrar or Ferrar, the son "(?)" of Nicholas Farrar or Ferrar and his wife Mary Woodnoth, was taken from "Viriginia Magazine of History and Biography". ^[7]

Nicholas Farrar, citizen and skinner of London, England (m: Mary Woodenoth=Woodnett=Woodnoth) made his Will on 23 March 1619 [now 1620], which was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 04 April 1620, in which, after specific bequests, he left one third of all his goods to his wife, one third to his sons, Nicholas and Richard, and the other third to his sons, John, Nicholas and Richard; a son William was not named. ^{[8] [9]}

Mrs. Mary Farrar, in her Will dated" 26 July 1628, proved 12 July 1634, leaves bequests to various people, including her nephew, Arthur Woodenoth, and her sons, John and Nicholas, but didn't mention sons Richard or William. ^[8]

---

Sources are still needed to prove what some researchers presume that THIS profile for Richard Ferris1 is the father of Elizabeth Ferris who married Robert Woodson, about 1656, on the north side of the James River. The close association with the Woodson family is evident for several generations. From the association of Robert Woodson with Richard Ferris2, it is assumed that Richard Ferris1 was the father of Richard Ferris2. ^{[10] [11]}

Presumed daughter, Elizabeth Ferris, married Robert Woodson ^[12] and their children included ...

1. John Woodson
2. Richard Woodson
3. Robert Woodson
4. Joseph Woodson
5. Benjamin Woodson
6. Sarah Woodson, m: Edward Mosby
7. Elizabeth Woodson, m: William Lewis
8. Mary Woodson, m: George Payne
9. Judith Woodson, m:William Cannon. ^[12]

Her husband, Robert Woodson was presumed to be son of John Woodson from Dorset, England and his wife, Sarah, who migrated to Virginia on the "George" in 1619; Robert deposed that he was born in 1634. ^[13]

According to a Woodson Pedigree printed in "William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine", John Woodson from Dorsetshire with his wife from Devonshire, came to Virginia in 1625, as surgeon to a company of soldiers, where their sons Robert and John were born. (The editor, citing Hotten's "Emigrants to America" and Brown's "First Republic", says John was on the ship "George", which sailed from England on 29 January 1619, along with new Governor, Sir George Yardley, with orders for a free government in Virginia.)

The 1625 census of the inhabitants of Virginia listed John Woodson and his wife, Sarah, living at Flower de Hundred, also known as Peirsey's Hundred, on the southern side of James River in what was to become Prince George County, Virginia. According to Hotten's "Emigrants to Virginia" they came to Virginia on the ship "George" in 1619.

About 1679, Robert Woodson and his brother John Woodson (presumed to be John and Sarah's sons) were listed among the tithables of Curls plantation, which was on the northern side of James River.

On 21 October 1687, Mr. Robert Woodson, Mr. Richard Ferris, Mr. Giles Carter, William Ferris and Roger Comins received a grant for 1785 acres at White Oak Swamp, on north side of James River in the parish of Varina. ^[13]

In 1707, Robert Woodson, Sr., of Henrico County, Virginia, made a grant by deed to his grandsons, William and Joseph Lewis.

Sources

1. ↑ Passenger and Immigration Lists Index 1500s-1900s compiled by Gale Research of Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA; p113; citing P. William Filby
2. ↑ "HIstorical Genealogy of the Woodsons" p23-24; res: Curles Neck, Henrico County, Virginia
3. ↑ Wikipedia: Henrico County, Virginia#History
4. ↑ Nicholas Ferris on WeRelate.org in 2014
5. ↑ "Americans of Gentle Birth" v1 p358
6. ↑ Richard Farris on WeRelate.org in 2013
7. ↑ "Some Virginia Families" by Hugh Milton McIlhany; Being Genealogies of the Kinney, Stribling, Trout, McIlhanny, Milton, Rogers, Tate, Snickers, Taylor, McCormick and other Families of Virginia; published by Stoneburner & Prufer of Staunton, Virginia in 1903; p31-32; on archive.org citing ...

   - "History of Augusta County" by Peyton; p317

   - "Virginia Historical Collections" v79

   - "Virginia Magazine of History and Biography" v4 p431-9; v5 p85; v7 p320, 432; v8 p97, 206, 424

8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} "Genealogy: The Farrar Family" edited by William G. Stanard
9. ↑ "Virginia Magazine of History and Biography" v7 #3 (Jan 1900) p320-332 on archive.org
10. ↑ "Greer and Related Familiesof Sanders, Sims, Glenn, Christmas, Smith, Ferris, and Carver of the Carolinas and Virginia" by Brent Howard Holcomb in 1987
11. ↑ https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/a/m/m/Paul-F-Ammons-TX/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-1286.html
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} "Woodson Family: Woodson Pedigree" by Charles Woodson & published in "William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine" edited by Lyon G. Tyler; v11 (July 1902) #1; on archive.org
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} "Woodson Family" by Lyon G. Tyler published in "William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine" v9 (Apr 1901) #4 p254-255 on archive.org

• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Family:Richard_Farris_and_Sarah_Hambleton_(1)
• https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/ferris/1723/
• http://www.ericjames.org/html2014/fam/fam11621.html
• Genealogy.com data by Steven Wacker
• Family Tree on ancestry.com