Mary was the wife of John Forman , "Long-standing family tradition tells us her maiden name was Hogan, but there is no conclusive evidence of it. Very few references to the name Hogan can be found in regional records. In one, a Thomas Hogan is named as an executor to the estate of Richard Boyce on September 3, 1790. Richard's son, Nicholas Boyce, married John Foreman's daughter Nancy. Mary may have been related to this man. Or her name may have been Houghland. On August 12, 1762, a Richard Houghland sold Lot #23, which was across the South Branch River from Benjamin Foreman, Sr.'s Lot #22, to John Foreman. Houghland came into the land via a Fairfax grant dated August 7, 1748. On June 22, 1669, John Foreman and John Houghland served as witnesses to a deed executed between John's brother William and their nephew John Foreman. Could either of these Houghland men be Mary's father or brother? We may never know."53 ohn Foreman's will was written in Bourbon County, Kentucky on October 6, 1808, and his estate was sold on January 20, 1809. So he clearly died sometime between those two dates. His final resting place is unknown, but Bourbon County historian Edna Talbot Whitley gives reason to believe that he and other family members may be buried in a large cemetery in North Middletown "where numbers of unrelated and related families from Hampshire are buried." She reports that this burial ground "may have been set aside for the use of the members of this Methodist church [the Pleasant Green Church]. It is on land formerly owned by John Forman, father of the preacher [William Foreman] January Court 1812
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Emancipation of Clear/Chloe by Mary Foreman
An instrument of writing under the hand and seal of Mary Foreman emancipating and setting free at liberty a negroe woman named Clear was produced in open court and proved according to law by the oaths of Isaac Clinkenbeard and Frances Culbertson subscribing witnesses thereto and was ordered to be recorded as follows to wit, "These are to certify to all whom it may concern that I Mary Foreman widow of John Foreman deceased of the County of Bourbon State of Kentucky for good and lawful causes now hereunto moving, at this day set at liberty a certain negroe woman named Clear, which was left to me by my deceased husband during my maternal life as with it appears in his last will and testament ___ the above named woman having married? her freedom. I do by these presents forever release her from my service my home executors administration and assignee and from all and every person or persons whatever and further it is to be understood that her two children that she has had since the demise of my husband named McCl.and Edward, with all the children she may have hereafter are finally and forever free from me my heirs estate admin assignee and from all and every person or persons whatever claiming the same" In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixth day of January 1812 "signed" Mary Foreman [seal] Signed in presence of John Clinkbenbeard Francis Culbertson.
Whereupon it is ordered that the said negroe woman slave named Chloe be emancipated and set entirely free. the summer of 1756, a woman by the name of Hoagland left this fort to go to thebottomland along the river to pick peas. She was accompanied by two men as guard, one of whom wasalso named Hoagland. They had not proceeded far when they were fired upon by Indians concealed in thebrush and weeds near the cultivated field. No one was hit by the shooting, and Hoagland then called to thewoman to run back to the fort while he and the other rifleman took up positions behind trees and by their firing,they would attempt to hold the Indians at bay. The two men and the woman reached the fort in safety. While thisshooting was going on near the fort, Indians posted on the mountain across the river were engaged in firing atmen working in adjacent fields. These men all retreated toward the fort, but one of them, James Newkirk, wasstruck by a bullet which passed through his thigh. With the help of his companions, he also reached the fort.Kerchival stated that the foregoing incidents took place at a fort about seven miles below Romney which wouldplace the events at or near Fort Parker. But the fact that persons by the name of Hoagland were involved wouldindicate that it occurred near Fort Forman three miles north of Romney, as Richard Hoagland owned Lot No. 23of the Fairfax South Branch River survey, which adjoined the Forman property and the probabilities are thatmembers of his family were involved in this incident, source Parker family history Hampshire county Wv