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I (Marty Grant) am not related to Lewis Hensley as far as I know.
Lewis Hensley was born ca 1808/09 in Tennessee. I don't know what county he was born in, but he was in Wayne County, TN by 1830. He may have been born in that same area (though Wayne did not exist as a county until 1817).
I don't know who Lewis' parents were. There were several Hensley families in the area, several of whom were old enough to be his parents.
Presumably, Lewis would have been home with his parents for the 1810 and 1820 census. Unfortunately, the 1810 census is lost, so no help there.
In 1820, there were several Hensley households in Wayne Co, TN. Lewis would have been about 11 years old, so should have been counted in the age 10-15 age group (born ca 1804/10). Only four of the Hensley households in Wayne County in 1820 had an apparent son that age. The first was Lemuel Hensley (c1780/90), but that was his son John M. Hensley, who is proven. The next Hensley household with an apparent son this age was Washington Hensley (c1774/84). I have serious doubts that he could be Lewis' father, mainly because Lewis was born in Tennessee ca 1809, yet Washington Hensley was still in NC as late as 1810, however, it is still possible. The next household is Larkin Hensley (1779), who had one son that age in 1820, however, this is his son James F. Hensley (c1810) most likely.
The last of the suspects in 1820 is Lydia Hensley (bef 1775), an apparent widow. She had one son in the right age group. I know next to nothing about her, but as it stands, she is the prime suspect to be Lewis' mother. However, I have no other evidence supporting it, so it should just be considered a theory at present. Lydia also had other apparent children, including an older son, in the ca 1794/1804 age group. Some tertiary evidence for her being Lewis' mother may be found in that Lewis' son Lewis Jr named a child "Lydia", or then again, that may be a coincidence.
All of the above assumes that Lewis was already in Wayne Co, TN by 1820, when in fact, he may have been from some other part of Tennessee and moved there later (in the 1820-1830 timeframe, anyway).
If Lewis Hensley was not already a resident of Wayne County, TN, then he moved there in the 1820's. He married Elizabeth --- there ca 1830 or just before. I have no clues what her maiden name might be.
Lewis Hensley was listed on the 1830 census of Wayne Co, TN. He was next door to Benjamin Hensley (c1790/1800), a likely candidate for Lewis' brother. Remember also that Lydia Hensley in 1820 had a son approximately Benjamin's age, so this helps support the theory that Lewis (and Benjamin) are both children of Lydia. Lewis did name one of his kids "Benjamin". In 1830, Lewis Hensley's neighbor on the other side was Thomas Meredith.
1830 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)
1830 Wayne County, TN pg 304 Louis Hensley 0000100000000-0000100000000 Analysis: 1 Male(s) 20-29 (1800-1810) Lewis HENSLEY (1808/09) 1 Female(s) 20-29 (1800-1810) Elizabeth ___ Hensley (1805/06) wife
Lewis Hensley apparently moved to neighboring Hardin County, Tennessee in the 1830's, for he was listed there on the 1840 census (He may have lived in a border region, for he was back in Wayne County by 1850). He was the only Hensley listed in Hardin County that year (1840).
1840 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)
1840 Hardin County, TN pg 248 Lewis Hensley 2100100000000-0000100000000 Analysis: 1 Male(s) 20-29 (1810-1820) Lewis HENSLEY (1808/09) s/o ? 1 Male(s) 5-9 (1830-1835) William HENSLEY (1831/32) son 2 Male(s) 0-4 (1835-1840) Lewis HENSLEY (1833/34) son Daniel HENSLEY (1839/40) son 1 Female(s) 20-29 (1810-1820) Elizabeth ___ Hensley (1805/06) wife
Lewis Hensley was back in Wayne County before 1850, for he was listed there on the 1850 census. Lewis and family were in the 6th Civil District, and the only Hensley family in that district, though there were other Hensleys in Wayne County (all part of the Lemuel Hensley family), though none were nearby. Lewis was listed between the households of John Jackson and Mary Haley. Mary Haley (an apparent widow) had several children with her then, including daughter Mary J. Haley (c1832), who would later become Lewis Hensley's 2nd wife (in 1866).
1850 WAYNE CO, TN Page 289 House/Family # 290/ 297 - 6th Civil District HENSLEY LEWIS 41 M W FARMER 1000 TN 1808/1809 HENSLEY ELIZABETH 44 F W NC 1805/1806 HENSLEY WILLIAM 18 M W TN 1831/1832 HENSLEY LEWIS 17 M W TN 1832/1833 HENSLEY DANIEL 10 M W TN 1839/1840 HENSLEY JAMES? 5 M W TN 1844/1845
Lewis Hensley was still in Wayne Co, TN, 6th Civil District for the 1860 census. Two of his married sons were close by, one next door, and the other 2 houses away. This census record was taken from a transcribed version found on the Wayne Co, TN GenWeb pages.
1860 WAYNE CO, TN Page 147 House/Family # 993/ 993 -- Civil District 6 HENSLEY LOUIS 51 M W FARMER 1200 9000 TN 1808/1809 HENSLEY ELIZABETH 54 F W NC 1805/1806 HENSLEY DANIEL 20 M W FARM LABORER TN 1839/1840 HENSLEY JOEL 15 M W FARM LABORER TN 1844/1845
Elizabeth, wife of Lewis, died in Wayne County between 1860 and ca 1866.
On 9 Aug 1866, Lewis Hensley went to neighboring Lewis Co, TN and married Mary J. Haley. I believe this is the same Mary J. Haley (c1832) who was next door to Lewis Hensley in 1850. I could be wrong about that though.
Lewis Hensley and his new wife were listed on the 1870 census in Wayne County, TN on page 462: Lewis Hensley-61, Mary J-40, Joel-25, Benjamin L-3, Nathan B. 1 month. (From "Hensley Households" by Laura Schreibman).
I have no data on this family beyond this point.
Lewis Hensley and wife Elizabeth had at least four children, and he and wife Mary had at least two more. Lewis and Mary may have had others after 1870. I don't have them yet.
William N. Hensley was born ca 1831/32 in Wayne Co, TN. He was apparently home with his parents for the 1840 census (age 5-9, born ca 1830/35). He was home with them in 1850 (age 18).
William married Sarah A. Briley between 1850 and 1860 in Wayne Co, TN. They probably married very close to 1860, for by the 1860 census they had no children yet. I didn't find a marriage record, but I did find in 1870 where a widow Sally Briley was residing with William and Sarah. After checking the 1850 census, I found the John and Sarah Briley family in Lewis Co, TN, with a daughter Sarah A. Briley (c1832). It seems clear this is the same group of people.
William and Sarah were listed on the 1860 census in Wayne Co, TN next door to his brother Lewis Hensley, and 2 houses from his parents.
1860 WAYNE CO, TN Page 147 House/Family # 995/ 995 -- Civil District 6 HENSLEY W N 28 M W BLACKSMITH 350 TN 1831/1832 HENSLEY SARAH A 25 F W TN 1834/1835
William and Sarah were in neighboring Lewis County, TN for the 1870 census with several Briley relatives with them, including Sarah's widowed mother.
1870 LEWIS CO, TN Page 139 House/Family # 22/ 22--8th DISTRICT HENSLEY WILLIAM 38 M W BLACKSMITH 600 800 TN 1831/1832 HENSLEY SARAH A 37 F W KEEPING HOUSE TN 1832/1833 BRILEY SALLY 69 F W INVALID 400 300 NC 1800/1801 BRILEY SHADRACH E 30 M W INVALID TN 1839/1840 BRILEY MARTHA C 27 F W TN 1842/1843 BRILEY MARGARET G 2 F W TN 1867/1868
Lewis Hensley was born ca 1832/33 in Wayne Co, TN. He was apparently home with his parents for the 1840 census (age 5-9, born ca 1830/35). He was home with them in 1850 (age 17).
Lewis married in neighboring Lewis Co, TN on or after 15 Dec 1853 (date of marriage bond) to Senith Reeves (listed as "Sena" on bond). I found Senith at home with her parents Redding and Jane Reeves on the 1850 census in Lewis Co, TN.
Lewis and Senith were listed in Wayne Co, TN for the 1860 census, next door to his parents.
1860 WAYNE CO, TN Page 147 House/Family # 994/ 994 -- Civil District 6 HENSLEY LOUIS Jr 26 M W FARMING 250 TN 1833/1834 HENSLEY SINITH 30 F W TN 1829/1830 HENSLEY LYDIA A 0 F W 9/12 TN 1859/1860
I didn't find Lewis on the 1870 census in Tennessee.
Daniel Hensley was born ca 1839/40 in Wayne Co, TN. He was apparently home with his parents for the 1840 census (age "under 5", born ca 1835/40). He was home with them in 1850 (age 10) and 1860 (age 20).
Daniel Hensley married Mary E. --- in the 1860/70 timeframe, presumably in Wayne Co, TN, though he may have married in neighboring Lewis Co, TN like his brothers had done. I didn't find a marriage record for him, so I have no clue what Mary's maiden name was.
Daniel and Mary were listed on the 1870 census in Wayne Co, TN on the same page with his father, page 462: Daniel Hensley-30, Mary E-16. (From "Hensley Households" by Laura Schreibman).
Joel Hensley was born ca 1844/45 in Wayne Co, TN. He was home with his parents for the 1850 census (age 5), and in 1860 (age 15), and 1870 (age 25).
Benjamin L. Hensley was born ca 1866/67 in Wayne Co, TN. He was home with his parents for the 1870 census (age 3).
Nathan B. Hensley was born ca 1870 in Wayne Co, TN. He was home with his parents for the 1870 census (age 1 month).
Persons researching this family (click here for data on how to get on or off of this list):
1. Lewis1
Hensley , born 1808/09 in TN He
married (1) abt 1830 in Wayne Co, TN Elizabeth (---) , born
1805/06 in NC; died 1860/66 in Wayne Co, TN; (2) on 9 Aug 1866 in Lewis Co, TN
Mary J Haley , born 1831/32 in TN,
daughter of (---) Haley
and Mary (---) .
Children
of Lewis Hensley and Elizabeth (---) were as follows:
2
i
William N2
Hensley , born 1831/32 in Wayne
Co, TN. He married in 1850/60 in
Lewis Co, TN Sarah A Briley , born
1831/32 in TN, daughter of John Briley
and
Sarah (---) .
+
3
ii
Lewis2
Hensley , born 1832/33 in Wayne
Co, TN. He married Senith
Reeves .
4
iii
Daniel2
Hensley , born 1839/40 in Wayne
Co, TN. He married in 1860/70 in
Wayne Co, TN Mary E (---) , born 1853/54 in TN.
5
iv
Joel2
Hensley , born 1844/45 in Wayne
Co, TN.
Children of Lewis Hensley and Mary J Haley were as follows:
6
i
Benjamin L2
Hensley , born 1866/67 in Wayne
Co, TN.
7
ii
Nathan B2
Hensley , born 1870 in Wayne Co,
TN.
Generation 2
3. Lewis2
Hensley
(Lewis1),
born 1832/33 in Wayne Co, TN. He
married on 15 Dec 1853 in Lewis Co, TN Senith Reeves , born
1830/31 in TN, daughter of Redding Reeves
and Jane (---) .
Children
of Lewis Hensley and Senith Reeves were as follows:
8 i Lydia A3 Hensley , born 1859 in Wayne Co, TN.