THE SONS OF NICHOLAS-I GENTRY
David Gentry and Family
by
Willard Gentry
Revised 2008 Abstract
In a continuation of a series providing comprehensive descriptions of the children of Nicholas-I
Gentry, his son David, is described along with a listing of virtually all known references to David. A
summary is provided of his children along with a sampling of pertinent references to these family
members.
David Gentry
|
- born abt.1707, New Kent County (later Hanover County), Virginia; died abt
1765 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. |
|
- married abt.1727, in Hanover County, Virginia, to Sarah Brooks |
Was David a son of Samuel?
[This section on David Gentry has been revised from the original version
published in May 2002. The changes reflect the author's reaching the conclusion that David was probably
a son of Nicholas Gentry the Immigrant rather than a son of Samuel Gentry, son of Nicholas, as originally
argued. This has come about partly because of new information and partly because of a re-evaluation of
the evidence upon which the previous conclusion was based.] In Volume 1, Issue #4,
of this Journal, we stated that the absence of Nicholas' name in the St. Paul's Parish records after 1709
suggests that he died at about that time, at a moderate age of some 50-odd years. His last documented
child was "Mable", baptized in December 1702. It is probable that James-II was a younger son, born
perhaps in 1705. Nicholas could certainly have had another child in the interval after that. There is a
question of whether his wife (if he had not remarried), could have had another child since she would have
been reaching the limits of her child-bearing years. A later issue of the Journal of Gentry Genealogy, to be
issued in 2008, discusses the possibility of Nicholas having married a second time. If this was true, then
the issue of child-bearing years is of no consequence. A critical point in the decision of David's
parentage is the date at which Hezekiah Gentry was born. We will argue below in the discussion of
David's children that Hezekiah was in fact a son of David and probably his oldest. A recent report of a
remark in the journal of John Benjamin Carter, who lived more-or-less contemporaneously with Hezekiah
(Carter's sister married a grandson of Hezekiah), gives the death date of "Hezekiah Jentry" as 4 April
1824 and states he was about 95 years of age at the time(12). If completely true, this puts
some of the conjecturing concerning Hezekiah's date of birth behind us for it puts his birthdate at about
1729, significantly earlier than estimated previously from Lunenburg County, Virginia, records. Estimating
further, his marriage must have been in approximately 1727 or 1728. The average age of marriage for
men in Colonial Virginia ranged from say 18 to 24, which puts his approximate date of birth as about
1707. This is much earlier than would be expected for a son of Samuel-II, but does fit well within the
range for being a son of Nicholas-I. When Was Hezekiah Gentry Born?
The John Benjamin Carter remark noted above is a pivotal point in dating Hezekiah's birth, and from that
estimating a date of birth for Hezekiah's father, David Gentry. Can we find supporting evidence for the
former? The following considerationstaken from Lunenburg County, Virginia, references that will be
reviewed more in detail bear upon this question.
- In 1757, Hezekiah purchased 100 acres of land for 40£(13a). This was a substantial amount of land and a substantial amount of
money for a young man. He must have been over twenty-one years of age to buy the land, and indeed
probably several years beyond that age.
- It follows that In 1752, Hezekiah was over sixteen years of age. In that year, David Gentry was
assessed for one tithe in his household(4). The age at that time in
Virginia's history for liability for a tithe was sixteen. The lack of a tithe being assessed for Hezekiah
clearly shows that he was not living with David at the time.
- It follows further that between 1749
and 1752 when a tithe was assessed against David on three
occasions but not against Hezekiah, that Hezekiah was living independently from David. It is unlikely that
he would leave his family before he was about eighteen, so we can estimate that in 1749 he may have
been eighteen to twenty years old.
- This chain of observations leads to a conclusion that Hezekiah was born in about 1729 to 1731,
which matches the age at death reported by John Benjamin Carter.
These arguments lead
to a date of birth for Hezekiah's father, David, that must have been several years before 1710. This was
too early for him to have been a son of Samuel Gentry, so we can confidently conclude that he was a
brother of Samuel and a son of Nicholas-I. David Gentry's Early Years
There are no references to David in any Virginia records prior to 1743, when David's father- in-law,
Richard Brooks, gave him 100 acres of the latter's land on Dirty Swamp in Louisa
County(3a). We have just estimated his birth as approximately 1707, undoubtedly on his
father's plantation next to Totopotomoy Creek at the eastern end of St. Paul's Parish in what was then
New Kent County (but became Hanover County in 1720). To reconstruct his life in the years between we
have to use our imagination together with the facts that are known about the movements of his brothers.
We presume that after Nicholas-I died, all the members of his family were living at Totopotomoy
Creek and continued to live there for a number of years. Samuel was the first to leave, in 1716 when he
left home and settled upriver from his father's home at the westernmost limits of St. Paul's Parish near
Stone Horse Creek. We assume that he did so not long after he married. His brother, Nicholas II., either
accompanied him in this move, or joined him by 1719. We also know that David's future father-in-law,
Richard Brooks (known as Richard Brooks Jr. in Hanover and Louisa Counties, and as Richard Brooks
Sr. in Lunenburg County), was living in 1719 in a precinct in St. Paul's Parish not far from the precinct in
which Nicholas II and Samuel Gentry were living. We know this from the returns of processioning reports
for that year(1c). Samuel obtained land nearby, in the vicinity of
Beech Creek, in 1723 and 1724(2ab), and moved from Stone Horse Creek, leaving his
brother, Nicholas, there. We suggest that it may have been at that time that David's mother, a presumed
second wife of Nicholas I, left the Gentry family plantation on Totopotomoys Creek accompanied by her
youngest sons, James and David, and moved in with her oldest son, Nicholas. This places David in the
vicinity of the Brooks family during his late teens and affords an easy explanation of how he met Sarah
Brooks, daughter ot Richard Brooks.
David and Sarah must have been married in about 1727 or 1728. Richard Brooks left St. Paul's
Parish in 1731 and moved up the South Anna River to a tributary called Dirty Swamp where he obtained a
land grant in an area that later was organized as Louisa County(2c). As a young man
without any land holding, there would not be any particular reason for David to appear in parish records
during any of the time up to this point. After that date, the further lack of records for either David or any of
the Brooks family suggests that he had accompanied his father- in-law to Dirty Swamp and was no
longer a resident of St. Paul's Parish.
At the same time as Richard Brooks gave land to David in 1743, Richard gave an equal 100 acres to
his other son-in-law, Nicholas-III Gentry, who married Mary Brooks(3b). Nicholas' father,
Samuel Gentry had moved to Louisa County in 1742 when he obtained a grant for 700 acres of land on
Dirty Swamp which included a part of the same land that had been granted originally to Richard
Brooks(2d). Because of the long period of time between the Brooks move to Dirty Swamp
in 1732 and the Gentry move in 1742, it is probable that Nicholas may have know Mary Brooks as a
teen-ager but did not really become acquainted with his wife-to-be until after that move. We can thus
assume that the two gifts of land by Richard were on the occasion of the wedding of Nicholas and Mary.
Why was there such a long gap between the time that David was married, and the time he received the
gift of land. The most logical explanation is that David was simply living with the Brooks family during all
this time, and there was no need to give David and Sarah a separate part of the family land.
 Fig. 1
Hanover & Louisa Counties, 1742
From 1743 on, we can follow David's movements in the records of Louisa and Lunenburg Counties.
In 1748, David and Sarah sold their Louisa County land to John Brooks (possibly a brother, or a first
cousin of Sarah) (3c), the same year that Richard Brooks sold his own land. David then,
moved to Lunenburg County along with his Brooks in-laws. He is known to been in Lunenburg County at
least as early as 1749, as shown by his presence in Lunenburg tax lists(4). The tithables list
references to David (and to his brothers Nicholas and William) are frustratingly incomplete. Of the
Lunenburg County tax records accessed by Landon Bell, he chose to publish only those before 1752
when Halifax County was divided from Lunenburg County, and those for 1764 when Mecklenburg and
Charlotte Counties were divided from Lunenburg. This has left a gap of missing records extending from
1753 to 1763, which if they were available would likely give much valuable information concerning the
various Gentrys present in the county.
Until 1757, there are no records of David owning any land in the county. There are, however, a
number of court orders which reflect duties that would be expected of a responsible citizen of the time in
the case of laying out a new road, and in serving as surety for his sister-in-law Susannah Brooks for her
duties in administering the estate of her husband Richard Brooks Jr. Unfortunately, the court records
also, in 1752, began a pattern that was to continue for the remaining dozen years of David's life. This
was the fact that David repeatedly incurred debts and was sued for payment of those debts. We will
have more to say about this later.
In addition to the court orders, there was one deed (in which David was cited as an adjoining land
owner/occupant) that identified him as living in the vicinity of Reedy Creek and adjacent to both Richard
Brooks and Joseph Gentry (Samuel's son). In 1757, Richard Brooks Sr., after his son Richard Jr. died,
sold to his son Elisha a part of the plantation "wheron the said Richard Brooks lately dwelt; [marked by a]
line laid off for Richard Brooks, Junr., deceased, thence to a line laid off for David Gentry, being part of
larger tracts [of portions of grants sold to Richard Brooks (and lying at the north end of Reedy Creek)]".
This implies that David was living at the time on land owned by Richard Brooks Sr.
 Fig. 2
Lunenburg County, with location of early grants The only record of any land purchase by
David was in 1757 when for 40 pounds he bought 112 acres of a larger parcel of land that had originally
been granted to Richard Taliaferro along Flat Rock Creek(5a). Whether he or anyone in his
family ever occupied that land is not known. The land was part of three adjoining tracts, the remaining two
portions being bought by David's son, Hezekiah, and by French Haggard (husband of Samuel Gentry's
daughter, Ann). This purchase may have been primarily for investment, for in 1759, David turned around
and sold the same land for 50 pounds(5b). These coordinated purchases appear to have
been planned in advance, for the seller, William Embry, in a codicil to his will in 1759, makes a reference
to an agreement that had been made by himself to sell this land to David Gentry, French Haggard, and a
William Allen(6). Hezekiah Gentry replaced William Allen at the time
of sale, but otherwise the agreed plan had been carried out. Two years later Hezekiah sold half of his
portion to Allen Gentry and the remaining half to his neighbor, John Simpkins. A year later, Allen in turn
sold that half to a Roger Atkinson, a land speculator living in Dinwiddie County. David
Gentry in Johnston County, North Carolina David's deed of sale in October 1759 identified
him at that time as being "of Johnson [Johnston] Co. NC", although he was in Lunenburg County Court in
June of that year. There are no records in Johnston County, North Carolina, for David, and it is uncertain
how much time he spent there. The Johnston County connection is a very strange one that has never
been satisfactorily explained, yet there is no question that there were Gentrys in that county even if there
is no record (other than this one reference) of David being there. In 1759, we find a record of a John
Gentry witnessing a deed in Johnston County, and in 1761 and 1762, Samuel Gentry was serving as a
chainbearer for a survey crew(7).
The deed which John Gentry witnessed in 1759 was for the purchase of land by a "Runnel Allin" on
Richmond Creek on the Neuse River. This was one of the tributaries in the upper reaches of the Neuse
River, in an area that is now inundated by the damming of the river to form Falls Lake in present Wake
County. The identity of John cannot be completely verified. He could have been the son of Samuel Gentry
who died in 1761, leaving an orphaned son who was put under the guardianship of his grandfather. Or
John could have been the son of David, in which case, he was born to David and Sarah Gentry at an
earlier date than previously suggested. The Samuel Gentry in Johnston County, by a process of
elimination, has been identified as a son of Samuel Sr., probably his youngest. The 1762 survey plat by
Samuel was for David Allen and involved land bordering "Reynold Allen" . The latter first name was
frequently spelled "Runnel" or "Runnels" in documents, and there is no question that this was the same
individual as that involved in the 1759 deed and was probably a son or brother of David Allen. David's
oldest grandson, the son of Hezekiah, was named Reynolds, presumably for Hezekiah's wife, Catherine
Reynolds. The appearance of the name Reynold or Reynolds in the Allen family suggests a relationship
through marriage between David Gentry's family and the Allen family. The linking of references
involving the Gentrys and Allens in North Carolina and Virginia must surely be more than
coincidence:
-
We mentioned above that David Gentry had an agreement with William Allen to jointly buy land from
William Embry, and that William's place in this agreement was taken over by Hezekiah. There is a strong
likelihood that William was a brother of David Allen.
- In Lunenburg County, there are records of
David Allen selling land to Allen Gentry in 1755.
-
In 1759, David Allen of Johnston County, and Allen Gentry of Lunenburg County, jointly sold some
land.
-
In 1759, William Allen traded land which he held in Johnston County for matching land in Lunenburg
County, a transaction that was witnessed by David and Hezekiah Gentry.
- In 1762, William
Allen served as David's bail or security in two suits for settlement of debts.
-
This same William Allen purchased land adjoining his existing land in 1767, and the deed was
witnessed by Samuel Gentry. We presume that this Samuel was the same one that served on the survey
crew in Johnston County.
All of this is strong evidence of a close relationship between the Gentry and the Allen families and
suggests that David's venture to North Carolina, along with John and Samuel Gentry, was at the
instigation of the Allens. Not only may there have been a relationship of David Gentry with the Allens
through marriage with the Reynolds family, but also Samuel Sr's wife, Ann, is widely thought to have been
an Allen and perhaps an older sister of William and David Allen. We have no idea what happened to
David Gentry in North Carolina. If this author were to hazard a guess it is that David may have found
some suitable land, but probably did not have enough money to complete the process of applying for and
receiving a grant. There is no further reference in the Virginia records of David, after the one deed in
1759, being "of Johnston County", and the many references that continued for him in Lunenburg County
argue for the fact that he returned to Virginia rather than move to North Carolina even for a short time.
During 1759 and 1760, his connections with Johnston County, conveniently allowed him to witness deeds
involving Lunenburg County and Johnston County principals(5c-f). In December 1759,
David and Hezekiah Gentry witnessed a deed in which a John McDaniel of Johnston County, North
Carolina, traded land in Lunenburg County to William Allen, in exchange for land which the latter held in
Johnston County. In July 1760, David witnessed two deeds by Francis Ray of Johnston County, who was
selling land Francis owned in Lunenburg County. The deeds were probably signed in Lunenburg County
rather than in North Carolina, but there was undoubtedly some association between David and both
William Allen and Francis Ray in their North Carolina ventures.
[In trying to understand how and why David became involved with Johnston County, it is worth
spending a few minutes to review this episode a little more in depth. Johnston County was formed from a
much larger embryonic North Carolina county in 1746 and at that point in history covered roughly the
combined area of present Wake and Johnston Counties. Like all of North Carolina, it was far less settled
than Virginia. North Carolina settlement began with the granting by the English Crown of all rights and
privileges to a group of royal favorites known as the Lord Proprietors. In 1729, these rights were
withdrawn, and the Crown repurchased all of the land in the colony that had not already been granted.
This land then became available for purchase by would-be settlers through the Crown land office. In
addition, John Earl Granville, or Lord Granville was given an enormous stretch of land in North Carolina by
the British Crown, to do with as he pleased. This included almost a third of the northern territory of the
Colony. An applicant could buy as much land as he could afford from the Land Office established by
Granville, though limited to 640 acres per purchase. This was generally at the rate of 50 shillings per 100
acres of land, without having to turn in headrights or satisfy other prerequisite conditions. The applicant
had only to find a plot of vacant land, pay a deposit and have it surveyed, and return the survey to the
Land Office where he would be issued title to the grant on payment of the final fees. This situation lasted
until Lord Granville's death in 1763 and included Johnston County, and resulted in a large influx of settlers
to the Colony. Virginia land owners who were facing over-crowding and loss of fertility in their tobacco
plantations were gazing across the state border at areas where the grass looked considerably
greener.]
The last years of David's life must have been unhappy ones. Beginning in 1761, David was sued
repeatedly in court for the settlement of debts he incurred(8b). We have no idea why he
went so heavily in debt--he may have suffered ill health; he may have incurred unusual expenses related
to his North Carolina venture; his business judgment may have been affected by old age. Whatever the
reason, the last five years of his life involved a continuing succession of court cases. Most of his debts
he acknowledged by default, not appearing in court to contest the suit. In each case, however, a
summons was issued by the court to David, and he was never identified as no longer being a resident of
Lunenburg County. Whether David lived part time in both Lunenburg and Johnston Counties during this
time, or when he might have returned to Lunenburg County full time, we do not know. During all this
time between 1757 and 1764, David's son, Hezekiah, was living independently, and we have already seen
that in 1757, he bought a portion of the same land on Flat Rock Creek that William Embry had sold in part
to David Gentry. Hezekiah kept his land until 1761 and must have moved his family there. But there is no
mention of any of the rest of David's family until David Jr. was summoned to court with his father in 1762.
We presume that the family must have been living on the Brooks plantation property where they had been
from the beginning of their time in Lunenburg County and that they did not accompany David to North
Carolina. A tax list reference in 1764, to a David Gentry may have been for David Jr. for the listing is
qualified by the phrase "call him Long David" as if to distinguish him from his father(9). The
last reference to anyone in the David Gentry family in Virginia was probably a court case against John
Gentry that was dismissed in 1766 because John was no longer an inhabitant of the county.
Finale
The suit brought to the April 1765 court is the last known reference to David. Sarah Gentry left Virginia
and took her children to South Carolina along with her father, Richard, and her brother, Elisha Brooks.
There she was granted 450 acres of land in Edgefield District, South Carolina in 1766 as a
widow(10) [see refr. for access to online copy of plat map for this land]. We can assume,
therefore, that David probably died in 1765 in Lunenburg County. We have no knowledge as to whatever
eventually happened to Sarah, but she was still living on her new property in 1773(11). The
further history of this family, and a summary account of the children of David Gentry, continues below.
Children of David and Sarah Brooks Gentry Other than the fact that the
Virginia evidence suggests that David was the oldest of the children excluding Hezekiah, and that
possibly John was the next oldest, we are left with great difficulty in determining the order of birth of the
children, let alone any estimate of their date of birth. This writer has suggested an order, and
approximate years of birth for David's children in the listing below. We make no claims as to their
correctness. The best that we have been able to do is guess their relative ages based entirely on
assumptions as to the relative ages of their children.
| i. |
Hezekiah Gentry, born abt.1729, Hanover County, Virginia;
married abt.1753 Lunenburg County Virginia to Catherine Reynolds; died 4 Apr 1824,
Edgefield District, South Carolina. |
| (?) | (1 - 2 Daughters) (??) | | ii. |
David Gentry, born abt.1735, Hanover County (later Louisa County), Virginia; died
possibly 1790-1800 (speculation). |
| iii. |
John Gentry; born abt.1738, Hanover County (later Louisa County), Virginia;
died bef.1820, probably in Edgefield District, South Carolina. | | iv. |
Nicholas Gentry, born abt.1741, Hanover County (later Louisa County), Virginia;
married to
Elizabeth Gibson; killed by Indians probably in 1782, Washington County, North
Carolina (later Davidson County, Tennessee). | | v. |
Simon Gentry, born abt.1744, Louisa County, Virginia; married (1)
[Unknown]; married (2) Rebecca Cobb; died bef.1800
(speculation), Edgefield District, South Carolina. | | vi. |
Allen Cain Gentry, born abt.1747, Louisa County, Virginia; married (1)
[Unknown]; married (2) Lydia ("Liddie") Youngblood; died bef.1810
in South Carolina (speculation). |
| vii. |
Elisha Gentry, born abt.1751, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married
Naomi/Neomy [Unknown] (possibly Martin); died 1803, Clarke
County, Georgia. |
| viii |
Elijah Gentry, born abt.1753, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married
Hannah [Unknown]; died abt.1817, Monroe County, Mississippi
Territory. |
Nowhere is there any document that specifically ties either David or Sarah Gentry with any one of
their children. The closest thing to a direct reference is the case of "David Jr" who is listed as such
together with "David Sr" in a Lunenburg County court case in 1762(8b). Because the suffix
Junior and Senior did not necessarily imply relationship to each other at that time in history, this
juxtaposition of names is sufficiently persuasive for us but not absolutely conclusive. The
identification of the other children, with the exception of Hezekiah, is based entirely on geography--the fact
that Sarah moved to South Carolina after the death of David, and all of her proposed children lived most
of their lives in South Carolina close to where she settled. Sarah Gentry received a grant of 450 acres of
land when she moved to Colleton County, South Carolina in 1766 (in an area that later became Edgefield
County). The size of this grant was determined by an allowance of 100 acres for herself, and 50 acres
for each of the members of her household, whether minor or adult children (or in some case including an
allowance for slaves). the fact that we can identify seven, and only seven, male Gentrys of the
appropriate age there (other than Hezekiah), is persuasively strong evidence that these males were
indeed the sons who accompanied Sarah in 1766.
Hezekiah was not a part of this group, but was closely identified with David during the time that both
were living in Lunenburg County, Virginia. In his case, we can argue that: (1) he was too old to be a son
of any of the children of Samuel-II living in Lunenburg County with him; (2) he was unlikely to be a brother
of any of those children because of his close association with David; and (3) he eventually joined the rest
of David's family in South Carolina even though he did not go there immediately from Virginia, and spent
the entire latter part of his life in South Carolina with his presumed brothers. It his record in Lunenburg
County, Virginia, that leads us to believe that he must have been the oldest child.
The apparently much earlier birth of Hezekiah compared to David's other children indicated by the
John Benjamin Carter Journal poses some questions. These questions include: - The other sons
of David in the past have been estimated to have dates of birth ranging from about 1839 to roughly 1853.
None of these dates are firmly established, and could easily vary several years one way or another. But
the estimate for David Jr.'s birth, if he was the oldest after Hezekiah, is a full ten years after Hezekiah.
The latter was included in Lunenburg County, Virginia, references over a period of years starting in 1755.
David Jr.'s name appeared for the first time in 1762, in a court appearance with his father.
- John Gentry, another possibility for being next in age after Hezekiah appeared in Lunenburg County
records only once, in 1766. The John Gentry who apparently accompanied David to Johnston County,
North Carolina, from Virginia (see discussion above), may have been David's son. John witnessed a
deed in 1759 which does not set a firm number for his age, but suggests that he might have been born in
about 1737 or earlier. This still leaves a substantial gap in date of birth between Hezekiah and the next
son of David.
- Further support for the grouping of these sons of David Sr. in a later period than the suggested birth
of Hezekiah lies in their mother, Sarah Gentry's land grant. The 450 acres she received was on the basis
of one hundred acres for herself, and an additional fifty for each of the other members in her household.
Technically, these other members were supposed to be dependent, that is minors, but this requirement
was not always followed. The fact remains that the seven younger sons of Sarah all moved to South
Carolina with her and initially lived with her. This suggests that there has not been a substantial
misjudgment of ages of those sons and none of them were sufficiently older than the others to want to
move independently.
- A possible resolution to these concerns is that David may have had one or more daughters that have
never been recognized. If they were born between the time Hezekiah and the next older son were born,
they might have filled part of the gap in time between the births of the first and second sons.
As to whether there were more children who did not go to Colleton County with Sarah, we cannot
say. There have been suggestions that William Gentry of Surry County, North Carolina, or Nathaniel
Gentry of Spartanburg District, South Carolina, or Samuel Gentry the Elder of Spartanburg District were
also sons of David. These are all individuals that could fill the gap between Hezekiah and David Jr. in the
listing of David Sr.'s children. For various reasons, this author does not think this is likely, but he cannot
deny the possibility.
The Early History of South Carolina  Fig. 3 Border Counties of
South Carolina and Georgia, 1800 (Shaded counties contained Gentrys in 1800)
We are handicapped in developing a hypothesis for the children of David by the lack of records before
about 1785. The area of South Carolina in which Sarah Gentry settled was at the far limits of concern by
the colonial government which centered around Charleston. Virtually no records were kept of these
outlying areas of "Indian country". A judicial district organization was adopted in 1769 that placed Sarah in
Ninety-Six District, from which Edgefield County was formed in 1785 after South Carolina became a
state. Prior to that time, land or court or other records, if recorded at all, were kept in Charleston. When
we see that Edgefield County Deed Books began in 1786, it is because information prior to that time was
not kept. Moreover, with respect to land titles, during the Revolutionary War, South Carolina revoked all
individual titles to land, and it was necessary for land owners to reapply to the state after the war ended
for grants to the land they were occupying.
Originally the up-river area of South Carolina was all a part of Craven County, dating from 1685. In
1769, Ninety-Six District was created extending roughly to the North Carolina border. The latter boundary
was uncertain, and grants from North Carolina in Mecklenburg and Tryon Counties overlapped with
grants from South Carolina in Ninety-Six District.
A Commission of the General Assembly in 1783 and 1785 laid off Ninety-Six District into six smaller
counties for greater ease in administration and attendance at courts. Abbeville, Edgefield, and Newberry
Counties were created in 1783. It was not until 1785 that Spartanburg, Laurens, and Union Counties
completed the division of Ninety-Six District. Following this division, the Ninety-Six District Circuit Court
met on an established schedule at each of the county seats, while county courts and county officials
were established in each county separately. An Act of 1798-1799 abolished county courts. Thereafter
each of the six counties was designated a District, with a separate District Circuit Court. All South
Carolina districts remained such until the adoption of the Constitution of 1868 at which time (under
Federal pressure), the designation "County" was adopted.
The Children of David Gentry - Continued Hezekiah
Gentry
We will briefly discuss each of the children of David and provide the few references that have surfaced
relating to each one. The term "few", however, does not apply to Hezekiah. There is an abundance of
references to him and to his family, in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We are showing only
a sampling of these references below. They begin with a court action in 1755 in Lunenburg County,
Virginia, against Hezekiah and his uncle Nicholas Gentry for debt(14a). This was followed
by Hezekiah's purchase from William Embry in 1757, of 147 acres of land on Flat Rock Creek near its
junction with the Meherrin River in Lunenburg County (see Fig. 2)(13a). Hezekiah continued
to appear in Lunenburg County records until 1765. For a final court case in 1766, he did not appear in
person but was represented by an assignee. In that same year, his uncle Joseph and a John Gentry
(who presumably was Hezekiah's brother) were charged in court in a case that was dismissed because
the defendants were no longer residents of Lunenburg County(22a).
Hezekiah and Joseph both appeared next in a tax list in Rowan County, North Carolina (later split off
as Surry County), in 1768(15a). From this it appears that Hezekiah joined Joseph in leaving
Lunenburg County and moving to North Carolina at the end of 1765 or the beginning of 1766, at the same
time as Sarah Gentry was moving to South Carolina. There is no further evidence of Hezekiah remaining
in North Carolina, other than an apparent brief visit in 1782 to Surry County. This visit, in which he was
accompanied by his sons Robert and Runnels ("Reynolds") and by Nathaniel Gentry from Spartanburg
County, South Carolina, was probably a "fishing" expedition, looking into the possibility of picking up
confiscated land forfeited by North Carolina Tories at the end of the Revolutionary
War(15b).
The earliest reference to Hezekiah or any of his brothers we have found in South Carolina was 1779,
when Hezekiah, John, and Nicholas Gentry were named in an act of the General Assembly, along with
many others, as individuals to be considered for jury duty (16f). Hezekiah was on a list for
both grand jury duty and petit jury duty and was identified as being in Spartan District at the time. His
name was to be subject to drawing at lot for jury service. Nicholas was living in an area near Cuffee
Town and Turkey Creek, and was to be subject to petit jury dury. John was living near "Ninety-Six
Courthouse" and in Spartan District, and was subject to petit jury and special court assignment duty. The
intervening ten years of time since Hezekiah last appeared in and records, and the corresponding lack of
any references to the rest of David's family, reflects the wasteland of record-keeping associated with
pre-Revolutionary War South Carolina. The colonial government centered at Charlestown cared little for
what took place in the up-river settlements in "Indian country" and the few records that were called for
were all kept in Charlestown.
Hezekiah settled in Edgefield County after the war was over and obtained three grants of land in the
vicinity of the Little Saluda River totalling almost 700 acres, in the northern part of the county, as well as
another grant of almost 200 acres of land in Union County(16ab). It is hard to know the
purpose of the last land grant as Hezekiah sold it again almost as soon as he received the grant. There
are many references to Hezekiah and to members of his family from 1786 until his death in
1824(18,19). For the most part these relate to an extensive history of buying and selling
property. We will not attempt to describe them here, as they deserve a separate Journal article of their
own at a later date. In addition, we know more about Hezekiah's immediate family than any of his siblings
because his sons Reynolds, Robert, and Thomas all left wills that for the most part name the members
of their own families.
Hezekiah left a will, signed 19 Jun 1820, and received for probate in Edgefield District Court, 12 Apr
1824(20). He named all of his children in this will, all but three of which were living. A part
of his bequests consisted of slaves given to various members of the family who were than asked to pay
back various amounts of cash to the estate. The cash and personal property in the estate was then to be
equally divided among five of the heirs. His plantation on which he was living at the time of his death was
divided half-and-half between his son, Robert, and Sarah Gentry, the widow of his son, Thomas. His son,
Hezekiah Jr., also pre-deceased him, but a bequest was made to the latter's son, Reynolds. Hezekiah
Sr.'s wife is believed to have died shortly before 1800 and so was not mentioned, but we know from other
evidence that her name was Catherine (probably Reynolds). Hezekiah is believed to have been living
with a granddaughter, Keziah Gentry at the time of the 1820 census when his will was written.
David Gentry Jr
Of all of David Sr.'s children, we probably know the least about David Jr. We have mentioned above that
he was named in a court case, along with his father, in Lunenburg County, Virginia in
1762(8b). In addition, he is probably the David in the Lunenburg tax lists of 1764 who is
given the nickname of "Long David"(4). We also know that David owned two tracts of land
totaling 151 acres in 1790, probably in the vicinity of Big Horse Creek (directly across the Savannah River
from present day Augusta, Georgia)(16bc,21). Despite his ownership of land in Edgefield
District in 1791, he was listed in Pendleton District for the 1790 census (which incidentally was actually
conducted in 1791 in South Carolina). He apparently bought land there, which he sold in 1795, which
was the last we know of him.
There is no information as to David Jr's wife, or of his children. We can only speculate that Joel
Gentry, who settled in nearby Laurens District, South Carolina, and a David Gentry who moved to
Greenville District, were sons. Both appeared in the 1800 census for those districts, Joel remained in
Laurens District, but the younger David moved elsewhere. The identity of other children that were
included in the 1790 census, apparently two daughters and a son, remain entirely guesswork. The son is
thought to have been John Gentry who appeared suddenly in the 1810 Abbeville District census with a
rather large family, and no prior record of association with David (17). John's family, for the
most part, moved to Hall County, Georgia, after 1810. (For convenience, this John is identified as "John
Gentry of Abbeville" in other articles in the Journal of Gentry Genealogy.) The younger David Gentry also
left South Carolina and may have been the David Gentry who settled in Baldwin County, Alabama, before
1820.
As to other children, one would expect David to have had two or three children born in the 1760's,
given his age, but unless one or more of the Spartanburg Gentrys were a part of David's family, we have
no clue to these potential children. The Spartanburg Gentrys will be covered in a journal article at a later
time, but there is no mention in Spartanburg or neighboring Union County records of David ever having
been there. and some at least, of those Gentrys could not have been part of David's family because of
age and other considerations.
John Gentry
The John Gentry who appeared in a court case in Lunenburg County, Virginia, in 1766 can best be
explained as being a son of David Sr(22a). If this is so, it is probable that he was the third in
order of age of David's children. Beyond this brief, inconclusive reference, there is nothing in the land or
census records of South Carolina that give us a clue to his age. We mentioned above in the section on
Hezekiah, that John was named in the last of potential court jurors for Ninety-Six District in 1779 at which
time he was living in Spartan [Spartanburg] District. John has been cited in Revolutionary
War records as having served in the militia after the fall of Charleston(16de). His only
appearance in land records was as a witness in 1790 and 1792(22b). What little else we
know comes from the census records. He was listed in Edgefield District in 1790 and 1810, but in
next-door Abbeville District in 1800. He apparently died between 1810 and 1820 without leaving any will.
John's children, other than a daughter Elizabeth who married Andrew Shelnut, are entirely
speculative. The census records show the presence of two sons in 1790 and apparently four daughters
besides Elizabeth. The two older sons have been suggested as being William and Allen Gentry who
appeared in the tax lists of Roane County, Tennessee, in the 1820's. The addition of another male child
in the 1800 and 1810 census has been suggested to be the Wyatt Gentry who shows up initially in
census records in the 1820 Elbert County, Georgia records. He was included in later Georgia censuses
and in 1850 was listed in Benton County, Alabama, age 59, born in South Carolina. If we are right about
John Sr.'s age, this son, and his two youngest daughters, born well after the youngest of John's other
children, were probably a product of a second, late marriage. A further proposal for John's family is that
the John Gentry family who showed up suddenly in the 1810 Edgefield District census with fourteen
children (17), was the oldest son of our John Sr. If so, he may have been the John Gentry
who was taxed in Wilkes County, Georgia, in 1790, and who then moved on to parts unknown. (For
convenience, this John is identified as "John Gentry of Edgefield" in other articles in the Journal of Gentry
Genealogy.) If this John Jr. was indeed a son of John Sr., his approximate date of birth of roughly 1765
matches well with the estimated age of John Sr. Nicholas Gentry
Nicholas is known far more for his brief time in Tennessee than for anything else. He was listed for jury
duty in Ninety-Six District in 1779, then moved from South Carolina to eastern Tennessee, during the
middle of the Revolutionary War. This move undoubtedly came about in response to contemporary
interest in a Transylvania land company founded by Richard Henderson who negotiated a treaty with
Cherokee Indians for millions of acres of land in Kentucky and northern Tennessee. This was in conflict
with the British Line of Demarcation which restricted settlements to the eastern side of the Appalachian
Mountains, and was declared illegal by both Virginia and North Carolina. With the onset of the
Revolutionary War, would-be settlers wanting to beat the land rush to new western territories began to
flood into eastern Tennessee including a group from South Carolina. Nicholas was apparently among
these. He is thought to have settled briefly in what is now Sullivan County, Tennessee, but was then
Washington County, North Carolina. Nicholas continued westward, probably in 1780, shortly after the
James Robertson trip overland in December 1779 from the Holston River to French Lick on the
Cumberland River, where Robertson founded Fort Nashboro.
There have been persistent stories of Nicholas and a hypothetical son William being killed by Indians
outside the walls of Fort Nashboro. There is no record of Nicholas being included among the fort
inhabitants, but there is no question he died, probably near his home which is believed to have been a few
miles south of the fort. A son, William, did not exist, this story apparently arising from the killing of
another William on the Tennessee River some years later. The North Carolina legislature passed an act
in 1784, stating:
"That the following were killed in the defence and settlement of Davidson County and would be entitled to
a grant of 640 acres of land without any payment due except for payment of the surveyor and office
fees."
Among the names listed, was Nicholas Gentry. This land was later claimed by Nicholas' son John, in
Sullivan County. One son, Randal Gentry, was killed before Nicholas, then John, himself, was killed by
Indians shortly afterwards, but his brothers, George, Samuel, and Nicholas Jr. and sister Nancy,
continued to live in Tennessee for some years afterwards. (George and Nicholas eventually moved to
Texas). Nicholas' widow, the former Elizabeth Gibson, remarried after his death. Simon
Gentry
Simon served as a sergeant in the militia after the fall of Charleston in the Revolutionary
War(16de). He is cited in Edgefield County Court records three times between 1786 and
1789, and his name is found in a mortgage document in 1792(23). Other than these few
citations, and census records, we have found no other records pertaining to Simon. The 1792 document
is significant in that he binds himself to pay his two step-sons, Jeremiah Cobb and Sanders Cobb, for the
use of land belonging to them. They were the children of Simon's second wife, a widow Rebecca Cobb
(the name of her first husband is uncertain). Considering this document, and census records, it appears
probable that this second marriage took place shortly after the 1790 census (as indicated earlier, this
census was actually carried out in South Carolina in 1791). Simon, himself, was not in the census
records after 1790, but had two sons born after that date, so probably died shortly before 1800. His
widow continued to appear in the 1800 and 1810 census. The former year she was listed in Edgefield
District as "Dukey". The latter year, Rebecca was in Abbeville District. In identifying Simon's children, we
can be fairly confident that the two youngest sons, Daniel and Lewis were children of Simon and
Rebecca. His older children are much more problematic. The 1790 census included one son born
before 1774 who may have been the Francis Gentry, who was witnessed a deed in 1798 and was listed
in the 1800 and 1810 Edgefield District census records. The 1790 census also included three sons born
after 1774, two of whom were still living with Simon's widow in 1800. These were all presumably children
of Simon's first wife. One of these teenage sons was probably Allen Gentry who was living near
Rebecca Gentry in Abbeville District in 1810 and who eventually moved to Shelby County, Mississippi.
The other was probably Isaac Gentry who moved to Bibb County, Alabama. The missing son could well
have been the David Gentry who moved to Cherokee territory in Tennessee and eventually married Tiana
Rogers, the half-breed daughter of the famed Cherokee leader John Rogers. Simon appeared to have
had four daughters, one of whom is believed to have been Elizabeth Gentry who married James
Davenport.
Allen Cain Gentry
Like his brothers John and Simon, Cain is credited with serving in the militia in the Revolutionary War in
1781 and 1782(16de). There is a reference to him being an adjoining land owner in a deed
of sale in Edgefield County in 1798(24). This land was in the vicinity of Stephens Creek
(which runs from Abbeville County through the southwest corner of Edgefield County into the Savannah
River). Cain's sons John and Cain Jr. apparently took over this land before or after Cain Sr.'s death, as
there is a record of a sale by each of them in 1809 and 1810 of at least a portion of this land. (Both Cain
Jr. and John can be unambiguously identified in these sales by a reference to the relinquishment of dower
rights by their wives, Judith and Elizabeth respectively). There is also a reference to a Cain Gentry
owning land in Abbeville District in 1808 (presumably an extension of the Stephens Creek land across the
district border). Other references to a Cain Gentry, in Jackson County, Georgia, are also believed to refer
to his son, Cain Jr, (named Cain Allen Gentry as opposed to his father, Allen Cain
Gentry)(27). Cain Sr. was listed in the Edgefield District census records for 1790 and 1800
(the printed AIS indexes have him listed as "Jane" Gentry in that year). There is no apparent reference to
him after 1800, so he is assumed to have died shortly afterwards. Cain married Lydia ("Liddy")
Youngblood, daughter of Peter Youngblood. She probably was a second wife to judge from her own age
(born 1755-1774) and that of some of Cain's older children (e.g. John, David, Cain Jr. and Matthew all
born before 1774 and two of them married by 1790). There is no information about the proposed first
wife. Cain's family has a very unusual census pattern. His oldest son, John, was listed continuously in
South Carolina census records from 1790 to 1840 in Edgefield and Anderson districts. For 1810, none of
the rest of Cain's children can be found in any census records. Then suddenly, in 1820, all but one of his
sons were represented in Pendleton District--John, David's son Archibald, Cain Jr., Matthew, and Bartlett
(only William was missing). This writer has speculated that there may have been a provision in Cain
Sr.'s estate settlement that left his property to his widow, Lydia, during her lifetime, and that she may
have died in 1820, giving rise to a family reunion to dispose of the property.
Elisha Gentry
This son of David Gentry, named for Sarah's brother, Elisha Brooks, was the subject of an article by
Bryant Gentry in this year's March issue of the Gentry Journal. The only South Carolina reference we
have found for him records his service on jury duty in Edgefield County Court in 1787(25a).
Beginning in 1790, and continuing until his death in 1803, Elisha's name appeared a number of times
in tax lists in Wilkes County, Jackson County, and Clark County, Georgia (these do not represent moves
from place to place, but rather the organization of new county boundaries for his
property)(27). His will, which was recorded in Clark County, is summarized here in the
reference section of this article(25b). Further references to an Elisha Gentry in Georgia
after 1803 refer to his son. His widow Neomy (or Naomi) also continued to be listed in Georgia records.
Elijah Gentry
Elijah appears to be the youngest of the sons of David and Sarah Gentry. He joined several of his
brothers in serving in the South Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War(16de), but
then the next reference to him comes in Georgia, not South Carolina(27). Like Elisha, his
name appears occasionally in early Georgia records that predate census and other records, continuing
until perhaps 1802 (later references to an Elijah Gentry in Georgia probably were to Elisha's son). We
have no further knowledge of him until 1818, when Elijah's son, James, was named executor of Elijah's
will in Monroe County, in the newly formed state of Mississippi. From this will, and later court and census
records, we learn that Elijah had children that included James, Simon and Sarah who were all born in
South Carolina, and at least two sons, Elijah Jr., and Josiah who were born in Georgia. In a later divorce
proceeding involving Simon, Elijah's widow is identified as being Hannah Gentry.
Conclusion
We have attempted to present to the reader a comprehensive picture of David Gentry and his family.
There are many questions that remain to be answered concerning David and particularly the details of his
children's descendants. This compilation, however, may be helpful to other researchers by trying to bring
together in one place most of what we know of David, Sarah, and their sons.
| References to David Gentry |
| 1. | "The
Vestry Book of St. Paul's
Parish, Hanover County, Va, 1706-1786",
transcribed & edited by C. G. Chamberlayne, published by The Library Board [of
Virginia], Richmond, 1940, reprinted 1973. Processioning records for 1716 and 1719. |
| (a) |
1716 |
Sep 22 |
p.75 [73]: Vestry meeting: | | | "In Obedience to the [Order of new Kent County Court] its Ordered that all the Tithables
from Golden mine Creek, to Stony run with Mr. Geo. Dabney's Quarter, and Thomas Harris, do assist
Sam'l Gentry in Clearing a road, from Stone Horse Creek to Stony Run." |
| (b) | 1719 | Feb 27 |
p.263 [203] |
| |
[Precinct 24]: "The lands of Mr. John Perkins, John Jones, John Tyler, Peter
Harroldson, John Tinsley, Edw'd Chambers, Mr. Pettis (Edw'd Harris), Jos. Gentry
& Alex. McKenzy, being one Precinct, of which Mr Jn'o Perkins and John Jones were Overseers,
who made this return, according to the Order of vestry the within Land is procession'd by us Feb'r 27,
1719. |
| (c) | 1719 | "8br" [Oct] 10 | p.265 [205]:
Processioning return: |
| |
[Precinct 31]: "The lands of ... Nich'o Gentry, ... Sam'l Gentry, of which
Mr. Geo. Alves & Nich'o Gentry were Overs'rs; who made this return, the within Order
comply'd with ... [signed] Geo. Alves, Nich'o Gentry." | | (d) | 1719 | "8br" [Oct] 10 | p.266 [206] | | |
[Precinct 38]: "Lands of Edward Nix, Rich'd Brooks, Cap't Nath'l West, Jn'o Stone,
Francis Stone, John Burch"; Rich'd Brooks and Edw'd Nix overseers, return dated 8 Feb 1719/20.
[This precinct is 4 away from precinct 31 above, precincts 35-37 missing]. |
| |
| 2. | "Cavaliers and Pioneers, Abstracts
of Virginia Land Patents and Grants"
"Vol III (1695-1732)", abstracted by Nell Marion Nugent, published by Virginia
State Library, Richmond, 1979;
"Vol IV (1732-1741)" and "Vol V (1741-1749), edited. by Denis
Hudgins, published by Virginia Genealogical Society, Richmond, 1994; |
| (a) | 1723 | Feb 20 | Vol III p.260 (Patent Bk 11, p.328): |
| | "Samuel Gentry, 400 acs (new land) Hanover Co., on N.
side the South Anna (Riv), bet. lines of Drumond, Scott & Taylor". |
| (b) | 1724 | Feb 22 | Vol III p.277 (Patent Bk 12, p.145): |
| | "Samuel Gentry, 196 acs (new land) Hanover Co., on both
sides of Beech Cr.; adj. Mr. Alves cor; William Harris' line; & line of Drummond &
Scott". |
| (c) | 1731 | Aug 25 | Vol III p.400 (Patent Book 14, p.219) |
| | "Richard Brooks, Junr, 400 acres (new) Hanover Co., on
both sides of Dirty Sw; adj. Mr. George Alves." |
| (d) | 1742 | Jul 30 | Vol V p.23 (Patent Bk 20, p.347) |
| | "Samuel Gentry, 700 acs. Hanover Co. on both sides of
dirty Sw; adj Clark, Henson & Brooks. 108 acs part formerly gtd Richard Brooks by Pat. 5
[sic] Aug 1731 (Patent Bk 14, p.219, 400 acs to Richard Brooks Junr. dated 15 Aug 1732
[sic]) & by him sold and conveyed unto the sd. Samuel Gentry. The Residue
never before gtd." |
| |
| 3. | Louisa County, Virginia, Deed
Books |
| (a) | 1743 | Jun 13 | Bk(A-75) | | | Richard Brooks of Fredericksville Par., Louisa Co., Planter, for paternal affection for my
son-in-law, David Gentry and his wife, Sarah Gentry, my daughter...100 acres on Dirty
Swamp, Fredericksville Par. Signed: Richard (R) Brooks. Wit: John Venable, John Clark. Ack. 13 Jun
1743 by Richard Brooks. | | (b) | 1743 | Jun
13 | Book(A-77) | | | Richard Brooks of
Fredericksville Par., Louisa Co., Planter, for paternal affection to my son-in-law, Nicholas Gentry,
the younger, and his wife, Mary Gentry, my daughter...100 acres on Dirty Swamp. Signed.
Richard (R) Brooks. Wit: John Venable, John Clark. Ack. 13 Jun 1743 by Richard Brooks. |
| (c) | 1748 | Aug 22 | Bk(A-323) | | | David Gentry of Fredericksville Par., Louisa Co., to John Brooks of same place for
30 pounds, sold 100 acres on both sides of Dirty Swamp and was given by deed of gift 13 Jun 1743 by
Richard Brooks to said David Gentry ... wit: Abra. Venable, John Richardson, Robt. Wathen.
Ack. 28 Aug 1748 by David Gentry & Sarah, his wife, relinq. dower. |
| (d) | 1751 | Aug 6 | Bk(A-433) | | | Thomas Lane of Louisa Co, and Ann, his wife, to John Starke, for 37 pounds, sold 100
acres on Dirty Swamp in Fredericksville Par., conveyed 22 Sep 1746 by Nicholas Gentry, the
younger, and Mary, his wife to said Lane. Signed: Thomas Lane, Ann (A) Lane. Wit: John (X) Brooks,
David (D) Gentry, Allen (X) Gentry. Ack. by Thomas Lane 27 Aug 1751, Ann, his wife,
gave consent. |
| (e) | 1757 | Nov 21 | Bk(B-184) | | | Samuel Gentry of Lunenburg Co VA, Planter, to David Cosby of Louisa Co VA, for
15 pounds, sold 108 acres in Frederickville Par...Signed: Samuel (S) Gentry. Wit: Charles
Cosby Junr., David (D) Gentry. 22 Nov 1757 ack. by Samuel Gentry. |
| |
| 4. | Landon C. Bell,
"Sunlight on the Southside, Lists of Tithes, Lunenburg County, Virginia, 1748-1783", Genealogical
Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1974. |
|
1749 |
David Gentry |
- Tithable List by Hugh Lawson Between Hounds Creek & Meherrin, with Robert
Brooks as a tithable in his household. |
|
1750 |
David Gentry |
- Tithable List by Richd. Witton, with Wm Gentry in his household. | |
1751 |
[David Gentry |
- NOT found on existing Tithable Lists of that year.] | |
1752 |
David Gentry |
- Tithable List by Richd. Witton. |
|
1764 |
David Gentry |
("call him Long David") - Tithable list by David Garland. | | |
| 5. | Lunenburg County Deed
Books
David Gentry as Principal |
| (a) | 1757 | Jul 6 | Bk(4-533) | | | William Embry to David Gentry, both of Lunenburg Co VA, for 40 pounds, sold 112
acres on upper side of Flatt Rock Creek and Beaver pond branch, adj. James Chiswell, being a part of a
larger tract granted 5 Sep 1749 unto Richd. Talliaferro and since conveyed to said Embry in general
court...Recorded 6 Jul 1757. | | (b) | 1759 | Oct
4 | Bk(5-564) | | | David Gentry of Johnson
Co NC to William Cross of Amelia Co VA, for 50 pounds, sold 112 acres, adj. James Chiswell on Flat
Rock Creek...Wit: Richard Gentry, Joseph Gentry, William Burgamy, Robert
Hawkins...Signed: David (mark) Gentry. Recorded 1 Feb 1760. |
| |
| | David Gentry as Witness |
| (c) | 1759 | Dec 12 | Bk(5-558) | | | John McDaniel of Johnston Co NC to William Allen, 200 acres on south side of Meherrin
River in the fork of Little Mountain Creek, adj. James Arnold, James McDaniel, Grainger & Welton.
Wit: James East, Hezekiah Gentry, David (D) Gentry, Moses (M) Govea?
(Cockerham?). |
| (d) | 1760 | Jul 12 | Bk(6-343) | | | Francis Ray of Johnston Co NC to John Brooks of Lunenburg Co VA for 50 pounds, sold
197 acres, adj. Wm Allen's spring branch down Meherring River...mouth of Crooked Creek...Wit: William
(A) Allin, William (W) Gentry, David (D) Gentry. Recorded 3 Feb
1761. |
| (e) | 1760 | Jul 12 | Bk(6-342) | | | Francis Ray of Johnston Co NC to William Gentry of Lunenburg Co, VA, for 25
pounds, sold 50 acres, adj. Andrews' Rock...Wit: William (A) Allen, Allen (A) Gentry,
David (D) Gentry. Signed: Francis ( ) Ray. Recorded 3 Feb 1761. |
| (f) | 1762 | Oct 5 | Bk(7-398) |
| | Joseph Simkins to James Cooper...adj. lands of French Haggard
being part of R. Tallafas [Taliaferro] grant of 5 Sep 1749...Wit: William Gentry, John (B) Brooks,
David (D) Gentry. |
| |
| 6. | Lunenburg County, Virginia, Will
Books
|
| | 1759 | May 6 | Bk(1-290) | | | Will of William Embry. Dated 6 May 1759, Recorded 5 Feb 1760.
| | | Codicil. Dated 7 May 1759 |
| | I left out 3 tracts of land on Flatrock Creek and branch thereof,
formerly granted to Richard Talliaferro and since then conveyed to testator; and since that conveyance
the testator did covenant with and agree to sell to David Gentry, French Haggard, William Allin
& James Chiswell all of this land which they agree to divide. | | |
| 7. | Johnstrong County, North Carolina,
Deed and Patent Books |
| (a) | "Johnston County, North Carolina, Abstracts of Deed
Books A-1 to D-1, 1759 thru 1771", by Weynette Parks Haun, Durham, NC,
1981 |
| | 1759 | Apr 23 | Bk(A1-40) | | | Tibetha Keeton, Johnston Co., widow, to Runell Allin, Johnston Co., for 20 pounds, 220
acres on Richland Creek, Johnston Co., and upper side of said creek, being part of tract granted to
Tibetha in her widowhood...; witnessed by John (X) Gentry, and Wm (X) Manerin;
proved at last Tues of Oct Court, 1759, by Cornelius. | |
| (b) | "The Granville District of North Carolina,
1748-1763", by Margaret M. Hofmann, The Roanoke News Co., Weldon, NC,
1987
Vol II "Abstracts of Land Grants (covering Granville, Halifax, Hyde, Johnston, Northampton, Orange
and Tyrrell Counties)", p.211 |
| | 1761 | Jul 22 | #3308 Patent Book (14-244) |
| | John Spencer granted 700 ac in Johnston County on the south
side of Neuse River joining Brogdens line. Signed: John Spencer; witness: J. Ballard, Robt Rainey.
Surveyed 5 May 1761; chainbearers Millington Blaylock, Saml Gentry; Charley Young
surveyor. |
| (c) | ibid, Vol V "Abstracts of Misc Land Office
Records" |
| | 1761 | May 5 | #4936 | | | (p.88) Plat for John Spencer, 700 ac in Johnston Co., on the south side of Neuse River
joining Brogdens line. Chainbearers: Mickington [?] Blaylock, Samuel Gentry; Charles Young,
surveyor. |
| | 1762 | Jun 7 | #4404 | | | (p.40), Plat for David Allen, 520 ac in Johnston Co. on both sides of Neuse River, joining
Reynold Allen. Chainbearers: Saml Gentry, Robt Cook; Charles Young, surveyor. [Refr #4403,
a warrant for survey, refers to Neuse River at the mouth of Cedar Creek]. |
| |
| 8. | Lunenburg County, Virginia, Order
Books |
| (a) | Administrative Orders |
| | 1755 | Nov Court | Bk(4-64) | | | On motion of Susannah Brooks granted letters of administration of the estate of Richard
Brooks decd, her late husband, giving her security. David Gentry and Robert Brooks, her
security, acknowledged their bond for the due administration of the said estate. Appraisers of Estate:
John Williams, Rep Jones, Samuel Gentry & Drury Moore. |
| | 1756 | Sep Court | Bk(4-201) |
| | Petition by John Hobson & others for a road to be laid and
cleared the best and most convenient way from Reedy Creek church to the forks of Witton's Road. John
Bacon, David Gentry & Simon Gentry to view and examine the way and report to
the next court. |
| | 1756 | Oct Court | Bk(4-214) |
| | John Bacon Sr., Simon Gentry and David Gentry
report on the road from Reedy Creek to forks of Cal'v Witton's Road. Road ordered to be
established. |
| | 1763 | Sep Court | Bk(9-245) |
| | William Burgamy ordered to pay David Gentry for
attendance as a witness at a suit by David Garland against Burgamy. | | |
| (b) | Suits in Settlement of Debt |
| | 1752 | Jul Court | Bk(2 1/2A-72) |
| | Henry Embry Plt vs David Gentry, Deft. Suit dismissed.
|
| | 1752 | Nov Court | Bk(2 1/2A-333) |
| | Henry Embry Plt vs David Gentry, Deft, suit for debt
(£1 16/7). Judgment and costs against the Deft. |
| | 1754 | Jul Court | Bk(3-130) | | | Robert Wade Junior Plt vs David Gentry - in Case. Plt appeared by his
attorney and Deft in his Proper Person. Settlement of a debt. |
| | 1759 | Jun Court | Bk(5-90B) |
| | John Jennings, Plt vs David Gentry, Deft. Existence of
debt by Deft determined by the court and assessed costs. |
| | 1761 | Mar Court | Bk(6-240A) |
| | Theophilus Field, Plt, vs David Gentry, Deft. Suit
dismissed and Plt ordered to pay Deft his costs. | | | 1761 | Jun
Court | Bk(7-65A) | | | Richard Hanson &
Michael (?) Hawkins, Plt, vs David Gentry, Deft. Plt came by his attorney, but Deft came not but
makes default whereupon conditional judgment by the court against Deft and his bail William
Gentry is confirmed. Deft ordered to pay debt plus interest. |
| | 1761 | Dec Court | Bk(7-185B) |
| | Henry Blasgrave(?) vs David Gentry. Deft not coming,
although duly summoned, judgment awarded to Plt with his costs. |
| | 1762 | Apr Court | Bk(8-15A) |
| | Joel Thranicks(?) assignee of Samuel Simkin(?) vs David
Gentry. Deft not appearing altho duly summoned, judgment is ordered for the Plt for cash payment
and fee. |
| | 1762 | Jun Court | Bk(8-35A) |
| | Jonathan Patterson & Hebron vs David Gentry Jr.
& David Gentry Sr. Defts not appearing altho duly summoned, judgment for the Plt against
Deft Gentry Jr. for payment and costs. Dismissed against Gentry Sr. |
| | 1762 | Jun Court | Bk(8-48B) |
| | Jeffrey Ruffaill(?) vs David Gentry. Deft not appearing
altho duly summoned, but makes default, whereupon the conditional order against the Deft and Wm Allen
his bail is confirmed. |
| | 1762 | Jun Court | Bk(8-51B) |
| | Richard Hanson vs David Gentry. Deft comes not altho
duly called and acknowledges debt by default, whereupon the conditional order of the court against the
Deft and his bail William Allen is confirmed. Judgment for payment with terms of payment. |
| | 1764 | Jun Court | Bk(10-96) |
| | John Granger vs David Gentry, upon an attachment. It
appearing to the court that there are no effects, suit dismissed. |
| | 1764 | Jun Court | Bk(10-116) |
| | James Thornton vs Joseph Simpkin and Allen Gentry, in
Debt. Defts came not. Order that the Plt recover against sd Deft Simpkin and David Gentry and
David Brooks, his security. Suit dismissed as to Gentry at his costs. |
| | 1764 | Jun Court | Bk(10-118) |
| | George Potter, assignee of George Brown vs James Denton and
David Gentry, in Debt. Defts came not. Ordered that Plt recover against sd Defts and David
Gentry [sic] and David Brooks their common bail. |
| | 1764 | Aug Court | Bk(10-156) |
| | Zachariah Bullock ordered to pay Joseph Williams, a witness for
him against David Gentry. |
| | 1765 | Apr Court | Bk(11-7) | | | Thomas Tabb, Plt, vs Hezekiah, David, and Joseph Gentry. In
Debt. By agreement suit discontinued and Defts to pay Plt his costs. |
| |
| 9. | "Cumberland Parish, Lunenburg
County, Virginia, Vestry Book 1746-1816", edited by Landon C. Bell, Richmond,
VA, 1930, p.505. |
| | 1760 | Mar 1 | Procession returns, Precinct #14: |
| | Land of Allen Gentry - present Wm &
David Gentry. |
| |
| 10. | "Petitions for Land from the South
Carolina Council Journals, Vol VI, 1766-1770", transcribed by Brent H. Holcomb,
SCMAR, Columbia, SC, 1999, p.39. |
| | 1766 | Nov 4 | [p.861-867] | | | "The following Petitions Praying for Warrants of Survey, to Prolong Warrants and Certifying
Platts were presented and read Viz: |
| | Elisha Brooks |
400 [ac] at (96 [Creek]) South side Saludy River. |
| | Sarah "Gently" [sic] |
450 [ac] between Saludy [Saluda River] and Savannah [River].
[Note. A copy of the plat map dated 7 Jan 1767 for this warrant may be seen online by going to
<http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov> and searching for "Gentry, Sarah"] |
| |
| 11. | "South Carolina Deed Abstracts,
1773-1778", transcribed by Brent H. Holcomb, SCMAR, Columbia, SC, 1993,
p.33 | | | 1772/3 | Dec 31/Jan 1 | Bk(G4,
p.440-444) |
| | Lease and release by Isaac Mitchell of Colleton Co., and Mary his
wife, of 296 ac on a branch of Ninety-six Creek, waters of Saludy River, on a small branch ... adj. land of
... Sarah Gentry ... [and others]. Rec. 7 Jan 1774 [Presumably Sarah still living
as of this date.]
Note. Prior to 1785, all deeds were recorded in Charleston, where the original deed books are still
held. |
| |
| References to David's Children | | 12. | "The Carter Family Ledger, by John
Benjamin Carter (1799-1856)", transcribed by Donald Edwin Gross, Jr. |
| | John Benjamin Carter observed in his journal that "Hezekiah
Jentry" died 4 April 1824 and that he was about 95 years of age at the time. Carter was a brother of
Artemesia Carter who married a grandson of Hezekiah Gentry, Pleasant Burnett Jr., son of Anna Gentry
and Pleasant Burnett Sr. Pleasant Sr. died in 1794 after which Anna remarried and lived long enough to
be listed in Hezekiah's will. While John Carter's relationship was with the Burnett family not the Gentry
family, initially he would have been reasonably aware, at least by reputation, of Hezekiah, but the long
period between the death of Pleasant Sr. in 1790 and Hezekiah's death in 1824 may or may not have had
an effect upon how well Carter still knew Hezekiah by the time he died. | | |
| 13. | Lunenburg County, Virginia, Deed
Books |
| (a) | 1757 | Jul 6 | Bk(4-504) | | | William Embry to Hezekiah Gentry, both of Lunenburg Co VA for 20 pounds, sold
147 acres, adj. French Haggard, being part of a larger tract granted 15 Sep 1749 to Richard Talliaferro
and was conveyed to said Embry in general court. Recorded 3 Aug 1757. |
| (b) | 1761 | Apr 6 | Bk(7-11) | | | Hezekiah Gentry to Allen Gentry for 20 pounds, sold 73 acres granted 5
Sep 1749 to Richard Taliaferro, adj. French Haggard and Joseph Simpkin's corner...Recorded 7 Apr
1761. |
| (c) | 1761 | Apr 6 | Bk(7-20) | | | Hezekiah Gentry to Joseph Simkins, for 8 pounds, sold 73 acres granted 5 Sep
1749 to Richard Taliaferro, adj. to French Haggard. Signed: Hezekiah Gentry. Recorded 7 Apr
1761. |
| |
| 14. | Lunenburg County, Virginia, Court Order
Books |
| (a) | 1755 | Nov Court | Bk(4-32) | | | Hampton Wade,Plt, vs Hezekiah Gentry & Nicholas Gentry, Defts. Plt
came by his attorney, defts in person acknowledging debt. Assessed interest from April 6 last past. By
consent of Plt, payment to be made in 2 months. | | (b) | 1760 | Mar
Court | Bk(6-81A) | | | Hezekiah Gentry, Plt
vs James Campbell & Thomas Nobles, Defts. Plt came by his attorneys but Defts came not.
Judgment against Thomas Nobles and his bail John Hight for debt and costs. As to the other defendant,
James Campbell, the suit is continued to the next court. |
| (c) | 1762 | Dec Court | Bk(8-144A) | | | Richard Hanson vs Drury Hawkins & Hezekiah Gentry. Deft Gentry
not appearing, acknowledging by default his debt, judgment for the Plt, and the Deft is to make payment
with interest from 2 Mar 1762 and costs. Suit dismissed as to Deft Hawkins. |
| (d) | 1763 | Jul Court | Bk(11-114) | | | Richard Hanson vs Hezekiah Gentry et al in Debt. Defts came into Court
and confessed judgment. | | (e) | 1763 | Jul
Court | Bk(11-133) | | | Richard Witton, Sheriff vs
Matthew Wells, Joseph Gentry, Henry Mays, and Hezekiah Gentry, Defts in
Case. | | (f) | 1764 | Apr Court | Bk(9-337) |
| | Henry Vandyke vs Hezekiah Gentry, Deft in Debt. This
day came the Plt by his atty and the Deft in his proper person. The Deft acknowledges the debt.
Arrangements made for settlement. |
| (g) | 1765 | Apr Court | Bk(11-7) | | | Thomas Tabb, Plt, vs Hezekiah, David, and Joseph Gentry. In Debt. By agreement
suit discontinued and Defts to pay Plt his costs. |
| 15. | Surry County, North
Carolina, Tax Lists |
| (a) | "North Carolina Genealogy", vol 17, p.2688 (1971)
[Tax listings for area of Rowan County that was separated as Surry County in 1770, date estimated as
1768] |
| | Capt. Wright district: | |
| | Hezekiah Gentry
Joseph Gentry
Nicholas Gentry | | | (b) | "1782 Tax List of Surry County, North Carolina", transcribed by
Mrs. Robert Taylor, Cimarron, Kansas, 1974 | | | Capt. Martin district: | |
| | Richard Gentry | 200
ac | 3 horses, 4 cows | Fox
Nob |
| | Hezekiah Gentry | 0 | 3
horses | |
| | Samuel Gentry | 400 ac | 3
horses, 6 cows | Fox Nob |
| | Robert Gentry | 0 | 1
horse | |
| | Runnel Gentry | 0 | 2
horses | |
| | Nathaniel Gentry | 0 | 1
horse | |
South Carolina References - General
| 16. | "Gentry
Family", Manuscript compiled by Leonardo Andrea, for Mrs. John F. Gannon,
Montgomery, AL, and part of Leonardo Andrea collection at Univ. of South Carolina Library, Colombia,
SC. |
| (a) | Andrea #2 | | | After the Revolution, a man could take as many acres as he could secure, Index II for land
grants shows: |
| | Hezekiah Gentry | 241
ac on Indian Crk in 96 Dist [Edgefield County], 6 Feb 1784 |
| | Hezekiah Gentry | 100 ac, same location, 6 Mar
1784 |
| | Hezekiah Gentry | 197 ½ ac on Bogins Crk
[Union County], 5 Jan 1784. |
| |
| (b) | Andrea #3 |
| | Index III shows: | | | Hezekiah
Gentry | 77 ac on Indian Creek in 96 Dist, 6 Feb 1796 |
| | David Gentry | 50 ac in 96 Dist, 4 Oct
1790; |
| | David Gentry | 101 ac in 96 Dist, 5 Dec
1791; |
| |
| (c) | Andrea #7 |
| | Land plats indexed after the Revolution show: |
| | Cain Gentry | in Abbeville Dist. in 1808; |
| | David Gentry | 2 in 96 Dist in 1790; |
| | Hezekiah Gentry | 4 in 96 Dist,
1784-1795; |
| |
| (d) | Andrea #8 |
| | Names indexed in SC Historical Commission for Revolution [LA:
may be for service, for supplies, or as witness to some other name]" Cain Gentry, John
Gentry, Elijah Gentry, Hezekiah Gentry, Simon Gentry. |
| |
| (e) | "Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American
Revolution", by Bobby Gilmer Moss, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore,
1985, p.350 |
| | Gentry, Cain | Served in militia under
Capt. Dawson, 1781 and 1782. |
| | Gentry, Elijah | Served as private in
militia. |
| | Gentry, John | Served in militia after fall of
Charleston. |
| | Gentry, Simon | Served as sergeant in
the militia after the fall of Charleston. |
| |
| (f) | South Carolina General Assembly Ordinance, MS
Act No.1123, 20 Apr 1779 |
| | Hezekiah Gentry | pg.80,101 | Spartan District
liable for grand/petit jury | | | John
Gentry | pg.88,104 | Spartan District liable for
grand/petit jury | | | Nicholas
Gentry | pg.89 | Cuffee Town & Turkey Creek
liable for court service |
| 17. | Census Listings for
South Carolina Gentrys |
| 1790 CENSUS |
M(>16) |
M(0-16) |
F |
|
| Edgefield District | |
| | Jentrey, Hez'h
Jentrey, John
Jentrey, Simon
Gentrey, Cane |
4 1 2 4 |
1 2 3 2 |
3 6 5 7 |
|
| Pendleton District | |
| |
Gentry, David |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
| |
| 1800 CENSUS |
Born: Sex |
1790- 1800 |
1784- 1790 |
1774- 1784 |
1755- 1774 |
Bef. 1755 |
|
| Abbeville District | | | p.24 |
Hezekiah Jentry | M F | 0 0 |
0 0 | 0 0 | 0 0 | 1 1 |
|
| p.25 |
John Jentry |
M F |
1 0 |
0 2 |
2 1 |
0 0 |
1 1 |
|
| Edgefield District | | | p.169 |
Becky Jentry (widow of Simon) |
M F |
2 0 |
1 2 |
2 2 |
0 1 |
0 0 |
|
| p.149 |
Cane Jentry |
M F |
0 0 |
1 3 |
1 2 |
1 1 |
1 0 |
|
| |
| 1810 CENSUS |
Born: Sex |
1800- 1810 |
1794- 1800 |
1784- 1794 |
1765- 1784 |
Bef. 1765 |
|
| Abbeville District | | | p.4 |
John Gentry (of Abbeville) | M F |
3 2 |
2 0 |
0 0 |
1 1 |
0 0 |
|
| p.41 |
Rebecker Jentry (widow of Simon) | M F |
1 0 |
1 0 |
1 1 |
0 0 |
0 1 |
|
| Edgefield District | | | p.67 |
John Gentry (of Edgefield) | M F |
2 3 |
2 1 |
3 3 |
0 1 |
1 0 |
|
| p.71 |
Hezekiah Gentry |
M F |
0 0 |
0 0 |
1 0 |
0 0 |
1 1 |
|
| p.79 |
John Gentry |
M F |
0 0 |
0 0 |
1 2 |
0 0 |
1 1 |
|
Selected References to Hezekiah
| 18. | South
Carolina Deed Books |
| (a) | "Edgefield County South Carolina Abstracts of Deed
Books 1 - 12, 1786-1796", Ge Le Corley Hendrix, Southern Historical Press,
Easley, SC, 1985. |
| | 1788 | Jul 18 | Bk(1-244), p.12 |
| | Bartholomew (Bartlett) Corley & Delilah his wife, Yeoman, to
Hezekiah Jentry, Yeoman, all of Edgefield Co., SC for 20 pounds, sold 73 ac on Indian Creek of
Little Saluda River, granted 3 Apr 1786... /s/ Bartholomew Corley, Delilah Corley. Wit: Sanders (X)
Corley, Runnels (X) Gentry, ack 20 Apr 1789. |
| | 1793 | Sep 13 | Bk(9-9), p.125 |
| | Hezekiah Gentry to John Abney, D.S. both of Edgefield
Co., SC for 20 pounds sold 100ac originally granted 6 Mar 1786 unto said Gentry being on head
of Indian Creek of Little Saluda River. /s/ Hezekiah Gentry | | Wit: Thomas (X) Gentry, John Bolger ack 14 Sep 1793 |
| (b) | "Edgefield County South Carolina Deed Books 13, 14,
15", Carol Wells, Heritage Books, Bowie, MD 1997. |
| | 1793 | Oct 10/11 | Bk(13-432) p.33 |
| | Edmund Riggs to Hezekiah Gentry, for 60 pounds, sold
150ac on Bigg Creek branch of Little Saludy, part of original grant to Wm Moulton 1792. /s/ Edmund
Riggs
Wit: James McKnight, David Pugh, Jesse Griffin, ack 14 Apr 1797 |
| | 1795 | Aug 12 | Bk(13-621) p.47 |
| | Hezekiah Gentry to Robert Brooks, for $1000, sold 350ac
on Indian Creek of Little Saluda Rive; 200ac of which adj Hezekiah Burnett, Starlings branch, Runnel
Gentry, James Petty, John Griffin, Robert Gentry, Anthony Lear; the 350ac are part of four
surveys; first granted by Gov Bull 21 Apr 1775 to Peter Whitten for 1200ac; second granted by Wm
Moultrie for 100ac to Bartholomew Corley 3 Apr 1795, third granted by Gov Wm Moultrie to Hezekiah
Gentry for 521ac 6 Feb 1786; fourth not known not being at hand now; all having been sold to
Hezekiah Gentry but what was granted to him. /s/ Hezekiah Gentry, Catherin
Gentry
Wit: Thomas Largent, James Sanford, ack 29 Dec 1797 |
| | 1798 | Mar 3 | Bk(15-196) p.88 |
| | Hezekiah Gentry to Hezekiah Burnett, for $1000 SC
money, sold 100ac being part of survey of 1200 ac originally granted by Gov Wm Bull unto Peter Whitten
21 Apr 1775 and sold by Peter Whitten to James Minge Burton and part thereof by sd James Minge
Burton conveyed to me 11 Oct 1793; first mentioned hundred acres being part of that part which sd
James Minge Burton conveyed to me on both sides of Indian Creek of Little Saluda River bounded by land
of Robert Brooks. /s/ Hezekiah Gentry Wit: Anthony
Leech, James Corly, ack 9 Mr 1798 |
| (c) | Wells, "Deed Books 30 &
31", 1997 |
| | 1813 | Jan 23 | Bk(31-421) p.159 |
| | Hezekiah Gentry to Robert Brooks for $300, sold 100ac
on Indian Creek of Little Saluda River, being part of land originally granted to Peter Abney 21 Apr 1775 by
Gov. Wm Bull, conveyed to me and Jacob Pope decd by James Minge Burton. Bound by Stony Ridge,
lands of Robert Brooks, Jesse Chandler, Red Lick branch, Thomas Warren, Thomas Smith.
/s/ Hezekiah Gentry Wit: Reason Gentry, Absalem Corley,
Robert Gentry, ack 28 Oct 1813 |
| (d) | "Some South Carolina County Records, Vol 2",
Silas Emmett Lucas Jr.,, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1989,
p.517 |
| | 1786 | Aug 8 | Union County Deed Book B-14, p.15
|
| | Hezekiah Gentry and Catarine, his wife, of
Edgefield Co., to James Hogin [also Hogan] of Union Co., for 100 pounds sterling, [sells] 197
½ ac in Union Co. on a branch of Tyger River called Bogan's Creek. Granted to sd. Hezekiah
Gentry on 5 Jun 1786.
Wit: John Jenkins, Robert Leverell, Ridge (X) Hogins. Rec. 25 Dec 1786. | | |
| 19. | " Edgefield County, South Carolina,
Minutes of the County Court 1785-1795", by Brent H. Holcomb, Southern
Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1979. |
| (a) | 1787 | Jan 6 | p.34 (Court Minutes p.60)
|
| | "Ezekial Gentry" [presumed to be Hezekiah
Gentry] ordered to serve as Petit Juror. | | (b) | 1790 |
Jan 11 | p.130 (Court Minutes p.300) |
| | Hez Gentry ordered to serve as Petit Juror. |
| (c) | 1794 | Oct 13 | p.152 (Court Minutes
p.8) |
| | On application for Hezekiah Gentry for letters of admn. on
Pleasant Burnetts estate. Granted |
| (d) | 1795 | Jan 5 | p.161 (Court Minutes
p.34-35) |
| | Ordered that all the personal estate of Pleasant Burnett dec'd be
sold at the house of Hezekiah Gentry on the fourth Month in January instant. | | |
| 20. | WPA Will Transcriptions, Edgefield
Co., Bk 3, p. 228-229, abstract: |
| | Hezekiah Gentry will sg. 19 Jan 1820, pr. 17 Apr 1824 in
Edgefield Co. |
| | Wife: | [None listed--presumed
dead]; |
|   | Children: | Runnels Gentry...
Anna Teer... Gillie Abney... Robert Gentry...
Delilah Taiket... Elizabeth Nichols... Thomas Gentry dead and to
his widow Sarah in trust for his children... Mourning Gentry dead and her share to her
children; |
| | Grandson: | Runnels Gentry, son of
Hezekiah Gentry; |
| | Exec: | Runnels Gentry, Robert
Gentry; |
| | Wit: | Gilson Yarborough, Richard Coleman, &
Nathan Trotter. |
| |
| 21. References to David Gentry (Jr) |
| (a) |
See Lunenburg County, Virginia, County Court Orders Bk 8, p.35A, June
1762 (refr. 8(b) above) |
| (b) | 1793 | Nov 15 |
Edgefield County Deed Bk(11-96) p.169 | | | David Gentry witnessed mortgage between Abraham Richardson and Joseph
Hightower... for 890ac part of tract... on Big Horse Creek ack 16 Jan
1794 |
| (c) | "Pendleton District, South Carolina, Deeds
1790-1806", Betty Willie, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1982,
p.92 |
| | 1795 | Jul 10 | Pendleton County Conveyance Book
C/D, p.50 (1795-1799) |
| | "I, David Gentry sell to Major Gentry, horses,
hogs, beds, and furniture for 40 dollars." Signed David (his mark) Gentry; wit:
Evin Smith, Jas. McBride; Recorded 7 Aug 1795. | | (d) | See also Andrea references #16(b) and #16(c) above. | | |
| 22. | References to
John Gentry |
| (a) | Lunenburg County, Virginia, Order Books
| | | 1766 | Aug Court | Bk(11-188) |
| | Paul Carrington vs Joseph Gentry and John
Gentry, Defts in Debt. Defts not inhabitants of this county, suit abates. |
| | 1770 | Aug 2 | | | Estate of William Stone: credits include John Gentry. Recorded 9 Aug
1770. |
| (b) | Corley, loc cit. |
| | 1790 | Oct 1 | Bk(5-7) p.55 |
| | David Siglar, Sr to George Sigler, both of Edgefield Co., SC for 25
pounds,sold 126ac being part of a grant until said Sigler Sr. /s/ David Siglar Sr Wit:
Wm Watson, Sr, John (+) Gentry, ack 4 Dec 1791. |
| | 1792 | Dec 26 | Bk(8-5) p.101 |
|
George Seglar to John Hardy, both of Edgefield Co. SC for 50 pounds, sold 128ac
where said Seglar now lives. /s/ George (X) Seglar Wit: James Baker, Chearls
[sic Charles?] Bussey, John (X) Gentry ack 2 Mar 1793 |
|
| (c) |
See also refr #16(d), (e) and (f) above. | | |
| 23. | References to
Simon Gentry | | (a) | Corley, loc.
cit. | | | 1792 | Jul 11 | Deed Bk(7-245) p.93 |
| | Simon Gentry to my step-sons Jeremiah Cobb &
Sanders Cobb property made use of belonging to said step-sons; am bound for 50 pounds provided said
50 pounds is not demanded in less time than 4 yrs & for better securing of payment have sold 147
ac on head of little Creek adj N by William Thomas & the land where said Gentry now lives;
also horses, cattle & household furniture. /s/ Simon Gentry Wit: Green
Moore, Martin Morgan, ack 11 Jul 1792. | | (b) | "Edgefield County South Carolina Deed Books 27, 28 and 29", Carol
Wells, Heritage Books, Bowie, MD 1998. |
| | 1805 | Nov 25 | Deed Bk(27-227) |
| | Sanders Cobb to William Dorris of Abbeville District, for $230
deeds 47 ac of waters of Cuffeetown Creek of Savannah River. /s/ Sanders (x)
Cobb
Wit: Thomas Lively, Nathl Day; Justice John Lyon certifies the relinq of dower rights by Rebecca
Gentry, widow of Simon Jentry, 26 Nov 1805; ack 28 Jan 1806> | | (c) | "Edgefield County, South Carolina, Minutes of the County Court
1785-1795", Brent H. Holcomb, Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC,
1979. |
| | 1786 | Apr 12 | p.12 (Court Minutes
p.22) |
| | Judgment by Fields Perdiew & Co against Simon
Gentry. |
| | 1788 | Apr 16 | p. 81 (Court Minutes
p.168) |
| | Judgment by Drury Pace against Simon Gentry. |
| | 1789 | Jan 12 | p.107 (Court Minutes p.226) |
| | Judgment revived for Fields Pardue Cunnington and Moore vs
Simon Gentry. |
| (d) | See also refr. #16(d) and #16(e) above. | | |
| 24. | References to Allen Cain
Gentry |
| (a) | "Edgefield County, South Carolina Deed Books 16, 17
and 18", Carol Wells, Bowie, MD,1997 |
| | 1798 | Jun 9 | Bk(16-152) p.11 |
| | John Hancock to Thomas Hancock, for 100 pounds sterling, sold
221ac bounded on lands of Cain Gentry, John Hancock Jr., Simon Hancock, William Hancock.
/s/ John Hancock, Ann Hancock Wit: George Hancock, Peter Hancock, ack 7
Dec 1798 |
| (b) | See also refr. #16(c), #16(d) and #16(e) above. | | |
| 25. | References to Elisha
Gentry |
| (a) | Holcomb, loc.cit. |
| | 1787 | Jul 9 | p.47 (Court Minutes
p.91) |
| | Elisha Gentry ordered to serve on next Petit
Jury. |
| (b) | Clarke County Georgia Ordinary Court Wills |
| | 1803 | Sep 3 | Bk(A-9) | | | Will of Elisha Gentry bequeathing to wife Neomy, sons Elisha,
Elijah, Martin, David, Cain, and Micajah and daughter
Patience;
names Elisha Gentry and Jacob Martin executors. Rec. 7 Jun 1804 in Ledger B.A.
Folio 9. |
| |
| 26. | References to Elijah
Gentry |
| (a) | "The Early History of Jackson County, GA",
J. N. Wilson, 1914 |
| | 1797 | Aug 4 | Elijah Gentry appointed
constable. |
| (b) | "Gone to Georgia, Jackson and Gwinnett Counties and
their Neighbors in the Western Migration", William C. Stewart, National
Genealogical Society, 1965, p.281 |
| | 1799 | Aug 4 | Elijah Gentry appointed a justice of the
peace. |
| (c) | "The Reconstructed 1790 Census of Georgia",
Marie DeLamar and Elisabeth Rothstein, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore,
1985. |
| | p.170 | | Elijah Gentry, juror, Wilkes
Co. |
| (d) | "Jackson County Georgia - Superior Court Records
1796-1803", Teresa W. Dunn & Vivian Walls, , |
| | Oct 1796 - Oct 1802 | | | pg.48 Grand Jurors drawn for next term listed: Elijah
Gentry and Cain Gentry [Jr.] | | | pg. 74 Petit Jurors for next term listed: Elijah
Gentry |
| (e) | See also refr. #16(d) and #16(e) above. |
| 27. | Miscellaneous Georgia References, 1790-1805 [Note.
Jackson County was split from Franklin County in 1796; Jackson County was divided further in
1801 by the formation of Clarke County; Oglethorpe County was formed from Wilkes County in
1793; Lincoln County was formed from Wilkes County in 1796.] | | |
Date |
Name |
County |
Citation |
Refr. |
| | 1790 | Elijah | Wilkes | tax | (1) |
| | 1790 | Elisha | Wilkes | tax, 200 ac + 1
slave | (1) |
| | 1790 | John |
Wilkes | tax | (1) |
| | 1799 | Elijah |
Jackson | tax | |
| | 1799 | Elisha |
Jackson | tax | |
| | 1799 | Cain [Jr.] | Jackson | jury
list | |
| | 1799 | William |
Jackson | jury list | |
| | 1800 | Elisha |
Columbia | grant | (2) |
| | 1800 | Tyrey |
Franklin | tax | (5) |
| | 1801 | Cain [Jr.] |
Jackson | tax | |
| | 1801 | Elijah | Jackson | tax | |
| | 1801 | Elisha |
Jackson | tax | |
| | 1801 | Elijah |
Clark | tax | |
| | 1801 | Elisha |
Clark | tax | |
| | 1801 | Elisha |
Clark | tax | |
| | 1801 | James |
Lincoln | | |
| | 1801 | Tyce (Tyre?) |
Franklin | tax | (5) |
| | 1802 | Elijah |
Clark | tax, 150 ac | (4) |
| | 1802 | Elisha |
Clark | tax, 1 slave | (4) |
| | 1803 | Elijah |
Clark | tax, poll | (4) |
| | 1803 | James |
Clark | tax, poll | (4) |
| | 1803 | Elisha |
Clark | tax, poll | (4) |
| | 1803 | Elisha |
Clark | tax, 1 slave | (4) |
| | 1804 | Elijah [Jr.?] | Jackson | tax,
poll | (4) |
| | 1804 | Naomy |
Jackson | tax, 325 ac, 1 slave | (4) |
| | 1804 | Elisha [Jr.] | Jackson | tax,
poll | (4) |
| | 1804 | Elijah |
Clark | tax, poll | (4) |
| | 1804 | James |
Clark | tax, poll | (4) |
| | 1805 | Elijah |
Clark | tax, poll | (4) |
| | 1805 | Naomi |
Jackson | tax, 325 ac | (4) |
| | 1805 | Naomi |
Clark | 1 slave | (4) |
| | 1805 | Elisha |
Clark | tax, poll | (4) |
| | 1805 | Elijah |
Clark | tax | (4) |
| | 1805 | Cain [Jr.] |
Jackson | grant | (3) |
| | 1805 | Tyre |
Franklin | land lottery | (7) |
| | 1805 | William |
Oglethorpe | land lottery | (7) |
| | Sources
1. Frank Parker Hudson, "A 1790 Census for Wilkes County Georgia", The Reprint
Co., Spartanburg, SC, 1988, p.87.
2. Rev. Silas Lucas Jr., "Index to the Headright and Bounty Grants of Georgia,
1756-1909, Southern Historical Press, 1982, p.223. 3. Ibid., p.326. 4.
Larry W. Parr, "Clark County Georgia Tax Digest", "Gentry Family Gazette &
Genealogy Exchange", vol 2, p.54 (#10, Dec 1981), published by Richard H. Gentry, McLean,
VA.
5. Ronald Vern Jackson, "Early Georgia, 1733-1819", Accelerated Indexing Systems,
Bountiful, UT, p.173.
6. Ibid., p.251.
7. Virginia S. Wood and Ralph V. Wood, "1805 Georgia Land
Lottery", The Greenwood Press, Cambridge, MA, 1964.
[A married man was entitled to two draws, a bachelor over 21 to one; blank = unsuccessful
draw.] |
Revised August 2008
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