martygrant.com: Home > Genealogy > Grant > Families > Dempsey
[Commentary] [Children] [Researcher List] [Register Report] [A Note about sources] [How to contact me] [Home]
I (Marty Grant) am not related to Dempsey Grant as far as I know.
Dempsey Grant was born ca 1806/07 (per 1850 census) in North Carolina. I don't know what county he was from, though he later lived in Johnston County, but I don't think he was born there.
I don't know who Dempsey's parents were. He may be related to the Wayne County Grants, since that borders Johnston County, and some of the other Wayne County Grants moved to Johnston County in the 1850's. Dempsey could have migrated to Johnston County from elsewhere in Eastern North Carolina, with Onslow or Northampton Counties being at the top of the list (after Wayne County).
James would have been about 3 years old by the time of the 1810 census. There were no Grant households in Johnston County that year, but plenty in neighboring Wayne County. Of those in Wayne County in 1810, Thomas Grant, Charity Grant and Micajah Grant, each had one male "under 10" (born ca 1800/10) with them. One of these could be Dempsey, but there is no way to know based only on this.
For the 1820 census, Dempsey Grant would have been about 13 years old. There were no Grants in Johnston that year either, but as before, there were several in neighboring Wayne County, of those, only Thomas had an apparent son in the 10-15 age group (born ca 1804/10). This could be Dempsey, if he was from Wayne County.
For the 1830 census, Dempsey Grant would have been about 23 years old. Once again, there were no Grants in Johnston County, but several in neighboring Wayne County. Thomas was still there, but no longer had a son in the right age group. Apparent widow Jerusha Grant had an apparent son the right age. There was also Hezekiah Grant in nearby Duplin County, and he had an apparent son age 20-29 (born ca 1800/10).
Dempsey Grant married Nancy --- sometime prior to ca 1840, possibly in Johnston County. Nancy was born ca 1800/01 (per 1850 census) in North Carolina. I don't know her maiden name. The 1840 census entry shows a large household, including at least one apparent child born before 1830, so perhaps they married before 1830, but were not listed on the 1830 census (or listed under some other name).
Dempsey Grant was listed on the 1840 census in Johnston County. His was the only Grant household in that county that year. An older woman (born ca 1780/90) was with them. This could Dempsey's widowed mother perhaps, or his wife's mother (or some other relative). One possibility is that the older daughter (born ca 1825/30) was not Dempsey's, but his wife's by a previous marriage.
1840 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)
1840 Johnston Co, NC pg 256 Dimpsey Grant 1100010000000-0010100100000 Analysis: 1 Male(s) 30-39 (1800-1810) Dempsey GRANT (1806/07) s/o ? 1 Male(s) 5-9 (1830-1835) Son? (1830/35) --> gone by 1850 1 Male(s) 0-4 (1835-1840) Son? (1835/40) --> gone by 1850 1 Female(s) 50-59 (1780-1790) Mother? Mother-in-law? (1780/90) --> gone 1850 1 Female(s) 20-29 (1810-1820) Nancy ___ Grant (1800/01) wife 1 Female(s) 10-14 (1825-1830) Daughter? (1825/30) --> gone by 1850
They were still in Johnston for the 1850 census, and still the only Grant household in the county.
1850 JOHNSTON CO, NC Page 49 House/Family # 728/ 728 -- DISTRICT 7 Twp GRANT DEMCY 43 M W FARMER 1500 NC 1806/1807 GRANT NANCY 49 F W NC 1800/1801 GRANT JAMES 9 M W NC 1840/1841 BARNS BETHANY 16 F W NC 1833/1834
They were still in Johnston County for the 1860 census. They were in the district East of the Neuse River. Their Post Office was Boon Hill. They shared a household with an Alford family, who were in their house, but with a different family number. It is quite possible that Elizabeth Alford (c1828) is Dempsey or Nancy's daughter, as she matches the age of someone with them in 1840. By 1860, other Grants had moved into Johnston County, but were living in a different part of the county. (See Kinchen Grant page for more on that family).
1860 JOHNSTON CO, NC Page 420B House/Family # 18/ 17 -- E OF NEUSE RIVER Twp BOON HILL P.O. GRANT DEMPSEY 51 M W FARMER 2000 7000 NC 1808/1809 GRANT NANCY 59 F W NC 1800/1801 GRANT JAMES 18 M W NC 1841/1842 Page 420B House/Family # 18/ 18 -- E OF NEUSE RIVER Twp BOON HILL P.O. ALFORD WILIE 50 M W FARMER 173 NC 1809/1810 ALFORD ELIZABETH 32 F W NC 1827/1828 LANGLEY SARAH 9 F W NC 1850/1851
They were still in Johnston for the 1870 census, listed in Boon Hill Township. The Ransom Grant (c1842) family was two houses away. They were black, and perhaps former slaves of the Dempsey Grant family (just speculation though).
1870 JOHNSTON CO, NC Page 340 House/Family # 1/ 1--BOON HILL Twp GRANT DEMPSEY 60 M W FARMER 1420 850 NC 1809/1810 GRANT NANCY 66 F W KEEPING HOUSE NC 1803/1804 TYNER NANCY 33 F W HOUSE KEEPING NC 1836/1837
Dempsey Grant was still in Johnston for the 1880 census, but his wife Nancy's age was either way off, or else she had died, and he had married another woman named Nancy (listed as age 45 in 1880). ** I don't have this entry typed up yet.
Dempsey Grant and wife Nancy had one child per the 1850 and 1860 census, and several others per the 1840 census. All of those with them in 1840 were gone by 1850, so remain unidentified. Son James (c1841) was with them in 1850 and 1860, but not found in 1870.
Unknown Daughter (1825/30) could be Elizabeth --- Alford (c1828) with the Grants in 1860
Unknown Son (1830/35)
Unknown Son (1835/40)
James Grant (c1841)
Persons researching this family (click here for data on how to get on or off of this list:
1. Dempsey1 Grant, born 1806/07 in NC; died aft 1880 in Johnston Co, NC. He married abt 1840 in Johnston Co, NC Nancy (---), born 1800/01 in NC; died aft 1870 in Johnston Co, NC.
Children of Dempsey Grant and Nancy (---) were as follows:
2 i James2 Grant, born 1840/41 in Johnston Co, NC; died aft 1860.
martygrant.com: Home > Genealogy > Grant > Families > Dempsey