Foreman Family Across The South
  Foreman Family Across The South
  1740-1840

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Foreman families that traversed the southern states appear to arise from William Foreman who was born about 1641 and came to the US to Surry county Virginia as an indentured servant. William's place of birth and country of origin is unknown. William married a woman who has been identified both as Ester and Hester in various records and they had at least one son named Benjamin. Benjamin Foreman, born about 1681, married a woman named Verrity, whose last name is unknown. The number of children they had is unclear and the records are not definitive. To make matters more difficult, it seems that descending generations must have felt required to name their male children George, Isaac, Benjamin and William. This makes tracing these people through records quite difficult as it is not clear if one is finding a child or a cousin. Benjamin and Verrity had at least four children. A possible 5th child was George Foreman, who will be the main subject of discussion in this web site. William Foreman, the oldest son of Benjamin and Verrity, is the source of one family that crossed the south, which I refer to as the "John Ward Foreman line." John Ward Foreman and his posterity moved to Talladega, Alabama and on to Alto Texas.

The various Foreman families, like many others who populated and settled the southern portion of the United States, moved from east to west over a period of 100 years. After a great deal of searching and corresponding with others, it now appears that there are three main Foreman families that traversed the southern states in the US between 1740-1840. Each of the families appear to have started in the Carolinas and they moved westward as land and opportunity became available As is the case with many families, many family members moved on and some stayed behind to raise children after they married into a local family.

The two main Foreman families eventually both made it to Texas. The John Ward Foreman line settled in Rusk County. The George Foreman line settled in the southeast counties, and will be discussed later.

The various Foreman families, like many others who populated and settled the southern portion of the United States, moved from east to west over a period of 100 years. My particular branch of the Foreman family has been definitively traced back to South Carolina, about 1740, and there the story begins.

George and Charity Foreman appear to have reached the southern portion of Carolina territory that eventually became South Carolina. In the search for records, please note that a survey of the boundary between the two, begun in 1735, was not completed until 1815. This may result in information on the family being found in either North or South Carolina during this period of time.

George and Charity Foreman lived in Edgefield District, South Carolina during this time and his last will and testament shows he also participated in farming as did many others in the region. Green-seed cotton was a staple in the area and it was grown increasingly in the interior, and the cotton gin, greater European demand, and improved transportation (the canal system and river improvements began in 1795) made it a viable economic staple. Its success turned many Piedmont farmers into slave-holding planters. Given the comments in the will of George it appears that he, too, lived on a plantation and many of his children were apparently involved in farming as well.

 

Next, First Generation
 

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