Abstract
Family groupings and ancestry links are proposed for the John Gentry family which resided in Hanover County, and a similar John Gentry family which resided in Louisa County, Virginia at the turn of the 18th century. Evidence is presented relating to a number of Patrick Gentrys who resided in Louisa, Hanover, and Henrico Counties. Finally, a number of previously unidentified Gentrys of Louisa County have been proposed for linkage to Nicholas Gentry, the Immigrant, in particular the proposed family of a widow, Frances Gentry, of Louisa County.

Introduction
This article assumes prior knowledge of Part 1 of this series, found in the December 2001 issue of the Gentry Journal. We will be building on and continuing to add to the framework started there. We are attempting to learn from the limited amount of evidence available, the relationship of some of the Gentrys living in Virginia in the late 18th century to pioneering first and second generation Gentrys. These are all Gentrys who have never been clearly identified as to their descent from Nicholas-I Gentry, the Immigrant.

One of the hazards of researching the early Gentrys is the multiplicity of a number of common names. In the first four generations of Gentrys, there are 9 Nicholases, 5 Samuels, 9 Davids, and 10 Johns. Fortunately, most of the Johns left the Hanover-Louisa County heartland of the Gentrys by the late 1700's, for example, in Samuel-II's family, a son and two grandsons had moved to or been born in Lunenburg County; in Nicholas-II's family, Benajah's son moved to Albemarle County, and the sons of Nicholas, Moses, and Martin all moved to Kentucky. We are still left with two families of John Gentrys who remained in the area, one in Hanover County and one in Louisa County. While trying to define the place of these Johns in the Gentry line of descent, a side issue will be to try and sort out several Patrick Gentrys, who were also living in the area. A second issue will be to investigate the family of Fanney, the widow of an unknown Gentry.

 
A. John Gentry of Hanover County
There is convincing evidence that in the latter half of the 1780's, there was a John Gentry who lived in Hanover County and another John Gentry family who lived in Louisa County. The evidence for the presence of the Hanover County John is relatively clear and uncomplicated, so we will begin with him. What is not so clear is the identity of his father and we will discuss this further shortly. There is no John in any St. Paul's Parish vestry records, yet in 1782 a John Gentry was recorded in the state census for Hanover County with eight members in his family. On the same page of the enumeration of Upper Hanover County (the western or upriver half of the county) by Capt. Owen Dabney on which John is listed, there was also a Watson Gentry, a grandson of James-II Gentry. Like John, Watson never appeared in any St. Paul's Parish records and is believed to have lived in St. Martin's Parish. For John to be old enough to have an eight-member family, he must have lived most of his adult life in some location other than St. Paul's Parish otherwise he would surely have appeared somewhere in parish records. John's name also appears in a Hanover County deed in 1785, when he and his wife, Nancy, in an arrangement with their neighbor, Benjamin Timberlake, negotiated a division of land for which there was not a clear title^<1>. This was land along Totopotomoy Creek which Nancy had originally inherited from her father, and bordered some other land which either John, or another Gentry, owned. In 1786, presumably the same John Gentry is cited as an adjoining land owner in a deed for land on the St. Martin's Parish side of Stone Horse Creek, which creek marked the western boundary of St. Paul's Parish<1b>. Some time later he witnessed a deed for a sale of land in 1789 in the same area on a branch of Taylors Creek<1c>. This creek runs into the South Anna River from the north, joining the river almost opposite the junction of Stone Horse Creek with the river. This creek also was located in St. Martin's Parish. He appeared for the first time in land tax lists in 1787 with forty acres of property in St. Paul's Parish liable for tax but was not included in two earlier lists for the years 1782 and 1783^<2>. John continued to be assessed for land taxes in St. Paul's Parish each year until at least 1800, which is the last date for land tax records this author has been able to access. The tax records during this time list John in close proximity to a number of other Gentrys. We can see this from some 1790 tax records for which we have the dates the enumerator visited the property owners: Geddes and Susanna Gentry on one day, then a week later, David, William, Patrick and John, all on the same day^<5a> From all that is known about the location of these plots of land, it is probable that John's St. Paul's Parish property lay between Totopotomoy Creek and Crump Creek in the eastern part of Hanover County but we can speculate that earlier he owned land in St. Martin's Parish where he was presumably living, that he sold this land and moved to St. Paul's Parish. It is perhaps significant that when John's name was included in the deed involving land on Stone Horse Creek, George Gentry in the same year sold land, also on Stone Horse Creek, to the same man, a John Harvie of Richmond who was possibly buying up land in the area for land speculation.

One inference from the 1785 deed in which John and his wife Nancy cleared title on land near Totopotomoy Creek, is that Nancy, whose maiden name was Sims, had been previously married to a Parke Smith who had apparently deserted Nancy. Whether Nancy had divorced Parke, or simply remarried on the assumption that he had died is not clear, but it is apparent that her marriage to John was her second, and undoubtedly it was his second also. The timing of the land settlement, suggests that John and Nancy were married not long before 1785.

Personal property tax lists for John begin with the year 1783 and continue with only scattered absent years until 1793^<3>. The tax liabilities recorded for John then stop and do not start again until 1805. Thereafter, a John Gentry is listed until at least 1815. This appears to be a case where John Sr. was the individual taxed in the earlier lists, while John Jr. was the individual taxed in the later records. The references to these personal property taxes are somewhat ambiguous with respect to the 1783 and 1786 tax years, but a John Gentry listed in 1786 along with a Patrick Gentry, a minor, almost surely refers to John Sr. Patrick is listed individually in 1788 to 1790, so must have reached majority by that time, leading to a conclusion that he was born about 1767.

Two John Gentrys are present in the 1820 Hanover County census records^<13>. In 1810, a "Jno" Gentry is shown rather than "John", but the family shown under that name matches that for the younger John in 1820 and in 1830. The 1810 census has "Jack" Gentry rather than "John", but the family appears to be the same as that for the older John in 1820. The latter is missing from the 1830 census, but it seems that his widow (born 1740-1750) was living with the younger John at that time. We can conclude that the Johns must be father and son, John Sr and John Jr.

The census records seem to contradict the personal tax records, if we assume that the records of the latter for 1805 and afterwards refer to John Jr., rather than John Sr. It does not appear to be a case that John Sr. died during the tax interval between 1793 and 1805, rather it may indicate that John Sr. was no longer liable for personal property taxes. The land taxes do seem to continue after 1793 and so it seems safe to conclude that the older John Gentry in both the 1810 and 1820 census were indeed the same John as appears in the early tax records.

There is no direct evidence from the census records as to the year John Sr. was born other than that it was before 1765. What is of most help in estimating his age is the fact that in the 1782 state census for Hanover County^<4>, John Gentry is recorded as having 8 persons in his family (presumably 7 of these were his children if indeed his first wife had died and John married Nancy a year or two before 1785). We can roughly estimate a range of approximately 15 years for the birth of these children which would put the date of birth of the eldest as about 1767. If Patrick Gentry was a son of John Sr., this date agrees completely with the personal property tax references to Patrick. Going back in time from there, we can again make a very rough guess as to the date of birth of John Sr. in the vicinity of 1742 to 1745. This matches well with the age recorded for his presumed widow, so we can assume that this estimate of birth is not seriously in error.

 
B. Children of John Gentry of Hanover County
We mentioned above that it is not clear-cut who John's father was. When this article was first published, the author was of the opinion that John was a son of Joseph-III Gentry, the youngest son of Joseph-II. This assumption certainly is a very reasonable one, but the author is no longer convinced of this and now considers James-II Gentry far more likely to be his father. If indeed this is so, it is probable that John was in the middle range of his sons, younger than George but older than David.

As to John's children, we have concluded above, that Patrick was one, and that John Jr. was another. In last month's Journal article on the various William Gentrys of Hanover County, we also concluded that the William Gentry who lived first in Hanover County then settled in Henrico County was a son of John. As to the other children, the Hanover County tax records clearly show the presence of a number of Gentrys of approximately similar age, none of whom can be said to belong to any other Gentry family, but all of whom could easily be sons of John. We propose that the following were sons of John Sr. Their order is estimated from the order in which they first appeared in Hanover personal property tax lists^<3>, this date being assumed to approximate the time each one of them reached age 21.

Patrick

We have already discussed the fact that Patrick was listed as a minor in the 1786 Hanover tax lists in the household of John Gentry, and then was listed in his own name in 1788 to 1790. This gives an estimate of his date of birth as about 1767. Patrick moved to Henrico County, just to the south of the family homestead along Totopotomoy Creek, and died there in 1848. His description in GFA#248^<11e> is for the most part reliable. We will be discussing him more below in relation to other Patrick Gentrys.

Nicholas

He is present in the Hanover personal property tax lists from 1792 to 1805. There are no census records in Hanover or Henrico County for Nicholas, but we can estimate his date of birth as about 1770. A personal property list in 1787 is confusing as it includes Nicholas with an Austin Morris but with no indication of slaves, horses, cattle, etc. opposite his name. Land tax lists are confusing also, as in 1800 he is shown with 6 acres but with an accompanying notation that is difficult to read but may signify that his land was under a mortgage bond held by a John Parkes.

George

Appeared only in the 1799 and 1800 tax lists and in the deed witnessing mentioned above. We have found no references after 1800. This suggests that he may have been born about 1776 (old enough to be competent to witness deeds in 1792). This individual is probably the George Gentry described in GFA #246^<11c> who died at a young age and left a son Edmund (GFA #247^<11d>) to be raised by an uncle in Hanover County. An Edward (1820)/Edmund (1830) Gentry in Henrico County censuses (born 1784 to 1800) is probably the Edmund to which GFA refers. He may have been living with William Gentry of Henrico County in 1810.

William

It is difficult to separate personal property tax listings for the William who was a son of John Gentry Sr., and those for John's brother William. We can, however, conclude with considerable confidence that the younger William appeared in the land tax lists beginning in 1794. He was probably born about 1773. This William moved from Hanover County to Henrico County in roughly 1800. He has been described in more detail in the previous month's Gentry Journal (#12, December 2001).

Austin

Austin appeared only in the 1795 personal property tax list, suggesting that he was probably born about 1774. One other reference, in 1792, finds Austin and his brother George witnessing a deed^<1d>. Of significance may be the fact that William Gentry of Henrico County had a son Austin, possibly named for an uncle.

Charles

Appeared in 1799 to 1815 personal property tax lists. He was probably born about 1777. Charles was in the 1810 and 1820 Hanover censuses and a Matilda Gentry who appears in the 1830 Hanover census was probably his widow. His name has not been found in any land tax lists that have been published through 1800.

John Jr.

Personal property tax lists for John Gentry stop in 1793 and then resume in 1805. It is probable the earlier records are for John Sr., and the later ones for John Jr. This corresponds well with the Hanover census records for 1810, 1820, and 1830, which taken together indicate a date of birth of about 1779.

 
C. John Gentry of Louisa County
The references to a John Gentry in Louisa County are more complicated than those in Hanover County. The earliest apparent reference in Louisa County to a John Gentry (after those in the 1740's for John of Botetourt County), was in a 1761 tax report for Trinity Parish (in the central section of Louisa County) where John was listed as an overseer in the home of a Nicholas Crainshaw. The next reference to a John Gentry was in the 1782 state census for that county^<7> in which John was listed with 3 members in his family, located in the sixth "hundred" (a division of the county for purposes of census enumeration) which was in the north central part of the county. Nicholas Gentry was included in the same list. A John was also in the 1783 Louisa County personal property list^<6>, liable for 1 tithe and located in Trinity Parish (which covered roughly 3/5ths of the central area of Louisa County). He was missing from the 1785 state census, but there have been estimates that from 1/4th to 1/3rd of the county residents were missed in the two census enumerations for 1782 and 1785. We will see later, that the John Gentry of Louisa County about whom we shall be talking, could not have been the John in the 1782 and 1783 references, both because of the location where the latter was living, and also because there were not enough members in his family. Instead, the John of 1782 and 1783 was the son of Nicholas-III (son of Nicholas-II), who lived along Goldmine Creek in the north central section of Louisa County. This John had married Milly Edwards in 1780, and his oldest son, John Jr. would probably have been born shortly before the 1782 census. Fortunately for our task of sorting out John Gentrys, the son of Nicholas-III did not remain in Louisa County but moved to Bullitt County, Kentucky. On the other hand, the John Gentry of the 1761 reference could not have been Nicholas' son, since the latter was born about 1758.

The eventual home of the John Gentry who continued on in Louisa County can be located by a deed in 1821 in which he transferred land to John Jr., the land being identified as on Locust Creek^<11b>. This creek runs northward into the Little River, starting just west of the Louisa-Hanover border and ending on the east side of the border. This was in St. Martin's Parish, and was in the eighth "hundred" at the time of the 1782 state census.

The 1800 federal census survives for Louisa County (one of only two in the state)^<13>. This has a record for John Sr. (born before 1765) and an apparent son (born 1774-1784). In 1810, the census situation is reversed and Louisa County is missing whereas almost all the other county censuses survive. However, a Louisa County tax list for 1810 shows John Sr. with 3 tithables in his household (himself and 2 sons). By 1820, the senior John was no longer present, and instead we find a third John Gentry family, with young children but the presumed father missing (either absent or recently died?).

The Louisa County John Sr. is reported in GFA ("The Gentry Family in America") as #248^<11d> but the Patrick Gentry included among his children (#249^<11e>) is surely a case of misplacing Patrick with this John rather than the John of Hanover County whom GFA does not describe at all. We will discuss the problem of multiple Patrick Gentrys in a moment. The John Gentry (#250^<11f>) listed as a son of John Sr, corresponds well with the John Jr. in the Louisa County census records, and John's marriage to Barbara Haggard is confirmed by a 1799 marriage bond on file in the county records^<10>.

 
D. Multiple Patrick Gentrys
Like the multiple William Gentrys we discussed in the last Gentry Journal article, there are multiple references in various documents to Patrick Gentrys that clearly refer to several individuals. We have mentioned one who appeared in the Hanover County tax records -- as a minor in the household of John Gentry in 1786. We have concluded that Patrick-1 (as we will call him) must have been born in about 1767. This same Patrick is probably also the one who was taxed in Henrico County in 1801. We can infer from the date of birth and circumstances relating to Patrick-1 that he was a son of John-IV of Hanover County, and specifically that he was John's oldest son.

A Patrick H. Gentry (Patrick-2), appears in Henrico County census records^<13> with conflicting dates of birth. The 1810 census has "P.H. Gentry" born before 1765 and wife born 1765-1784; in 1820 "Patrick" is listed as born 1775-1794 and wife born the same; in 1830 "Patrick H." is listed as born 1750-1760 and wife born 1770-1780; in 1840, "Patrick" is listed as being born 1760 to 1770. Obviously there either are errors in recording the age of Patrick, or there are different individuals involved. In contrast to Patrick, the record for his presumed wife are consistent with a date of birth of 1775 to 1780. The 1810 and 1840 records both are roughly consistent with this Patrick being born near 1765, and so is the same as Patrick-1. In other words, he was a son of John-IV. As we have indicated above, this Patrick is surely the one listed by GFA as #249^<11e>, with six children, and who died in Henrico County in 1848.

The next Patrick, whom we shall designate as Patrick-3 (we are listing them in no particular order), is also listed in GFA as #32^<11a>, which identifies him as a son of Nathan Gentry, son of Nicholas-II. There are very few references to this Patrick among the Louisa County records. A marriage bond for his marriage to Mary Ann Porter, 23 Oct 1802 is on record^<1o>, both listed as being over 21 years of age. There is also an 1810 tax list which indicates that Patrick was liable for 1 tithe at that time^<8>. We can understand the fact that we do not find him in the 1810 census since that census is missing for Louisa County, and his death in 1820 explains his absence from the 1820 census. The fact that he does not appear to be in the 1800 Louisa census is less easy to explain, given his marriage there in 1802. If this Patrick was indeed a merchant as suggested by GFA, we can understand the absence of any deeds or land tax records. The absence of surviving records of personal property tax liabilities for that period of time would explain the lack of references there.

Patrick-4 was another Patrick found in Louisa County, but younger in age. He appears in the 1820 census^<13>, born between 1794 and 1804, but is not in the 1830 census. His presumed wife's age span is the same as his. There are 3 children listed with him, apparently all born about 1810 to 1820. If Patrick's age is given correctly, both he and his wife must have been very young when they married. This makes one wonder if either or both of the parents' ages were recorded correctly. If this Patrick was born in the 1775 to 1794 age bracket, he would be of appropriate age to be the same as Patrick-3, son of Nathan. However, the 1802 marriage date for Patrick-3 and the ages of the children who are attributed to the latter, do not at all match those of Patrick-4, so they must surely be different.

Finally, in case anyone should wonder about his connection to the Hanover and Louisa County Patricks, there was a Patrick Gentry (Patrick-5), who appeared in the 1850 Boone County, Missouri census. His age was given as 75 (which equates to an approximate date of birth of 1775), and was born in Virginia. With him in the same household, was an Elizabeth Gentry, age 72, also born in Virginia. This Elizabeth is believed to be the widow of Bartlett Gentry, son of Martin-III Gentry, who moved from Madison County, Kentucky to Boone County, Missouri, some time after 1810 and died there in 1821. Bartlett's grandfather, Nicholas-II Gentry, in his will of 1787, specifically bequeathed to him "one slave boy, Patrick", and this is undoubtedly is the same Patrick who served the family as a retainer for all those many years. The 1850 census has no comment on Patrick, but the 1840 Boone County census shows one free colored male living with Elizabeth and obviously Patrick was a freedman who chose to remain with his family.

So what are we left with? A tentative identification of these Patricks follows:

Patrick-1 and Patrick-2 appear to be the same person: Born about 1767 in Hanover County, this was probably a son of John-IV of Hanover County. Appears in the Henrico County censuses from 1810 through 1840 under the names, "P.H.", "Patrick" and "Patrick H." (To provide more confusion, marriage bond records for Henrico County give his name as "Patrick N. Gentry" in a number of records.) Patrick died in Henrico County, 1848. There is some confusion as to the identity of his wife. GFA gives Mary Ann Porter for this Patrick and Mary Margaret Porter for Patrick-3 (below), whereas the Louisa County marriage records show Patrick-3 married Mary Ann Porter. Various Internet sources agree on Mary Margaret for the wife of Patrick-2, but their reliability is doubtful since those family trees that show a date of marriage have picked up the 23 Oct 1802 date of marriage in Louisa County of Patrick-3 and Mary Ann and have copied that date only placing it in Henrico County. Moreover, these same family tree sources have serious errors in Patrick-2's pedigree with these errors being copied from one family tree to another.

Patrick-3: Born before or about 1780 in Louisa County and commonly thought to be the son of Nathan, son of Nicholas-II. This is the Patrick described in GFA #32^<11a>. As indicated above, his marriage in 1802 in Louisa County was to a Mary Ann not Mary Margaret Porter. This Patrick is said to have died in 1820 in Louisa County and the assumption is that he spent his entire life there. He may or may not have been the Patrick who was taxed for 1 poll in Louisa County in 1810.

Patrick-4: A different Patrick appears to be the one found in the 1820 Louisa County census. The date of birth given in the 1820 Louisa County census, 1794-1804, is somewhat suspect given the ages and number of his children, but it is not impossible. There is no information on this Patrick aside from this one census record. As to his possible parentage, see the discussion on Francis/Frances Gentry below.

Patrick-5: Born in Virginia in about 1775, and present in Boone County Missouri in 1850. Bequeathed by Nicholas-II Gentry to his grandson, Bartlett Gentry, as a young slave boy and accompanied Bartlett's family from Virginia, to Madison County, Kentucky, then to Boone County, Missouri. Patrick remained with his family after he was freed by them.

 
E. Children of John Gentry of Louisa County
We have mentioned earlier that John is recorded in GFA as #248, from which we can propose the following children:

• John Jr. (#250), "born about 1775"
• Matilda (see below)
• Wilson, "born in Virginia in 1783"
• Samuel, "born in Virginia"
• Susan, married Basil Duke
• Anna, married John Gafney

We have already concluded that the information in GFA placing Patrick in this family seems to be in error, and is probably a problem that occurs not infrequently in the "Other Gentrys" section of GFA whereby there has been an erroneous combination of data. As to the other sons, the 1800 Louisa County census shows John Sr. with 2 sons born 1780-1790 which is consistent with the ages of Samuel and Wilson, while John Jr. is separately recorded with a date of birth as being between 1774 and 1784. The marriage of John Jr. in 1799 to Barbara Haggard^<10> suggests that the earlier part of this census age range is more appropriate so that the date given in GFA is certainly reasonable.

It is very probable that the John Sr. whom we are discussing now, had a third daughter, Matilda. A Louisa County marriage bond dated 17 Mar 1803^<10>, records the marriage of Matilda Gentry to William Purkins [Perkins]. John Gentry was the bondsman. Estimating her age at the time of her marriage suggests a birthdate of roughly 1780, so she may have been second in order of children between John Jr. and Wilson.

The substitute information for an 1810 census, namely a personal property tax in which John Gentry was liable for 3 tithable males^<8>, may or may not apply to John Sr. If so, the presence of Samuel and Wilson in his household is appropriate to the tax liability. However, the absence of a second John Gentry in the tax list for 1810 suggests an alternate possibility, that John Sr. had died and that the reference is to John Jr along with his two brothers who might be presumed to have lived with him if their father died before 1810.

John Jr.

The younger John was married 4 Jan 1799 to Barbara Haggard who was a daughter of Jesse Haggard, and related to the Nathaniel Haggard who married Nicholas-II's daughter, Elizabeth. She was also related to the French Haggard who married Samuel-II's daughter, Ann. The information about John Jr. and his children found in GFA appears to be essentially correct except that GFA has John marrying Barbara in Orange County rather than Louisa County and with the wrong date. John Jr.'s children appear with him in the 1820 Louisa census, and then start appearing in their own right (Claybourn and Owen in 1830, and Austin in 1840).

Wilson

GFA describes this son of John Gentry as marrying a Runkle in Kentucky in 1820 and moving to Missouri. Madison County, Kentucky, marriage records do not show the marriage, which is not to say it did not take place in some other place. There are no listings for a Wilson Gentry in any 1830 Kentucky censuses, nor the Missouri censuses for 1830, 1840 and 1850, although in 1840 in Lewis County, there is a "Winson" listed, born 1780-1790. There are six children listed with this family, all born after 1820, but no spouse. The date of birth and date of marriage suggested in GFA and the marriage date for Samuel (see below) suggest that Wilson was the older of these two brothers.

Samuel

GFA indicates that Samuel moved to Randolph County, Missouri in 1830, and the 1840 census for that county does include a Samuel Gentry, born 1790 to 1800, but he is not found in any county in the 1850 Missouri census. This Samuel is presumably the one who married Susan "Runcle", 24 Dec 1823, in Madison County, Kentucky^<12>.

We have not considered the date of birth of John Sr. himself. If the 1761 reference of a John Gentry serving as a plantation overseer was indeed for this John, he must have been over 16 years of age to be included in the tax list. That is, he was born before 1745. On the other hand, it was quite possible that he was in his later teens, perhaps 18 to 19 years old. This would give a date of birth of about 1742. If so, the birth of John Jr. was when his father was about 35 years old, somewhat older than usual for a first-born child but not exceptional. Alternatively, John Sr. may have had some earlier children about whom we know nothing.

 
F. Other Louisa County Gentrys
Before considering the parentage of John Sr. of Louisa County, it will be helpful to briefly review some other Gentrys found in that county that may or may not be directly related to John. Of particular concern are a group that appear to be probable children of Francis or "Fanney" Gentry, the presumed widow of an unidentified Gentry.

Francis/Frances Gentry
A "Francis" appears in the 1800 Louisa census with 5 children but no husband^<13>. An analysis of the reported ages of these children suggest that the oldest was probably born between 1782 and 1784, and thus Frances was probably married shortly after 1780. The youngest 3 children were born between 1790 and 1800, which suggests further that their father probably died in approximately 1796, and certainly before 1800. In reconstructing this family, we can estimate that the missing husband of Frances was probably born between 1755 and 1760. This places him in an age bracket where he could have been a younger brother of John Sr. of Louisa County. One might ask whether he was a son of Nicholas-IV (son of Nicholas-III and Elizabeth Stringer) who died leaving a wife and family who have never been identified. This could not have been the case, however, since Nicholas-IV died in 1787, and so could not have been the father of Fanney's children.

There is a further reference to "Fanney" Gentry in the Louisa marriage bond records of 16 Jan 1810 when Elizabeth Gentry, daughter of Fanney, married Lewis "Paggett"^<10> A related entry with Lewis "Padgett" serving as bondsman, shows Nicholas Gentry marrying Nancy Carrel, 1 Jan 1814. This strongly suggests that Elizabeth and Nicholas were brother and sister. A third entry,6 Dec 1809, records the marriage of Robert Gentry to Elizabeth Kersey. These three Gentrys all fit the profile of the children found in Fanney's 1800 census record, with Robert born about 1783, Nicholas born about 1790, and Elizabeth born about 1792. These three potential children of Frances are discussed further below.

The other two sons of Fanney, listed in the 1800 census, fit two otherwise unexplained names in the 1820 Louisa census. The family of a John Gentry who apparently was considerably younger than John Jr. is listed in that year. John himself was not present with the family and may have died shortly before the census (he had five children born between 1810 and 1820). This John fits very well with the rest of the proposed family for Frances. The final potential member of Fanney's family is Patrick-4 whom we have discussed above. He also is listed in the 1820 Louisa census, and his age and family suggest he was the youngest of Fanney's sons. An elderly female living with Patrick's family in 1820 may have been his presumed mother, Frances. There is one final reference to Fanney. She is included in the 1810 Louisa County tax list with 1 tithable individual in her household^<8>. Since she herself was not tithable, it implies that either her son Robert or her son Nicholas was living at home, while the other son was away from home. The other two sons would have been underage and thus not tithable.

This leaves us with the following proposal for Frances' family:
Unknown Gentry

--  Born about 1755; married about 1782 to Frances/Francis (Fanney) (maiden name unknown) presumably in Louisa County; died perhaps about 1796.
Children of Frances:
i	Robert, born about 1784 in Louisa County; married 6 Dec 1809 (Louisa County marriage bond) to Elizabeth Kersey. Robert was indicated as being over twenty-one. This Robert must be the one who was listed in the 1810 Hanover County census, newly married, then listed again in the 1820 Louisa County census with two children and an apparent brother living with him. We have found no further trace of him but it was probably Elizabeth, as a widow, who was listed in the 1820 Caroline County census with two sons of appropriate age.
ii	Nicholas, born about 1790 (according to the 1860 Rockingham County, Virginia, census) in Louisa County; married 1 Jan 1814 (Louisa County marriage bond) to Nancy Carrel who was listed as being "of age". Nicholas moved before 1820 to Rockingham County, where he spent the rest of his life.
iii	Elizabeth, born about 1792 in Louisa County; married 16 Jan 1810 (Louisa County marriage bond) to Lewis "Paggett"[Padgett], and identified as the daughter of Fanney Gentry.
iv	John, born about 1794 in Louisa County. His family is in the 1820 Louisa County census with a wife and 5 children but without John himself who may have died shortly before then.
v	Patrick, born about 1796 in Louisa County. References to him consist only of the 1820 Louisa County census in which his wife and 3 young children were living with him. His mother Frances was probably also living with him.

 
G. Other Unidentified Hanover and Louisa County Gentrys
In the discussions above, and in previous articles about the families of Joseph-II, Samuel-II, and Nicholas-II, we have touched on almost all of the Gentrys living in Hanover and Louisa Counties in the second half of the eighteenth century. We list below two others who have not so far been mentioned:

Elizabeth Gentry
Three children of Elizabeth Gentry and Jeremiah Blacklock were baptized by Rev. William Douglas between 1764 and 1773^<9>. Elizabeth and Jeremiah must have been married in perhaps 1762, and Elizabeth's date of birth can be approximated as about 1740.

Keziah Gentry
A daughter, Martha, of Keziah Gentry and Will Camp was baptized by Rev. William Douglas in 1772 in Louisa County^<9>. Keziah's name does not appear anywhere else in Louisa County records. If Martha was her first child, we can assume that Keziah and Will Camp were married in approximately 1770, and that Keziah was born probably between 1745 and 1750.

 
H. What was the Ancestry of the Louisa County Gentrys?
We have briefly or in detail, described at least four Gentrys who were born between about 1740 and say 1755, that do not fit into any of the family groups that we have so far considered in these Journal articles on the early Gentrys. Since these four all center very much on Louisa County, it appears probable that they were siblings and spent most if not all of their early life in Louisa County rather than in Hanover County. These four are:

• Elizabeth, born about 1740
• John, born about 1742
• Keziah, born about 1745
• (Unknown), husband of Frances, born about 1755

What are the possibilities concerning their parents. The older ones could conceivably have been children of John of Botetourt County, born during the time he was living in Louisa County, and remaining there when he went on west to Augusta County. This appears very unlikely, and one is hard pressed to explain why the children did not also move to Augusta County, unless for example, John was divorced and his wife remained in Louisa County while John moved. That appears very unlikely in light of the scarcity of divorces in those days.

Another possibility is that these were children of James-II who certainly spent his earlier years in the western part of Hanover County before returning to his father's plantation in St. Paul's Parish in 1751. In addition, his oldest son James Jr. lived much of his life in Louisa County and western Hanover County. There are two problems with this. One is that we have already suggested (in the previous month's Journal article) a number of members of his family who were born during this same span of years. Given the number of children in some families during those early years, this is not necessarily a serious problem. Of more concern is the question: "Why did not these children, especially the younger ones, return to St. Paul's Parish with James along with his sons David (born about 1742) and William (born about 1745)?"

If we reject these options, we are led to a third possibility which until now has not been suggested. This is that Joseph-II's son William who disappeared from St. Paul's Parish records after 1735, did not die, but rather moved to western Hanover County as did James-II. We can speculate that William may have moved on further west across the Hanover County border into Louisa County, while James remained in the vicinity of Stone Horse Creek.

There is no record of William during all the years between 1735 and say the early 1760's, but neither are there records of any of these children during that same period. There are no vestry records for St. Martin's Parish which bordered St. Paul's to the west, which is where this hypothetical William probably settled. Tax lists for St. Martin's Parish do not exist before 1767, which we might postulate was after the time William died. In brief, we have no independent way of knowing whether or not William-III survived his last reference in St. Paul's Parish. These proposals are highly speculative and cannot be backed up by any hard evidence. If the reader is willing to accept this suggestion of a family of Gentrys descended from William-III, it should be understood that this is done on the reader's own responsibility.

 
Conclusion
It must be emphasized that the present article is very much a "work in progress", and all conclusions contained herein should be carefully considered by the reader before being linked to specific family relationships of their own. We are providing a framework to facilitate further work as additional evidence becomes available. There are a number of uncertainties relating to John of Louisa County, and to the family of Fanney Gentry. Questions remain about the Patrick Gentrys, and there is very much of an open question as to whether William-III Gentry indeed survived to have children. Undoubtedly, more facts will surface in the future that will help to resolve some of the questions, and readers of this article are invited to contribute where they can.

 
References

1.	"Hanover County, Virginia Deeds 1783-1792" abstracted and compiled by Rosalie Edith Davis, Heritage Trails, Manchester, MO 1983
(a)	1785 Mar 10     (p.25)     Deed Bk p.118-119
	John Gentry and Nancey his wife of Hanover Co. to Benjamin Timberlake of same. Whereas Bruster Sims of Co. afsd. St. Paul's Par. dec'd in his life time purchased of Richard Foster and Sarah his wife a tract of land in par. and co. afsd. on branches of Totopotomy Cr. and died seised of same, having made his last will & Testament and bequeathed until his dau. Nancey Sims (now Nancey the wife of sd. John Gentry) sd. tract, who first intermarried with one Parke Smith, which land sd. Parke Smith sold unto George Parke who sold same unto Joseph Brand who transferred his right thereto to William Sims who also transferred his right to John Timberlake, dec'd which right was inherited by his son and heir at law the afsd. Benjamin Timberlake who now is in possession of sd. tract bounded as followeth: Archers corner...Taylors corner...Gentrys corner. Parke Smith who only had a right in sd. Land during the term of his natural life did convey sd. land 7 Sept 1755 departed this state and it hath been supposed that sd. Parke Smith is dead, but it being doubtful to the sd. John Gentry and Nancey his wife whether they can procure sufficient evidence to prove the death of sd. Smith without great expense and being willing and desirous to settle all disputes respecting sd. land do sell their right thereto unto sd. Benjamin Timberlake. For and in consideration of that tract lying on the north side of the road running through sd. tract being on the day of the date of these presents given until their possession, hath given and sold to Timberlake all their right to that part of the tract which lies on the south side of sd. road.         Signed:     John (+) Gentry     Nancy (+) Gentry Wit: Wm Wooddy, Jacob Christian, Charles (X) Tyler Ack 7 Jul 1785 by John Gentry and Nancey his wife.
(b)	1786 Mar 1     (p.47)     Deed Bk p.218-219
	John Crenshaw & Elizabeth his wife of Hanover Co. to John Harvie of City of Richmond; for 600 lb.; two tracts of land on both sides of Stone Horse Cr.; one tract of 160 ac. the other 32 ac.; the first tract purchased by James Crenshaw of Phillip Pryor 22 Sep 1748...on Stone Horse Cr...John Gentrys line..Thomersons line...Symes line...the other tract purchased by James Crenshaw of James Cawthon 2 Jun 1757...on east side of Stone Horse Cr... Cawthrons new line.         Signed:    John Crenshaw     Elizabeth Crenshaw
(c)	1789 Jun 18     (p.103)    Deed Bk p.487-488
	John (+) Gentry witnessed deed for land at mouth of Tussoky branch on Taylors Cr.
(d)	1792 May 21     (p.117)    Deed Bk p.559-560
	George Gentrey and Austin Gentry witnessed deed for land on "Chickahomaney" Swamp in St. Paul's Par.

2.	"Hanover County, Virginia, Land Tax Books", compiled and edited by Ruth and Sam Sparacio, The Antient Press, McLean, VA, 1997
	John           40 ac:    1787-1790, 1792-1796
	William         6 ac:    1794; 45 ac: 1795-1796

3.	"Hanover County Taxpayers Saint Paul's Parish 1782 - 1815", compiled by William Ronald Cocke, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, MD, 1956
	John	1783-1785,  1786 (+ Patrick, a minor),  1787-1789,  1790 (+ 1 adult),  1791-1793
	[John Jr?]	1805-1809,  1812 (+ 1 adult),  1815
	Patrick	1788-1790
	Nicholas	1792,  1796,  1799-1803,  1805
	Benjamin	1793-
	Austin	1795-
	George	1799,  1800 ("petitioner only", no property)
	Charles	1799-1803,  1805-1807,  1809,  1815
	William	(son of Joseph-III?)
		1782 (no poll tax),  1783-1787,  1790-1792 (+ 1 adult),  1793-1803,  1805-1812

4.	U.S. Census of 1790, publ by Bureau of Census VA county census records destroyed, substituted state enumerations for earlier years.
		Hanover Co. (1782)	List of Winston Geddes
	p. 29	David Gentry	8 people
	p. 29	Joseph Gentry	5
	p. 29	William Gentry	1
			Capt. Owen Dabney district
	p. 28	John Gentry	8 people
	p. 28	Watson Gentry	4

5.	"Binns Genealogy, LLC" at <http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~ysbinns/vataxlists/> Website contains online images of 1790 and 1800 VA taxlists published as a substitute for the 1790 and 1800 Federal Census.
(a)	Hanover Co., 1790 (date of personal property enumeration):
	19 Mar	Geddes
	19 Mar	Susanna
	26 Mar	David
	26 Mar	John
	26 Mar	"Partrick"
	26 Mar	William
(b)	Henrico Co., 1801 Personal property liability
	William	1 white     10 black     2 horses
	Patrick	1 white                      1 horse
	William	1 white      1 black      1 horse

6.	"Louisa County Virginia Tithables and Census 1743 - 1785", edited and compiled by Rosalie Edith Davis, Manchester, Mo., 1988.
	From Trinity Parish [Separated from Fredericksville Parish, 1761, covered roughly 3/5ths of the center of Louisa County, boundaries running north and south approximately parallel to the county lines.]
		Head of Household	Other Members	Negroes	Tithes/Acres
	1761	(S. side South Anna River)
		Nicholas Crainshaw	Jno Gentry Ovsr	Abram	2 - 445
	1775	Nichs. Gentry Jun	son John	Cate	3 - 194
	1783	John Gentory			1 -

7.	"The Censuses of 1782 and 1785: Defective Yet Useful and Fascinating", from Louisa County Historical Magazine, vol 5, #1 (Summer 1973), p.20:
			1782		1785
		"Hundred"	White	Black	White	Black
	Gentry, Geo	four	9	4	--	--
	Gentry, John	six	3	--	--	--
	Gentry, Martin	two	7	--	6	1
	Gentry, Nicholas	six	9	2	9	1
	[Approx 1/4 of householders omitted 1782, about 1/3 omitted 1785. Louisa Co. divided into 8 "hundreds" for census, 2 and 4 in center and east lower tier, 6 in west-central northern tier.]

8.	"A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia, Tax Lists of the Counties for which the census is missing", edited by Netti Schreiner-Yantis, Springfield, VA, 1971 (includes Halifax and Orange).
			White Tithables	Slaves >12	Horses
	Louisa Co.	Gentry, John Sr.	3	0	2
		Gentrey, Patrick	1	0	0
		Gentry, Fanney	1	0	2

9.	"The Douglas Register", transcribed and edited by W. Mac. Jones, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1977 (reprinted)
	C.    Births and Baptisms
	p.199	Nath. Gentry & Marianne Black Son named Wyat born 15 Mar 1781; bapt 9 Apr 1781
	p.167	Will Camp & Keziah Gentry Daughter named Martha born 28 Feb 1772; bapt 2 Jun 1772

10.	"Marriages of Louisa County 1766-1815", compiled by Kathleen Booth Williams, 1977, C. J. Carrier Co. (compiled from Louisa County Marriage Register which starts 1766)
	Date	Groom	Bride	Bondsman/Witness
	1780 Apr 1	John Gentry	Milly Edwards	Grant Edwards
	1799 Jan 4	John Gentry	Barbara Hogard dau of Jesse Hogard [Haggard?]	William Plant /w/ William Poindexter       Thomas Wash       Benjamin Duke
		(m. 5 Jan 1799 by Rev. Martin [who says "Hoggard"])
	1802 Aug 14	William Anthony	Elenor B Gentry over 21 years of age dau of Mary Gentry	Stanley Alvis /w/ William Perkins       David Kersey       J L Walton
	1802 Oct 23	Patrick Gentry over 21 years	Mary Ann Porter over 21 years	William Whitlock Jr.
	1803 Mar 13	William Purkins [Perkins?]	Matilda Gentry	John Gentry /w/ William Dugins
		(m. 17 Mar 1803 by Rev. William Cooke)
	1809 Dec 6	Robert Gentry over 21 years	Elizabeth Kersey John Thomasson is guardian of Eliz.	Stephen Harris
	1810 Jan 16	Lewis Paggett	Elizabeth Gentry dau of Fanney Gentry	Thomas Mann
		(m. 16 Jan by Rev. John Lasley)
	1813 May 31	Robert Gentry	Mary Marks [Polly] 21 years of age	William Sledd
	1814 Jan 1	Nicholas Gentry	Nancy Carrel of age	Lewis Padgett
		(m. by Rev. Claibourne Walton)

11.	"The Gentry Family in America", by Richard Gentry, The Grafton Press, New York, 1909. (Referred to herein as GFA)
(a)	Patrick Gentry, #32, p.74. (Nathan-III, Nicholas-II)
	"Born about 1780 and died in 1820 in Louisa Co., VA. The records of said county show that Nathaniel Perkins was his administrator, and that his estate was appraised Dec. 18, 1820 by Edward Casley, Benjamin Henson, and Joseph Bickley. He seems from this appraisement to have been a merchant. His wife was Mary Margaret Porter [Louisa Co. marriage bond of 23 Oct 1802 gives Mary Ann Porter]."
		Children:
	--	William B. (#95), born 1802; married Sallie Sargent, 11 Mar 1824
	--	John P., married Mary Wright.
	--	James, bachelor.
	--	Mary Margaret, born 1809; died 1891; married Elijah Butler.
(b)	George Gentry, #246, p.280
	"He died in Louisa Co., VA, when a young man, leaving one son, Edmund (#247) who was reared by an uncle, who lived in Hanover Co. George Gentry's wife's name was Susan Gentry.
(c)	Edmund Gentry, #247, p.280
	"Born in Louisa [Hanover?] Co. About 1791; reared by an uncle in Hanover Co., after the death of his father; married Rebecca Ford of Henrico Co [Henrico Co. marriage bond dated 10 Jul 1786, John Ford surety], and came to Richmond to live. He and all his sons were carpenters by trade. He was a private soldier in the War of 1812 and was stationed at Camp Holly.
		Children:
	--	Pleasant Edward, born in Richmond, VA, Aug 6, 1816; was a tobacconist; married Mary Miller, [Henrico Co. marriage bond dated 14 Sep 1837, Spottswood F. Bowles security]
	--	Watson. Resided in Petersburg, VA, [Henrico Co. bond for marriage to Ann Presson, dated 26 Aug 1840, Edmond Gentry surety]
	--	James. Resided in Petersburg, VA. He and his brother Watson were in the tobacco business.
	--	Mary; married Mr. Radford [Henrico Co. bond for marriage to John A. "Redford", dated 24 Dec 1844]; she lives in Petersburg, VA.
(d)	John Gentry (#248), p.282
	"Born about 1750. On 25 May 1821, one John Gentry conveys by deed to John Gentry, Jr., 77 « acres of land on Locust Creek, in Louisa Co., VA"
		Children:
	--	Patrick (#249)
	--	John (#250), born about 1775
	--	Samuel, born in Virginia; moved to Kentucky; married --- Runkle and moved to Randolph Co., MO in 1830; died in 1867. [With John in 1830 Louisa, VA census (?), b.1800-1810; 1840 Randolph, MO census, b.1790-1800; no Samuel in 1850 MO census.][Samuel m. Susan "Runcle", 24 Dec 1823, Madison Co., KY]
	--	Wilson, born in Virginia in 1783; married --- Runkle in Kentucky in 1820; settled in Howard Co., MO, in 1830; lived also in Scotland Co., MO; moved to California in 1851 where he died in 1877. [No MO reference, 1830 census; 1840 Lewis, MO census as "Winson" (?), b. 1780-1790]
	--	Susan married Basil Duke.
	--	Anna married John Gafney and lived in Kentucky.
	--	[Plus ?: Matilda in Louisa Co. bond for marriage to William Perkins, dated 13 Mar 1803, John Gentry surety].]
(e)	Patrick Gentry (#249), p.282.
	"Born in Louisa Co.[Hanover Co.]; died in 1848. His wife was named Mary Ann[??]. He names the following children in his will which was probated in 1848 [in Henrico Co.]:
		Children:
	--	Harmon Anderson
	--	Fleming Paine
	--	Moulton [Milton] Woodson [Henrico Co. Bond for marriage of "Milton" W. Gentry to Emily Ford, ward of Meacon Ford, dated 12 May 1829, Meacon Ford surety].
	--	Arena White; married [William] Blackburn [Henrico Co. marriage bond dated 15 May 1827, Patrick N. Gentry, surety].]
	--	Washington Hawley
	--	(Also had two O'Conor grandchildren.) [Patrick's daughter Maria Price in Henrico Co. bond for marriage to John "Conner", dated 1 May 1822, John S. Hickson, surety]
(f)	John Gentry (#250), p.282-3
	"Born in Louisa Co., VA about 1775; died in 1854; married Barbara Haggard, 24 Jun 1799, in Orange Co., VA [Louisa Co. marriage bond for John and Barbara, daughter of Jesse Haggard dated 4 Jan 1799, William Plant surety]. She died and he married second, Lucy King, who had no children. David Richardson was appointed curator of John Gentry, 14 Feb 1854, during contest over his will, which was probated 13 Feb 1854."
		Children:
	--	Claybourne Watson, married Polly Johnson.
	--	Owen, lived in Tennessee.
	--	Austin, lived in Virginia.
	--	Theodosia, married Thomas Armstrong.
	--	William N., died without issue in 1866.

12.	"1790-1844 Marriage Records of Madison Co., KY", transcribed by Charlotte Ramsey and posted at <http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cramsey/madco_g.html>
	p. 147    24 Dec 1823    Gentry, Samuel married to Runcle, Susan.

13.	Federal Census Returns, on microfilm, displayed below in standard order appropriate to year.
	1800 Louisa Co.
		Francis Gentry	M: 2  1  1  0  0;   F: 1  0  0  1   0	widow of XX?
		John Gentry	M: 0  2  0  0  1;   F: 0  0  0  0  1	John (Lou)
		John Gentry	M: 1  0  1  0  0;   F: 0  0  1  0  0	son of John (Lou)
	1810 Hanover Co.
	p.53	Jno Gentry	M: 1  0  0  1  0;   F: 2  0  0  1  0	son of John (Han)
	p.53	Robert Gentry	M: 0  0  1  0  0;   F: 0  0  1  0  0	son of Frances?
	p.70	Charles Gentry	M: 0  0  0  1  0;   F: 0  0  0  1  0	son of John (Han)
	p.72	Jack Gentry	M: 0  0  1  0  1;   F: 1  1  2  0  1	John (Han)?
	1810 Henrico Co.
	p.112	P.H. Gentry	M: 1  0  0  0  1;   F: 2  0  0  1  0	son of John (Han)
	p.114	William Gentry	M: 3  0  2  1  0;   F: 0  1  0  1  0	"
	1810 King & Queen Co.
	p.219	Benjamin Gentry	M: 1  0  0  1  0;   F: 1  0  0  1  0	son of Benj. Sr.?
	1820 Hanover Co.
	p.60	John Gentry	M: 4  2  0  0  1  0;   F: 0  2  2  1  0	son of John (Han)
	p.80	Charles Gentry	M: 2  0  0  0  0  1;   F: 2  0  0  1  0	"
	p.81	John Gentry	M: 0  0  0  0  0  1;   F: 0  0  2  0  1	John (Han)
	1820 Henrico Co.
	p.100	Edward Gentry	M: 1  0  0  1  0  0;   F: 1  0  0  1  0	"Edmund"?
	p.100	William Gentry	M: 0  0  0  0  0  1;   F: 0  0  0  1  0	son of John (Han)
	p.101	Patrick Gentry	M: 0  1  1  2  1  0;   F: 0  1  1  1  0	"
	1820 King & Queen Co.
	p.16	Benjamin Gentry	M: 0  1  1  0  0  1;   F: 3  0  0  0  1	son of Benj Sr.?
	1820 Louisa Co.
	p.50	John Gentry	M: 1  1  0  1  0  1;   F: 1  1  0  1  0	son of John (Lou)
	p.51	Patrick Gentry	M: 1  1  0  1  0  0;   F: 1  0  1  0  1	son of Frances?
	p.51	John Gentry	M: 1  0  0  0  0  0;   F: 4  0  1  1  0	"
	p.51	Robert Gentry	M: 2  0  0  1  1  0;   F: 2  0  0  1  0	son of Gaddis
	1820 Rockingham Co.
	p.138	Nicholas Gentry	M: 1  0  0  0  1  0;   F: 2  0  1  0  0	son of Frances?
	1840 Randolph Co., Missouri
	p.271	Samuel Gentry	M: 1  0  1  0  0  0  (40 - 50); F:  1  2  1  0  0  (30 - 40)	son of John (Lou)

Substantial revisions, June 2008