I have been doing some research for a project that I thought Summer could present at school… Its really just an extension of something I did back when I was a kid.
Years ago… We had article that a distant family member had been interviewed for, and their (our) important historical ties to the Revolutionary war. The story goes that Josiah Fugate (Mom’s maiden name) actually crossed the Delaware River with George Washington for his raid on Trenton NJ on Christmas 1776.
I have been digging all over trying to find something on my own without that article. But no luck. Wikipedia says that Washington crossed over with Virginia troops. That’s good, since Josias and his parents were from Virginia.
I found this page that mentions a Josias Sr. and Jr.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dpenix/All/PS11/PS11_134.HTM
This page gives more detail on the Sr.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/c/c/Vickie-S-Mccracken-Illinois/GENE2-0003.html
Follow the son Randolph to his children. He has 6 kids. One is named Josias, and is he called “Captain” with mention of a military record.
http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/c/c/Vickie-S-Mccracken-Illinois/GENE2-0006.html
This Josias was born around 1737. And lived to 1823. Thats pretty old for back then!!! Geez! But certainly old enough to serve, and be called “Captain”.
Josias had a son named William… He also had a son named “George Washington”. That would seem to be another hot lead to some kind of relationship with Washington. But then again… He was the first president. And it might have just been something patriotic. Looking through the 100’s of names on that family tree, I found there was another George Washington Fugate born in 1920 to another side of the family.
In 1821, William Fugate was born, he moved to Fairbury, and died there in 1884. He had sons named Marion and Daniel. The son named Danial married a girl from Ireland… Jennie Hanna. Mom says she has a family picture of Jennie Hanna somewhere… I will have to post that.
My branch of the family stops on this tree with William. I imagine the writer probably got sick of tracking down ends that were not going her direction… I am going to have Mom give me the final tidbits on Grandpa Dan’s Dad and Grandfather to get it all locked down.
So, as it stands to Fairbury: WILLIAM8 (JOSEPH “JOSIAH”7, RANDOLPH “RANDALL” F.6, JOSIAH5, RANDOLPH SR.4, JOSIAH “JOSIAS”3, PETER2 LA FOUCATE, JAMES
In the beginning there was James La Foucate. James seems be the source for all the Fugates (Well, probably most of them, they seemed to breed like rabbits when they hit the colonies!) in the Eastern US, Midwest and South. He was born in England in 1630. His son Peter was born in France in 1650. Peter emigrated from France to Baltimore and died there in 1699.
Very cool stuff.
In the meantime… Since I am hitting a dead end…. I am working on contacting the person who did all this work on the family to see if she has any insights on that story.
More info as I dig it up!