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I (Marty Grant) am not related to James Hensley as far as I know.
James Hensley was born ca 1809/10 (per 1850 census) in Tennessee, probably in Maury County (now Lewis County) where he was living later on.
I suspect that James Hensley is a son of William Hensley (c1785) and Nancy Gardner, though that is not proven, as far as I know. I base this on a couple of things. First of all, William (c1785) is a proven father of William G. Hensley (1813), and William G.'s obituary was written by J. W. Hensley, listed as his nephew. I strongly suspect that "J. W." is the same person as John W. D. Hensley, son of James. If this is correct, then that would make William G. and James brothers. There may be other proof, but this is all I have now, besides that William did have an apparent son James' age per the various early census records.
Since James was apparently born in a census year, it is hard to analyze his possible whereabouts in the early records, as he could be in either of two each groupings for some census records. However, I'll attempt it.
For the 1810 census, James would be a year old or younger, if he was born yet at all. However, the point is moot because the 1810 census is lost for Tennessee.
In 1820, James would have been about 10 years old, or slightly older. William Hensley (c1785) did have two apparent sons with him that year who were in the age 10-15 category (born ca 1804/10). It is possible that one of these was James.
In 1830, James would have been about 20 years old, or slightly older. William Hensley (c1785) did have an apparent son with him that year who was in the age 20-29 category (born ca 1800/10). It is possible that this is James.
James Hensley married Sarah M. Tarrant ca 1830/34 in Maury (now Lewis) Co, TN. Sarah was born ca 1810/11 in South Carolina (both per 1850 census). Her maiden name of "Tarrant" was shared with me by another researcher some years ago, and I don't know what proof there is to back it up, though it could certainly be correct.
James Hensley was listed on the 1840 census in Maury County, Tennessee as James "Jr" due to his Uncle James F. Hensley (c1790) being listed there also, in fact on the same page. James' supposed father William Hensley (c1785) was also on that page.
1840 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)
1840 Maury Co, TN pg 352 James Hinsley Jr 0000100000000-2200100000000 Analysis: 1 Male(s) 20-29 (1810-1820) James HENSLEY (1809/10) s/o William & Nancy 1 Female(s) 20-29 (1810-1820) Sarah TARRANT Hensley (1810/11) wife 2 Female(s) 5-9 (1830-1835) Mary C. HENSLEY (1833/34) daughter Daughter? (1830/35) --> gone by 1850 2 Female(s) 0-4 (1835-1840) Nancy G. HENSLEY (1835/36) daughter Naomi Jane HENSLEY (1837/38) daughter
In 1843, Lewis County was formed from several counties, including a portion of Maury County, and this included the section where James Hensley and family resided.
James Hensley and family were listed on the 1850 census in Lewis County, Tennessee. He was fairly close to the bulk of the several Hensley families listed there that year, including his probable parents William Hensley (c1785) and Nancy (Gardner) Hensley just 21 households away.
1850 LEWIS CO, TN Page 779 House/Family # 19/ 19 - Civil District 5 HENSLEY JAMES 40 M W FARMER 500 TN 1809/1810 HENSLEY SARAH M 39 F W SC 1810/1811 HENSLEY MARY C 16 F W TN 1833/1834 HENSLEY NANCY G 14 F W TN 1835/1836 HENSLEY NAOMI J 12 F W TN 1837/1838 HENSLEY JOHN W D 9 M W TN 1840/1841 HENSLEY URSULA E 6 F W TN 1843/1844 HENSLEY LEONA V 3 F W TN 1846/1847 HENSLEY ROBERT L 0 M W 9/12 TN 1849/1850
James and family were still in Lewis for the 1860 census.
1860 LEWIS CO, TN Page 514 House/Family # 159/ 159 -- DISTRICT 5 HENSLEY JAMES 51 M W FARMER 1000 1200 TN 1808/1809 HENSLEY SALLY 49 F W TN 1810/1811 HENSLEY JOHN W 19 M W FARMER TN 1840/1841 HENSLEY URSULA 16 F W TN 1843/1844 HENSLEY VICTORIA 14 F W TN 1845/1846 HENSLEY ROBERT B 10 M W TN 1849/1850 HENSLEY MARTHA L 7 F W TN 1852/1853 HENSLEY MARY 26 F W TN 1833/1834 HENSLEY REBECCA S 8 F W TN 1851/1852 HENSLEY SYLUS 6 M W TN 1853/1854 MAYFIELD LEONIDAS 6 M W TN 1853/1854 MAYFIELD THEODORE 4 M W TN 1855/1856
They were still there for the 1870 census two houses from brother Enoch Hensley (1822) and four from brother Abel Hensley (1822).
1870 LEWIS CO, TN Page 124B House/Family # 8/ 8--5th DISTRICT HENSLEY JAMES 60 M W FARMER 900 500 TN 1809/1810 HENSLEY SARAH 58 F W KEEPING HOUSE SC 1811/1812 HENSLEY LENARD 20 M W WORKS ON FARM TN 1849/1850 HENSLEY JOSEPHINE 16 F W WITHOUT OCCUPATION TN 1853/1854 MAYFIELD THEODORE 14 M W WORKS ON FARM TN 1855/1856 KINCADE SILAS 16 M W WORKS ON FARM TN 1853/1854
James Hensley died in Lewis County, Tennessee sometime between 1870 and 1880.
Widow Sarah Hensley was listed on the 1880 census in Lewis County with her married daughter Leona V. Lindsey and family. ** I don't have this entry typed up yet.
James and Sarah had 9 children per the various census records.
Leona Victoria Hensley (c1847)
Robert Leonard Hensley (c1849)
Martha L. Josephine Hensley (c1853)
Unknown Daughter (1830/35). James Hensley had an apparent daughter this age. She was home with him for the 1840 census (age 5-9, born ca 1830/35), but gone by 1850 so probably married or dead by then.
There were two female Hensley marriages recorded in Lewis County in the 1840's, and perhaps one of them is this unknown daughter. The first was Rebecca A. Hensley who married Matthew Clayton in 1846. The second was Tabitha Hensley who married John K. Webb in 1846. I didn't find either of these couples on the 1850 census in Lewis County, so I can't say if either are this unknown daughter.
Mary C. Hensley was born ca 1833/34 in Maury (now Lewis) Co, TN. She was apparently home with her parents for the 1840 census (age 5-9, born ca 1830/35), and still home in 1850 ("Mary C." age 16).
Mary was still at home in 1860, listed as "Mary Hensley" age 26 with a couple of children who seem to be hers. However, I am informed that she had married prior to this point to Alexander Kinkade. I have not seen the marriage record as it does not seem to be listed with the other Lewis County marriage records. Kathleen Grone gave me "27 Dec 1850" as their marriage date. This is probably the same Alexander who was born ca 1831/32 in TN, who was home with parents James and Elizabeth (---) Kinkade in 1850 Lewis Co, TN.
Two apparent children: Rebecca and Sylvus Kinkade were with Mary and her parents in 1860 (listed under "Hensley" name), but Sylvus was with his grandparents in 1870 listed as a Kinkade.
Since Mary was back home with her parents in 1860, I suppose that Alexander had died by then. The abstracted 1860 census entry did not give her with a different surname from her parents, but that could be a transcriber error, or an error with the original census.
Kathleen Grone also told me that Mary Hensley later married her Uncle (by marriage) William A. Sharp. This apparently happened between 1860 and ca 1862, for she was with him for the 1870 census. William A. Sharp was born ca 1813/14 in TN, a son of William and Eleanor (---) Sharp. His first wife was Agness Hensley (c1816), probably a sister of Mary's father James Hensley.
William and Mary were listed on the 1870 census in Lewis County in District 5. Some of William's children by his first marriage were living with them, as was one of Mary's daughters by her first marriage, and William's widowed mother was also residing with them.
1870 LEWIS CO, TN Page 125 House/Family # 16/ 16--5th DISTRICT SHARP W A 56 M W FARMER 200 300 TN 1813/1814 SHARP MARY 36 F W KEEPING HOUSE TN 1833/1834 SHARP THOMAS 25 M W FARM LABORER TN 1844/1845 SHARP HENRIETTA 16 F W ATTENDING SCHOOL TN 1853/1854 SHARP MARCILLA 13 F W AT HOME TN 1856/1857 SHARP SOCRATTUS 8 M W ATTENDING SCHOOL TN 1861/1862 SHARP SARAH 6 F W TN 1863/1864 SHARP BRUNETT 4 F W TN 1865/1866 SHARP ELLEN 86 F W KNITTING KY 1783/1784 KINCADE REBECCA 19 F W ATTENDING SCHOOL TN 1850/1851
I have no data on them after this.
Nancy G. Hensley was born ca 1835/36 in Maury (now Lewis) Co, TN. She was apparently home with her parents for the 1840 census (age "under 5", born ca 1835/40), and still home in 1850 ("Nancy G." age 14). She was not home in 1860, so probably married or dead by then.
There is a marriage record in Lewis County for a Nancy Hensley to George W. Mayfield dated 26 Oct 1852. This could be this same Nancy for Mayfield children were listed with Nancy's parents in the 1860 and 1870 census, presumably her own children.
I don't have them on the 1860 or later census records. Since two of their children were with Nancy's parents in 1860, that may indicate that they both died before then, leaving orphaned children. More research is needed.
Naomi Jane Hensley was born ca 1837/38 in Maury (now Lewis) Co, TN. She was apparently home with her parents for the 1840 census (age "under 5", born ca 1835/40), and still home in 1850 ("Naomi J." age 12). She was not home in 1860, so probably married or dead by then.
A marriage record in Lewis County shows Naomi J. Hensley marrying Benjamin B. Johnston on 23 Dec 1857, married by E. H. Hensley (Enoch H. Hensley, Naomi's Uncle). I suspect this is the same Benjamin B. Johnston born ca 1835/36 who was home with his parents John and Tabitha (---) Johnston in 1850 Lewis County census near the Hensleys.
Benjamin and Jane were on the 1860 census in Lewis County:
1860 LEWIS CO, TN Page 515 House/Family # 166/ 166 -- DISTRICT 5 JOHNSTON BENJAMIN 23 M W FARMER 1000 1000 TN 1836/1837 JOHNSTON JANE 20 F W TN 1839/1840 JOHNSTON ADLEY R 1 M W TN 1858/1859
John W. D. Hensley was born ca 1840/41 in Maury (now Lewis) Co, TN. He was home with his parents for the 1850 census ("John W. D. Hensley", age 9), and still home in 1860 ("John W.." age 19).
John W. Hensley married Sarah F. Johnston on 30 Aug 1865 in Lewis County, Tennessee. She was a sister to Benjamin B. Johnston mentioned above. Sarah was born ca 1846/47 in Lewis Co, TN.
John and family were listed on the 1870 census in Lewis County:
1870 LEWIS CO, TN Page 129B House/Family # 31/ 31--6th DISTRICT HENSLEY JOHN W 28 M W FARMER 500 400 TN 1841/1842 HENSLEY SARAH 24 F W KEEPS HOUSE TN 1845/1846 HENSLEY LOYD 4 M W TN 1865/1866 HENSLEY SARAH 1 F W TN 1868/1869
I don't have John and Sarah on the 1880 census yet. I did not find them in Lewis County.
Ursula E. Hensley was born ca 1843/44 in Lewis Co, TN. She was home with her parents for the 1850 census ("Ursula E. Hensley", age 6), and still home in 1860 ("Ursula." age 16). She was not home in 1870, so probably married or dead by then.
I found a marriage record for Ursula E. Hensley and Ephraim Kelly dated 13 Jan 1865 in Lewis County, Tennessee. Ephraim was born ca 1845/46 in Tennessee. I don't know his parents yet.
I don't have them on the 1870 census yet.
They were on the 1880 census in Lewis County, Tennessee next door to Ursula's sister Martha Hensley Mayfield. ** I don't have this entry typed up yet.
Leona Victoria Hensley was born ca 1846/47 in Lewis Co, TN. She was home with her parents for the 1850 census ("Leona V. Hensley", age 3), and still home in 1860 ("Victoria." age 14). She was not home in 1870, so probably married or dead by then.
I found a marriage record for Victoria L. Hensley and James C. Lindsay dated 8 Aug 1866 in Lewis County, Tennessee. James was born ca 1841/42 in Tennessee. I don't know his parents yet.
I don't have them on the 1870 census yet.
They were in Lewis County on the 1880 census, with Victoria's widowed mother Sarah residing with them. ** I don't have this entry typed up yet.
Robert Leonard Hensley was born ca 1849 in Lewis Co, TN. He was home with his parents for the 1850 census ("Robert L. Hensley", age 9 months), and still home in 1860 ("Robert B." age 10). He was still home in 1870 ("Lenard" age 20).
I did not find Robert L. Hensley on the 1880 census.
Martha L. Josephine Hensley was born ca 1852/53 in Lewis Co, TN. She was home with her parents for the 1860 census ("Martha L. Hensley", age 7), and still home in 1870 ("Josephine." age 16).
I found a marriage record for Martha L. J. Hensley and G. W. Mayfield (George W. Mayfield) dated 17 Mar 1878 in Lewis County, Tennessee. George was born ca 1847/48 in Lewis Co, TN, son of John Mayfield. I think this George could be a nephew of the George Mayfield who married Martha's older sister Nancy Hensley.
They were in 1880 Lewis County census. ** I don't have this entry typed up yet.
Persons researching this family (click here for data on how to get on or off of this list):
1. James1
Hensley
, born 1809/10 in Maury Co, TN (now Lewis Co,
TN); died 1870/80 in Lewis Co, TN, son of William Hensley
and Nancy Gardner
.
He married in 1830/33 in Maury Co, TN (now Lewis Co, TN) Sarah M
Tarrant
, born 1810/11 in SC;
died aft 1880 in Lewis Co, TN.
Children
of James Hensley and Sarah M Tarrant were as follows:
+
2
i
Mary C2
Hensley
, born 1833/34 in Maury
Co, TN (now Lewis Co, TN); died aft 1860 in Lewis Co, TN.
She married Alexander Kinkade
.
+
3
ii
Nancy G2
Hensley
, born 1835/36 in Maury
Co, TN (now Lewis Co, TN). She
married George W Mayfield
.
4
iii
Naomi Jane2
Hensley
, born 1837/38 in Maury
Co, TN (now Lewis Co, TN). She
married on 23 Dec 1857 in Lewis Co, TN Benjamin B. Johnston
, born 1835/36 in TN, son of John Johnston
and Tabitha (---)
.
+
5
iv
John W D2
Hensley
, born 1840/41 in Maury Co, TN (now Lewis Co,
TN). He married Sarah F
Johnston
.
+
6
v
Ursula E2
Hensley
, born 1843/44 in Lewis
Co, TN. She married Ephraim
Kelly
.
+
7
vi
Leona Victoria2
Hensley
, born 1846/47 in Lewis
Co, TN. She married James C
Lindsey
.
8
vii
Robert Leonard2
Hensley
, born 1849 in Lewis Co, TN; died aft 1870 in
Lewis Co, TN.
9
viii
Martha L Josephine2
Hensley
, born 1852/53 in Lewis
Co, TN. She married on 17 Mar
1878 in Lewis Co, TN George W Mayfield
, born 1847/48 in Lewis Co, TN, son of John
Mayfield
and ? (---)
.
Generation 2
2. Mary C2
Hensley
(James1), born 1833/34 in Maury Co,
TN (now Lewis Co, TN); died aft 1860 in Lewis Co, TN.
She married on 27 Dec 1850 in Lewis Co, TN Alexander Kinkade
, born 1831/32 in TN, son of James Kinkade
and Elizabeth (---)
.
Children
of Mary C Hensley and Alexander Kinkade were as follows:
10
i
Rebecca A3
Kinkade
, born 1851/52 in Lewis Co, TN.
11
ii
Sylvus3
Kinkade
, born 1853/54 in Lewis Co, TN.
3. Nancy G2
Hensley
(James1), born 1835/36 in Maury Co,
TN (now Lewis Co, TN). She
married on 26 Oct 1852 in Lewis Co, TN George W Mayfield
, born 1823/24 in TN.
Children
of Nancy G Hensley and George W Mayfield were as follows:
12
i
Leonidas3
Mayfield
, born 1853/54 in Lewis Co, TN.
13
ii
Theodore3
Mayfield
, born 1855/56 in Lewis Co, TN.
5. John W D2
Hensley
(James1),
born 1840/41 in Maury Co, TN (now Lewis Co, TN).
He married on 30 Aug 1865 in Lewis Co, TN Sarah F Johnston
, born 1846/47 in Lewis
Co, TN, daughter of John Johnston
and Tabitha (---)
.
Children
of John W D Hensley and Sarah F Johnston were as follows:
14
i
Lloyd3
Hensley
, born 1865/66 in Lewis Co, TN.
15
ii
Sarah3
Hensley
, born 1868/69 in Lewis Co, TN.
6. Ursula E2
Hensley
(James1), born 1843/44 in Lewis Co,
TN. She married on 13 Jan 1865 in
Lewis Co, TN Ephraim Kelly
, born 1845/46 in TN.
Children
of Ursula E Hensley and Ephraim Kelly were as follows:
16
i
James A3
Kelly
, born 1867/68 in Lewis Co, TN.
17
ii
Thomas3
Kelly
, born 1869/70 in Lewis Co, TN.
18
iii
Iradona J3
Kelly
, born 1871/72 in Lewis Co, TN.
19
iv
Salley3
Kelly
, born 1873/74 in Lewis Co, TN.
20
v
Mary Ella3
Kelly
, born 1875/76 in Lewis Co, TN.
21
vi
(---)3
Kelly
, born 1880 in Lewis Co, TN.
7. Leona Victoria2
Hensley
(James1), born 1846/47 in Lewis Co,
TN. She married on 8 Aug 1866 in
Lewis Co, TN James C Lindsey
, born 1841/42 in TN.
Children
of Leona Victoria Hensley and James C Lindsey were as follows:
22
i
J D3
Lindsey
, born 1861/62 in Lewis Co, TN.
23
ii
J F3
Lindsey
, born 1866/67 in Lewis Co, TN.
24
iii
R M3
Lindsey
, born 1867/68 in Lewis Co, TN.
25
iv
J S3
Lindsey
, born 1870/71 in Lewis Co, TN.
26
v
J F3
Lindsey
, born 1872/73 in Lewis Co, TN.
27
vi
M E3
Lindsey
, born 1875/76 in Lewis Co, TN.
28 vii T L3 Lindsey , born 1877/78 in Lewis Co, TN.