Surname Saturday – Fortenberry

Thanks to Adrianne Fortenberry Criminger and G. K. Fortinberry we have wonderful, well researched books on this family. They were the first family history books I ever read and I was greatly impressed by the immense amount of information included. Just holding the hardcover copy of Adrianne Fortenberry Criminger's book inspired me to find out more about my father’s family and to dream of writing my own book. This family, that has been in the USA long before it became a country, includes Revolutionary War & Civil War soldiers, farmers & preachers.

G. K. Fortinberry wrote:

"The first pair as we know it, was William Fortinberry,1776-Feb. 1, 1842 and Violett Kennington, 1786-May 18, 1858. They had a beautiful romance which never gave out. On their honeymoon, they traveled in an ox-wagon from Lancaster, South Carolina about 1812 to southern climes and found contentment in hard work and rearing a large family. From that union, our grand-sires emanated, 10 in actual count."

This surname can also be seen as Fortinberry & Falukenberry. My father’s Fortenberry family could be found in South Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana. 

Fortenberry Names in my Direct Line:

· Jacob Faulkenberry bc 1715

· John Faulkenberry b 1740; married Hannah Hubanks; 6 children

· William Jasper Fortenberry c 1772 – 1842; married Violette Kennington; 10 children

· William J Fortenberry 1814 – 1896; married Elizabeth Martha Ann Cutrer; 10 children

· Amanda Adarene Fortenberry 1865 – 1949; married William S Ellzey; 10 children

A few Fortenberry Resources:

· Conerly, Luke Ward and E. Russ Williams. Source records From Pike County, Mississippi 1798 – 1910. South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1989.

· •Criminger, Adrianne Fortenberry. The Fortenberry Families of Southern Mississippi. South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1984.

· •Fortinberry, G. K. Abstract History of the Fortinberry Family. Privately Printed. 1942. Family History Center microfilm #1036152.