Louisa Ferguson Census and Family
Some details of Louisa’s family can be obtained from her US Census records. She was married to William Ferguson and had multiple children. Her son Isaac was most frequently mentioned in these records, being included in both the 1850 and 1880 Censuses.
In an agricultural census/document (exact year unknown, but no earlier than 1926) with other family information from the Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center, there are highly detailed descriptions of the Ferguson household members. It is explained that Louisa was initially registered as free person of color in 1831 at around 20 years old. Louisa’s mother Delia Clark(e) played an important role in her story; in the agricultural document, Delia was mentioned as being free. Since the enslaved status of a person followed the condition of the mother in antebellum Virginia this is how Louisa was considered to be free. Her husband William was listed in the document, as well as their daughter Cordelia, their sons Isaac and James, and all of their spouses. Since it is also an agricultural record of the household, the document mentions that the family owned two horses and five hogs.
Louisa Ferguson Agricultural Census/Family Information
This is an agricultural document (year and exact title unknown) listing the Ferguson household in great detail.
One notable thing about Louisa’s Census information is how inconsistent it is. In each year, she has a different birthyear, different children listed, and different address information. This lack of clear information tells us two details about the era: first, this could be a genuine mistake attributed to difficulties in record keeping centuries ago. Second, and this would not be uncommon in an 1800s Southern state, it could attest to how black citizens were treated as too insignificant to even keep accurate records on. This is especially applicable to black women, who were treated with a deeper level of discrimination based on gender.
Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.
Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
Fairfax Circuit Court Historic Records Center
By: Alyssa Turner