My Furnas Ancestors

Thomas Furnas (Furness) ^[1] was Born in 1701 in Aketon, Cumberland, England. He married Rebecca Atkinson on April 23, 1729 in Holme, England according to England & Wales, Quaker Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers.  Rebecca died on July 03, 1762 in Wigton, Cumberland, England.  Thomas died on October 28, 1784 in Wigton. 

The children of Thomas and Rebecca include: 

John Furnas ^[1] is the son of Thomas and Rebecca.  He was born on March 5, 1736.  According to the Furnas Family genealogy book (1887) , "The first of the name of whom he has authentic record are John and Mary Furnas, who were born in Cumberlandshire, in the town of Standing Stone, which town  derived it's name from a large rock, fifty feet in height, which is just outside the corporation limits. According to the English custom the eldest son of the family falls heir to the estate. The father of John Furnas was the owner of extensive real estate holdings and because of his wealth he was known as a lord or peer. Among his children was John Furnas, but as he was not the eldest son he did not come into possession of his father's property. In the same village lived Mary Wilkinson, who was born September 19, 1742. She attracted the attention of John Furnas, who gave her his love, and on the 24th of March, 1762, they were united in the holy bonds of wedlock, in the Friends meeting-house in Standing Stone. In the following October they embarked for Charleston, South Carolina, and on the 18th of February, 1763, they reached their destination. John Furnas died at Bush River, South Carolina, on the 5th of August, 1777 , and his wife, surviving him about five years, passed away at the same place on the 6th of October, 1782. He was a man of fine physique, strong and well built, and was famed for his athletic powers when a young man. The story is told of how he managed to escape piratical slavery by a marvelous feat of swimming. When the waters that washed the English shores were sailed by many a private ship, John Furnas and a companion were captured by a pirate crew. The former made a vow that he would not be a slave to such men nor remain on board their vessel very long. Accordingly one dark night he and his companion tied their clothing on their backs, jumped overboard and were soon swimming toward what they supposed to be an island. They were shot at, but miraculously escaped being hit. They swam for a long time and at last John's mate said he could go no farther and sank to a watery grave, while John swam on for a short distance and landed in safety on an island. Later he was picked up by a friendly ship and returned to his home."  For a detailed chart of John's descendants from an 1899 book by Tanzy Furnas please visit the Miami County, Ohio Genealogical Researchers website. The children of John and Mary are:
 

1	Joseph Furnas (Feb 20, 1763 in Charleston, SC - Jul 25, 1812 in Miami, OH)   Married Sarah Pearson on Sep 30, 1790 in Newberry, SC. I have 13 DNA matches with this family. Click here to see Joseph's extended family
2	Rebecca Furnas (Apr 19, 1764 in Newberry, SC - Jun 27, 1842 in Miami, OH)    Married Samuel Teague in March 1783. I have 21 DNA matches with this family. Click here to see Rebecca's extended family
3	John Furnas (Aug 5, 1765 in Newberry, SC - Mar 9, 1830 in OH)   Married (1) Esther Wilson on Nov 25, 1790. Married (2) Ruth Cook on Mar 1, 1798. I have 10 DNA matches with this family. Click here to see John's extended family
4	Thomas Wilkinson Furnas (Mar 23, 1768 in Newberry, SC - Oct 11, 1846)  Married Rachel Coate on Jul 4, 1792. Click here to see Thomas' extended family
5	Esther Furnas (Jul 4, 1770 in Newberry, SC - May 14, 1835 in Miami, OH) Married Benjamin Pearson on Apr 29, 1790 in Newberry, SC. I have 6 DNA matches with this family. Click here to see Esther's extended family
6	Robert Furnas (Jun 27, 1772 in Newberry, SC - Feb 16, 1863 in Warren, OH)    Married Hannah Wilson on Feb 11, 1796. I have 2 DNA matches with this family. Click here to see Robert's extended family
7	William Furnas (See Below)

 

William Furnas ^[1] is the son of John and Mary.  According to the book 1880 History of Miami County, OH, William Furnas was born May 29, 1775, in South Carolina, married in 1797 to Rachel Wesley (or Nesley/Nesby), and died December 21, 1833. Their children are listed in "Genealogy of the Furnas Family" by Tanzy Furnas, p. 197 (image). Soon after his marriage he came with his young wife to Miami county and entered land in Newton township, securing one hundred and sixty acres, all of which was still in its primitive condition. He was a blacksmith by trade, and as there were no rolling mills at the time, iron was in the rough and was hammered out into shoes, nails and other such articles as were used in a blacksmith shop.  A gristmill was erected not far from William Furnas' shop and he made all of the iron used in its construction. He was a poor man and had a hard task in providing for his family through the pioneer days, when many hardships were borne by all who lived upon the frontier. The family lived in a log cabin covered with a roof made from boards split from black walnut, and lasting many years. The house had but two rooms and was heated by a large old-fashioned fireplace. William Furnas died upon the farm which he there developed. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and in his political affiliations was a Whig." 

The 11 children of William and Rachel are: 

1	John Furnas (Jan 11, 1798 in SC - Mar 16, 1855 in IA) Married Hepsebah Mills on Aug 30, 1827 I have 1 DNA match from this family Click here to view John's extended family
2	Wilkinson Furnas (Feb 6, 1799 in SC - Aug 16, 1809 in Miami, OH) age 10
3	Martin Furnas (See Below)
4	Cary Furnas (Jun 17, 1803 in Newberry, SC -  Oct 6, 1872 in Miami, OH) Married Matilda Leavell (1804-1891) on Nov 14, 1825. I have 3 DNA matches from this family Click here to view Cary's extended family
5	Sarah Furnas (May 24, 1806 in OH - Aug 12, 1808) age 2
6	Jacob Furnas (Nov 28, 1807 in Miami, OH - Jun 14, 1881)  Jacob Married (1) Abigail Large (c1814-1862) in 1834      Jacob married (2) Margaret Dowler McDonald (1823-1909) in 1868 I have 4 DNA matches from this family Click here to view Jacob's extended family
7	Joseph Furnas (Aug 8, 1809 in Miami, OH - May 24, 1884 in Miami, OH) Married Margaret Spencer on Sep 15, 1834. Click here to view Joseph's extended family
8	Mary Furnas (Sep 6, 1811 in Miami, OH -  Mar 31, 1849 in OH) Married Robert Greenlee (May 20, 1805 - Jan 6, 1871) on May 19, 1831. I have 7 DNA matches from this family Click here to view Mary's extended family
9	Robert Furnas (May 22, 1813 in Miami, OH - ) Married Mary Jane Fowler on Jan 8, 1837 I have 1 DNA match from this family Click here to view Robert's extended family
10	Rebecca Furnas (Sep 29, 1815 in Miami, OH - Jun 6, 1849) Married Isaac Tisor on Feb 14, 1843 Click here to view Rebecca's extended family
11	Esther Nestley Furnas (Sep 21, 1817 in Miami, OH - May 30, 1899 in Carroll, IA)  Married William Greenlee (1812-1887) on Sep 13, 1835 in Miami, Ohio I have 2 DNA matches with this family. Click here to view Esther's extended family

Martin Furnas ^[1] is the son of William and Rachel as listed in "Genealogy of the Furnas Family" by Tanzy Furnas, p. 197 (image).  He was born in South Carolina, February 11 1801, was married, September 3, 1823, to Marsena Patty, and took up his abode southeast of Pleasant Hill, Ohio, dying of cholera on his farm on July 14, 1849. (Source: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Miami County Ohio (1900), p387 (image). Cholera also claimed the lives of several of his children and brothers and sisters.  Their children are listed in "Genealogy of the Furnas Family" by Tanzy Furnas, p. 200 (image). Martin was enumerated on the 1827, 1830, 1836 census of Newberry Township, Miami County and the 1840 census of Newton Township Miami County Ohio. Land deeds show that he sold his property in 1845. Martin was a Quaker. His marriage to Morsena shows up in the Miami County Ohio Quaker meeting minutes and aso listed in FamilySearch documents (Record and Original image).  The year after Martin died, Morsena appears on the 1850 Census as head of household with 4 children.  The 11 children of Martin and Morsena are:
 

1	Rhoda Furnas (See Below)
2	Eunice Furnas (Sep 16, 1826 - 1826 ) infant - died of cholera
3	Marcus Furnas (Jan 24, 1828 - Jul 22, 1849) - age 21 of cholera
4	William Furnas (Abt. 1830 in Ohio - Oct 17, 1906)    Married Martha Ann Bright I have 10 DNA matches from this family       Click here to view William's extended family
5	David Furnas (Jan 4, 1833 in OH - Jul 5, 1913 in Wichita, KS) David married (1) Phoebe Nance (1842-1872) David married (2) Mary Elizabeth Louder (1851-1913) I have 7 DNA matches from this family       Click here to view David's extended family
6	Charles Furnas (Mar 4, 1835 - Nov 21, 1835) infant
7	James Marion Furnas (Jul 27, 1837 in OH - Apr 17, 1910 in Marshalltown, IA) Married (1) Margaret Athey (1835-1861) on Jul 2, 1857 in IA Married (2) Rebecca Furnas (1837-1917) on Oct 25, 1864 in Miami, OH Click here to view James' extended family
8	Nancy Furnas (Feb 10, 1841 - ) Nancy married #1 Cyrus B. Williamson (-) Nancy married #2 Lemuel Mettler (1832-1904) I have 1 DNA match from this family Click here to view Nancy's extended family
9	Henry Clay Furnas (Mar 2, 1844 - 1845) infant
10	Elizabeth Furnas (Feb 21, 1847 - 1847) infant
11	Mary Olive Furnas (Jun 4, 1849 near Dayton, OH - Jan 18, 1922 in IA) Married Walter John Hutson on Mar 23, 1870 I have 2 DNA matches from this family Click here to see Mary's extended family

Rhoda Furnas, ^[1] daughter of Martin and Morsena was born on September 01, 1824 in Miami, Ohio.  She married Thomas Marshall, son of William Marshall and Charity Wright on March 23, 1843 in Miami, Ohio.  The book "Genealogy of the Furnas Family" by Tanzy R. Furnas (1897) lists Thomas and Rhoda's children (see image here.) They had 7 children.  Rhoda appears on the 1860 census in Randolph, Indiana and the 1870 census in Indiana (her age is incorrectly listed there as 16 and should be 46.)  She is also on the 1880 census living in Kanas with her daughter Cornelia, son William Frank, and his wife Nancy Emily (Emma).  Rhoda died on February 13, 1906 in Eugene, Oregon.  I descend from their son William Frank Marshall who married Nancy Crewse.