DANIEL HENDERSON

 Daniel Henderson was born about 1790 in Edgefield District, South Carolina, his age being determined by census records, especially the 1850 census. 

Around 1816 Daniel married for the first time in or near Abbeville, South Carolina. There is no marriage record since South Carolina did not require marriage license until the early 1900's. Most online trees say his first wife was Sarah Valentine. At least two sons were born to them while in South Carolina. Along with several other related families, Daniel and his wife and young sons migrated to Clarke County, Alabama prior to 1820. On 20 August 1822, Daniel registered his livestock mark and his brand as D.H.

According to the 1830 census in Clarke County, Alabama, Daniel and his wife have added three more sons and two daughters. There is one male and one female 30-39 years old; 2 males under 5 yrs; 3 males 5-9 yrs. and 1 female 5-9 yrs. 

Sometime between 1830 and 1840 Daniel's first wife died. It is not known if that happened in Alabama or in Smith County, Mississippi.

About 1835 the Daniel Henderson family had left Alabama and relocated to Smith County, Mississippi. Another family who traveled with them was the Levi Thorntons. Family stories passed down say that Daniel and his family lived in their covered wagon until their first crop was in and then they built a cabin to house the family. The Daniel Henderson family appears on the Smith County, Mississippi census in 1840. By this time Daniel has married Sarah Catherine Thornton. 

Daniel, his wife and the children still at home, appear in the 1850 census but that is the last census where Daniel or his wife appear. On 22 June 1850 Daniel joined the Leaf River Baptist Church near Pineville, Mississippi. According to the surviving minutes of the church, he was baptized the following day. It is not stated when Sarah joined the church. On 18 March 1854, both Daniel and Sarah were granted letters of dismission from this church. This is the last known or surviving record of either Daniel or Sarah Thornton Henderson. Since they lived in Smith County along with many of their children and other relatives, it is assumed they died and are buried there but the location is unknown.

Daniel Henderson also appears in some Mississippi State and Territorial Census Records. 

DANIEL'S WIVES

Daniel Henderson had two wives and without any evidence of actual marriages, the difference can be seen in the census records. In the 1830 census Daniel and his wife were in the same age category of 30-39 years old. In 1840 Daniel is 50-60 years and his wife is 30-40 years old. In 1850 Daniel is 60 years old and his wife Sarah is 42 years. Daniel's first wife, who he married either in South Carolina, is reportedly Sarah "Sallie" Valentine who died about 1836. Daniel's second wife is said to be Sarah Catherine Thornton whose father was Levi Thornton. In fact, on the 1840 census Levi and Daniel are listed on the same census page.

CHILDREN OF DANIEL HENDERSON AND 1ST WIFE (POSSIBLY SARAH VALENTINE)

1. William David Henderson b. 1817 South Carolina d. 1885 Smith County, Mississippi

2. Caroline Henderson b. 1820/21 SC or AL d. 10 Oct 1900 Smith County, Mississippi

3. James H. Henderson b. 8 Aug 1821 Clarke County, Alabama d.3 Apr 1909 Rapides Parish, Louisiana

4. Newton Henderson b. 1822/23 Clarke County, Alabama d. Unknown

5. Richard Henry Henderson b. 21 Sept 1828 d. 1899 Lawrence County, Mississippi

6. Alexander Henderson b. 1834 d. after 1861 Attala County, Mississippi

CHILDREN OF DANIEL HENDERSON AND 2ND WIFE SARAH CATHERINE THORNTON

1. Nathan Henderson b. 1839 d. 29 July 1922 Smith County, Mississippi

2. Harriett Henderson b. 15 Oct 1840 d. 15 May 1921 Smith County, Mississippi

3. Benjamin Franklin Henderson b. 3 Nov 1842 d. 9 July 1926 Smith County, Mississippi

Link to Daniel Henderson profile on WikiTree: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Henderson-10740

SOURCES

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4LN-RJC : 12 April 2016), Daniel Henderson, Smith county, Smith, Mississippi, United States; citing family 208, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHPL-WR5 : 11 August 2017), Daniel Henderson, Clarke, Alabama, United States; citing 228, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 2; FHL microfilm 2,329.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRL-2ZK : 7 September 2017), Daniel Henderson, Smith, Mississippi, United States; citing p. 235, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 217; FHL microfilm 14,841.
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. Mississippi, State and Territorial Census Collection, 1792-1866 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Mississippi State and Territorial Censuses, 1792-1866. Microfilm V229. 3 rolls. Heritage Quest. Daniel Henderson, Smith County 1841. Line 4, v229_3.
5. ↑ Ancestry.com. Mississippi, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1805-1890 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999. Original data: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Mississippi Census, 1805-1890. Compiled and digitized by Mr. Jackson and AIS from microfilmed schedules of the U.S. Federal Decennial Census, territorial/state censuses, and/or census substitutes.Daniel Henderson 1845 Smith County. Mississippi 1845 State Census Index.

• Land Patent #4941, 1841, he had 80 acres in Smith County, Mississippi. Info courtesy John Henderson (John.Henderson at ps.net).

• Smith County, Mississippi and its Families 1833-2003. Compiled and Published by Smith County Genealogical Society. Raleigh, Mississippi. c2003. Accessed at the Dallas Public Library, 1 November 2019.

JAMES H HENDERSON - UPDATE ON PARENTS

 

The last post about James H. Henderson still had the dubious parents Richard Henderson and Temperance Unknown. The problem was that there was not a son of the correct age in the household of Richard Henderson in Clarke County, Alabama in 1830. The second problem was that Richard Henderson died in 1839, Temperance and the children disappeared; she did not make an ordered second court appearance in Clarke County, Alabama concerning the appointment of and administrator for the estate of Richard and there was no other record.

Another issue was that James H. Henderson somehow traveled to and ended up in Simpson County, Mississippi and still with no apparent family. People did not take off by themselves in those early years to travel through the wilderness and still occupied Native Indian land.

Now, James H Henderson has a birth family. Daniel Henderson lived in Clarke County, Alabama during the years when James Henderson was born and growing up. On the 1830 census there are three sons in the same age group as James. In the 1830’s and before the 1840 census Daniel Henderson appeared in Smith County, Mississippi. There, in the 1840 census there are two possibilities for James Henderson to be one of the sons in the proper age category.

Smith County is adjacent to Simpson County where James Henderson and wife Sarah plus their children were living in the 1850 census. There was a record loss in Smith and Simpson Counties so many records were lost including marriage and land records. Piecing together James with his birth family has not been easy but with the help of descendants of Daniel Henderson, it has all come together.

The children of James had the following names: Allen W (maybe William), Richard C., Dorothy, Caroline Elizabeth, James W. (some have Walter), Henry, Sarah Frances and Yosebia Lavinia (these last two are Odom family names).

The children of Daniel which includes James H. and his siblings: William David, Caroline, James H., Newton, Richard Henry, Alexander. (these are James’ full siblings). There are three half-siblings: Nathan, Harriett and Benjamin Franklin. James did not name a child Newton but this name popped up as a grandchild of James and Sarah Frances. Alexander and Lydia also appeared as grandchildren’s names. Lydia was a name also from the Odom family.

The solidifying evidence that this is James’ birth family is the DNA evidence. There are descendants from several of Daniel’s children who match descendants of James H. Henderson. Matches appear on Ancesty DNA, FamilyTree DNA and on GedMatch. The matches appear in the range of 4^th cousins plus or minus a degree, which is the expected range of relationships.

Link to James H. Henderson profile on WikiTree: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Henderson-5678