Marty and Karla Grant

[Home] [What’s New?] [Books for Sale] [Christian] [Genealogy] [Search] [Support] [About] [Contact]

William Hensley (c1794-1874) and Elizabeth Magee of Washington, Scott and Lee Co., VA, Buchanan Co., MO

Hensley pages [Hensley Home] - [Table of Contents] - [Virginia] This page [Children’s section]

William Hensley is my 1^st cousin, 6 times removed. His father, Fielding, is a proven brother of my ancestor Larkin Hensley.

Special Thanks to Ruthe Muench and Laura Schreibman for information shared on this family.

William Hensley was born ca 1796/97 per his ages on the 1860 census (63) and 1870 census (73). His 1850 entry shows 50. Since the other two agree with each other I suspect they are more accurate. He was born in Washington (now Scott) Co., VA.

William is a proven son of Fielding Hensley and Nancy Cornett as named in a 1833 court case (see Fielding’s page for more on that.)

It seems likely that William was named for his grandfather, William Hensley (c1730-c1807) or for his uncle, William Hensley (c1760s-c1818), or perhaps both.

William Hensley would have turned 16 around 1813. However, he doesn’t seem to be with his father on the 1813 or 1814 tax lists. He may be one of the two white males over 16 with Fielding Hensley on the 1815 tax list, with Fielding himself being the other one. Fielding also had two tithables in 1816 and 1817. By 1818 he had three which is probably Fielding, William and Nathaniel who would have just come of age. In 1819 Fielding had three, one of which was likely William. However, by 1820 he was back to just two. I believe that means William was no longer at home with his father. He would have been around 23 or 24 by then.

William does not seem to be with his father for the 1820 census.

William does not appear by name on the Scott Co., VA personal property tax lists until 1824 when he was about 27 years old. This could indicate he was elsewhere between ca 1820 and then, or he could simply have been residing with another family and taxed there, just not listed by name on the tax records.

William Hensley was listed on the 1824 tax list in Scott Co., VA with one white male over 16 (himself of course). He had no horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1825 tax list in Scott Co., VA with one white male over 16.

William Hensley was listed on the 1826 tax list in Scott Co., VA with one white male over 16.

William was not listed on the 1827 tax list in Scott County.

On 25 Feb 1827 William Hensley married Elizabeth Magee in Scott Co., VA. They were married by Edward T. Perry.

Elizabeth Magee (or McGee) was born ca 1798/99 per age of 51 in 1850; or ca 1793/94 per age of 66 in 1860; or ca 1796/97 per age of 73 in 1870. All records agree that she was born in Virginia. It seems very likely that she is a child of Samuel and Mary Magee. They were also the parents of Jane Magee who married William Hensley’s older brother Zachariah in 1818.

William Hensley was listed on the 1828 Scott County tax list with 1 white male over 16, and 2 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1829 Scott County tax list with 1 white male over 16, and 2 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1830 Scott County tax list with 1 white male over 16, and 3 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1830 census in Scott Co., VA. Unfortunately, this census was alphabetical, so I can't tell who his neighbors were. Strangely William was listed alone. The most likely explanation is that the census taker found his house empty and didn't know how to enumerate his household so just put William's age or an estimate thereof. On the other hand perhaps William was living away from his family at the time for some reason.

1830 Census, Scott Co., VA p. 15, William Hensley age 30-39 (1790/1800)

000001-0

Elizabeth’s mother, Mary Magee, is listed on the 1830 census and she has people in her household that could be Elizabeth and her Hensley children. Then again there is no way to be certain.

1830 Census, Scott Co., VA p. 20, Mary Magee age 60-69

100001-001001001

Keep in mind the above is speculative, but it would explain why Elizabeth and their son wasn’t listed with William Hensley in 1830.

William Hensley was not listed on the 1831 Scott County tax list.

William Hensley was listed on the 1832 Scott County tax list with 1 white male over 16, and 1 horse.

William Hensley was listed on the list of Washington Co., VA Militiamen for 1832. I assume this is the same William, though in the neighboring county. They lived very near the county line, I believe.

William Hensley was listed on the 1833 Scott County tax list with 1 white male over 16, and 2 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1834 Scott County tax list with no white males over 16, and 1 horse. This could be an error, or perhaps William wasn't living in the county at the time though he still had personal property there.

William Hensley was listed on the 1835 Scott County tax list 1 white male over 16, and no horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1836 Scott County tax list 1 white male over 16, and 3 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1837 Scott County tax list 1 white male over 16, and 3 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1838 Scott County tax list 1 white male over 16, and 3 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1839 Scott County tax list 1 white male over 16, and 4 horses.

William Hensley was listed on the 1840 census in Scott Co., VA. No other Hensleys were listed nearby. There was another adult male with them who I suspect is his brother-in-law Samuel Magee who was still with them in 1850.

1840 Census, Scott Co., VA p. 2/280, William Hensley age 40-49 (1790/1800)

1110002-0000101

William Hensley and family were listed on the 1850 census in Lee Co., VA which is next to Scott County on the west. Elizabeth’s brother Samuel was residing with them.

1850 census, Lee Co., VA, District 31, p. 305, house 45, family 46

They moved west to Buchanan Co., MO during the 1850s and were listed there on the 1860 census. Back in 1850, Henry Ware Hensley (1806) was in that county, but was gone by 1860. His father was Samuel Hensley (1767-1826) who was from Washington Co., VA, and very likely related to William, but we don’t know exactly how. William moving to that county could be a coincidence especially since Henry may have already been gone before William got there.

1860 Census, Buchanan Co., MO, Tremont Township, St. Joseph PO, p. 233, house 1562, family 1562

They were still in Buchanan County for the 1870 census. They were still the only Hensleys in that place at the time.

1870 Census, Buchanan Co., MO, Washington Township, Easton PO, p. 701, house 205, family 209

I couldn't find William or Elizabeth on the 1880 census. Their sons Robert and Andrew were still in Buchanan for that census. I suspect William and Elizabeth both died in the 1870s, presumably in Buchanan Co., MO.

---

Children

William and Elizabeth have a fairly small family for the time consisting of only four children. Of course it’s possible there were others who died young.

 

1.         Sylvester Hensley was born 28 Dec 1828 (per age at death) in Scott Co., VA. He isn’t home with his father for the 1830 census, but he does seem to be with his grandmother Mary Magee that year. He seems to be with his parents in 1840 and is definitely with them in 1850. He married Mariah Fulkerson between 1850 and ca 1856 in Lee Co., VA. She was a child of Peter Fulkerson and Eleanor —. Sylvester remained in Lee Co., VA after his parents moved to Missouri. He is listed on the 1860 census in Lee with his widowed mother-in-law. Sylvester died on 28 Mar 1862 in Lee County. Mariah died on 11 Jun 1866. Their surviving children were raised by their uncle William Fulkerson and aunt Margaret E. Fulkerson, Mariah’s siblings.

 

2.         Matilda Hensley’s age varies from census to census so I’m not sure when she was actually born. She was 25 in 1850 (ca 1824/25) which predates her parents 1828 marriage. She was 30 in 1860 (ca 1829/30) which works, and she was 38 in 1870 (ca 1831/32) which also works. Regardless of which of those is most accurate, no females that age were with her parents in 1830 or 1840. However, there is female born ca 1815/20 with the family in 1830 and born ca 1810/20 in 1840 which fits the 1830 entry. Could this be Matilda? If so, she’s much older than her later census entries indicate. Could she be William’s daughter from a prior marriage? She married Francis Register on 3 Jan 1871 in Buchanan Co., MO. I wasn’t able to find any additional information on them after that. I couldn’t find either of them on the 1880 census.

 

3.         Robert M. Hensley was born 21 Aug 1832 (per tombstone) in Scott Co., VA (or possibly Culpeper Co., VA as reported on the death certificate of his son Henry S. Hensley, though that’s not a primary source). He seems to be with his parents in 1840, and is with them in 1850, 1860 and 1870. He married Margaret “Maggie” J. Young on 29 Nov 1877 in neighboring Andrew Co., MO. By 1880 they are back in Buchanan Co., MO. They are also listed there on the 1900 and 1910 census. Robert died on 3 Apr 1919. Margaret is listed on the 1920 census in Buchanan. She died on 3 May 1923. They are both buried at the Ashland Cemetery.

 

4.         Andrew C. Hensley was born 13 Nov 1837 (per death certificate) in Scott Co., VA. He seems to be home with his parents in 1840, and is with them in 1850, 1860 and 1870. In 1880 he is with another family, no relationship given. He is with his brother Robert in 1900 and 1910. He died on 3 Nov 1911 and is buried at the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery (listed as the Register Cemetery on his death certificate). He never married.

---

Click here for family group sheets of this family. Other notes and sources might be listed there.

---

Revised: February 3, 2022

Copyright © 1996-2022 Marvin A. Grant, Jr. All Rights Reserved.

[Home] [What’s New?] [Books for Sale] [Christian] [Genealogy] [Search] [Support] [About] [Contact]