Major William Gordon Forman

Other Events and Attributes:

• Education: 1786, Princeton University; lawyer
• Residence: Bef 1802, Kentucky; from KY to MS
• Possessions: 17 Jul 1802, Cole's Creek, Natchez, Jefferson Co, Mississippi
• Politics: Jan 1803, MIssissippi; Speaker of the House

Notes:

"Major Samuel S. Forman wrote a narrative "Journey Down the Mississippi and Ohio." I can produce copies of the Spanish port reports showing the arrival of Ezekiel Forman, from Monmouth County New Jersey, he was the brother of General David Forman, revolutionary commander of the Forman Regiment. Also of the Forman family was William Gordon Forman, who served in the first legislature of Mississippi."

http://jeffersoncountyms.org/bios.htm#george

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ancestry.com message board:
His (General David Forman) nephew, William Gordon Forman of Ky. married his daughter and they lived in Natchez, where he became a member of the Ms. legislature in 1813.

http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/surnames.forman/38.47.59.106.107.108.110/mb.ashx

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Major William Gordon Forman, Gen. David Forman's nephew and son-in-law seem to have been the next member of thefamily to take up his residence in Natchez. He was a son of Joseph Forman of Shrewsbury, Monmouth Co, N.J. and graduated at Princeton in 1786 and became a lawyer. Miss A.M. Woodhull who was niece of Major W.G. Forman's second wife, writes that he "introduced Eli Whitney's celebrated cotton-gin into the state of Mississippi. He had previously gone abroad, and was the first private American gentleman presented at the Court of George the Third. We have part of his costume worn on that occasion."

(The Forman Genealogy - pg 99)

Education:
graduated at Princeton in 1786 and became a lawyer.
(graduated at age 16!?)

Possessions:
Natchez Court Records
Book D p 249
(p 447) Claim No. 1120 Spanish gr to John Murdock 250 acres on a br of Cole's Creek 25 mi NE of Fort, b by lands of Robert Dunbar, John Murdock and Gabriel Benoist. N.O. 25 Mar 1795 by Carondelet. //
File. Claimant Abijah Hunt and William Gordon Forman 24 Mar 1804. Cert A 613 issued 18 Sep 1805. Abijah Hunt and Wm. Gordon Forman give notice tha they claimed 250 acres in Jefferson Co. by virtue of a Spanish gr to John Murdock, as above and from said Murdock to these claimants, 17 Jul 1802

p 252 Claim 1121 Spanish Govt to John Murdock, 500 acres on north fork of Cole's Cr., 35 miles NE of Natchez, b by lands of Henry Green. N.O. 25 Mch 1795 by Carondelet. // File. Claimants Abijah Hunt and Wm Gordon Forman claim 500 acres in Jefferson Co. by virture of a Spanish gr. to John Murdock, as above, and conveyed from sd Murdock to sd claimants 9 Jul 1802.

p 353 Claim 1122: to John Murdoch, 500 acres 30 mi NE of Fort,
File claimants, Hunt and forman 24 Mar 1804. Abijah Hunt and Wm Gordon Forman claim 500 acres. by grant to John Murdock... Plat shows tract on a br of Cole's cr.

p 254 Claim 1123 Spanish grant to John Murdoch 400 acres on north folk of Cole's Cr. 30 mi NE of fort, b by lands o f Robert Dunbar, Gabriel Benoist, and vacant landss//file Claimants Hunt and Forman 24 Mch 1804. 25 Sep 1805 Abijah Hunt and Wm Gordon Forman claim above 400 acres ...

p 256 Claim No. 1124 Spanish grant to John Murdock 500 acres on Cole's creek 30 mi NE of Fort by John Terry and David Ferguson, N.O. 14 Aug 194 by Carondelet. Deed 19 Jul 1802,
John Murdoch of New Feliciana to Wm Gordon and Abijah Hunt, of Adams Co, for $2500 paid the following tracts of land (1) 500 acres, (2) 250 acres (3) 500 acres, 400 acres, 500 acres as in preceding claims (signed) John Murdoch. Wit: Abner Green, Elijah Smith // File Claimants, Wm Gordon Forman and Abijah Hunt 24 Mch 1804. Cert. A. 635 issued 25 Sep 1805. Claim as above.




Politics:
"He was Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Territorial Legislature of Mississippi in Jan'y 1803 (Claiborne's Mississippi - pg 241)."
(The Forman Genealogy, pg 99)



Died:
"After his second wife's death, Major W.G. Forman started north with his little daughter to bring her to her grandfather's, Dr. Woodhull's, in Monmouth, and was murdered at Lexington, Kentucky; it is supposed for purposes of robbery, by negroes or men in the house where he was stopping."
(The Forman Genealogy - pg 99)

William married Sarah Marsh Forman before 1797. Sarah (daughter of General David Forman and Ann Marsh) was born on 1 Feb 1773 in Monmouth Co, New Jersey; died in 1799. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Sarah Woodhull about 1805. Sarah was born on 28 Mar 1781 in Freehold, Monmouth Co, New Jersey; died on 13 Nov 1811 in Natchez, Mississippi. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
"After his second wife's death, Major W.G. Forman started north with his little daughter to bring her to her grandfather's, Dr. Woodhull's, in Monmouth, and was murdered at Lexington, Kentucky; it is supposed for purposes of robbery, by negroes or men in the house where he was stopping."
(The Forman Genealogy - pg 99)

Sarah married Clifford S. Arms about 1828. Clifford was born about 1800; died after 1830. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]