The Fisher Family
“Honest” John Martin’s wife Susan A. Fisher was born 10 March 1803 and died 9 August 1879 at age 76.[503] She is buried in the Martin Family Cemetery. She was a member of a very large and prosperous family; she had ten siblings. She grew up very near her future husband.
Richard Fisher
Susan Fisher’s grandfather, Richard Fisher was born about 1753 in Fauquier County, Virginia. He married Mary Coffee there 26 December 1778. [Marriage Bonds of Fauquier County Virginia page 40.] He died about 1779.
( From Virginia Biddle, 17 Jul 2000 ROBERT FISHER FAMILY IN FAUQUIER COUNTY. Roots web Fauquier Message Board. ROBERT FISHER was born abt 1740. He married Susanna (Susan) Ball, dtr of William Ball and Martha Brumfield of Berks Co.,Penna. Robert and Susanna were residing in Hacketstown, NJ when their first two sons were born, SAMUEL 1765 and DUNLAP 1767. He later moved with his family to Virginia and located near Gum Springs, Va. They later moved to Fauquier Co, Va. and settled about four miles west of Warrenton, the County seat. Later children were born in Fauquier Co., Va. In June 1774 Robert bought 118 acres adjacent to Susanna’s brother John Ball from James and Hannah Bailey.(DBK 6:4)Fauquier Co. In July of 1778, he bought an additional 181 acres also along main branch of LICKING RUN DBK:6:476. Statement made that he had been wounded during the Revolutionary War and did not live long thereafter. Robert Fisher died prior to 1788. His widow Susanna Fisher married Peter Kemper 18 Oct 1788 (Fauq Co. Marriage rec.) On Dec 27,1790 Samuel Fisher, the eldest son and heir of the late Robert Fisher sold a tract of land to Wm Withers… and Peter Kemper and his wife Susanna Kemper released any claim they might have( signed by Samuel Fisher and his wife Mary Fisher, Peter Kemper and Susanna Kemper.
Children of ROBERT FISHER and SUSANNA BALL: 1. SAMUEL FISHER, b.1765; Married 20 Nov. 1785, Mary Pinckard, Fauquier Co., Va
DUNLAP FISHER, b. 31 March 1767
Married Ann Collins Herndon 03 Oct 1796. Fauquier Co.,Va 3. MARTHA FISHER, b. 1768, Married John Kemper 02 May 1787 4. WILLIAM FISHER, b. 1770, Married 11 Aug 1803 Mary Hand of Culpepper Co.,Va 5. JOHN FISHER, b. 1773, Married “Alsop” 6. GEORGE FISHER, b. 1776, Married Dorothy Alsop, Fauquier Co.,Va. 7. ROBERT FISHER, b. 1779; d. 1831 unmarried 8. MARY FISHER, b. 1780, Married 19 April 1796 William Mountjoy, Fauquier Co.,Va.
THOMAS A. FISHER, b. abt 1785, Married 1st FRANCES GORDON, 12 Jan 1801.
Frances d. April 1824. Thomas d. May 1,1854 in Fauquier Co
William Thomas Fisher
Susan A. Fisher was the daughter of William Thomas Fisher and his first wife Mary Frances Gordon. Their marriage bond in Fauquier County was dated
January 1801.[504] [505] He was born about 1777. Mary Frances was the
daughter of John Gordon and Martha . [Bowen?]. Martha died before 1835.[506]
Twenty four years after his first marriage, Thomas Fisher married Martha Ann Ball, who was born about 1814. Their marriage bond was dated 9 February 1825.[507] He was 48. At about 21 years of age, she was 27 years younger than he.
In 1850, he was living near his daughter Susan. In the Federal census, he was described as “Captain Thomas Fisher”, aged 65,[508] and was living with his wife Martha A., aged about 46; his son James A., aged 21; his daughter Sarah M. aged 18; and his daughter Mary E. aged 16.[509] Their son Thomas was not living with them. Thomas Fisher was a farmer, owning real estate valued at $10,000 . (See image.)[510]
William Thomas Fisher died 1 May 1854 in Fauquier County at age 77.[511] He had fifteen children, but only mentions nine [check again] in his will dated 8 August 1853, [512] none of whom were by his second wife. In his will he names his second wife, Martha Ann. [check Martha’s death record. She named in husband’s death record in 1854.]
His Children
William Thomas Fisher had the following children by Mary Frances Gordon:[513]
- John Fisher, born 1801 in Fauquier County. A marriage return for John Fisher and Elizabeth Holtzclaw is dated 13 May 1830.[514] [515] A John Fisher, 1801-1884, is buried in Warrenton Cemetery.[516] A child of theirs, Sarah Francis Fisher, born 7 January 1844 died 5 August 1915 at age 71.[517]
- Susan A. Fisher, born 10 March 1803, who married John Martin. See chapter 4.
- Dade Marcelous Fisher, b. about 1804 in Fauquier County and died June 1891 in Halifax County.[518] He married Martha W. Cheatham 11 September 1828 in Campbell County,[519] daughter of Robertson Cheatham. They had ten children.
- William G. Fisher, born about 1806 in Fauquier County.
- Samuel Fisher, born about 1808 in Fauquier County. A marriage return for Samuel B. Fisher and Mary E. Withers is dated 14 February 1837.[520] Perhaps this is their marriage.
- Robert Fisher, born about 1810 in Fauquier County.
- Elias Fisher, born about 1812 in Fauquier County.
- Richard Fisher, born about 1812 in Fauquier County
- Frances Fisher, born about 1816 in Fauquier County. (Not mentioned in will.)
- George L. Fisher, born about 1818 in Fauquier County. (Not mentioned in will.)
- Margaret Fisher, born 1826 in Fauquier County. She married John W. Hume, 26 November 1840 [was she really 52?].[521] She was born in 1788 and died 15 August 1853, aged 65.[522] [Not born in 1826, so is this same Margaret?] The ancestral file quoted lists Margaret as a child of Thomas’s second wife, Martha, but more reliable evidence gives her as a child of Frances. (See quotation under John Gordon below.)[523] But, m. to Martha Feb. 1825, after Margaret born. ?
He had the following children by Martha Ann Ball:
- Thomas H. Fisher, born 1828 in Fauquier County. (Not mentioned in will.)[524]
- James A. Fisher, born 1830 in Fauquier County. (Not mentioned in will.)
- Sarah M. Fisher, born 1832 in Fauquier County. She died there in
- (Not mentioned in will.)
- Mary E. Fisher, born 1834 in Fauquier County. (Not mentioned in will.)
William Thomas Fisher Estate
Thomas Fisher was very wealthy. His estate was very large.
[Cite from will. Try to find land records.
Search Stafford records.
Search Stafford library. Search lds.
See Johnson FTM web page for more on fishers.
John Gordon
Susan Fisher Martin’s mother was Mary Frances Gordon, daughter of John Gordon. John Gordon’s brother Thomas was a Revolutionary War soldier. The following record tells us that Frances Gordon’s father was John and named his children.
It being this day proved to the satisfaction of the Court that Thomas Gordon enlisted in the army of the revolution at its commencement and that he was subsequently promoted to a Captaincy and served to the end of the war, and after his discharge from the service, he set out to return home and died on his way from the South, where he had rendered most of his military service—that he died intestate within three months after his discharge, had never married—his father died about two years previous to his death, and his brother John Gordon was his eldest brother and heir at law—said John died between 1790 and 1800 intestate, and his only heirs were William Gordon, John Gordon, Francis Gordon, & Frances Gordon—Frances intermarried with Thomas Fisher and is since dead leaving no last will, and her only children and heirs are John, Dade, William, Samuel, Robert, Elias, Francis, George, Richard, Susan who intermarried with John Martin, and Margaret Fisher. Francis Gordon also died intestate in 1824, and his only heirs are Joseph Gordon, Sarah Ann and Margaret R. Gordon—and on the motion of John Gordon, the same is ordered to be certified.[525]
Military Records …. Joan W. Peters, complier.