Henry Hensley (c1794), Sampson Hensley (c1800), Hannah Hensley (1807) and Sarah Hensley of Washington and Scott Co., VA and Washington Co., IN

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The author (Marty Grant) is not related to these Hensleys as far as can be proven. They did live in the same counties (Washington and Scott Co., VA) as my ancestor Larkin Hensley (c1761-1806). 

Special thanks to Ruthe Muench for data shared on these families. She is a descendant of Hannah Hensley (1807).

Henry and Sampson Hensley are proven brothers, but Hannah and Sarah "Sally" Hensley are not proven to be their siblings, though it seems very likely that they are.

If we were to assume that all four were siblings, census analysis might reveal something about them. In fact, census analysis seems to show only one possible set of parents for them: William Hensley and Mary --- of Washington Co., VA. This is the conclusion that Ruthe came to many years ago, and based on the evidence I've seen I agree with her. However, just like her, I've found no concrete evidence to prove this theory.

Henry Hensley's Estate papers (1836 Monroe Co., IN) prove that he and Sampson are brothers for one of the record therein explicitly says so. William Dixon (husband of Hannah Hensley) was also mentioned in those records. This doesn't prove that Hannah was their sibling too, but it strongly suggests it. Henry never married, but the other three all married in Washington Co., IN. There were a few other Hensleys in that county too, including a widow Mary Hensley on the 1820 census. It seems likely that she is the widow of William Hensley of Washington Co., VA, but unfortunately that hasn't been proven.

Read more about each of Hensleys below.

Henry Hensley (c1794-1836)

Sampson Hensley (c1800)

Hannah Hensley (1807)

Sarah "Sally" Hensley

Henry Hensley was born ca 1794 or earlier. I base this on him first appearing on the Washington Co., VA tax list in 1810. You had to be 16 to be listed, so he was probably born ca 1794 or perhaps a year or two earlier.

Henry Hensley was not listed on the 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807 or 1809 tax lists in Washington Co., VA so that suggests he just turned 16 around 1810 when he first appears. On that list he was shown as "Henry Hensley" with one tithe, and no horses and no slaves.

Henry was not listed on the 1810 census in Washington Co., VA, so he was probably still living with his parents. William Hensley had two sons with him aged 16-25 (born ca 1784/94). One of those could be Henry (I think was probably is Henry, but can't prove it.)  Fielding Hensley (c1761) had one that age also. Elizabeth Hensley (bef 1765) had one that age; and Ithe Hensley had two that age.

From census analysis alone I can't determine who Henry's parents were.

He was not listed on the 1811 (or later) tax lists in Washington Co., VA. This shows that he had left the area by then. William and Mary were also missing, having sold all their land in late 1810 they apparently moved away. I don't know where they went for sure, but I did mention that the 1820 census of Washington Co., IN shows a widow Mary Hensley. This is the same place Henry, Sampson, et al wound up in too. Coincidence? Possibly, but not likely.

Henry Hensley would have been about 26 years old by the time of the 1820 census. Certainly old enough to be listed as head of household somewhere. I mentioned widow Mary Hensley on the census in Washington Co., IN that year, but her household contained no males at all, so Henry wasn't with her. There weren't many Henry Hensleys listed on the 1820 census. One in Buncombe Co., NC (not him), and one in Buckingham Co., VA (not him either.) Since this Henry was unmarried, he may have been residing with some other family, and therefore not a head of household himself.

Indiana Territory had been formed in 1800 from the Northwest Territory and was admitted as a state in 1816.  Washington County was formed in 1814 from parts of Clark, Harrison and Knox Counties. If the Hensleys left Virginia ca 1810-11, they would have arrived in the area before Washington was created, so might show up in records for one of the three parent counties.

For the 1830 census, Henry Hensley would have been about 36. However, I still didn't find him listed on a census in Indiana. By this time his siblings were in nearby Monroe Co., IN. He appears to have been living there too, or at least that is where he died a few years later. Sampson Hensley was there in 1830, but Henry does not appear to be with him.

On 5 Aug 1835 Henry Hensley signed a receipt for money on a note from his brother Sampson Hensley. It was signed from Columbus, IA (Indiana). I don't know if this is a place in Monroe County or the Columbus that is in nearby Bartholomew County. (This and several other documents are in his Estate file.)

I don't know when he died exactly but either between late 1836 and late 1837 in Monroe Co., IN. He was still alive as of 12 Jul 1836, but no record of him living after that.

Names mentioned in the estate papers include Nicholas Fleenor (another family from Washington Co., VA), Isaac Wilfong, Thomas Rader, Frederick Fleenor, Cary James, John Goodman and others. One paper mentions "Dixons Claim" which probably refers to William Dixon, his brother-in-law.

One important document said this: Recd of Sampson Hensley one dollar in full of the ballance of funeral expenses of his brother Henry Hensley the 12 Nov 1837. This proves that Henry and Sampson are brothers.

There is a tally sheet of debts or expenses dated 18 Nov 1837. One entry is interesting: To howling [hauling] one trunk and tickle from Putnam Co, to my house Monroe Co, IN ... 1.00. Another entry mentions a note on William Dixon.

None of the estate records mention a wife or any other heirs of Henry Hensley.

Sampson Hensley was born ca 1799/1800 per his age of 50 on the 1850 census. That census also shows he was born in Virginia, presumably Washington County.

Sampson is a proven brother to Henry Hensley above, so it seems they both were in Washington Co., VA before moving to Indiana. There are a few records of a Sampson Hensley in Washington County, but he is older than this Sampson, but could be his namesake.

Sampson would have been about 9 or 10 by the time of the 1810 census. On that census in Washington Co., VA William Hensley had two sons with him aged 10-15 (born ca 1794/1800) and two under 10 (born ca 1800/10). One of those could be Sampson. Fielding Hensley (c1761) had one 10-15 and two under 10.

By 1820 Sampson would have been about 19 or 20 years old, so he should be enumerated in the 16-25 age group. I believe he was probably in Indiana already by this time, but I don't know where. Apparent widow Mary Hensley was the only Hensley in Washington Co., IN in 1820, but she had no males at home.

On 17 Jan 1823 Sampson Hensley married Martha Ann Johnson in Washington Co., IN. Martha was born ca 1805/06 per her age of 44 on the 1850 census. She was born in North Carolina, county unknown. I don't know who her parents were.

They were listed on the 1830 census in Monroe Co., IN which isn't far from Washington County where they had lived. Two other Hensley households were listed, but neither nearby: Samuel Hensley and Joseph Hensley. No known relationship to Sampson.

1830 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1830 Monroe Co, IN pg 150 Sampson Hensley 0200010000000-0100100000000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 30-39        (1790-1800)	Sampson Hensley (c1800)
2 Male(s) 5-9          (1820-1825)	Son?
					Son?
1 Female(s) 20-29      (1800-1810)	Martha Ann Johnson Hensley (c1806) wife
1 Female(s) 5-9        (1820-1825)	Daughter?

Sampson Hensley was listed twice on the 1840 census in Monroe Co., IN. Either that or another man of the same name had moved there (which seems unlikely.) The two listings were not identical, but close. The second listing (pg 274) is a better match with the 1830 entry, so it is probably the more accurate of the two.

1840 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1840 Monroe Co, IN pg 258 Sampson Hensley 2111001000000-0010010000000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 40-49        (1790-1800)	Sampson Hensley (c1800)
1 Male(s) 15-19        (1820-1825)	Son? (1820/25)
1 Male(s) 10-14        (1825-1830)	Son? (1825/30)
1 Male(s) 5-9          (1830-1835)	Henry C. Hensley (c1830) son
2 Male(s) 0-4          (1835-1840)	Son?
					Son?
1 Female(s) 30-39      (1800-1810)	Martha Ann Johnson Hensley (c1806) wife
1 Female(s) 10-14      (1825-1830)	Daughter?

1840 Monroe Co, IN pg 274 Sampson Hensley 2102001000000-0001010000000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 40-49        (1790-1800)	Sampson Hensley (c1800)
2 Male(s) 15-19        (1820-1825)	Son?
					Son?
1 Male(s) 5-9          (1830-1835)	Henry C. Hensley (c1830) son
2 Male(s) 0-4          (1835-1840)	Son?
					Benjamin F. Hensley (c1838) son
1 Female(s) 30-39      (1800-1810)	Martha Ann Johnson Hensley (c1806) wife
1 Female(s) 15-19      (1820-1825)	Daughter?

They were on the 1850 census in Monroe Co., IN. Several other Hensleys were listed too. The only ones nearby was the family of Frederick Hensley (c1825) listed next door. Probably their son.

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)

MONROE CO., IN Page 345   H/F #  664/ 664- - INDIAN CREEK Twp

HENSLEY SAMPSON       50 M W FARMER                     VA                   1799/1800
HENSLEY MARTHA A      44 F W                            NC                   1805/1806
HENSLEY BENJAMIN F    12 M W                            IN                   1837/1838
HENSLEY NICHOLAS F    10 M W                            IN                   1839/1840
HENSLEY MARTHA         8 F W                            IN                   1841/1842
HENSLEY LEWIS C        5 M W                            IN                   1844/1845
HENSLEY WILLIAM F      2 M W                            IN                   1847/1848
HENSLEY HENRY C       20 M W FARMER                 150 IN                   1829/1830
HENSLEY ELIZABETH     21 F W                            IN                   1828/1829

Who were the other Hensleys in the county, were they related? Most of the other Hensleys there were descendants of Samuel Hensley (1769) and Jane Sarry. Samuel might be related to Sampson et al, but I don't know how. He isn't their father.

I was unable to find Sampson and Martha on the 1860 census. I found some of their sons in Washington Co., IN that year.

Hannah Hensley was born 25 Jan 1807 (per Ruthe Muench). This works with her age on the 1850 census of 43. She was born in Virginia, probably Washington County.

Hannah is Ruthe Muench's ancestor, and Ruthe spent nearly 50 years trying to prove who her parents were. She never found any unimpeachable evidence, but circumstantial evidence lead her to believe Hannah was a child of William and Mary Hensley. Based on that same evidence, I agree.

Hannah would have been about 3 years old by the time of the 1810 census. On that census in Washington Co., VA William Hensley had two daughters with him aged under 10 (born ca 1800/10). One of those could be Hannah. Fielding Hensley (c1761) had two girls under 10 also. Those were the only Hensley household there with daughters in Hannah's age group.

By 1820 Hannah would have been about 13 years old, so he should be enumerated in the 10-15 age group. I believe she was probably in Washington Co., IN already by this time for she married there in 1823. Apparent widow Mary Hensley was the only Hensley in Washington Co., IN in 1820, and she did have one daughter aged 10-15 with her. I can't say with certainty that it was Hannah, but it seems a good guess.

On 16 Jul 1823 Hannah Hensley married David Litell in Washington Co., IN. David Little is mostly unknown to me. He may have been related to Alexander, Amos and Jehu Little, all of whom were heads of household on the 1820 census in Washington Co., IN.

David Little must have died sometime between their marriage and 19 Jun 1828 for on that date Hannah remarried.

I don't know when precisely, but at some point in the 1820's Hannah returned "home" to Scott Co., VA. Perhaps her mother Mary died, and her husband David died, and she went back to be near some other relatives, perhaps some siblings were still there in Virginia. Whatever the reason for her return, on 19 Jun 1828 Hannah Little married William Dixon in Scott Co., VA.

William Dixon was born ca 1797/98 (per age of 52 on 1850 census) in North Carolina (per 1850 census) or South Carolina per 1860 and 1870 census. I don't know who his parents were. He had first married Elizabeth Head on 15 Mar 1824 in Scott Co., VA.

I didn't find them on the 1830 census in Scott Co., VA, nor back in Washington or Monroe Co., IN. There were other William Dixons listed in VA and IN, but no way to know which was this one. The birth places of their children show that William and Hannah were still in Virginia as late as ca 1832, but to Indiana by ca 1836.

They joined Hannah's brother Sampson Hensley in Monroe Co., IN by 1836. William Dixon's name appears with Sampson Hensley in the estate records of Sampson's brother Henry Hensley in 1835-1838 in Monroe Co,. IN. No relationship is stated for William Dixon, but it makes sense if he is the brother-in-law to Henry and Sampson.

William Dixon is listed on the 1840 census in Monroe Co., IN.

1840 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1840 Monroe Co, IN pg 231 William Dixon 2120010000000-0110010000000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 30-39        (1800-1810)	William Dixon (c1798)
2 Male(s) 10-14        (1825-1830)	Son?
					Son?
1 Male(s) 5-9          (1830-1835)	Andrew Dixon (c1831) son
2 Male(s) 0-4          (1835-1840)	William Dixon (c1836) son
					Son?
1 Female(s) 30-39      (1800-1810)	Hannah Hensley Dixon (1807) wife
1 Female(s) 10-14      (1825-1830)	Daughter?
1 Female(s) 5-9        (1830-1835)	Mary Dixon (c1832)

They were still in Monroe for the 1850 census.

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)

MONROE CO, IN Page 235   H/F #  211/ 211- - BLOOMINGTON Twp

DIXON WILLIAM         52 M W FARMER                     NC                   1797/1798
DIXON HANNAH          43 F W                            VA                   1806/1807
DIXON ANDREW          19 M W LABORER                    VA                   1830/1831
DIXON MARY            18 F W                            VA                   1831/1832
DIXON WILLIAM         14 M W                            IN                   1835/1836
DIXON MARION           9 M W                            IN                   1840/1841
DIXON JANE             7 F W                            IN                   1842/1843
DIXON DAVID }          5 M W                            IN                   1844/1845
DIXON ELIZA }          5 F W                            IN                   1844/1845
DIXON GEORGE           3 M W                            IN                   1846/1847

According to Ruthe Muench's research, Hannah Hensley Dixon died in 1858 in Monroe Co., IN.

I found William and some of the children on the 1860 census in Adair Co., MO.

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)

ADAIR CO, MO Page 211   House/Family # 1663/1413 -- SALT RIVER Twp  WILSON P.O.

DIXON WILLIAM         64 M W ENGINEER                 150 SC                   1795/1796
DIXON FRANCIS         21 M W                              IN                   1838/1839
DIXON SARAH           17 F W                              IN                   1842/1843
DIXON DAVID           15 M W                              IN                   1844/1845
DIXON ELIZA           15 F W                              IN                   1844/1845
DIXON GEORGE          13 M W                              IN                   1846/1847

I found William Dixon on the 1870 census in Macon Co., MO with son Francis Marion.

1870 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)

MACON CO., MO Page 124   House/Family #   38/  37--LAPLATA Twp MACON CITY P.O.

DIXON F M             30 M W FARMER                       610 IN              1839/1840
DIXON S E             26 F W KEEPING HOUSE                    IA              1843/1844
DIXON GEORGE W         2 M W                                  MO              1867/1868
DIXON WILLIAM J N      1 M W                                  MO              1868/1869
DIXON WILLIAM         75 M W                                  SC              1794/1795
HAMLIN GEORGEAN       17 F W                                  IN              1852/1853
DIXON GEORGE W        23 M W PAINTER & CARPENTER              IN              1846/1847

I didn't find William Dixon on the 1880 census unless he is the 81 year old in Putnam Co., MO with a wife named Thurzy. This could be him for Putnam is near Macon and next to Adair where he lived a few years earlier. This William was born SC, father born Ireland, mother born Virginia. No one else was in their household.

Ruthe's information says that William died in Lincoln Co., MO (no date). This is pretty far from Macon, Adair, etc., but one of his sons (Andrew J. Dixon) did live there, so perhaps William did go there.

Sarah "Sally" Hensley was probably born ca 1794/1804 or thereabouts, presumably in Washington Co., VA. I have seen no direct evidence that Sarah was a sibling to Sampson, Henry and Hannah. The only connection that I'm aware of is that she also married in Washington Co., IN in the 1820's.

Widow Mary Hensley of the 1820 Washington Co., IN census had two females with her, one aged 10-15 (born ca 1804/10) and one aged 16-25 (born ca 1794/1804). The younger of the two is probably Hannah (1807), so assuming Sarah is part of this family, she must be the older one.

On 10 Jun 1823 Sally Hensley married James Thomas in Washington Co., IN. The marriage record says she was the former wife of George Cully. (I've not seen the original record, so I'm not sure whether it says this explicitly or else the transcriber added this as a comment.) In Ruthe Muench's notes she stated that Sally and George were divorced. I've not seen any records of that event. More research is needed for those records might give valuable family information.

Now this raises a couple of questions. First, when and where did Sarah "Sally" Hensley married George Cully? I found no marriage record for them. Secondly, where did they divorce? If Sally married in Washington Co., IN in 1823, that would be the best place to look.

The next question is what evidence is there that links Sally to Sampson, Henry and Hannah Hensley? They weren't the only Hensleys in Washington Co., IN. Richardson Hensley and family had lived there a few years before the arrival of Sampson et al. She could easily be part of that family instead.

The 1830 census shows a James Thomas in Washington Co., IN. There were 19 of them in all throughout Indiana that year. The one in Washington may be the one since they married there, however, I traced that James to the 1850 census (still in Washington Co., IN) which shows his wife was Ruth, born in NC . That raises a question as to whether this is the same James Thomas who married Sally Hensley or not. Of course Sally could have died and he married Ruth afterwards, though I found no other marriage record for James Thomas in Washington Co., IN.

This may be a total coincidence, but Sarah Cornett, daughter of William Cornett (d ca 1815 Scott Co., VA) was married to a James Thomas before Feb 1822 as named in a Scott County Court record naming William Cornett's heirs. Is this James and Sarah (Cornett) Thomas connected to James and Sarah (Hensley) Thomas? The Cornetts were connected to the Scott Co., VA Hensleys, which of course is where Sarah Hensley Thomas came from as well. Is this the same James Thomas married twice? The name is a little too common to cast a wide net looking for him, but more research is needed.

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