Farris Family History
Tennessee, Indiana, Texas
Family of Gideon and Catherine Farris
All children born in Tennessee, most married in Owen Co., Indiana, and many died in Texas
Isaac Armstrong (August 15, 1809 - June 29, 1884), married unknown wife, and 2nd married Charity Snuffer Jones Dawson
Samuel (abt 1812 - bet 1872-1880), married Elizabeth J Creech
John (abt 1814 - abt 1847), married Harriet Hollingsworth
Elizabeth (abt 1816 - after 1880), never married
Philip (August 12, 1820 - April 20, 1885), married Margaret Jane Galloway
Sarah (abt 1822 - after 1880), married George W Hickman
Nicholas (abt 1827 - after 1880), married Francis (Fanny) Pool
Martha A (February 26, 1830 - April 16, 1886), married Arthur Lafayette Jones
Background
Gideon Farris was born about 1780 in Virginia. He married Catherine (unknown) sometime prior to 1809, possibly in Tennessee. All of their eight known children were born in Tennessee. They appear to be the family listed in the 1830 census for Claiborne County, Tennessee. By the mid-1830s the family moved to the Owen County, Indiana area. The eldest [known] son Isaac was married at the time the extended family moved to Indiana and his first two children were born in Tennessee.
Gideon Faris is noted with a land patent dated 8/1/1837 for 40 acres on the SWqSWq of Section 32, T11-N, R3-W, which is in present-day Montgomery township, Owen County, Indiana, just north of Spencer. At the same time, son Isaac Armstrong Farris had a land patent for 40 acres on the NWqNEq of Section 33, T11-N, R3-W. By 1839, son John Farris had purchased land in neighboring Washington township.
Not surprisingly, Gideon and Isaac's families are found in the 1840 census in Montgomery township, Owen County, Indiana. It was in March of that year that son John Farris married Harriet Hollingsworth on March 22, 1840. Other marriages in Gideon's family followed, with son Philip marrying Margaret Jane Galloway on July 11, 1843; son Samuel marrying Elizabeth J Creech on February 12, 1846; daughter Sarah marrying George W Hickman on August 20, 1846; son Nicholas marrying Francis (Fanny) Pool on September 27, 1849; and daughter Martha marrying Arthur Lafayette Jones on March 17, 1853 - all in Owen County, Indiana.
In 1847 three members of the family died. Gideon's wife Catherine died on November 03, 1847 according to her tombstone at Shiloh Cemetery in Washington township, Owen County, Indiana. Catherine's birth date is given as November 8, 1785, probably born in present-day Tennessee. In the same year, son John Farris died, leaving two younger daughter named Mahala and Malissa. John's brother Isaac A Farris was appointed executor to the estate, and brother Samuel was made legal guardian to the girls. What became of John's wife Harriet, this author is uncertain, as both girls appear to have been raised by other family members, and both would later marry their husbands in Owen County. About the same time frame as the death of Gideon and John, Isaac's wife appears to have also died. Since a burial record (or a marriage record) has not been located for her, her name remains a mystery.
By the 1850 census widowed Gideon is found in Washington township, Owen Co., Indiana, along with unmarried daughters Elizabeth and Martha. Widowed son Isaac Farris is found farming in Montgomery township with 6 children, and where he had accumulated over 200 acres of land. Married son Samuel is also found farming in Montgomery township, with a family of two and another 'on the way', and close by was his married brother Nicholas with one child. Philip and his family of three, with one 'on the way', is found farming in Washington township, as is married daughter Sarah Hickman with her husband George and their three children.
It was during the middle to latter part of the 1850s that Gideon and some members of the family moved to the Collin County, Texas area. Gideon is noted in the 1860 mortality schedule to have died there in June 1859, at the age of 79. The other members of the family who also made the trip at this time included the families of widowed Isaac Farris and married Martha (Farris) Jones, as well as unmarried Elizabeth Farris. Families remaining in Owen County included those of Samuel, Philip, and Nicholas Farris, as well as John Farris' two daughters. Married daughter daughter Sarah (Farris) Hickman moved their family to the Montgomery County, Illinois area. The 1860 census confirms the location of each of the families.
By 1870, son Isaac had remarried and was still living in Collin Co., Texas. Daughters Elizabeth and Martha were noted in Denton County, Texas. Sons Samuel, Philip and Nicholas were still farming in Owen County, Indiana, while daughter Sarah was still living in Montgomery County, Illinois. The two daughters of John Farris were married and were living in Indiana.
About the year 1872, Philip Farris' wife Margaret died in Indiana and she was buried at Shiloh Cemetery, where Philip's mother was buried. About the same time, or shortly after, Samuel Farris also passed away. Samuel is likely buried in Owen County, where his widow remained until her death in 1910.
By 1880, son Isaac was still in Collin Co., Texas, where he would pass away on June 29, 1884, near Celina. Daughters Elizabeth and Martha were living in Cooke Co., Texas, the place son Nicholas Farris & family had moved to a few years prior. Widowed Philip Farris and also Samuel Farris' widowed wife Elizabeth remained in Owen County, while daughter Sarah (Farris) Hickman was still living in Montgomery County, Illinois.
If was sometime after the 1880 census that single daughter Elizabeth Farris passed away, possibly in or near Cooke Co., Texas. Widowed son Philip is believed to have also moved to that area area of Texas, after being found in the 1880 Clay Co., Indiana census, his death occuring on April 20, 1885. Martha (Farris) Jones died April 16, 1886 and is buried in Cooke Co., Texas. Son Nicholas Farris also passed away in Texas sometime before the 1900 census, leaving a widow. Daughter Sarah (Farris) Hickman is believed to have died sometime before 1900, and is likely buried in the Montgomery County, Illinois area.
Our connection to Gideon's family is through son Philip, and the remainder of this article is about his family.
Family of Philip and Margaret Jane (Galloway) Farris
All children born in Indiana, birth dates derived from Farris family bible
William Clinton Farris (May 05, 1844 - bef. 1870), perhaps died of wounds inflicted during the Civil War
Elizabeth C Farris (May 09, 1846 - unknown), married Edward Wilkes on October 17, 1867 in Montgomery Co., Illinois
Mary Ann Farris (September 20, 1848 - July 09, 1929), married Francis Hargess Powell on December 04, 1867 in Montgomery Co., Illinois
Dova Alira Farris (October 16, 1850 - October 07, 1852), buried at Shiloh Cemetery, Washington twp, Owen Co., Indiana
John S Farris (October 01, 1852 - June 17, 1925), married Martha D Arthur on July 17, 1884 in Clay Co., Indiana
Oliver Theodore Farris (October 16, 1858 - Abt. July 1942), married Sarah Ellen Herrington on October 09, 1879 in Clay Co., Indiana
Rosa Alice Farris (March 12, 1861 - June 1941), married Isaiah Sylvester Easter on March 27, 1881 in Clay Co., Indiana
Clematus Arabelle Farris (February 02, 1864 - Aft. 1924), married (2nd) John W Davis on January 01, 1902 in Clay Co., Indiana
Family of Philip Farris
Philip Farris was born August 12, 1820 in Tennessee. Philip married Margaret Jane Galloway on July 11, 1843 at Spencer, Owen Co., Indiana. As a young teenager, Philip moved with his family from Tennessee to Owen County, Indiana. It was the latter place that Philip met and married Margaret Galloway, a daughter of David and Elizabeth Galloway who had moved from Kentucky to Indiana a few years prior to Margaret's birth in 1822. Philip and Margaret farmed in various locations in Owen County, where they raised a family of eight [known] children. In 1850 they were located in Washington township, enumerated next to Margaret's younger sister Rebecca (Galloway) Holsapple. In 1852 their young daughter Dova died just before her 2nd birthday.
By 1860 Philip and Margaret Farris were farming in Montgomery township, their eldest son William enlisting in Company U of the 59th Indiana Infantry Regiment a couple of years later. It is believed that William died as a result of his service in the Grand Army of the Republic. In 1867 the two eldest daughters were married in Montgomery Co., Illinois, suggesting the family may have lived there for a short time. By 1870 Philip and Margaret were farming in Jefferson township, Owen County. A couple of years later Philip's wife Margaret passed away. She was buried at Shiloh Cemetery in Owen County, the same place that younger daughter Dova had been buried 10 years prior.
By 1880 Philip had moved to Clay County, Indiana, where youngest son Theodore had married the year before. It was in Clay County the four surviving youngest children of Philip and Margaret would all marry, and raise families of their own. As for Philip, some believe he would move to Texas in the early 1880s, to the same area that some of his brothers and sisters moved at an earlier date. Philip is said to be buried near Mountain Springs, Cooke Co., Texas, passing away in 1885 at the age of 64.
Article compiled by Dennis Walsh, December 2005.