Marty and Karla Grant
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William Hensley (c1765-after 1818) and wife Mary, of Washington Co., VA, and Montgomery Co., KY
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I believe that William Hensley is the brother of my ancestor Larkin Hensley, which makes him my 5 times Great Uncle.
Note that there were as many as three or four different William Hensleys in Washington Co., VA with some overlap. Refer to this page for my attempt to sort them out.
William Hensley was probably born ca 1765. His 1810 census entry lists him as aged 26-44, which is between 1765 and 1784. However, he first appears on a Washington Co., VA Tax list in 1786 suggesting he’d just turned 21, thus a 1765 birth date works with both records. It’s possible he’s even older than that, but I would think born no earlier than 1760, so it might be safest to list him as born ca 1760/1765.
His parents are unproven, but I think it’s very likely he’s a son of my ancestor William Hensley (c1730), and thus a grandson of William Hensley (c1706-1777). William (1765) was associated with children of both of the elder Williams.
He is associated with Joseph Hensley (1750/60) who would be his uncle if I have it all figured out correctly.
Samuel C. Hensley (c1781), son of Robert, also went to Montgomery Co., KY from Washington Co., VA. Robert Hensley (1759) is also an uncle to William (1765), I believe, though only slightly older than he.
On 28 Nov 1781 a Treasury Warrant was issued to William Hensley, assignee of Joseph Hensley, for 274 acres in Washington Co., VA surveyed 25 Mar 1791. The land was on Cove Creek a branch of North Fork of Holston River. "Assignee" means that although Joseph was the one entitled (or qualified) to receive this land, he transferred his rights to William Hensley for some reason. (Joseph was William’s uncle, I believe). This land was later granted to William and he sold it off in three parcels, two in 1803 and the third in 1810. If his birth date of 1765 is correct, William would only have been 16 in 1781, but that works for there was no requirement that he be 21 to receive a land grant.
William Hensley was not listed on the 1782, 1783, 1784 or 1785 tax lists in Washington Co., VA. He didn’t come of age until ca 1786.
William Hensley was listed on the 1786 tax list in Washington Co., VA in James Fulkason’s (Fulkerson’s) district with 1 white tithe.
William wasn’t listed on the 1787 tax list in Washington. Then again, several of the other Hensleys that we know should be there, weren’t listed either.
William Hensley was listed on the 1788 tax list in Washington Co., VA in James Lathim’s district with 1 white tithe (himself) and 1 horse.
William Hancley was listed on the 1789 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Walter Preston’s district with 1 white tithe (himself), no horses and 1 cow.
William Hansley was listed on the 1790 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Walter Preston’s district with 1 white tithe (himself), no horses and no cows.
The 1790 census is lost for Virginia but it seems reasonable that William would have been listed in Washington County.
William Hancley was listed on the 1791 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Walter Preston’s district with 1 white tithe (himself), 1 horse and no cows.
William Hencley was listed on the 1792 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Walter Preston’s district with 1 white tithe (himself), no horses and no cows.
There were two William’s (both spelled Hancley) listed on the 1793 tax list in Washington Co., VA, both in Walter Preston’s district each with 1 white tithe (themselves), no horses and no cows. One was this William, the other was probably William (c1772) son of Joseph who was now 21 and thus eligible to be listed on his own.
There were again two William’s on the 1794 tax list in Washington Co., VA, both in Walter Preston’s district each with 1 white tithe (themselves). One, William Hencly, had no horses or cows. The other one, William Hencley Jr had two horses. “Jr” was probably William (c1772) son of Joseph, listed as “Jr” since he was about 7 years younger than the other William.
William Hensley is listed on the 1795 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company. He has one Tithable white male over 16 (himself), no horses. He was the only William listed, as William (c1772) had likely moved to KY by this time.
William Hensly is listed on the 1796 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company. He has one Tithable white male over 16 (himself) and 1 horse. He was the only William listed.
William Hensly is listed on the 1797 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company. He has one Tithable white male over 16 (himself) and 1 horse. He was still the only William listed.
Beginning in 1798, this William began being referred to as William Jr as his father had joined him in the county around this time.
William Hensley Jr is listed on the 1798 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company in the Lower District. He has one Tithable, himself.
William Hensley was listed as a Militiaman in Washington County in 1798 in 2nd Battalion, 70th Regiment (Clark, Gerald H. The Militia of Washington County, VA Officers 1777-1835 Militia Men 1798-1835. 1979)
On 23 Oct 1798, William Hensley Jr, assignee of Robert Preston had 30 acres on Cove Creek surveyed, bordering Loving Bledsoe and corner of Peter Hartsock. (Washington Co., VA Survey Book page 281).
William Hensly Jr is listed on the 1799 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company in the Lower District. He has one tithable (himself) and one horse.
William Hensly Jr is listed on the 1800 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company in the Lower District. He has one tithe above 16, himself and no horses.
The 1800 census is lost for Virginia. I would think two Williams would have been listed, William Sr and Jr.
On 7 Nov 1800, William Hensley obtained a State Land Grant of 274 acres on Cove Creek. (Land Office Grants No. 46, 1797-1801, p. 382 (Reel 112))
William Hensly Jr is listed on the 1801 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company in the Lower District. He has one tithe above 16, himself and no horses.
On 26 Oct 1801, William Hensley obtained a State Land Grant of 30 acres on Cove Creek. (Land Office Grants No. 49, 1802, p. 494 (Reel 115))
William Hensly Jr is listed on the 1802 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company in the Lower District. He has one tithe above 16, himself. He is also listed on the land tax list with 274 acres.
William Hansly Jr is listed on the 1803 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Frederick Hamilton’s district. He has one tithe above 16, himself. He is also listed on the land tax list with 274 acres.
On 14 Oct 1803 William Hensley and Mary his wife sold 100 1/2 acres on Cove Creek to Daniel Fleenor. The land was granted to William by patent dated 7 Nov 1800. William signed with a mark. Witnesses were: Charles Hartsock, Jesse Grisell, and Benjamin Spyker. (Washington Co., VA Deed Book 3 page 147)
On the same date (14 Oct 1803) William Hensley and Mary his wife sold 128 acres on Cove Creek to Jesse Grissell. The land was granted to William by patent dated 7 Nov 1800. William signed with a mark. Witnesses were Charles Hartsock, Daniel Fleenor, and Benjamin Spyker. (Washington Co., VA Deed Book 3 page 146)
William Hensley Jr is listed on the 1804 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Frederick Hamilton’s district. He has one tithe above 16, himself. He is also listed on the land tax list with 274 acres and 30 acres.
William Hensley Jr is listed on the 1805 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Frederick Hamilton’s district. He has one tithe above 16, himself. He is also listed on the land tax list with 274 acres and 30 acres.
William Hensly Jr is listed on the 1806 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company in the Lower District. He has one tithe above 16, himself. He is also listed on the land tax list with 274 acres and 30 acres.
William Hensley Jr is listed on the 1807 tax list in Washington Co., VA in Matthew Willoughby’s company in the Lower District. He has one tithe above 16, himself. He is also listed on the land tax list with 274 acres and 30 acres.
William Hensley was a Militia man in Washington County in 1807 in Capt. Goff's Company, 2nd Battalion, 105th Regiment. (Clark, Gerald H. The Militia of Washington County, VA Officers 1777-1835 Militia Men 1798-1835. 1979)
There was no taxes for the year 1808.
William Hensly is listed on the 1809 tax list in Washington Co., VA in the Lower District. He has one tithe above 16, himself, and two horses. He is also listed on the land tax list with 30 acres. He is the only William listed. His father had moved to Knox Co., TN ca 1807, I believe.
William Hensly is listed on the 1810 tax list in Washington Co., VA in the Lower District. He has one tithe above 16, himself, and two horses. He is also listed on the land tax list with 45 acres and 30 acres. This is the last personal property tax list that William appears on in this county. However, he does continue to appear on the land tax list a number of years.
There is just one William Hensley listed on the 1810 census in Washington Co., VA. He was two houses from Fielding Hensley (His 1st cousin, if my speculations are correct).
1810 census, Washington Co., VA p. 224, Wm Hensley age 26-44 (1765/1784),
22210-22010-0-0
Age and Approximate Birth Range |
Who each person *might* be |
1m 26-44 (1765/1784) |
William Hensley (c1765) |
2m 16-25 (1784/1794) |
1. Son? 2. Son? |
2m 10-15 (1794/1800) |
1. Son? 2. Son? |
2m 0-9 (1800/1810) |
1. Son? 2. Son? |
1f 26-44 (1765/1784) |
Mary (—) Hensley (1765/84) wife |
2f 10-15 (1794/1800) |
1. Daughter? 2. Daughter? |
2f 0-9 (1800/1810) |
1. Daughter? 2. Daughter? |
On 17 Oct 1810 William Hensley and wife Mary sold 45 acres on Cove Creek to Jesse Grizzell. He signed with a mark. (Washington Co., VA Deed Book 4 page 377)
On the same date (17 Oct 1810) William Hensley sold 30 acres to Henry Darnell. (Washington Co., VA Deed Book 4 page 377)
On the same date (17 Oct 1810), Samuel Hensley and John Goodson, justices, informed the court that Mary, wife of William Hensley could not conveniently travel to the court to acknowledge the above deed, so they went to her. They acknowledged that they spoke to her on 9 Nov 1811 and that she declared she signed the deed willingly (Washington Co., VA Deed Book 5 page 119).
This usually meant that the woman was pregnant, ill, or old and feeble, thus unable to travel. Samuel would be William’s older brother, I believe.
William was not listed on the 1811 personal property tax list, so he was either dead or no longer a resident of Washington Co., VA. He did, however, appear on the land tax list as William Hencely with 45 acres and 30 acres.
William was not listed on the 1812 personal property tax list either, but was on the land tax list as William Hansly with 45 acres.
Note that the two tracts of land listed in 1811 and the one in 1812 had been sold in 1810. The tax records hadn’t caught up with the deeds yet.
William Hensley “Sr” appears in Montgomery Co., KY in 1812 on the tax list that year. Joseph Hensley (1750) and his son William were also there. From this point, Joseph’s son was listed as William Jr to distinguish him from his older cousin. It’s easy to distinguish them because the younger William was a landowner and had been on the list for several years before this. William Jr had land on Slate Creek, whereas William Sr had no land in Montgomery Co., KY at the time.
I think Joseph Hensley (1750) is this William (1765)’s uncle. It’s also possible they are brothers instead, but uncle/nephew makes more sense to me.
William Hensley is on the 1813 tax list in Montgomery, but there are some large holes in this one right where he is listed, so his data is missing.
William Hensley is on the 1814 Montgomery tax list with 1 male over 21 and 1 horse. Joseph’s son William Hensley is listed with 125 acres on Slate Creek. Oddly, both are listed as William “Jr” on this record, or else the clerk made his Sr and Jr so much alike that I couldn’t tell the difference.
William Hensley Senr is on the 1815 Montgomery tax list with 1 male over 21 and 1 horse. Joseph’s son William Hensley is listed with 112 acres on Slate Creek and 50 more acres on the same creek.
William Hensley Senr is on the 1816 Montgomery tax list with 1 male over 21 and 1 horse. Joseph’s son William Hensley is listed with 12? acres on Slate Creek.
William Hensley Senr is on the 1817 Montgomery tax list with 1 male over 21 and 1 horse. Joseph’s son William Hensley is listed with 126 acres on Slate Creek.
Only one William Hensley is listed on the 1818 tax list, and that is Joseph’s son judging by his land ownership (126 acres Slate Creek). However, an apparent widow Polly Hensley is listed that year with no white males over 21 and 1 horse. I believe that is William’s widow. “Polly” is a common nickname for “Mary.” If this isn’t William’s widow, then I don’t know who else she could be. This was her only entry on the Montgomery Co., KY tax lists.
Mary/Polly was not listed on the 1819 or 1820 tax lists in Montgomery, nor on the 1820 census there. She could have still been in the county but now living with one of her children.
I have no records for Mary after 1818. She may have died in Montgomery Co., KY shortly after 1818.
There is a Mary/Polly Hensley in Washington Co., VA in 1830 and Scott Co., VA in 1840. That certainly could be William’s widow if she returned to Virginia after his death. That Mary was born ca 1770/80 per her census entries. That works, but I have no idea whether that is the same Mary or not.
None of William and Mary’s children are proven. However, the 1810 census entry for them shows ten children at home at that time.
Fielding Hensley (c1792) is almost certainly his son. A biographical sketch was made about one of Fielding’s sons in the 1800s wherein it was stated that the subject’s father (Fielding) was “brought” to Kentucky in 1812 by his father. Said father wasn’t named, but, as it just so happens, 1812 is when William Hensley joined the Joseph Hensley family in Montgomery Co., KY. While this isn’t absolutely conclusive, it is very good, strong, circumstantial evidence. Furthermore, it makes sense for “Fielding” to be William’s son, since William was likely a brother of the older Fielding Hensley, the younger one’s obvious namesake.
Who then are the other children of William and Mary? We’ve found no compelling circumstantial evidence to identify any of them besides Fielding.
Ruthe Muench (1911-2010) and her daughter Jan Beuer (1931-2004) believed that Hannah Hensley (c1807), Sampson Hensley (c1800), Henry Hensley (d 1836 Monroe Co., IN) and Sarah Hensley (no dates) were children of William and Mary Hensley. They are descendants of Hannah who first married David Little in 1823 Washington Co., IN, he then died, and she returned to Scott Co., VA where she married William H. Dixon in 1828. They later went to Monroe Co., IN where she died ca 1858.
They had no direct evidence for placing Hannah et al in William’s family. It was more of a decision based on them not really fitting anywhere else. In my opinion, they fit age-wise, but I don’t know that they belong to William. My gut tells me they are part of the same extended family of Hensleys, but not necessarily children of William and Mary. I could be wrong about it, but I’ve seen nothing that shows Henry, Sampson, Hannah or Sarah ever went into Montgomery Co., KY with William and Mary in 1812, so that’s a problem. Of course they could have been there and not left any records due to their youth at the time.
I don’t know. Perhaps some evidence will come to light one of these days.
3. Unidentified Son (1794/1800)
4. Unidentified Son (1794/1800)
5. Unidentified Daughter (1794/1800)
6. Unidentified Daughter (1794/1800)
9. Unidentified Daughter (1800/10)
10. Unidentified Daughter (1800/10)
Fielding Hensley was born ca 1792 in Washington Co., VA, perhaps in what is now Scott Co., VA. He went with his father to Kentucky in 1812. He married Sarah Yocum there.
See their own page for additional information.
Unidentified Son (1784/94). William Hensley had an apparent son this age with him in 1810, aged 16-25 (born ca 1784/94).
This son of William would have been between 16 and 25 in 1810, so he could have began appearing in his own name on tax records around that time, or certainly by 1815.
When William arrived in Montgomery Co., KY in 1812, there were no “extra” Hensleys that appeared there with him during those years, so perhaps this son didn’t go with them.
This fits Jesse Hensley (c1786) age-wise, but I have no evidence at all that would link Jesse to William and Mary. He remained in Washington/Scott Co., VA until the 1830s when he went to Owen Co., IN with wife Susanna Peters.
It is certainly possible that Jesse Hensley is William’s son though. Others list Jesse as Fielding’s son, but that is wrong. Fielding’s family is well documented and Jesse isn’t listed among his heirs.
More research is needed to determine who this unidentified son of William Hensley was. Is Jesse the one?
Unidentified Son (1794/1800). William Hensley had an apparent son this age with him in 1810, aged 10-15 (born ca 1794/1800).
This could be Henry Hensley (c1794-1836) later of Indiana. However, I don’t have any actual evidence linking Henry to Fielding’s family.
Unidentified Son (1794/1800). William Hensley had an apparent son this age with him in 1810, aged 10-15 (born ca 1794/1800).
This could be Sampson Hensley (1799) who was born in Washington Co., VA, married in 1822 in Washington Co., IN and later lived in Monroe Co., IN. Ruthe Muench believes him to be a brother to Henry (d 1836), Hannah (1807), and Sarah "Sally" Hensley. However, does he really fit here?
Unidentified Daughter (1794/1800). William Hensley had an apparent daughter this age with him in 1810, aged 10-15 (born ca 1794/1800).
Look for a female Hensley born 1794-1800 in Virginia.
Unidentified Daughter (1794/1800). William Hensley had an apparent daughter this age with him in 1810, aged 10-15 (born ca 1794/1800).
Look for a female Hensley born 1794-1800 in Virginia.
Unidentified Son (1800/10). William Hensley had an apparent son this age with him in 1810, aged under 10 (born ca 1800/10).
Look for a male Hensley born 1800-1810 in Virginia.
Unidentified Son (1800/10). William Hensley had an apparent son this age with him in 1810, aged under 10 (born ca 1800/10).
Look for a male Hensley born 1800-1810 in Virginia.
Unidentified Daughter (1800/10). William Hensley had an apparent daughter this age with him in 1810, aged under 10 (born ca 1800/10).
This could be Sarah "Sally" Hensley who was born in Washington Co., VA, married in 1823 in Washington Co., IN to James Thomas. Ruthe Muench believes her to be a sister to Sampson Hensley (1799), Henry (d 1836), and Hannah Hensley.
Unidentified Daughter (1800/10). William Hensley had an apparent daughter this age with him in 1810, aged under 10 (born ca 1800/10).
This could be Hannah Hensley (1807) who was born in Washington Co., VA, married in 1823 in Washington Co., IN to David Little, after he died she went back to Scott Co., VA and married 2nd there in 1828 to William Dixon, and later lived in Monroe Co., IN. Ruthe Muench believes her to be a sister to Sampson Hensley (1799), Henry (d 1836), and Sarah "Sally" Hensley.
For Family Group Sheet and other notes see my database page for William and Mary Hensley.
Revised: April 10, 2022
Copyright © 1996-2022 Marvin A. Grant, Jr. All Rights Reserved.
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