Robert Hensley (c1777) and Judith Farley of Wythe and Tazewell Co., VA; Floyd Co., KY; Cabell, Kanawha and Logan Co., WV

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• 24 Jan 2009 New page by Marty Grant, relationship unknown.

I don't know who his parents are, but it seems likely he is closely related to the other Hensleys of Logan Co., WV, namely Daniel Hensley (c1774), William Hensley (c1777),  James Hensley and Stephen Hensley (c1784). They could all be brothers, but that isn't proven.  They all may be children of the widow Catherine Hensley.

An article in an 1896 book states that Robert, William, Daniel and John are brothers and sons of a widowed Mrs. Hensley who married William Davis second:

The settlement at the mouth of Spruce, where Lewis Rutherford now lives, was made by Benjamin Sprouse. At just what time he settled there is not known, but he raised a large family of boys and girls, and with Reuben Thacker, a brother-in-law, moved further to the west, selling his place to William Davis, who came from Albermarle County, and claimed to be a first cousin of Thomas Jefferson. Davis married a Mrs. Hensley, of Russell County, who was the mother by her former marriage of four sons and one daughter. Three of the sons - William, Robert and John - and the daughter, whose name is forgotten. There was another son - Daniel - who had been captured by the Indians in 1790, and who remained with the Indians until 1807, when he joined the family and married a daughter of Thomas Davis, of Albermarle County, and niece of the William Davis above mentioned, settled at the mouth of Rockhouse Fork of Pigeon. Of the other Hensley boys, Robert married a daughter of Capt. Henry Farley, and settled at the mouth of Sugartree; William married a Miss Brewster, and settled opposite the mouth of Pond, on what is now known as the Lawson farm, and John married a Miss Davis and settled lower down the river. The daughter above mentioned married William Davis, a son of Thomas Davis of Albermarle, and nephew of the William Davis above mentioned, who settled near the mouth of Pigeon. William Davis, Sr., had one daughter by his first wife. William Davis, Sr., married a Miss Runyon, by whom he had two daughters, one of whom married Jess Stratredge and the other Jacob Runyon. (Ragland, Henry Clay, History of Logan County, W.Va. 1896)

The above article doesn't mention Stephen Hensley or James Hensley who were often associated with the others.

Robert Hensley, along with Daniel Hansley, William Hansley and James Hensley signed a petition in 1798 asking for the creation of a new county called Tazewell. The signers were residents of Russell and Wythe Counties. (Shared by Laura Schreibman)

Tazewell County was created in 1799 from parts of Russell and Wythe, effective in the year 1800. At that time Tazewell was pretty large and included much territory that is now in West Virginia.

The 1800 census is lost for Virginia.

Robert Hensley is listed on an 1801 tax list in Tazewell Co., VA. William Hensley and Stephen Hensley ("Hansley") are listed also.

Robert Hensley and Stephen Hensley both sued William Taylor in Tazewell Co., VA in Oct 1804 and Jun 1805. (Tazewell Co., Court Records shared by Laura Schreibman).

Robert is listed on an 1806 tax list for Kanawha Co., VA (now WV). At that time Kanawha bordered Tazewell.

On 24 Jul 1809 Daniel Hensley obtained a marriage bond in Floyd Co., KY to marry Jamima Davis. Robert Hensley was the bondsman.

I didn't find Robert Hensley on the 1810 census in either Virginia or Kentucky. He was not listed in Kanawha Co., VA for that census. His possible brothers William, Daniel and James were in Floyd Co., KY in 1810, but no sign of Robert there. There was a Robert in Hopkins Co., KY but that is Robert Hensley (c1759) a different person. It is possible that Robert was with William Hensley in Floyd Co., KY for he did have two adult males aged 26-44 (c1765/84) in his household. There is no way to know if that other male was Robert or not, but it could be.

On 27 Jul 1817 Robert Hensley married Judy Thompson in Floyd Co., KY. Judy (or Judith) was apparently a widow of Thomas Thompson, and was a Farley by birth, a daughter of Capt. Henry Farley:

The daughters of Captain Henry Farley were Judith, who married Thomas Thompson, and, who, after the death of Thompson, married Robert Hensley; Matilda, who married Carter T. Clark; and Mary, who first married Stephen Hensley, and afterwards married Pryyhus McGinnis. (Ragland, Henry Clay, History of Logan County, W.Va. 1896, pp. 52-53.)

A different set of marriage records gives Robert and Judith's marriage as 27 Dec 1816. I don't know which is correct as there are 7 months between the two. Judith Farley's sister Nancy Farley married Stephen Hensley, Robert's probable brother.

By 1820 Robert Hensley had moved to neighboring Cabell Co., VA (now WV). He was listed on the 1820 census there as were his possible siblings: William Hensley, Daniel Hensley (c1774) and Nancy, widow of Stephen Hensley. Other Hensleys listed included Joseph Hensley, Solomon Hensley (c1779) and Samuel Hensley (c1790). The census was alphabetical, so it isn't clear if any of the Hensleys were neighbors to each other.

1820 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1820 Cabell Co., VA page 85 Robert Hensley 310010-00110
Slaves=0010-0000

Analysis:

1 Male 26-44	(1775/1794)	Robert Hensley (c1777)

1 male 10-15	(1804/1810)	Son? (1804/10)
3 males 0-9	(1810/1820)	1-Son? (1810/20)

				2-Son? (1810/20)

				3-Son? (1810/20)

1 Female 26-44	(1775/1794)	Judith Farley Hensley (1775/94) wife

1 female 16-25	(1794/1804)	Daughter? (1794/1804)

1 Slave

Logan County was formed in 1824 from parts of Cabell, Giles and Kanawha Counties. Robert and his probable siblings fell into the new county.

Robert Hensley was listed on the 1824 tax list in Logan Co., VA. He had one white male over 16 (himself), 1 black over age 16 and 1 horse.

Robert Hensley is listed on the 1827 tax list in Logan with one white over 16, one black over 16 and three horses.

I couldn't find Robert Hensley on the 1830 census in Virginia, Kentucky or elsewhere. There is a Robert Henly in neighboring Cabell, but I don't know if it is him or not. He is 40-49 (c1780/90) which isn't an exact match, but close. He had two boys 10-14 (1815/20), and no females at all in the household. Is this Robert Hensley? It could be, but I don't know.

Robert wasn't listed on the 1833 or 1835 tax lists in Logan, but he was listed on the 1837 tax list there.

I couldn't find Robert Hensley on the 1840 census in Virginia, Kentucky or elsewhere.

Robert is listed on the 1843 tax list in Logan County with one white male over 21, and no blacks.

I couldn't find Robert Hensley on the 1850 census in Virginia, Kentucky or elsewhere.

Normally after not finding a person on three census records in a row, I would assume they had died shortly after the last one they appeared on (in this case 1820). However Robert Hensley reappears on the 1860 census in Logan Co., VA (now WV). Where had he been the previous 40 years! We could easily explain his absence in 1830 and 1840 as being due to him living with a son or son-in-law at the time. Those censuses only listed the head of household by name, so if Robert wasn't the head of household, his name wouldn't be listed. That doesn't explain his absence in 1850 though, which listed everyone by name.

Robert's presumed daughters Elizabeth (c1828) and Rebecca (c1830) both report their birth place as Kentucky. Robert must have been somewhere in Kentucky for part of those "missing" years.

Judith Farley Thompson Hensley was apparently dead before 1860 for she wasn't with Robert on that census.

In 1860 Robert was with James Brewster and wife Margaret (presumably Robert's daughter) in Logan Co., VA (now WV). Daniel Hensley (c1806) was a few houses away. He is a nephew. I did search for the Brewsters back in 1850. They were in Logan then, but Robert Hensley was not with them.

1860 census abstract: (Explanation of this census)

Robert is listed on the 1870 census in Logan, but this time he was living with Patterson Farley and wife Rebecca (Robert's niece, a daughter of Daniel Hensley). That he was living with a niece instead of one of his own children suggests that his children were all dead or no longer lived in the area.

1870 census abstract: (Explanation of this census)

Robert Hensley apparently died between 1870 and 1880 well into his 90's.

1. Unknown Daughter (1794/1804)
2. Unknown Son (1804/10)
3. Unknown Son (1810/20)
4. Unknown Son (1810/20)
5. Unknown Son (1810/20)
6. Margaret Hensley (c1816)

I do not have direct proof that Margaret was Robert's daughter, nor that she was even a Hensley. However, Robert Hensley was living with her in 1860, so that suggests a very close relationship. One problem with this connection is that Robert had no apparent daughters her age with him on the 1820 census. It is quite possible that Margaret was Robert's niece and not a daughter.

Margaret married James Brewster before ca 1841, presumably in Logan Co., VA (WV). He was born ca 1815/16 in Virginia (per 1850 census).

They are listed on the 1850 and 1860 census in Logan Co., VA (now WV). As noted earlier, Robert Hensley is living with them in 1860.

Margaret Hensley Brewster died in the 1860's, either in Logan Co., WV or perhaps after the family moved to nearby Lawrence Co., OH.

James Brewster and his new wife Rebecca (---) (c1834 VA) are listed on the 1870 census in Lawrence Co., OH.

James Brewster died in the 1870's in Lawrence Co., OH.

Rebecca and children are listed on the 1880 census in Lawrence Co., OH.

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• Marty Grant, relationship unknown.