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I (Marty Grant) am not related to Gideon Hensley as far as I know.
Gideon Hensley (alias Gideon Johnson) was born ca 1777/78 in Virginia, county unknown. The fact that he had two different surnames is probably an indication that he was born out of wedlock, to one parent a Hensley, and one a Johnson, who were not married to each other. This is known from an 1808 and 1809 Court Case in Surry County, NC where he is listed as "Gideon Hensley alias Gideon Johnson". This record does not give any information about his family other than he was known by two different names.
I don't know who Gideon's parents were, though since he used "Hensley" all the time, it seems likely his father was a Hensley and mother a Johnson, but I could be wrong though. The law generally was that a "base born" child was to use the surname of the mother. But I can't say which is which in his case.
Gideon was born in Virginia (per the 1850 census), though I don't know what county. He was probably with his parents for the 1790 an 1800 census, though both of these were lost for Virginia. At some point he moved to Surry Co, NC, and was mentioned in a court record there in 1808 and 1809. He didn't have to be a resident of that county to be named in a court case though, so I don't know if he actually lived there, but since his wife was born in NC, it is possible that he was living in Surry and married there.
I did not find Gideon Hensley on the 1810 census. He could have already been in Tennessee by then, and the 1810 census was lost for most of the state.
Gideon Hensley married Jane --- around this time (ca 1810), possibly in Surry Co, NC. She was born ca 1787/88 in North Carolina. I don't know her maiden name.
They moved to Giles County, Tennessee before 1820 and were listed there on that census for that year. He was listed between Ennis Morris and William Hale. There was one other Hensley in the county, Simeon Hensley (1794/1804), listed a few pages away, Relationship unknown.
1820 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)
1820 Giles Co, TN pg 15 Gideon Hensley 000110-01020 Analysis: 1 Male(s) 26-44 (1775-1794) Gideon HENSLEY (1777/78) Son of ? 1 Male(s) 16-25 (1794-1804) Son? (1794/1804) --> gone by 1830 2 Female(s) 26-44 (1775-1794) Jane ___ Hensley (1787/88) wife Sister? Sister-in-law? (1775/94) --> gone by 1830 1 Female(s) 10-15 (1804-1810) Daughter? (1804/10) --> gone by 1830
Gideon and Jane moved to neighboring Maury County, Tennessee in the 1820's (or else lived near an uncertain border) and were listed in Maury on the 1830 census. There were several other Hensleys in Maury, mostly children of Hickman Hensley (1759). It does not seem likely that Gideon is closely related to Hickman. None of those Hensleys were near Gideon on this census record. He was listed between Peter Williams and S. Medcalf (I can't make out his given name, but it looks like "Shad", as in Shadrack). There were several Metcalf-Hensley intermarriages in Yancey Co, NC and in Washington Co, TN, so this might be a clue to Gideon's origins, or it might just be a coincidence that they were near each other then.
1830 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)
1830 Maury Co, TN pg 322 Gideon Hensely 0000000100000-0100001000000 Analysis: 1 Male(s) 50-59 (1770-1780) Gideon HENSLEY (1777/78) s/o ? 1 Female(s) 40-49 (1780-1790) Jane ___ Hensley (1787/88) wife 1 Female(s) 5-9 (1820-1825) Daughter? (1820/25) --> gone by 1840
Gideon Hensley moved back to Giles County, Tennessee before 1840 (this "back and forth" makes me wonder if he actually moved, or if he lived in a border area instead). For this census, he was the only Hensley in the county.
1840 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)
1840 Giles Co, TN pg 174 Gideon Hinsley 0000000010000-0000000100000 Analysis: 1 Male(s) 60-69 (1770-1780) Gideon HENSLEY (1777/78) s/o ? 1 Female(s) 50-59 (1780-1790) Jane ___ Hensley (1787/88) wife
Gideon and Jane moved west to Gibson County, Tennessee in the 1840's, and were listed there on the 1850 census. No other Hensleys were listed in Gibson County at that time.
1850 GIBSON CO, TN Page 139B House/Family # 231/ 231 - 2nd Civil District Twp HINSLEY GIDEON 72 M W FARMER VA 1777/1778 HINSLEY JANE 62 F W NC 1787/1788
I have no data on them after 1850. Presumably they both died in the 1850-60 timeframe, or else moved away.
Gideon and Jane had at least three children per the 1820 and 1830 census. None of these are identified.
Unknown Son (1794/1804)
Unknown Daughter (1804/10)
Unknown Daughter (1820/25)
Persons researching this family (click here for data on how to get on or off of this list):
1. Gideon1 Hensley , born 1777/78 in VA; died aft 1850 in Gibson Co, TN. He married bef 1820 in Giles Co, TN Jane (---) , born 1787/88 in NC; died aft 1850 in Gibson Co, TN.