THE JAMES AND ANGELICA BYERS FOUKE FAMILY

by Darrin R. Fouke

I. INTRODUCTION

The Fouke family of the United States is a very extensive family, now scattered all over the map, with many different branches and distinctive groups. Likely, all families in the U.S. who bear this name can demonstrate some tie to the original, colonial-era family of "Old" Michal Fouke (c.1737 [now West] VA– 1839) and his wife Sophia (???? – before 1809) if only by adoption, in some cases. In particular, this document will focus on the background and family of one such group; many of the facts and suppositions herein will also be of interest to the other Fouke groups.

II. BACKGROUND OF JAMES & ANGELICA

James Fouke married Angelica Byers in 1838, in the town of Shepherdstown, (now West) Virginia. James was born Feb. 22, 1813, and Angelica on May 10, 1821, both in Shepherdstown.

Angelica’s obituary (Mount Morris Index, Mt. Morris, IL; Dec. 18, 1891, pg. 2, col. 2) stated that she and her husband James came with their family to Ogle County, Illinois in 1846. Possibly they traveled together with James’ brother George W. Fouke (the shoemaker) and his family, who also left (now West) Virginia in 1846. Sources from "Shoemaker George’s" family state they traveled by wagon, or covered wagon, so likely this is true of James’ family as well. Her obituary also states that she came to Shelbyville, IL in 1865, but no Shelby County obituaries have been found for either James or Angelica. Oddly enough, a death certificate for Angelica is on file, but none for James, who outlived her by several years!

Angelica and James had eleven children, but three of them died as infants. This writer can only account for one of these three unfortunate infants: a J.R. Fouke (probably James Robert, named after his father and uncle; although his initials might also be J.C. Fouke). J.R. is buried with James’ brother’s family in Mt. Morris, IL. This would be the family of William Henry Fouke and his wife Mahala Chapline Fouke.

James seems to have been somewhat of a "Jack of all trades". He was a tailor when he came to Mt. Morris, but various censuses and out-of-print publications such as Mt. Morris Past and Present (Kable Bros. Printing Co., Mt. Morris, IL, mention him, at one time or another, as a village constable, a restaurateur, and a grocer (which he was also later, in Shelbyville, IL).

Before we discuss the different children of James and Angelica, it is useful to briefly list the families of the Fouke brothers known as "The Mt. Morris Four". These were "Shoemaker" George and his brothers, James, William Henry and Robert Phillip Fouke. It is generally agreed that the Mount Morris Four were among the children of Christian Fouke (c. 1776 [alt. Date 1753] [now West] VA- ????) and his wife Margaret "Peggy" Swearingen (1778 - ????) who had seven other sons, and one daughter, as identified by Richard Reynolds Fouke, Christian’s grandson and one of our earliest Fouke historians. Many of the Fouke families who cooperate in genealogical research today stem from one of these four brothers.

III. SOME SIBLINGS OF JAMES FOUKE

George (1804 [W]VA– 1900 IL) seems to have been the oldest. He was a shoemaker, married to Elizabeth Harmison (1803 VA – 1888 IL). They had one (adopted) daughter named Mahala (1825 – 1915). Her birth parents are unknown; she may have been a member of the Harmison family, or a yet "undiscovered" child of Christian and Peggy. By Elizabeth, "Shoemaker" George also had 2 sons: "Indiana" George, who lived as a railroad worker in South Bend, IN. "Indiana" only had one child, a Mrs. C.F.E. Andrews of Chicago, IL. "Shoemaker’s" youngest child seems to have been William J. Fouke (1828 – 1900). The "J" stands for James, so he was most likely named for his Uncles William Henry Fouke and James Harold Fouke. William J. Fouke had 5 daughters and 2 sons. Their progeny are scattered all over the U.S. Some of their states of residence are (but not limited to!): IL, MO, TX, CA, AK, WA, FL, OR and NY! All of William J. Fouke’s descendants (including this writer) who bear the Fouke name trace to his youngest child, "Farmer" George Fouke (1882 - ????). William’s other son provides an intriguing story all his own. His name was William Denton Fouke, or "Den" (1872 - ????). In 1900, at about 28 years of age, he was the only suspect in a brutal double murder/robbery in rural Stephenson Co., IL. He lived under several aliases, and his wife and a son and daughter lived in Rockford, IL. Denton eluded authorities and dropped out of sight. Denton’s descendants eventually moved to Oregon, where just in recent years their children were able to confirm that they should bear the surname FOUKE instead of their grandfather Den’s assumed names: Maloney and Matters, among others!

James (1813 – 1900) was most likely the next oldest of the Mount Morris Four. He and his wife Angelica Beyers (1821 – 1819) were both striking in appearance, each in their own way. Please note the photo reproduction enclosed with this summary. Possibly James’ choice of hair and whisker styling reflects that of fellow-Illinoisan Abraham Lincoln, who was held in high regard in many circles at that time. Angelica was really quite attractive; judging from her expression and appearance in the photo, she would seem to be a quiet, shy, gentle person.

James and Angelica’s children were as follows (please refer to the census records enclosed for birth information):

Ellen Virginia (Mrs. Ephraim H. Cook),

Eva (Mrs. J. Fred Miller),

Of necessity, each George Fouke has been given a nickname to differentiate him from the many others; thus, this George is known as "Arkansas" George. Others include "Shoemaker", "Farmer", "Indiana", "Arizona", and "Florida" George Fouke!

William Henry (1809 – c.1857) was the next of the Mount Morris Four brothers. His wife was Mahala Chapline (1814 – c.1856). Possibly Mahala Fouke, adopted daughter of "Shoemaker" George Fouke, was named after this Aunt Mahala.

William. Henry seems to have been primarily known as Henry Fouke. He was a carpenter. One of his great or great-great grandsons, Professor Bruce Fouke of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL reports that Henry built the train station in one of the small towns in Ogle County, IL - maybe Mt. Morris, Oregon or Polo, IL. Henry and Mahala had three sons: Henry B. Fouke (1838 - ????), William Hargrave Fouke (1851 - 1923), and Hughlet Bedinger Fouke (1856 - ????). Henry died before he reached age 50.

Robert Philip (1811 – 1886) was the last of the "Mt. Morris 4" brothers. He seems to have had a life-long case of wanderlust. He married Margaret (???? – 1845), a daughter of the Hessey family back in West Virginia, then just part of Virginia known as the "Old Dominion". Robert and family lived for a brief time either in St. Louis, MO or E. St. Louis, IL. It probably was St. Louis, as during this time period E. St. Louis was known as Illinoistown, or "the Town of Illinois". During this time, their oldest son was born: Frederick Dorsey Fouke (1836 – 1917). Robert went back to Shepherdstown, where his other two children were born: Frances Valain or Valerian (1839 – 1914), and Richard Reynolds Fouke (1844 – 1940).

Frederick Dorsey was also known as just Dorsey; during part of his Civil War service he was known as John Fouke (not known why). His mother, Robert Philip’s wife, died when Richard Reynolds, the youngest child, was very young. Robert then parceled out his children: Dorsey went to live with his Uncle George "Shoemaker" Fouke, Richard, or R.R. Fouke, went to live with Uncle William Henry Fouke, and their sister Valain went to live with her mother’s Hessey family. Very little is known of her life, although supposedly she died in Freeport, IL. Robert himself went on to become a " ‘49er"; he went to California in search of gold. Dorsey lived and died in Mt. Morris, IL. He has many descendants today, with a number of then still in Ogle Co., IL. R. R. Fouke was really the only historian, so to speak, in this branch of the family. He lived for a time in Mt. Morris as well. R. R. Fouke married five times and also has many descendants scattered all over the U.S.! R. R. and three other Fouke men who lived in Mt. Morris all served in the Union Army: R. R. and his brother Dorsey, their cousin William J. Fouke (son of "Shoemaker" and ancestor of this writer), and their cousin "Arkansas" George Fouke (son of James Fouke) all served their country during the "War of Rebellion" or the "War of Northern Oppression", depending upon your view. Of these four, only "Arkansas" was not captured and taken prisoner by the Confederates.

A number of documents authored by R.R. Fouke are included with this summary. His writings are very valuable, as they give all of us today a glimpse into the Fouke’s past, and provide clues as to the Fouke’s origins. Many of R. R.’s assertions about the Fouke’s history are challenged by some; nonetheless, they provide a starting point for future researchers.

IV. CLUES, THEORIES & CONTROVERSIES AS TO FOUKE ORIGINS

In his writings, R.R. Fouke states that the Foukes came to the colonies on this continent in 1769. Some feel that this is not possible, as there were already Fouke families in the Virginia and Maryland colonies by then; some of these people, however, may have been FOWKEs, FOULKEs, FOUKs, etc. Spellings varied widely in those times; the families may have spelled their names one way, and record keepers another. Is it possible that R. R. may have transposed the numbers, the proper date maybe being 1679? It yet remains to confirm or disprove any connection between these people and our FOUKE family.

He also states that the Fouke family was Protestant, not Catholic, and that they were associated with the Huguenots, a Protestant religious group who faced periodic hardships from various European governments which were influenced, at times, to favor those of the Roman Catholic persuasion. Huguenot records would seem a good place to do exploratory research, in hopes of discovering more Fouke information.

Also, R. R. Fouke states, in a letter to a cousin, that the Fouke family is of Prussian, not Dutch, but German, origin. But then, in another of his writings, he states that the Foukes were of Scottish/Holland extraction! How can these statements be reconciled?

A number of theories have been proposed. All of them make some valid points, and cannot, as of yet, be discounted. Each reader, or prospective researcher needs to compare the facts available to him, and decide in which direction to proceed.

One theory is that the Fouke family was of British origins (Irish, Scots, English, etc.), and were loyalists – that is, during the time leading up to the American Revolution they leaned towards support of the British Crown and its rule over the colonies. Perhaps the turn of events (Declaration of Independence, etc.) then prompted the family to fall back on a tale of Germanic origins, whether completely false or partly true, to protect them from the possible wrath of their patriotic, independence-minded neighbors (although some Fouke sons later served in the War of 1812). It does appear that, for a period of time, the early family members were members of a German Lutheran Church in Shepherdstown, (now West) VA. The church recorded the family baptisms under the name FAUC. Its German pronunciation would have been very similar to our modern-day pronunciation: "fowk".

There are two ways of looking at this: FAUC was the original spelling of the surname, or, to the German members of the church (especially the recording pastor) this was the closest "German" spelling of an unfamiliar name. It would seem likely that their membership in this church would indicate some knowledge of the language, as services were likely in the native tongue of the dominantly German congregation. In doing some preliminary research, this writer has found almost no one with the surname FAUC anywhere in recorded world genealogy. This lends credence to the conclusion that FOUKE is the family’s original preferred spelling.

Some plausible scenarios: our earliest known progenitor was "Old" Michal Fouke (whose wife was named Sophie or Sophia). "Old" Michal may have been the son of a Scotsman or other British man and his mother may have been the one of Germanic origin. Maybe Michal reverted to his mother’s maiden name as a way to distance his family from any suspicion of British loyalty. This is not an unusual practice, as one branch of the U.S. Fouke family stems from a man who was born to a Fouke woman; he didn’t know his father. Or, Sophia herself may have been the source of the Scottish origin mentioned by R.R. Fouke, and "Old" Michal Fouke could have been of Frisian origin. The ancient region of Friesland, or Frisia, is now divided into two parts: Friesland, which is now a province of The Netherlands (or, "Holland"), and Ostfrisia, or East Frisia, which is now the northwestern corner of modern-day Germany. Prussia was once synonymous with a northern German empire; thus we can establish a tie of some degree between R.R. Fouke’s "Prussia", and the people of Frisia (who still have their own language, Frisian, which is the closest of all other Germanic languages to English). FOUKE is, in fact, still a given, or first, name used in the province of Friesland. Possibly its use by the Fouke family can trace to patronymic origins; that is, an ancestor of the family was given the name Fouke as a first name, and his descendants began using it as a surname; in a similar fashion Similarly, an ancestor with given name Hendricks might have descendants whose surname became Hendricksen.

The reader can use his imagination to postulate other scenarios that might explain the Fouke family’s European origins. And yes, the family is of European origins. This might be the place to summarize what little is known of the family’s origin, as revealed through the wonders of modern science and DNA reading and profiling technology.

This writer has submitted a DNA sample (inner cheek swabbing) to a business that uses the new DNA mapping technology to establish family connections and ethnic origins. At present, it is possible only to state that the Fouke family is of western European origins; the term used for the classification of this writer’s profile is GREAT Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype. The company’s database also shows a near match (indicating some degree of relationship) to three gentlemen, Mr. James, Mr. Walker, and Mr. Saulson (born Mr. St. John). Mr. Saulson’s non-DNA genealogical research shows a paternal lineage that traces back to a colonial-era man named Mattias St. John. The big question is, "Where was he from? England? or France, or?" This promises to be a very interesting story, although rather lengthy in reaching its conclusion!

V. CHRISTIAN FOUKE & PEGGY SWEARINGEN, PARENTS OF JAMES FOUKE

Christian Fouke and Peggy Swearingen wed in November of 1799, no doubt at the German Lutheran Church in Shepherdstown, (West) VA. Christian was an elder in this church in 1798. It is thought that he was later a veteran of the War of 1812 (as mentioned in the writings of R.R. Fouke). A preliminary search for such records only shows mention of Fouke soldiers by the names of Harvey, Henry and William Fouke, but it is always possible that one of these will prove to be "our" Christian Fouke, possibly using a middle name.

Christian operated a tavern, or "Ordinary", and later a horse-race track in this area; he also operated a hotel at Harper’s Ferry, WV. A tavern, of course, was more like an inn that provided food, drink, lodging and stables for travelers, as opposed to what we think of today, a place for drunken carousing. His wife, Peggy, was the daughter of a man of some prominence, "King" Van Swearingen (1719 –1798) and his wife, Priscilla Metcalf (1743 -????). Evidently both of Peggy’s parents passed away before she reached adulthood, because by the time of her marriage to Christian, her suretor, or guardian, Marcus Alder, gave his permission for her to wed.

VI. JAMES & ANGELICA’S MOST WELL KNOWN CHILD

As previously noted, James and Angelica had many children. Their son "Arkansas" George W. Fouke (possibly George William, after his uncles) is possibly the best-known Fouke of all; small towns in three states are named after him! George was born in 1843, in Shepherdstown, Jefferson Co., (now West) VA. He was thus a very small boy when the family moved to Mt. Morris, IL. He enlisted in the Co. K, 92nd Illinois Infantry of the Union Army during the Civil War while still a teenager. He was a small man, only 5’ 1", but evidently was very industrious and intelligent, as he gained fairly rapid advancement to the rank of Commissary Sergeant. Soon after the war, most of James and Angelica’s children moved to the Shelbyville, IL area. George was among them. While living in Shelby County, George must have met his future bride, Belle Haydon. After they had been married for some time, George and Belle and some members of her family moved on to the Texarkana, AK area. George once again demonstrated that he had a good head for business, as his efforts in many businesses thrived; he was reputed to be a millionaire at the time of his death. Due to his business ventures and land holdings, three towns were named after him: Fouke, Texas; Fouke, Mississippi; and Fouke, Arkansas. Only the AR town appears on a current map. The MS state town is now a ghost town or possibly just a memory, and the TX settlement is a small, unincorporated village. Nonetheless, those of us who bear the Fouke name enjoy the fact that people living in these areas actually know how to spell and pronounce the name! "Arkansas" George truly put us "on the map"!

VII. SUMMARY

The origins of the Fouke family cannot yet be stated with any degree of certainty; in fact, the subject, at times, becomes a matter of debate! This much can be stated, however: the parents, and certainly the grandparents, of James Fouke were citizens of colonial, pre-revolutionary Virginia. Almost all branches of the family have carried down the tradition of German ancestry; but, as has been stated, this is far from certain. The surname itself, Fouke, is not considered a German spelling. It would appear that there is an interesting tale behind the family’s origins. Perhaps someday it will come to light! Until then, we Fouke descendants can content ourselves with the knowledge that our family is truly one of the founding families of our modern society. In fact, the Fouke family is so extensive that potentially thousands of our friends and neighbors are of Fouke descent, if such research could be carried out!