Individual Details
William Milton FURR
(March 7, 1817 - May 10, 1862)
My William M. Furr was a 33 year old millwright in Rockbridge County Va at the time of the 1850 census. He was married to a Frances H. They had children: James, William, and Emily. William would have been born about 1817 if his age is correct.
There is a William M. Furr buried at Old Providence Church, Spottswood, Va. He died 10 May 1862 at age 45.2.3. His date of birth would have been 7 March 1817.
There is also a Civil War veteran buried in the cemetery. He was James H. Furr. Just after the Civil War he was a millwright in the Walker Creek Magisterial District of Rockbridge County but on his pension application filed at Staunton he said he had lived almost all of his life in Augusta County. His age would be consistent with that of James H. Furr, son of William M. Furr. It seems to me likely that the veteran buried at Old Providence Church is the son of the William M. Furr who is buried there.
I have suspected that these two are the father (my great-great grandfather) and son who were millwrights in Rockbridge in 1850.
My great grandfather was William M. Furr (sometimes erroneously identified at William C. Furr). He and his mother and other family members had moved to Woodstock Va after the Civil War. There is no record of the senior William M. Furr in Woodstock. This fact would be consistent with the senior William having died before the family moved to Woodstock.
Does any of this link up with what you have? I notice that the William M. Furr you refer to has a date of birth 1825 but his date of death is the same as the William M. Furr buried at Old Providence Church.
Karl Furr wrote: Sarah C. Emmert wrote that in May 1846, William was living in Augusta County, Virginia. He sold his brother James a parcel of land as follows: “a quarter acre lot of land situated in the town of Middlebrook and the building and improvements on it” for the sum of $395.00.
He is listed as head of household in the 1850 census of 51st Dist Rockbridge County, Virginia: William, age 33 years, Millwright, personal property value $700.00; Francis H., age 25 years; James H. age 6 years; William M., age 4 years; Emily A., age 3 years.
I had submitted a query to genealogy.com about the location of “51st Dist Rockbridge Co”. Tom Higgins posted responses in which he said that it is the Kerrs (pronounced Cars) Creek District. This is an area west of Lexington. I had mentioned Furr's Mill. Ted Higgins said Furr's Mill is in the Kerrs Creek District, located on the present day Furrs Mill Road. During the Civil War the mill was known as Leyburn's Mill. Furr's Mill is about 1/2 mile up the Maury River (formerly North River) from the original Valley Pike. It was on this road General David Hunter (USA) invaded Lexington with 18,000 troops in June 1864 and burned the Virginia Military Institute. VMI sets up on a bluff about 1/4 mile downstream from the Mill. Hunter's troops divided with some going across the bridge below the Mill and others crossing Leyburn's Ford about 1/4 mile above Leyburn's Mill (now Furr's Mill). “Furr's Mill is a well known landmark in the area.”
Sarah C. Emmert wrote that in 1852 William went in with Thomas Paxtor and William M. Paxtor, in Rockbridge County, Virginia and bought a mill from Robert and Matthew White in Brownsburg for the sum of $1400.00 payable $400.00 down and three annual payments from the date of the note September 27, 1852.
The Civil War broke in the Spring of 1861. Some have identified a William Furr who served in the 122nd Virginia Militia during the Civil War as this William Furr but that is an error. Hans K. Kirsch, a professional genealogist, in an email to me said that this William Furr would not have been in the 122nd Virginia Militia because 122nd Virginia Militia was comprised entirely of residents of Clarke Co., VA. He also said that the early war Virginia militia units were only in service from about late Summer 1861 to about February-March 1862. Men over 35 were exempt from service by the Conscription Act of 16 April 1862. As Confederate war fortunes worsened (1863-1865), some (Age: 35-60) were conscripted for “local defense” / “home guard” service, but that is after William died. Therefore it would appear that this William Furr was not in military service.
About a year after the war started William died of consumption at the age of 45 on May 10, 1862 and was buried at Old Providence Church (Presbyterian) at Spottswood, Augusta County. When William died his 20 year old son James had been in the Confederate Army for about two months. His son William was only 16 and would soon be required to join the army. Frances had several children at home. His youngest daughter, Margaret (Mattie) was born in August in Natural Bridge, Rockbridge County following William's death.
Fighting had not reached Rockbridge County by the time William died but the hyperinflation brought on by the war had a devastating impact on the economy. Many were wiped out financially. William left no will and had no real property. There was no mention of a mill in the list of items he owned at his death. Fannie had to sell their possessions which only included some carpentry and household items as well as “lots of books”. She was only able to buy some of the household items back.
At some point she moved to Shenandoah County. Fannie died February 20, 1902 and is buried in the Grabill family cemetery in Maurertown, Shenandoah County with her daughter Mollie and her son-in-law.
There is a William M. Furr buried at Old Providence Church, Spottswood, Va. He died 10 May 1862 at age 45.2.3. His date of birth would have been 7 March 1817.
There is also a Civil War veteran buried in the cemetery. He was James H. Furr. Just after the Civil War he was a millwright in the Walker Creek Magisterial District of Rockbridge County but on his pension application filed at Staunton he said he had lived almost all of his life in Augusta County. His age would be consistent with that of James H. Furr, son of William M. Furr. It seems to me likely that the veteran buried at Old Providence Church is the son of the William M. Furr who is buried there.
I have suspected that these two are the father (my great-great grandfather) and son who were millwrights in Rockbridge in 1850.
My great grandfather was William M. Furr (sometimes erroneously identified at William C. Furr). He and his mother and other family members had moved to Woodstock Va after the Civil War. There is no record of the senior William M. Furr in Woodstock. This fact would be consistent with the senior William having died before the family moved to Woodstock.
Does any of this link up with what you have? I notice that the William M. Furr you refer to has a date of birth 1825 but his date of death is the same as the William M. Furr buried at Old Providence Church.
Karl Furr wrote: Sarah C. Emmert wrote that in May 1846, William was living in Augusta County, Virginia. He sold his brother James a parcel of land as follows: “a quarter acre lot of land situated in the town of Middlebrook and the building and improvements on it” for the sum of $395.00.
He is listed as head of household in the 1850 census of 51st Dist Rockbridge County, Virginia: William, age 33 years, Millwright, personal property value $700.00; Francis H., age 25 years; James H. age 6 years; William M., age 4 years; Emily A., age 3 years.
I had submitted a query to genealogy.com about the location of “51st Dist Rockbridge Co”. Tom Higgins posted responses in which he said that it is the Kerrs (pronounced Cars) Creek District. This is an area west of Lexington. I had mentioned Furr's Mill. Ted Higgins said Furr's Mill is in the Kerrs Creek District, located on the present day Furrs Mill Road. During the Civil War the mill was known as Leyburn's Mill. Furr's Mill is about 1/2 mile up the Maury River (formerly North River) from the original Valley Pike. It was on this road General David Hunter (USA) invaded Lexington with 18,000 troops in June 1864 and burned the Virginia Military Institute. VMI sets up on a bluff about 1/4 mile downstream from the Mill. Hunter's troops divided with some going across the bridge below the Mill and others crossing Leyburn's Ford about 1/4 mile above Leyburn's Mill (now Furr's Mill). “Furr's Mill is a well known landmark in the area.”
Sarah C. Emmert wrote that in 1852 William went in with Thomas Paxtor and William M. Paxtor, in Rockbridge County, Virginia and bought a mill from Robert and Matthew White in Brownsburg for the sum of $1400.00 payable $400.00 down and three annual payments from the date of the note September 27, 1852.
The Civil War broke in the Spring of 1861. Some have identified a William Furr who served in the 122nd Virginia Militia during the Civil War as this William Furr but that is an error. Hans K. Kirsch, a professional genealogist, in an email to me said that this William Furr would not have been in the 122nd Virginia Militia because 122nd Virginia Militia was comprised entirely of residents of Clarke Co., VA. He also said that the early war Virginia militia units were only in service from about late Summer 1861 to about February-March 1862. Men over 35 were exempt from service by the Conscription Act of 16 April 1862. As Confederate war fortunes worsened (1863-1865), some (Age: 35-60) were conscripted for “local defense” / “home guard” service, but that is after William died. Therefore it would appear that this William Furr was not in military service.
About a year after the war started William died of consumption at the age of 45 on May 10, 1862 and was buried at Old Providence Church (Presbyterian) at Spottswood, Augusta County. When William died his 20 year old son James had been in the Confederate Army for about two months. His son William was only 16 and would soon be required to join the army. Frances had several children at home. His youngest daughter, Margaret (Mattie) was born in August in Natural Bridge, Rockbridge County following William's death.
Fighting had not reached Rockbridge County by the time William died but the hyperinflation brought on by the war had a devastating impact on the economy. Many were wiped out financially. William left no will and had no real property. There was no mention of a mill in the list of items he owned at his death. Fannie had to sell their possessions which only included some carpentry and household items as well as “lots of books”. She was only able to buy some of the household items back.
At some point she moved to Shenandoah County. Fannie died February 20, 1902 and is buried in the Grabill family cemetery in Maurertown, Shenandoah County with her daughter Mollie and her son-in-law.
Events
| Birth | March 7, 1817 | Virginia | |||
| Death | May 10, 1862 | Virginia | |||
| Marriage | Virginia - Frances Henrietta "Fannie" SLY | ||||
| Alt name | William McGuffin FURR | ||||
| Burial | Old Providence ARP Church Cemetery - New, Spottswood, Augusta County, VA |  |
Families
| Spouse | Frances Henrietta "Fannie" SLY (1824 - 1902) |
| Child | James H. FURR (1842 - 1911) |
| Child | William Milton FURR Jr. (1845 - 1896) |
| Child | Emma Aguste "Emma" FURR (1846 - 1923) |
| Child | Annie Lutitia FURR (1850 - 1928) |
| Child | John Howard FURR (1852 - 1917) |
| Child | Stuart James FURR (1855 - 1931) |
| Child | Mary Rachel "Molly" FURR (1857 - 1901) |
| Child | Frances L. "Fannie" FURR (1858 - 1860) |
| Child | Frances L. FURR (1860 - 1927) |
| Child | Margaret Elvira "Mattie" FURR (1862 - 1942) |
| Father | William FURR (1780 - 1833) |
| Mother | Nancy Ann BATES (1779 - ) |
| Sibling | Harrison FURR (1801 - 1891) |
| Sibling | James FURR (1804 - ) |
| Sibling | Allison FURR (1807 - 1881) |
Endnotes
1. findagrave.com.