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I (Marty Grant) am not related to John F. Hensley as far as I know.
John F. Hensley was born 8 Dec 1825 (per tombstone) in Tennessee, probably in Maury County (now Lewis County) where he was living later on. I don't know what the "F" middle initial stood for. John was a Methodist Minister.
There is solid evidence that John F. Hensley is a grandson of Hickman Hensley (1759), though John's actual parents are not totally proven (as far as I know). I have John listed as a son of James F. Hensley (c1790) and Catherine ---, but I don't have any direct proof of that. In 1881 John F. Hensley made an affidavit on behalf of his wife's Aunt Rodice Rentfrow Cohea (1798), and in that statement he said that her birth was recorded in the Family Bible of his grandfather, who was her father. Since we have Hickman Hensley's bible showing Rodice as his daughter, then that proves that John F. Hensley is a grandson of Hickman, but does not say who his parents were.
John F. Hensley was presumably home with his parents for the 1830 census, and should be in the "under 5" age group (born ca 1825/30), though possibly in the age 5-9 grouping (born ca 1820/25). His supposed father James F. Hensley (c1790) was listed in Maury County with two apparent sons age 5-9, so one of these could be John.
John was probably still home with his parents in 1840. He should be in either the age 10-14 group (born ca 1825/30) or possibly the age 15-19 group (born ca 1820/25). James F. Hensley (c1790) had an apparent son age 10-14 which is probably John F. Hensley.
John F. Hensley married his 1st cousin Elinor Malinda Rentfrow in Lewis County, Tennessee sometime prior to ca 1847. She was born 4 Dec 1827 (per tombstone) in Hickman (now Lewis) Co, TN. I've been told by other researchers that she is a child of Eli and Eliza (---) Rentfrow, but I don't know what the proof of that is. She was certainly a child of Eli or one of his brothers, for the Affidavit mentioned earlier stated that Rodice Rentfrow Cohea (1798) was her Aunt, and Rodice was a sister to Eli Rentfrow. The affidavit clearly puts her in this same family, though not necessarily as Eli's child. There may be proof of this, but I haven't seen it yet.
John F. 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 James F. Hensley (c1790) and Catherine --- just 12 households away.
1850 LEWIS CO, TN Page 781 House/Family # 30/ 30 - Civil District 5 HENSLEY JOHN F 24 M W FARMER 100 TN 1825/1826 HENSLEY ELINOR 22 F W TN 1827/1828 HENSLEY MATILDA 3 F W TN 1846/1847 HENSLEY WILLIAM S 1 M W TN 1848/1849
John and family were still in Lewis for the 1860 census, however, for some reason Elinor was not listed with him. There were some other "problems" with their census entry, so the whole thing is suspect in my opinion.
1860 LEWIS CO, TN Page 516 House/Family # 195/ 195 -- DISTRICT 5 HENSLEY JOHN F 34 M W FARMER 200 300 TN 1825/1826 HENSLEY MATILDA J 14 F W TN 1845/1846 HENSLEY WILLIAM C 13 M W TN 1846/1847 HENSLEY SAMUEL 11 M W TN 1848/1849 HENSLEY MARY C 9 F W TN 1850/1851 HENSLEY JAMES S 7 M W TN 1852/1853 HENSLEY JOHN B 5 M W TN 1854/1855 HENSLEY MARTHA 1 F W TN 1858/1859
During the 1860's, John and family moved to Effingham County, Illinois, where several members of the Rentfrow and Hensley families already lived.
I don't have John and family on the 1870 census yet, but I suppose they were in Effingham Co, IL that year.
They were in Effingham for the 1880 census in Summit Township. ** I don't have this entry typed up yet.
John F. Hensley died on 22 Feb 1894.
I don't have the 1900, 1910 or 1920 census entries yet.
Elinor Malinda Rentfrow Hensley died on 26 Aug 1920. She and John are both buried at the Rentfrow Cemetery in Effingham Co, IL.
John and Elinor had at least 8 children per the various census records. I don't have much additional data on any of them.
Persons researching this family (click here for data on how to get on or off of this list):
1. John F1
Hensley , born 8 Dec 1825 in
Maury Co, TN (now Lewis Co, TN); died 22 Feb 1894 in Clay Co, IL, son of James
F Hensley
and Catherine (---) .
He married in 1840/47 in Lewis Co, TN Elinor Malinda Rentfrow , born 4 Dec
1827 in Hickman Co, TN (now Lewis Co, TN); died 26 Aug 1920 in Effingham Co,
IL, daughter of Eli Rentfrow
and
Eliza (---) .
Children
of John F Hensley and Elinor Malinda Rentfrow were as follows:
2
i
Matilda J2
Hensley , born 1846/47 in Lewis
Co, TN.
+
3
ii
William S2
Hensley , born 1847/48 in Lewis
Co, TN. He married ?
(---)
.
4
iii
Samuel2
Hensley , born 1848/49 in Lewis
Co, TN.
5
iv
Mary C2
Hensley , born 1850/51 in Lewis
Co, TN.
6
v
James S2
Hensley , born 1852/53 in Lewis
Co, TN.
7
vi
John B2
Hensley , born 1854/55 in Lewis
Co, TN.
8
vii
Martha2
Hensley , born 1858/59 in Lewis
Co, TN.
9
viii
Eli2
Hensley , born 1861/62 in Lewis
Co, TN.
Generation 2
3. William S2
Hensley
(John F1),
born 1847/48 in Lewis Co, TN. He
married bef 1871 in Effingham Co, IL ? (---)
, died 1879/80 in Effingham
Co, IL.
Children
of William S Hensley and ? (---) were as follows:
10
i
John S3
Hensley , born 1870/71 in
Effingham Co, IL.
11
ii
Mattie M3
Hensley , born 1872/73 in
Effingham Co, IL.
12
iii
Hattie E3
Hensley , born 1875/76 in
Effingham Co, IL.
13 iv Nettie3 Hensley , born 1878/79 in Effingham Co, IL.