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Hensley
> William Hensley
The author (Marty Grant) is not related to William Hensley
as far as can be determined. He did live in the same county (Knox Co,
TN) as my ancestor Samuel Hensley
(1801-1852)
William Hensley was born ca 1771/1772 per age of 88 on the
1860 census. He was born in Virginia according to the 1860 census. I don't
know what county, though Washington County seems a good choice. See the
page for William Hensley
Sr and Jr of Washington Co., VA for additional information.
I don't know who William Hensley's parents are. In fact the only record
I have for him is the 1860 census entry, and I'm not entirely certain he
is a Hensley. Let me explain that before I get any further into the
study.
William Hensley (clearly written as HENSLY) was listed on the 1860
census with the John G. and Mary Henson family in Knox Co., TN. He was
aged 88 born in Virginia. However, back in 1850, John and Mary had with
them a William Henson (clearly written as HENSON) age 73, and wife
Charity, age 78, both born Virginia. Is William HENSLY of 1860 the same
person as William HENSON of 1850?
My first inclination is to think this was a typo in 1860 and that this
was John G. Henson's father William Henson, same as in 1850, but it is
possible that William Henson had died in the 1850's and that William
Hensley came to live with the family afterwards. Estate records may clear
this up, but until I've seen such records, I can't say for sure whether
William Henson and William Hensley are the same person or two different
people. I'll present all the available evidence to see if that proves or
disproves anything. My personal opinion is that this guy is a Henson, not
a Hensley, but I could be wrong.
William Hensley would have been about 18 years old by the time of the
1790 census. Unfortunately this census is lost for Virginia and Tennessee.
William Hensley would have been about 28 years old by the time of the
1800 census. Unfortunately this census is lost for Virginia and Tennessee.
William Hensley would have been about 38 years old by the time of the
1810 census. Unfortunately this census is lost for Tennessee and about
half of Virginia. There is a William Hensley in Bedford County that year;
one in Buckingham County; one in Madison; and one in Washington County,
Virginia.
The one in Bedford is not identified. He was aged 26-44 (born ca
1765/84), so he fits. The one in Buckingham was listed as William "Sr" and
was aged 45 and up (born before 1765), so too old. The one in Madison was
also too old. The one in Washington was the same age as the one in
Bedford. So he fits too.
Therefore based only on the incomplete 1810 census, there were two
likely suspects, one in Bedford Co., VA and one in Washington Co., VA.
William Hensley would have been about 48 years old by the time of the
1820 census. Unfortunately this census is lost for all of eastern
Tennessee. There were some William Hensleys in Virginia in 1820: One in
Albemarle (too young); one in Cabell (now WV), too young; two in Kanawah
(now WV), one the right age, the other too young; and that is all.
The only one of the right age was in what is now West Virginia, so that
doesn't seem likely to be our guy.
William Hensley would have been about 58 years old by the time of the
1830 census. There were some Williams in both TN and VA, first TN: One in
Hawkins, too young; one in Maury, too young; one in Washington, too young.
In Virginia there was one in Bedford, in his 50's; one in Fluvana, too
young; one in Logan (now WV), in his 50's; one in Scott, too young;
Of all the William Hensleys listed in Tennessee and Virginia in 1830,
only two of them were in the right age group, the one in Bedford Co., VA
and the one in Logan Co., VA (now WV).
William Hensley (c1775)
of Bedford is identified and probably isn't this same William later of
Knox Co., TN, but he could be considering that William of Bedford wasn't
located in 1860. The
William Hensley (c1773) of Logan Co., VA (now WV) is also identified,
and he probably isn't the same guy later in TN, though he wasn't found in
1860 either.
William Henson aged 60-69 (born ca 1760/70) was listed in Knox
Co., TN on the 1830 census, in the same neighborhood where he was listed
in 1850. His wife was listed in her 50's, born 1770/80. His probable son
John G. Henson was two pages away.
William Hensley would have been about 68 years old by the time of the
1840 census. There were some Williams in both TN and VA, first TN: one in
Hawkins, too young; one in Haywood, too young; one in Maury, too young;
and two in Washington, both too young. In Virginia there was one in
Bedford, in his 60's; one in Kanawha, too young; one in Logan in his
60's; one in Rockingham, too young; and one in Scott, too young. The two
matches here were the same two matches from 1830.
Meanwhile, William Henson Sr aged 60-69 (born 1770-80) was
listed in Knox Co., TN in 1840. His apparent wife was the same age as he.
His son John was listed many pages away.
For the 1850 census there was no older William Hensley listed in Knox
Co., TN. There were only three William Hensleys in the entire USA in 1850
who were born in the 1770's in Virginia. The ones already mentioned from
Bedford and Logan Co, VA. The third one was in Montgomery Co., KY where he
had resided for many years.
Meanwhile, William Henson was living in Knox with his probable
son John G. Henson and his family. They were in the midst of several other
Hensons as well as some families that were related to the
Anthony Hensley (c1791 VA)
family.
- 1850 census abstract: (Explanation
of this census)
- (Note: The dates at the end of
each line are not part of the original census, but are approximate birth
years based on age)
1850 KNOX CO, TN Page 235 House/Family # 2010/2019 - 15th Subdivision Twp
HENSON JOHN 55 M W FARMER 1000 VA 1794/1795
HENSON MARY 55 F W NC 1794/1795
HENSON NATHANIEL 14 M W FARMER TN 1835/1836
HENSON SARAH A 13 F W TN 1836/1837
HENSON MARY J 11 F W TN 1838/1839
HENSON REBECCA B 9 F W TN 1840/1841
HENSON WILLIAM 73 M W FARMER VA 1776/1777
HENSON CHARITY 78 F W VA 1771/1772
What do we know about John Henson? While it seems likely he was a son
of William Henson and Charity (---) Henson, who was his wife Mary? They
appeared to have married prior to ca 1836, but I found no marriage record
for them in Knox Co., TN. She was born in NC or GA, so probably not a Hensley
(though there were many Hensleys from NC and GA.)
John and Mary were still in Knox County for the 1860 census, and his
parents were no longer at home. A William Hensley, aged 88 was with them
instead.
- 1860 census abstract: (Explanation
of this census)
- (Note: The dates at the end of
each line are not part of the original census, but are approximate birth
years based on age)
1860 KNOX CO, TN Page 227B House/Family # 87/ 86 -- DISTRICT 11 Twp (Blank) P.O.
HENSON JOHN G 67 M W FARMER 2000 420 VA 1792/1793
HENSON MARY 47 F W GA 1812/1813
RHEA ELIZABETH 23 F W GA 1836/1837
HENSLY WILLIAM 88 M W FARMER VA 1771/1772
There was no sign of William Henson (c1777) or wife Charity Henson
(c1772) in 1860. That makes me wonder if William Hensly of 1860 is
actually William Henson instead.
I found John Henson on the 1870 census in Knox County, still in
District 11, but no sign of William Hensley or William Henson on that
census. Interestingly, John Henson was listed next door to Jordan H. Hood
and George Casteel, both of whom are grandsons of
Larkin Hensley (c1761).
Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
I couldn't find John G. Henson on the 1880 census in Knox County. (I
didn't look elsewhere for him.)
So, based on all the above, is William Hensley (c1772) of 1860 Knox the
same person as William Henson (c1778) of 1850 Knox? The honest answer is
that I can't say, but I think it is likely that both listings are for
William Henson, and it was just a typo in 1860 listing him as Hensley. I
could be very wrong. More research might clear this up.
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