Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Andrew and the 2 Alexanders



Mystery still not solved. I've tried all of the traditional records but still no definitive relationship between these men found? My assumption has been that Alexander Forgey of Washington County, Virginia is the father of both Alexander and Andrew of Knox County, Tennessee (Alexander Forgey later migrated to Tippecanoe, IN, and Andrew to Maury County, TN).
Here are some reasons why I think Alexander and Andrew are closely related and may have been brothers. Both Alexander and Andrew purchased land from James Forgey (apparently a relative) on the same day in 1801. They apparently each bought half of James's 500 acre land grant. Alexander Forgey married Elizabeth Sawyers in Knox County, TN in 1805. Andrew and Alexander both witnessed a Sawyer's family document. The document they witnessed is Hannah Sawyers Will dated 27 December 1806. Apparently she was a sister-in-law of John Sawyers, Elizabeth's father. Andrew also was an executor for another  Sawyers. He was the administrator of Betsy Sawyers Will in 1818 Maury County, TN.
Here is why I think Alexander Forgey might be the father of these two men. It is assumed that Alexander living in Washington County in the late 18th century is a brother of Andrew of  Hawkins County, TN. He may be the same man who is listed with Andrew Forgey in Cumberland County, PA in the early 1770's . If so he would have been old enough to be Andrew and the younger Alexander Forgey's  father. We know Alexander Forgey of Washington County,Va was an adult in 1783 when he appeared on a taxlist. Only those over 21 were listed. We know Andrew Forgey was over 45 as listed on the 1820 Census Maury County, TN. So he was born before 1775. There is disagreement as to where he was born. A great grandson stated Ireland in a County Biography sketch. A son said Pennsylvania on the 1880 Census. Another son stated he was born in Maryland on the 1880 Census. These birthplaces given on the Census's seem to echo their mother's birthplaces, and is likely not accurate. However Pennsylvania would make sense if this were Alexander's son because we know he lived there in the 1770's, at the time when Andrew was born. Unfortunately since Andrew died in the early 1820's we do not have a Census entry with his birthplace.



James G. Forgey great-grandson of Andrew Forgey states he was born in Ireland and so were his grandparents?


John H. Forgey, Andrew's son, stated he was born in Pennsylania along with his mother


Andrew's son Samuel Scott Forgey 1880 Census says he was born in Maryland,
We do however have a Census birthplace entry for Alexander Forgey which states he was born in Virginia. There seems to be universal agreement regarding his birthplace. The family bible also states he was born 1779 in Virginia. All of the entries I have found for his children seem to agree. It is known that the likely brother of Alexander Senoir, Andrew, was in Virginia in 1779 according to a court case in Washington County, VA. 


Alexander Forgey 1850
Family Bible entry for Alexander Forgey

So we have a definite link between the Junior Alexander and Virginia. If he wasn't born there he certainly had a memory of living there early in his childhood. There were other Forgeys living in Virginia in the 1700s. Robert Forgey of Dumfries was the earliest. This family generally used the Forgie spelling. Daniel seemed to be the only surviving son of Robert. There was also a Joseph Forgay named in a Will in Augusta County, VA. The Sawyers family lived in Augusta County, VA. Don't know if there is any connection? Could not find any other references to Forgeys in Augusta County, only a single reference. Hugh Forgey who later settled in Kentucky was married in Greenbier, VA in 1786. With very few records for these areas before 1800 it is difficult to establish who the father of Alexander and Andrew was. Based on proximity and interactions between these men and the Hawkins County, Tennessee line, I still lean in that direction.

Reference to a Joseph Forgay in Augusta County, VA dont' know the year?

2 comments:

sforgey said...

Hi Annette! My name is Sydney Forgey and I have always been interested in my family history. My great uncle, Tom Forgey, created a book of some of our history, which he compiled by sending letters and traveling. The names, dates, etc. in this book match up almost perfectly with the ones mentioned in your blog, "Andrew and the 2 Alexanders". Please respond so we can exchange information! Thanks,
Sydney Forgey

Annette said...

Hi Sydney! So glad to hear from you! I would love to hear about the info your family collected! My email address is annettekapple@gmail.com
I am also at facebook Annette Diane Kapple
Thanks!