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Joseph Ford
Born Oct 15 1724? ?Georgetown District Craven Co. SC
Died Nov 6, 1804 Adams Co., Mississippi Territory

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Father

SPOUSE	CHILDREN
Rebecca Florence King m. by 1749 ?Georgetown Dist. SC b. 1724? SC? d. after 1805 ?Adams Co., Miss. Terr.	Thomas b. 1749? SC d. after 1816 Franklin Co. MS	Margaret "Molly" b. 1751? SC? d. 1842?	Esther b. 1753? Charleston SC d. 1842? Franklin Co. MS
	Joseph Jr. b. 1755? SC d. after 1830? ?Adams Co. MS	Robert b. 1758? VA? d. May 25, 1828 Natchez MS	George b. 1760? VA or SC d. by 1835? MS
	John S. b. 1766? VA d. Sep 11, 1844 Franklin Co. MS	Elizabeth "?Sarah" b. 1775? ?Natchez, British West Florida d. by 1830? ?Rapides Parish LA
Joseph was the last of three sons born to Preserved "The Settler" Ford (1685-1739) who lived and died in the Georgetown District of Craven Co. SC.
In a 1789 deposition, Joseph Ford said that he and recently deceased Mark Iler had came to West Florida from England on the ship Royal Oak about 1774 [McBee, Book B, p. 247]. They participated in the rebellion at Bayou Sara (south of Natchez) in 1779. Between 1773 and 1778 the "guard ship" Royal Oak was stationed at Portsmouth (VA). On Dec 13, 1778 it sailed to the West Indies [threedecks.org, website].
Daughter Esther married James Stoddard (b. 1750) by 1775 when they had a son Alphonse. She is mentioned in her father's 1804 will as "Esther Strawder".
On Dec 12, 1781, a Robert Ford [son born about 1758] was one of the buyers in the estate sale of Elizabeth Boyd [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book A, p. 9].
In 1783, son Robert Ford married Elizabeth Hood (1764?-1821?) in the Natchez Dist. [familysearch.org].
Son George Ford married Kitty Wayne May 6, 1784 in Georgetown SC [SC Gazette, and Public Advertiser, May 5, 1784]. He married again on Feb 2, 1808 to Penelope "Penny" Dunn in Adams Co., Miss. Terr.
On Feb 19, 1785, the court at Natchez proceeded to the sale of the plantation of Joseph Ford, after it was seized "on demand of Richard Smith, creditor of sd Ford" [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book A, p. 30].
On May 26, 1788 an agreement was recorded between son John Ford and John Baptiste Farrell. John Ford would build houses and cabins and put slaves on the plantation of Farrell while sharing in the crop. On Dec 26 of that year John Ford and John Calvit (related to his wife and mother) were among the buyers of "sundry mares and horses" for sale by John Pickens who was ill and made his will and died on the 18th of the following month [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book D, pp. 36-7, 51].
On Aug 16, 1788 a cow and calf, seized from a John Carr by Carlos de Grand-Pré, was sold to satisfy debts to a John Montgomery. A Robert Ford [son] was one of the appraisers. He was also an appraiser for a damage claim on Aug 26, 1791 [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book D, p. 39, 79].
The Aug 7, 1788 inventory of the estate of merchant Richard Carpenter of Natchez listed outstanding debts from many individuals including: Joseph Ford, James White, "Cadey Raby", son-in-law of Elizabeth White, John Holloway, and William Dewitt (noted as "dead") [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book B, p. 112-114].
On Dec 12, 1788, son John Ford was one of the purchasers in the sale of "horses, etc." belonging to John Pickens and Richard King [McBee, Book D, p. 141].
On Feb 14, 1789, Joseph Ford, was surety for "Cady Raby", the brother-in law of Joseph's [future] son-in-law John Holloway, when Cader Raby was a buyer at a public sale in Natchez of "sundry horses belonging to the partnership of Richard King and John Pickens, deceased" [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book D, p. 142].
In 1789, a "Joseph Fort" made a deposition in Natchez relating to the death of "Marcus Hailer", sometimes called Mark Isler in the Spanish records, saying that he "came to this country with the deceased about 14 years ago" [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book B, p. 64]. Six "young men" came to West Florida in 1775 from England aboard the ship Royal Oak, participated in the West Florida rebellion in Bayou Sara (now Louisiana), and then settled in the Natchez District [Louisiana Anthology, website].
On Mar 18, 1790, a Spanish grant to son John Ford of "700 arpents 18 miles east of the Fort [of Natchez], on Cole's [Creek]" that bordered the land of "William Calvit", was claimed, noting that the file containing information, such as the date of the original grant, is "missing" [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book B, p. 400].
On Apr 28, 1790, Joseph Ford received a Spanish Grant of 550 arpents in the St. Catherine's and Second Creek area, bordering the land of son-in-law James Stoddard [McBee, Book C, p. 434] and near two plantations where John Holloway and the family of John's brother-in-law Cader Raby were living. The land The plantation of son Robert Ford was also nearby.
In a letter from Carlos de Grand-Pré, Natchez, Mar 2, 1790, to Governor Don Estavan Miro, that stated amount of tobacco produced by growers of Natchez, a "John Ford" produced 5,400 pounds of tobacco, a "Robert Ford" produced 8,000 pounds of tobacco, and a "Joseph Ford" produced 4,500 pounds of tobacco [MDAH, website].
On Jul 2, 1791, Joseph Ford was appointed by Gayoso de Lemos to be one of the appraisers in the estate sale of a "negro boy, Sterling" who was sold at highest bid of $210 to William Barland who immediately sold him to the executor of the estate, John Scott, for the same price [McBee, Book B, p. 84].
The 1792 Natchez District Head of Household Index placed each household in one of nine areas within the district. Included in the SS = Second & Sandy Creek area, households of: Juan Holladay; Joshua Howard [he had returned by then to his plantation where John Holloway was killed 11 years earlier, his son John Holloway, born 1769, may have married daughter "Sarah" Ford after 1792]; "Juan Foard"; "Thomas Foard".
The Census of the Natchez District in 1792. The census is translated from the Spanish handwritten records. The following were all located in the "Second Y Sandy Creek" subdivision which was in Adams Co. in 1804 and became part of Franklin Co. in 1809: Juan (John) Holladay; 0 arpents, 1 White [himself], no Blacks. Tonio (Tony) Howard; 400 arpents [336 acres], 6 Whites , 5 Blacks. [translated differently as "Joshua" in the index found on a different website]. Juan and Thomas Foard households [possibly including Sarah before marrying John Holloway]: Juan (John) Foard; 800 arpents [672 acres], 6 Whites, 2 Blacks. Tomas (Thomas) Foard; 0 arpents, 3 Whites, 0 Blacks.
A patent of 640 acres situated on "River Homochitto" was claimed through occupancy by "Joseph Ford" on Mar 30, 1798 and, in Mar 1807, granted to "Richard King, assignee of Joseph Ford" [Jr. since Sr. had died in 1804], according to the Mar 1807 certificate record (see 7th line, or Vol. 4, Page 248) [American State Papers, vol. 1, register B, p. 894].
On Mar 26, 1804, son Joseph Ford Jr. made a claim (no. 1178) as a preemptive right on 304 acres on the Homochitto River covering both sides of Morgan's Fork, which was part of Amite Co. in 1810 [McBee, Unrecorded Land Claims, p. 543].
Joseph Ford was the original owner of Windy Hill Plantation. Windy Hill Manor built in the 1790s by Benjamin Osmun is located on what was then called Second Creek Road (now Liberty Road), nine miles from Natchez. On Mar 29, 1804, Joseph's son-in-law James Stoddard may have claimed part of this land [McBee, Book C, p. 464].
The Adams Co. MS will of Joseph Ford, dated Nov 6, 1804, probate date unknown, named wife Rebecca, children John (executor), Thomas, Joseph (Jr.), Robert, George, Esther Strawder, & Elizabeth, and grandchildren "Elizabeth, & George Holliway". Son Robert was a witness along with John Spires and Jacob Guice. Jacob Guice was a Franklin Co. residemt in 1810 and brother-in-law of Anna Stump Guice. If one of Joseph's daughters did marry John Holloway, there would be Holloway grandchildren born by 1804, but it is not clear who Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Ford, married unless she was called Sarah [MSGHN, Adams Co. wills, website].
Son Joseph Ford Jr. married Kate Mullins in Franklin Co. MS. A Joseph Ford took Oath of Allegiance in 1799. He had a daughter Hetty who married John Spires (1760?-1842?), who was a witness on Joseph's 1804 will.
Son Joseph Ford and Samuel Boyd witnessed a land claim on May 5, 1806 [McBee, Book C no. 583].
Franklin Co. MS was formed in 1809 from Adams Co. (see present day map for location).
A Sarah Ford married a William Graves, born in SC after 1780, died before Mar 11, 1849 in Franklin Co. MS. She was the daughter of Joseph's son Thomas Ford. The Graves had one child by 1810 according to the Franklin Co. MS census of that year. William Graves household: 1 male over 21 (William Graves), 1 male under 21, 1 female over 21 (Sarah Ford), and 7 Slaves. This household is also found under William Graves in the 1816 Census for Franklin Co. dated May 14, 1816.
In 1810, there are six Ford households in the Franklin Co. 1810 Census: Thomas Ford: 1 male over 21, 6 males under 21, 1 female over 21, 2 females under 21, no free Negroes, and 2 Slaves. John Ford (son): 3 males over 21, 4 males under 21, 1 female over 21, 5 females under 21, no free Negroes, and 6 Slaves (all children except last still in the household). Joseph Ford (Jr.?): 2 males over 21, 1 male under 21, no female over 21, 3 females under 21, no free Negroes or Slaves. Hezekiel Ford: 2 males over 21, 3 males under 21, 1 females over 21, no females under 21, and 11 Slaves. George Ford (son): 1 male over 21, 1 male under 21, no females over 21, 2 females under 21, no free Negroes or Slaves. There is a "Bartlitt Ford" (son of Thomas) household with 2 adults, 1 female child and 15 slaves. His son Thomas Bartlett Ford (1827-1858) married Rebecca Ann Cain. She had five children and remarried after 1858 to a man named Seale. These Fords were originally from SC and came down the Mississippi on a barge and settled in counties south of Claiborne.
On page 1, line 14 of the 1810 Amite Co. MS Census, the Joseph Ford [Jr.] household had: 1 white male over 21 [son Joseph], 2 white males under 21, 1 white female over 21 [wife Kate?], 1 white female under 21, for a total of 5 white persons, and 10 slaves On page 9, line 8, a Preserved Ford [son of brother Capt James Ford] household had: 1 white male over 21 [Preserved], 0 white males under 21, 1 white female over 21 [wife ?], 1 white female under 21, for a total of 3 white persons, and 1 slave. On page 15, line 14, a David Ford [son of brother Capt. James Ford] household had: 1 white male over 21 [David], and no females, and 6 slaves [USGenWeb].
In Joseph's will, daughter Esther Strawder was mentioned. In the 1810 Amite Co. MS Census, on page 12, line 14, the John Strawder household had: 1 white male over 21 [?son-in-law John], 1 white male under 21 [not son Alphonse b. 1775], 1 white female over 21 [?wife Esther], 6 white females under 21, for a total of 9 white persons, and 3 slaves
In the 1816 Adams Co. MS Census, on page 8 (line 35), there was a household headed by "Joseph Ford" with: 1 adult male [Joseph Jr.], 3 males under 21, 1 adult female [first wife Kate Mullins], 2 females under 21, and no slaves. In the same census for Adams Co., on line 15 of page 14, there was a Thomas Ford who may be an older son of Joseph Jr. with 2 adult women and 7 children and 15 slaves [MDAH, 1816 Adams Co. Census].
Son Joseph Ford married Cynthia Edwards on Jan 12, 1817 in Adams Co., Miss. Terr. See certificate on 2nd entry on page 342 [Miss. Marriages 1802-1819, ancestry.com]. In 1818 and 1820 Joseph Jr. was living in Adams Co. MS [familysearch.org].
In the 1818 Adams Co. MS Census, on page 20 (line 5), the household headed by "Joseph Ford" had his new wife and two more children: 1 adult male [Joseph Jr.], 3 males under 21, 1 adult female [second wife Cythia Edwards], 3 females under 21, and no slaves. [MDAH, 1816 Adams Co. Census].
Amite Co. MS was formed in 1809 from Adams Co. and now lies between Franklin Co. to the north and Louisiana to the south. (see present day map for location).
In the 1816 Franklin Co. MS Census, page 12 (line 14), there is a household headed by "George Halloway" [grandson] of a male and female over age 20 with one child and no slaves. On line 8 of the same page is a James Ford [grandson] household with: 1 male over 20, 1 male under 20, 2 females over 20, 2 females under 20, and no slaves. On page 9, there are 2 large Ford households [Joseph's sons]: John Ford (line 2) and Thomas Ford (line 3).
Son John, who executed Joseph's will dated Nov 6, 1804, was one party and George Holloway was the other party in a Franklin Co. MS deed transaction dated Apr 5, 1844 involving a 22 year old slave Aleck and a promissory note to be paid to George (before he died). On Dec 21, 1846, the executor of George's will, Hiram Cassidy, acknowledged full payment of the note [McBee, p. 21].
Son Joseph Ford is said to be buried with his [third?] wife Sarah Rebecca Rawls Ford (1782-1859) at the Joseph Ford Cemetery which is in Marion Co. MS (founded in 1811) and is located east near Route 98 (Liberty Road in Natchez). Photo of his grave marker.
In the 1830 Adams Co. MS Census of taxables, the same "Thos. Ford" household counted in 1816 in Adams Co. had 6 free white males and 5 free white females, with 2 being taxable [MDAH, 1830 Adams Co. MS Census, microfilm page 3, line 10]. In the same census, a son "Josh, Ford" household had 7 free white males and 2 free white females, and no taxables (due to his age, being born about 1755) [page 13, line 5]. His household was next to a "John Holliday" household.
SOURCES: Adams Co. Mississippi Genealogy & History Network, "1792 Census for Natchez District (under Spanish Government control)", 2009, 1792 Census. Adams Co. Mississippi Genealogy & History Network, "Adams County, Mississippi Wills", will of Joseph Ford dated Nov 6, 1804, website. American State Papers, Documents, ... of the Congress of the Unitied States, ... 1789-1809, vol. 1, Gales and Seaton, Washington DC, 1832, register B, p. 894. Aymond, Greg, Holloway Family of Holloway Prairie, internet website, Dec 1999. "Franklin County, MS 1810 Census", abstract from Gillis book, rootsweb website. "John Holloway, 1851", File H-3, on p. 208 of "The MS Cains", website. Louisiana Anthology, website. MS Dept. of Arch. & Hist. (MDAH), Jackson MS, rootsweb , Letter from Carlos de Grand Pre ... statment of tobacco, Mar 2, 1790. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1816 Census, Territorial Census 1801-1816, website, microfilm. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1818 Census, website, microfilm. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1830 Census, State Census Returns 1818-1880, website, microfilm. MDAH, Franklin Co. 1816 Census in "Territorial Censuses", website. McBee, May Wilson, comp., Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Greenwood MS, 1953, v. 2, pp. 30, 39, 51, 79, 141-2, 288, 315, Book B, pp. 84, 400, Book C, pp. 434, 464, 583. USGenWeb, Early Southwest Miss. Territory, "Natchez District 1792 Early Pioneers and Settlers", website. USGenWeb, "The 1810 State and Territorial Census for Amite Co. Mississippi", trans. by Virginia Ewing, website. Rowland, Dunbar, "1816 Census for Franklin Co. Miss.", taken from The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi,Centennial Edition, 1917, rootsweb website. Franklin Co. Genealogy & Hustory Network, Franklin Co. Mississippi Marriages, website. Veach, Damon, "Louisiana Ancestors", article in Sunday Advocate Magazine, Baton Rouge LA, Feb 21, 1982. USGenWeb, "The 1810 State and Territorial Census for Amite Co. Mississippi", trans. by Virginia Ewing, 1810 Amite Co. Census, Nov 5, 1810, microfilm. White, Gifford, "James White and John White", Wm Wiseman & the Davenports, Pioneers Of Old Burke County, North Carolina, v.2 by M.L.Vineyard & E.M.Wiseman, Franklin NC,1997, p. 111. White, Gifford, James Taylor White of Virginia and some of his descendants into Texas, Austin, TX, 1982. Unknown author, "...to John ..." [illegible], correspondence detailing discovery of baptismal records of Stillee children in Cathedral Archives, no date but possibly mid 1900's.