Our subject is said to have been owned by Josiah FERGUSON, but no slave Washington's age is with Josiah in the 1850 or 1860 slave schedules — or is Washington's age in the 1870 census wrong?  Our subject is also said by some to be a grandson of that same Josiah FERGUSON, but Josiah was born in 1797, so our subject is too old to be his grandson.

Jane is said to have died in 1874, but it appears she must have died before 1870 because the woman living with her husband and children in 1870 is both the wrong name and the wrong age.

Amanda and James are said to be children of our subject, but if so, why did James go by surname WASHINGTON?  Secondary sources show Amanda as surnamed, FERGUSON, but did she really go by that name as an adult (i.e., did she marry as FERGUSON or as WASHINGTON)?

1.  Marriage Record:

2.  1870 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #30 of 80 — indexed Furgerson):  Malden P.O., Malden Twp., Kanawha Co., WV, Roll M593_1690, p. 198B, PN 30, 212/212, enumerated 21 Jul 1870, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1870 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Furgersan Watt	50	M	B	Packs Salt		500	Va
_________ Nancy	59	F	B	Keeping house			Va
_________ John	17	M	B	Day labor			Va
_________ Booker	14	M	M	Domestic Servant			Va
_________ Amand	12	F	M	At home			Va
_________ James	8	F	M				Va

Secondary sources show Jane born 1820, and the 1860 census would support that age, assuming she is a slave in the James BURROUGHS household (q.v.).  I really question that the woman here is Jane.  A woman aged 59 is too old to be the mother of these children, except possibly John.

3.  1880 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com):  Can't find Watt, Nancy, John, or James.  Booker is unmarried and teaching school in Elizabeth City, VA; Amanda is married and living in Malden, WV.

4.  1890 Census:  the 1890 Census Population Schedules were destroyed.

5.  WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).