(Shirley Simmons, Volunteer Director)
Two family descendants of the Fuquay Family have submitted research to the Fuquay-Varina Museums which shares additional information they have concluded in their Genealogy studies. We add this here for informational purposes, for public interest and for others who might be researching.
John V. Fuquay has deposited two copies of his notebook work on the Fuquay Family, pictures, charts and history. John’s compilation is a work with references to Jones, Hobby, Rowe, Spivey, Steele, Combs and many other lines in his extended family.
A descendent from David Crockett Fuquay’s son, Benjamin Holden Fuquay and Clara Augusta Jones, John lists nine children born to David Crockett and Louisa Partin.
In order he records the children as follows:
– Nathan ira b. 1849, David Henry b. 1851, Civil Elizabeth b 1852 (died 1853).
– Stephen Sampson b. 1854, James Warren b. 1856, John Lewis b. 1857, (died 1858)
– Juan b. 1859 (died 1860) Aldridge Partin by 1861, Benjamin Holden b. 1864.
(This includes those children who died in infancy or early childhood and is the fundamental difference between his and earlier records in the collection.)
A generation before John lists 10 children born to Stephen Sampson and Sarah Ausley. He does not have birth dates and thus order of birth for all these children. Here we are giving his details:
– William (Billy) b. 1808 married to Frances Byrd d. 1899 or 1900
– Charity b 1822 married to Everett Branch
– Sarah (no birthdate; married 1841 to John Wilbon
– David Crockett b. 1816 married to Louisa Partin d. 1885
– Cynthia (Cinthy) b. 1820 married D. Hinton Wilbon d. 1918
– Nancy b. 1817 married __ Pearson
– Mary (Polly) b. either 1812 or 1830 married James Matthews in 1859
– Ishum or Isham (never married)
– Cybil (no data)
– Elizabeth b. 1842 married Wiley J. Mill or Mills
(This includes some children not listed in earlier records in our collection.)
Another correspondant to the museums, Valerie Rushing informed us that she is a direct descendant from John Wilbon and Sarah (Sallie) Fuquay. Their daughter Charity
Elizabeth Wilbon, she lists as her great great great grandmother and the wife of Wiley J. Mills. She lists Sarah and Cynthia as sisters married to brothers John Wilbon and Hinton Wilbon. Interestingly, Alsey Holland, of the Fuquay Springs Holland clan, was a witness on both marriage records.
We do not have the lineage between Rushing’s great great great grandmother down to her generation but she has corresponded with the museums and others in the past to inquire about our records. The work of John Fuquay supports the work of Ms. Rushing with daughters now listed as children of Stephen and Sarah which previous records given us did not include.
Ms. Rushing traces her line from a daughter of Wiley J. Mllls and Charity Elizabeth named Annie. She points out the connection of John A. Mills, (also a child of this couple) with Fuquay’s railroad history.
Moses N Amis (1913) is quoted in Ruth Johnson’s Concerning Our Ancestors as stating that John Allison Mills, was the eldest of eleven children of Wiley J. Mills and Charity Wilburn Mills of Fuquay Springs. (The names Wilbon or Wilburn are assumed only differences in spelling. ) Mills organized the Mills Manufacturing Company and was President of the Mills Railroad which became the Raleigh and Cape Fear and then the Raleigh and Southport. The line was owned by Norfolk Southern and/or Southern since 1911 until purchased by R. J. Corman recently. Mills contribution to the history of the Fuquay-Varina community is known but his connection to our Fuquay name had not been touted.
Miss Ruth details John A. Mills’ marriage to Miss Julia Isabella Johnson of Cardenas, daughter of W. W. Johnson and Rhoda Ann Jones Johnson. Since her work is largely a compilation of the Johnson’s kin, she does not trace Mills’ genealogy but does speak highly of his career and character. Her book details much of his accomplishments. Mr. Amis does say that Mills was the eldest of eleven, five of whom were girls. The four living sisters he names were: Mrs. J. L. Rowland, Mrs. D. T. Adams, Mrs. H H Utley, and Mrs. D. A. McPhail.
This connection of the Fuquay family with the Johnson family and others of Fuquay’s families is certainly one of the many advantages of genealogy research and the value of an archive such as that of the Fuquay-Varina Museums. We are delighted to note the research of both John Fuquay and Valerie Rushing as part of the materials which might be studied in our archive.
Further acknowledgment is given to the notation by John Fuquay that, while he can trace the Fuquay name back to French ancestry, he has “found more than one historical listing for a William (Guillaume) Fouquet in American History—-perhaps as many as a dozen” so that he believes further research might be needed to connect the correct Guilllaume to our William Fuquay.
Conversely, Martha Fuquay Cummings of the Huguenot Society of Virginia feels certain that she has connected with the correct Guiillaume Fouquet in her research. Thus, again, another reason for the Fuquay-Varina Museum archive and added research by interested persons.
Professor Dudley Marchi at North Carolina State University reported to the museums that he was compiling a history of Huguenot Families known to be in North Carolina. We do not have his work but know it has been completed. He did note the Fuquay lineage as being of interest when he visited our museum. ( His work, FraNCe: The French Heritage of North Carolina.)
Please help the Friends of the Museums continue in their efforts to establish this archive in our museum as vital to the history of Fuquay-Varina. Families and genealogy records are always solicited from any and all who might wish to add these to our collection. Kindly add these to our collection for future researchers.