[Furniss Vohs HomePage] [Name Index] [Furniss/Furness Table of Contents] [Furniss/Furness Index]
The Furniss and Furness Families
of Portsmouth and Durham, New
Hampshire
As with many of the early settlers of New England, the Furniss/Furness family probably came from England. Although there are a number of records for other individuals and families with the surname Furnace, Furnass, Furnais, Furness, Furnis and Furniss for this time period in New England, none of them can be presently related to these families.
The first report of this family group in New Hampshire is the record of Robert Furniss' marriage to Margaret Gardner in November 1764. Evidence that he was here earlier is provided in a 1775 grant from the King of England, through his agent in New Hampshire, giving Robert Furniss title to 580 acres of land for his service as a mate in the Royal Navy during the French and Indian War (known as the Seven Years War in Europe), which occurred from 1754 to 1763.
Evidence of the family link to the sea and the West Indies merchant trade is provided in the 1767 court records relating Patrick Furness' voyage on the schooner Fox from the Port of Piscataqua to Barbados and back, and the 1777 account of the seizure of one hogshead of West Indies rum from Robert Furniss to support the American revolutionary army. The West Indies connection is further supported by the 1820 marriage of William P. Furniss and Sophia Huber in Guadelope, West Indies, and the 1830 notation that William P. Furniss and his wife were residents of St. Thomas in the West Indies. The Letter of Marque granted to a vessel owned by Robert Furniss and the 1799 New Hampshire Gazette account of the death of John Furniss due to injuries received while serving as an impressed seaman aboard an English man-of-war provides additional evidence of the link to the sea.
The early family history (1760's-1830's) is centered around Portsmouth and Durham, New Hampshire. From the 1830's-1910's the descendants of Robert Furniss shifted to New York City and the descendants of Patrick Furness moved into Massachusetts.
The early family members started life as seamen but they and their descendants quickly became professionals entering a variety of fields such as business, law, literature, drama, medicine, military, and natural resources management. Members of the family served the country during the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Second World War and the Viet Nam War.
Two members of the family contributed significantly to the building of one of the country's most famous cathedrals - the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. Financial support of facilities for the aged and for boys was provided by the Furniss family in New York City.
Members of the family have distinguished themselves with contributions to American literature and attained international recognition for their abilities in swimming, forest entomology and wildlife management.
A strong willed personality with a strong temperament and a drive to succeed seems to be found throughout the many generations of the Furniss family. This has often helped them in obtaining their goals but has also caused a certain amount of discord amongst family members as evidenced by the many legal actions that took place regarding the William Ponsonby Furniss estate.
The first nine items in the list below were possessed by Ruth Watts Furniss and later became a part of the estate of Jacqueline Jay Furniss. The last two items were in the possession of William and Emily Lord and given to Sean Furniss. A full sized portrait of William Wallace MacFarland is possessed by William and Emily Lord. They are all of the known Furniss and MacFarland family heirlooms from New York:
| Malcolm Furniss | William Furniss | Sean Furniss | |
| China, willow ware pattern | X | ||
| Sporan, inscribed "Arrochar, 26 Aug. 1878" | 1 | ||
| Rose wine glasses, with gold edging | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| Small plates, similar to the wine glasses | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| Small, silver plated serving dishes | 12 | ||
| Gravy boat, inscribed "LRCF from his father WPF" | 1 | ||
| Bone-handled carving knife and fork | 1 set | ||
| Silver spoon, child's, inscribed "LF" | 1 | ||
| Silver fork, child's, inscribed "LF" | 1 | ||
| Silver brush and cosmetic jar set with hand mirror inscribed "HHMF" | 1 set of 6 pieces | ||
| Traveling Desk "WWMF" | 1 | ||
It is probable that the sporan came from the estate of William Wallace MacFarland. William MacFarland's home on Staten Island was called Arrochar and the ancestral home of the clan MacFarlane is Arrochar, Scotland.
Being the only male child of William Ponsonby Furniss (WPF) whose name began with L, it appears that the gravy boat was given to Leon Furniss. If this is the case, it is interesting to note that Leon's middle initials R.C. were the same as those of his sister Sophia R.C. Furniss. It is not known what the R.C. stand for in their names.
The small silver spoon and fork appear to have been children's silverware. The inscription "LF" leads one to believe that they were given to Leon Furniss.
[Page 1 of 12] [Next Page]
[Furniss/Furness Table of Contents] [Furniss/Furness Index]
[Furniss Vohs Home Page] [Furniss Vohs Name Indexes] [Furniss/Furness Table of Contents] [Furniss/Furness Index]