Eliza W. Hensley (c1820) of Blount and Knox Co., TN

Eliza W. Hensley (c1820) of Blount and Knox Co., TN

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The author (Marty Grant) is not related to Eliza W. Hensley as far as can be determined. She did live in the same county (Knox Co, TN) as my ancestor Samuel Hensley (1801-1852) though several years after he left there.

Eliza W. Hensley seems to be a single mother. She was listed on the 1850 census with no apparent husband and with one child. By 1860 she had gained two new children. This seems to indicate that she was having children out of wedlock (unless these are not her own children, but nieces and nephews, which is possible).

Eliza W. Hensley was born ca 1819/20 per her ages on the 1860 and 1870 census (40 and 50). Her 1850 census entry showed her as 25, putting her birth at ca 1824/25. Since her 1860 and 1870 entries were consistent with each other I'll use those instead and assume she was born ca 1819/20.

She was born in Tennessee, county unknown. She lived in Blount County later on, but I don't know if she was born there. It seems unlikely, but possible. There were no Hensley families listed in Blount Co., TN for the 1830 or 1840 census. That suggests she moved there from somewhere else.

I do not know who Eliza's parents were, but it is possible that she is closely related to Allen Hensley (c1818) of Monroe Co, TN. I base this on Eliza living very near Allen's son William Hensley on the 1870 census in Knox Co, TN. Eliza and Allen could be siblings, but that is far from proven.

Eliza W. Hensley would probably have been home with her parents for the 1820, 1830 and 1840 census. There were no Hensleys in Blount Co, TN in those years. However, some of my Hensleys (children of Larkin Hensley) were in Blount County off and on between those years, though they primarily resided in neighboring Knox Co, TN. Since Eliza also wound up in Knox County later, this suggests a possible connection.

Eliza W. Hensley was listed on the 1850 census in Blount Co, TN in 8th District. She was between the households of Bowd. Peoples and Benjamin Taylor. There were no other Hensleys in this county at that time.

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 BLOUNT CO, TN Page 56A   House/Family #  795/ 795  - 8th District Twp

HENSLY ELIZA W        25 F W                            TN                   1824/1825
HENSLY JANE            8 F W                            TN                   1841/1842

Eliza was still in Blount County for the 1860 census. She was still the only Hensley in the county.

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 BLOUNT CO, TN Page 49    House/Family #  762/ 762 -- 6th DISTRICT

HENSLEY ELIZA         40 F W                          150 TN                   1819/1820
HENSLEY ELIZABETH J   20 F W                              TN                   1839/1840
HENSLEY JOHN L         6 M W                              TN                   1853/1854
HENSLEY WILLIAM A      1 M W                              TN                   1858/1859

Eliza moved to neighboring Knox County, TN by 1870. She was listed on the 1870 census just a couple of houses from William R. Hensley (1838) son of Allen Hensley (c1818). Allen had lived in neighboring Monroe County for many years though by 1870 most of his family had gone to Kentucky. William Tucker (c1851) was living with Eliza in 1870. He may be related to Isaac Tucker who married Eliza's daughter in 1861.

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)

1870 BLOUNT CO, TN Page 195B  House/Family #  209/ 206--CIVIL DISTRICT NO 10 Twp CONCORD P.O.

HENSLEY ELIZA         50 F W KEEPING HOUSE                    TN              1819/1820
HENSLEY JOHN          16 M W FARM HAND                        TN              1853/1854
TUCKER WILLIAM        19 M W BRICK YARD HAND                  TN              1850/1851

I did not find Eliza W. Hensley on the 1880 census for Knox Co, TN, nor any of her three children.

Children of Eliza W. Hensley. Eliza had three known children, all apparently born out of wedlock. Her daughter Elizabeth Jane Hensley (c1842) married Isaac Tucker in 1861 in Blount Co., TN, but I was unable to find them on the 1870 or 1880 census (or him on the 1860 census for that matter.) Eliza's sons John L. and William A. Hensley are also unaccounted for, John after 1870, and William after 1860.

Researcher List

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Register Report

1. Eliza W¹ Hensley , born 1819/20 in TN; died aft 1870 in Knox Co, TN. She married Not married ? (---) .

Children of Eliza W Hensley and ? (---) were as follows:

2 i Elizabeth Jane² Hensley , born 1841/42 in Blount Co, TN; died aft 1861 in Blount Co, TN. She married on 27 Jul 1861 in Blount Co, TN Isaac Tucker .

3 ii John L² Hensley , born 1853/54 in Blount Co, TN; died aft 1870 in Knox Co, TN.

4 iii William A² Hensley , born 1858/59 in Blount Co, TN; died aft 1860 in Knox Co, TN.