Elizabeth Hensley
1830 - 1910 (80 years)
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Name Elizabeth Hensley Birth Mar 1830 TN 
Gender Female _UID 027B898DD2DAD4118AC4444553540000A2F8 Death 5 Dec 1910 Unicoi Co, TN Person ID I37399 Marty and Karla Grant Last Modified 3 Jun 2021
Father Benjamin Hensley, b. 1792/1793, Buncombe Co, NC (now Yancey Co, NC) d. 1860/1862, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) (Age 69 years) Mother Louisa, b. 1790/1791, VA d. 1860/1870, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) (Age 79 years) Marriage 1800/1808 Buncombe Co, NC (now Yancey Co, NC) Family ID F14701 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 1 John Hugh Harris, b. 1817/1818, TN d. 1860/1870, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) (Age 52 years) Marriage 3 Oct 1852 Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) Children 1. Richard Pinkston Harris, b. 16 Apr 1854, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) d. 20 Nov 1920, Unicoi Co, TN (Age 66 years)2. Vinetta Harris, b. 1853/1854, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) d. Aft 1870, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) (Age > 17 years)3. Barnett Harris, b. 1856/1857, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) d. Aft 1870, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) (Age > 14 years)4. Jason Harris, b. 1861/1862, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) d. 20 Apr 1938, Unicoi Co, TN (Age 76 years)5. James D Harris, b. 15 Mar 1866, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) d. 31 May 1940, Unicoi Co, TN (Age 74 years)6. Buel Harris, b. Feb 1872, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) d. Aft 1900, Unicoi Co, TN (Age > 29 years)Family ID F30935 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 12 Jan 2025
Family 2 John Hugh Harris, b. 1817/1818, TN d. 1860/1870, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) (Age 52 years) Marriage Type: Unmarried Children 1. William H Hensley, b. 1848/1849, Washington Co, TN (now Unicoi Co, TN) d. 1900/1910, Yancey Co, NC (Age 61 years)Family ID F14715 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 12 Jan 2025
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Notes - !NOTES:Elizabeth Hensley, apparent mother of William H. Hensley (c1849) is a Hensley by birth as proven by the D/C of several of her children. In 1850 she was with Benjamin Hensley Sr and Jr in Washington Co., TN. I'd *assumed* she was the wife of the younger Benjamin. However, I have no proof they were husband and wife.
She married John Hugh Harris in 1852 and had several children with him.
Nick Hensley, a descendant, told me his grandfather stated William Murphy (son of William H.) was actually a Harris and not a Hensley. This explains it all. Elizabeth had William H. Hensley by a Harris, presumably John Hugh Harris, a few years before they got married, thus the Hensley surname (as required by law). Even though she did marry Mr. Harris in 1852, it was too late to change William's surname. Either that or it wasn't Hugh who was his father.
I found that others list her as the Elizabeth d/o William A. and Lucinda Hensley, but their Elizabeth was born ca 1834, this one in 1830 as proven by most of her census records.;
!CENSUS:1850 Washington Co., TN The 4 Subdivision E. Dist # 1339/1368
Benj. Hensly 57 Farmer $300 NC
Louisy 59
Benj. 30 m Farmer NC [Insane]
Elizabeth 20 TN
Wm H. 1 TN;
!NOTES:An Elizabeth Hensley married John Hugh Harris on 3 Oct 1852 in Washington Co., TN.
On the 1860 census, they had a William H. (Harris) age 11 living with them. That certainly *could* be William H. Hensley, accidentally listed with his step-father's surname. This is a very common census error.
I'm not saying that's him for sure, but it certainly could be. If so, it would prove that Benjamin Hensley died between 1850 and 1852, and Elizabeth remarried in 1852.
I was unable to find John Hugh Harris in 1850 to see if he had a son named William H. from a previous marriage, nor did I find a William H. Harris in Washington Co., TN that year that age.
Elizabeth was just a few houses from William on the 1870 census, so that fits too;
!CENSUS:1860 Washington Co., TN District No 18, Flag Pond # 1112/1112
Hugh Harris 42 Farm Hand $-/40 TN
Elizabeth 33 NC
William H. 11 NC
Pinkney 7 TN
Vinetta 6
Barnet 3;
!CENSUS:1870 Washington Co., TN 18th District, Flag Pond # 130/130
Elizabeth Harris 40 Keeping House $-/- TN
Pinkney 16 works on farm
Simtee? 14 f
Barnett 13
Jason 11
James D. 4;
!CENSUS:1880 Unicoi Co., TN Tenth Civil District # 11/11
Elizabeth Harris 50 W Keeping house TN-NC-NC
Jason 18 son Farmer TN-TN-TN
James 14 son
Bewlon 9 son
Ann Tilson 22 servant S;
!CENSUS:1900 Unicoi Co., TN Civil District No 1 # 85/85
James D. Harris head Mar 1866 34 S TN-TN-TN Farm Laborer
Elizabeth Mother Mar 1830 70 Wd 13-7 TN-NC-NC;
- !NOTES:Elizabeth Hensley, apparent mother of William H. Hensley (c1849) is a Hensley by birth as proven by the D/C of several of her children. In 1850 she was with Benjamin Hensley Sr and Jr in Washington Co., TN. I'd *assumed* she was the wife of the younger Benjamin. However, I have no proof they were husband and wife.