Taliaferro Hensley (1770/75) and Diadamy Gorman (c1765) of Pittsylvania, Franklin and Grayson Co., VA; Ashe Co., NC and Jefferson Co., TN

martygrant.com: Home > Genealogy > Hensley > Families > Taliaferro

Contents: Children | Researcher List | Register Report

• 3 Mar 2009 Updated page by Marty Grant, relationship unknown. Changed format, but didn't add much new content, though I did rewrite several paragraphs.

• Special thanks to J. B. Bruce for data shared on this family.

Taliaferro Hensley was born ca 1770/75 per census analysis. The 1820 census lists his age as 45 and up, or born before 1775. His 1830 census entry lists him as age 50-59 or born ca 1770/80. The two reconcile to ca 1770/75. He was probably born somewhere in Virginia, perhaps Pittsylvania County where he married in 1799.

He is listed as "Toliver" on some records.

I don't know who his parents are. There was a John Hensley in Pittsylvania who could be his father. They were associated so certainly related somehow.

The first record I have for Taliaferro was a deed from John Hensley to Taliaferro (both spelled Henslee) in 1778. Taliaferro would have been under 8 years old in 1778, so this deed is almost certainly a deed of gift. I have not seen the deed myself so I don't know the details. (Pittsylvania Co, VA Deed Book 5 page 77, shared by Laura Schreibman).

On 21 Jan 1799, Taliaferro Hensley married Diadamy Gorman in Pittsylvania Co, VA. Diadamy was born ca 1764/65 (per 1850 census) or ca 1770/80 (per 1830 and 1840 census) in Virginia, county unknown. I don't know who her parents might have been.

They moved to neighboring Franklin Co., VA by 1800 for Taliaferro is listed there on tax list that year and each year through 1805 (per J. B. Bruce).

I didn't find Taliaferro on the 1810 census in Virginia or elsewhere. This census is lost for many Virginia counties.

Toliver Hensley is listed on the 1820 census in Grayson Co., VA. This is one county south west of Franklin where he had been back in 1805. It is striking that he is living by himself at this time. My first guess is that his wife and children had died. However that isn't the case. His wife was still alive and well, she just wasn't living with him. It appears that they were separated and perhaps even divorced.

He is the only Hensley in Grayson Co., VA in 1820.

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

1820 Grayson Co., VA page 47-243 Toliver Hensley 000001-00000
Slaves=0000-0000

Analysis:

1 Male 45+	(bef 1775)	Taliaferro Hensley (1770/75)

0 Slaves

He was in neighboring Ashe Co., NC for the 1830 census, and still living alone. He was the only Hensley in that county at the time. He was next door to Timothy Perkins (c1770/80).

1830 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1830 Ashe Co., NC page 14 Toliferro Hencly 0000000100000-0000000000000
Slaves=000000-000000

Analysis:

1 Male 50-59	(1770/1780)	Taliaferro Hensley (1770/75)

0 Slaves

I wasn't able to find Taliaferro on the 1840 or 1850 census. He probably died in the 1830's either in Ashe Co., NC or next door in Grayson Co., VA.

I didn't find Diadamy Gorman Hensley on the 1820 census. She wasn't with her husband (or ex-husband as the case may be), so where was she? Her daughter Lucy married in Franklin Co., VA in 1824, but I don't know if they were already in Franklin by the 1820 census. They were not listed there, nor where any other Hensleys. She may have been residing with married daughter who is yet unidentified.

Diadamy Gorman Hensley seems to be with daughter Lucy and her husband Garland R. Brown in Jefferson Co, TN in 1830. They apparently moved there between ca 1827 and ca 1830 (based on birth dates and places of their children). Their 1830 census listing shows an older female who was roughly the right age to be Diadamy Gorman Hensley. Since she was with them in 1850, it seems reasonable that she was with them earlier as well. Even though the age in 1830 was off slightly from her 1850 age, it still seems likely that it is her.

1830 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1830 Jefferson Co, TN pg 284 Garland R. Brown 1000010000000-2100100100000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 30-39        (1790-1800)	Garland R. BROWN (1796/97) 
1 Male(s) 0-4          (1825-1830)	John Q. BROWN (1826/27) son
1 Female(s) 50-59      (1770-1780)	Diadamy GORMAN Hensley (c1765) mother-in-law
1 Female(s) 20-29      (1800-1810)	Lucy HENSLEY Brown (1803/04) wife m 1824
1 Female(s) 5-9        (1820-1825)	Susan BROWN (1824/25) daughter
2 Female(s) 0-4        (1825-1830)	Dolly BROWN (1825/26) daughter
					Sarah BROWN (1829/30) daughter

The fact that they moved to Jefferson County, Tennessee could be significant, as there were other Hensleys there before they got there, however, I've found no connection between any of the others and Taliaferro Hensley's family. It may just be a coincidence that they came there. They did not seem to live in the same part of the county either.

Diadamy Gorman Hensley was still apparently home with her daughter Lucy's family for the 1840 census in Jefferson Co, TN.

1840 census analysis (based on available evidence): (Explanation of this census)

1840 Jefferson Co, TN pg 326 Garland R. Brown 1110001000000-0121010010000
Analysis:
1 Male(s) 40-49        (1790-1800)	Garland R. BROWN (1796/97)
1 Male(s) 10-14        (1825-1830)	John Q. BROWN (1826/27) son
1 Male(s) 5-9          (1830-1835)	William C. BROWN (1831/32) son
1 Male(s) 0-4          (1835-1840)	Son? (1835/40) > gone by 1850
1 Female(s) 60-69      (1770-1780)	Diadamy GORMAN Hensley (c1765) mother-in-law
1 Female(s) 30-39      (1800-1810)	Lucy HENSLEY Brown (1803/04) wife
1 Female(s) 15-19      (1820-1825)	Susan BROWN (1824/25) daughter
2 Female(s) 10-14      (1825-1830)	Dolly BROWN (1825/26) daughter
					Sarah BROWN (1829/30) daughter
1 Female(s) 5-9        (1830-1835)	Daughter? (1830/35) > gone by 1850

Diadamy was still with her daughters family for the 1850 census in Jefferson County, Tennessee. This year there were several other Hensleys in Jefferson also, but none nearby, and no known relationship to her family. Diadamy's age in 1850 (85) doesn't agree with her 1830 and 1840 census entries which put her birth between 1770 and 1780.

1850 census abstract: (Explanation of this census)

They were still in Jefferson for the 1860 census.

1860 census abstract: (Explanation of this census)

I didn't find Diadamy on the 1870 census. She wasn't with the Browns in Jefferson Co., TN. She probably died in the 1860's in that county.

To contact someone on the list, cut and paste their email address into your email program and then manually remove the spaces which are there for a little bit of spam protection.

• None so far
• Marty Grant, relationship unknown.