SPECULATIONS ON THE FAMILY OF
NATHANIEL GENTRY
Of South Carolina and Kentucky
by
Willard Gentry
(Replacement of Issue C, 2006)
( Rewritten July 2015)
Introduction
Only a handful of references exist concerning the Nathaniel Gentry who lived in Spartanburg
District in South Carolina in the years before 1800 and who seems to be the same Nathaniel
Gentry as appeared in the 1810 census in Pulaski County, Kentucky. Yet enough information
can be inferred from the record that we can surmise that he was one of the patriarchs of the
third generation of Gentrys. The purpose of this article to present a series of speculations, that
taken together, will present a cohesive and logical picture of Nathaniel and his family. We can
liken this to a long-neglected tapestry hanging on the wall, speckled throughout with moth
holes. At close range, if one were to try to make out the details of the pattern, there are far
too many holes to perceive them. At a distance, looking at a much broader view of the entire
tapestry, one may be able to discern the pattern in spite of the holes.
[The original version of this article has been withdrawn and replaced
by this one which has been extensively revised to reflect more recent conclusions concerning
relationships of the Gentry family as a whole. The article has been revised a second time to
take into account new information that has been developed concerning both Nathaniel's
immediate family and also the family of his proposed son, Matthew.]
Early Life of Nathaniel Gentry
Nathaniel was probably born about 1740 in Hanover County, Virginia. There is no definitive evidence as to the identity of Nathaniel's father. Conjecture, speculation, "educated guesswork", whatever you want to call it suggests that his father most likely was Samuel Gentry, son of Nicholas Gentry, the Immigrant. This has been discussed in more detail in an earlier issue of the Gentry Journal<1>. Samuel spent most of his younger years in Hanover County, Virginia, then in 1742 received a grant of land in Louisa County, settling along a small stream with the unappealing name of Dirty Swamp. Presumably Nathaniel was born shortly before this move. In about 1750, preceded by his sons Nicholas, Joseph and William, Samuel moved with most of the rest of his family to Lunenburg County.
With Nicholas Gentry in the lead again, most of the Samuel Gentry family left Lunenburg County for North Carolina between 1765 and 1770, drawn by vacant land made available by the termination of the so-called Granville District Land Grants that restricted access to a wide band of territory just south of the Virginia border. Nicholas and his brothers Joseph, Richard, and William all moved to Surry County, North Carolina; Allen and his father, went to Caswell County, North Carolina.
There was virtually no record of Samuel Jr. during this time and there are suggestions that he may have remained for a further period of time in the Lunenburg-Mecklenburg County area of Virginia. Eventually he joined his brothers in Surry County, North Carolina, filed for a land grant there, then left it to move to what became Spartanburg District, South Carolina. As for Nathaniel, there have been absolutely no references found to him until 1782 when he appeared in the tax records of Surry County, North Carolina<2>. This writer speculates that during most of this time he was with his hypothesized brother, Samuel, staying in Virginia for a time, then moving to South Carolina.
The Surry County tax record for 1782 also includes a Nathaniel Gentry as well as Hezekiah, the oldest son of David-II Gentry (a brother of Samuel) and Hezekiah's two oldest sons, "Runnels" (a spelling variation of Reynolds) and Robert. Hezekiah, his sons, and Nathaniel were present in the county long enough to be taxed for their horses, but were not taxed for any cows or land as were the other Gentrys in the tax list. Reading between the lines, their presence in North Carolina may have been due to the fact that in the second half of 1780, Robert Gentry, and two younger brothers, Hezekiah Jr. and William served for short periods of time in the Loyalist militia. This militia had been organized by the British General Cornwallis after the capture of Charleston, to support his base of supply there and to provide control of the countryside as Cornwallis' armies advanced inland to occupy South Carolina. After Cornwallis' defeat at Yorktown, in October 1781, the newly- established South Carolina Legislature passed the Confiscation Act of 1782 by which land was taken from some 200 Loyalist sympathizers. Many hundreds of other Loyalists had no land confiscated but were persona non grata to their neighbors. Because Nathaniel was with Hezekiah in North Carolina, he may have shown Loyalist sympathies also, and both families felt unwanted in South Carolina. Their Loyalist activities were apparently not strong enough to prevent them from going back home within the following year. It was not long before both Nathaniel and Hezekiah acquired land grants and appeared to be in the good graces of the authorities.
Nathaniel Gentry in Spartanburg County/District, South Carolina
The next series of records concerning Nathaniel were in Spartanburg County/District, South Carolina. [Note. We have discussed in earlier articles some of the history of the organizing of counties in western South Carolina. In particular, this included naming the governmental entities, "districts" rather than "counties". On 1 Jan 1800, Spartan County became interchangeably Spartan District and Spartanburgh District. Through usage and time, the "h" in Spartanburgh was dropped, and the name evolved to Spartanburg. South Carolina retained this practice of naming its sub-divisions as "districts" rather than "counties" until 1868. We shall use the title "district" for records subsequent to 1799 or for non-specific use, otherwise use the title "county". ]
Ninety-Six District, SC, 1790
(shaded areas added from Indian Lands)
The few records involving Nathaniel can be summarized in a few lines of
text:
- 1786 Nathaniel listed in an index for South Carolina land grants for 170 acres on the Tyger River<3a>.
- 1790 Nathaniel included in Federal census with eight members in his household (2 males over 16; 3 males less than 16; 3 females) [the census was actually conducted in South Carolina in 1791(Spartanburg return is dated 16 May 1791) rather than 1790]<4>.
- 1791 "Nansey Gentry" (assumed to be a misspelling or misreading of "Nathaniel"), witnessed a sale of land on the middle branch of the Tyger River in Spartanburg County<5a>.
- 1792 Nathaniel entered into a deed of bondage [a mortgage] for 100 acres of land on the South fork of the Tyger River. Boundary marking witnessed by Allen Gentry (and others)<5b>.
- 1793 Another index of South Carolina land holdings included Nathaniel with 534 acres of land on the Pacolet River in Greenville County, South Carolina<3b>. [The South Fork of the Pacolet River starts in Greenville County, then enters and flows across the full width of Spartanburg County.]
Nathaniel Gentry in Pulaski County, Kentucky
There is only one subsequent reference to a Nathaniel Gentry that could logically be for the Nathaniel who lived in South Carolina. This is in the 1810 census for Pulaski County, Kentucky in which the household listed for Nathaniel contained a man and woman born before 1765, one man born before 1784, along with eleven other individuals<13>. We will have more to say about these individuals later. For the moment, it is enough to suggest:
- Nathaniel, as the head of house, was the man who was over 45 years of age at the time.
- We will assume that at least the majority of the other members of the household were children, spouses, and grandchildren of Nathaniel.
- The lack of any further reference to this family in the 1820 census in Kentucky or any of the surrounding states, suggests that Nathaniel probably died between 1810 and 1820, and that his family scattered to locations other than Pulaski County.
Family of Nathaniel Gentry Based on 1790 Census
Based upon the individuals enumerated with Nathaniel in the 1790 Federal census, we can propose a family at that point in time that contained at a minimum:
One son over 16 years of age (i.e. born before 1774 [1775 correcting for census date?]) and probably a spouse;
Three sons less than 16 years of age (i.e. born 1774 - 1790 [1791]);
One daughter of indeterminate age.
Can we add to this family? The first place to look for additional members is within Spartanburg District -- either still living there in 1790 or previous residents of the district who had moved on. During the period preceding and including the census, in addition to Nathaniel there were references to the following Gentrys:
- 1779 Hezekiah, John, and Nicholas Gentry included in a listing by the South Carolina General Assembly of persons in Ninety-Six District that were liable for jury or other court duty<6>.
- 1780 Richard Gentry enlisted in the South Carolina Militia while living along the Tyger River in Union County [adjoining Spartanburg]<8>.
- 1789 Nicholas Gentry called for jury duty in Spartanburgh County Court<8a>.
- 1789 Samuel Gentry appeared as a plaintiff in Spartanburgh County Court<8b>.
- 1790 Allen "Jentry" (1-0-2), "Sam'l Jentry" (2-2-1), "Tyreh(?) Jentry" (1-1-2), and Samuel Gentry (3-2-5) listed in Federal census for Spartanburgh County<4>.
Let us deal with these one by one. By 1790, Hezekiah and John Gentry, whom we can identify as sons of David-II Gentry, were living in Edgefield District. Nicholas moved to the precursor of Tennessee in 1779 and was killed by Indians a few years later. Richard Gentry was a veteran of the Revolutionary War whose record is contained in his application for military benefits. There is no information as to where he settled after the war, but by 1792 he had moved to Surry County, North Carolina, where he was married. In any case, Richard testified as to his birth in December 1755 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. This is almost twenty years before the oldest of Nathaniel's known sons so we consider him too old to be a member of Nathaniel's family.
Allen Gentry, a younger Nicholas Gentry, and one of the two Samuel Gentrys can be accounted for as one family. From an 1801 deed in Surry County, North Carolina, we find that "Allen Gentry, Nicholas Gentry, Jeremiah Gentry and Samuel Gentry, joint heirs of Samuel Gentry, dec'd, of the State of South Carolina" disposed of 400 acres of land owned by their father in North Carolina. Allen Gentry and the "Samuel Gentry" of the 1790 census represent one of these sons and the balance of the family just prior to Samuel's death. We shall refer to this Samuel as "Samuel Gentry the Elder". The Nicholas who was called for jury duty in 1789 is also assumed to be one of these sons.
We are left with two Gentrys for whom we have not yet accounted. The Samuel who was listed in the census as "Sam'l Jentry" is believed to be a brother of the 1779 Nicholas, a son of Nicholas Gentry of North Carolina. We shall refer to this Samuel as "Samuel Gentry the Younger". The census listing for this family included in addition to Samuel, two males older than 16, two males younger than 16, and five females, one of whom is assumed to have been Samuel's spouse, Frances. It seems obvious that this family was one that paralleled Nathaniel's in age and none of them could be considered as part of the latter's family.
The remaining 1790 census returns in South Carolina involving Gentrys were for Edgefield and Pendleton Counties. All of these involved other members of the family of David-II. Sons of David in the census included "Hez'h Jentrey" (Hezekiah), "John Jentrey", "Simon Jentrey", and "Cane Gentrey" (Allen Cain) in Edgefield County, and David Gentry Jr. in Pendleton County. Two sons of Hezekiah, Robert and Reynolds and one son of Cain, ("Jon' Gentry") were also listed in Edgefield County. Across the Savannah River in Wilkes County, Georgia, tax lists for 1790 add the names of two other sons of David Sr. living there, namely Elisha and Elijah. None of these are possible additions to Nathaniel's family.
Tyre/Tyree/Tyreh or "Tigak" Gentry
We are left with "Tyreh Jentry", with the only reference to him within the district being the
census report. There has been much controversy and uncertainty as to the actual spelling of
this individual's first name in the census. Examination of the original census report shows the
name to be ink-smeared and apparently over-written by the census taker. For years census
indices reported it as "Tigak". Digital manipulation of copies of the original are consistent with
the possibility that the entry may have been "Tyreh". Descendants of a Tyre Gentry family that
lived in Franklin County, Georgia between 1800 and 1805, and subsequently moved to
Tennessee and finally Arkansas are satisfied that this represents the first reference to their
ancestor. [For further details relating to this identification, and for more information about
Tyre's family, readers are referred to an article by Tom J. Gentry in a previous issue of the
Gentry Journal<9>.]
The 1790 census reports for this family show a husband (Tyre) and wife, one son less than sixteen years of age, and a second female<4>. This is certainly consistent with known family facts which include:
William son born 1788 in South Carolina
Nathaniel's Family (Continued) - 1791
From the facts printed above we can propose a preliminary outline of Nathaniel Gentry's family
as of the time of the 1790 census.
- Nathaniel was probably married in late 1764 or possibly early 1765 if Tyre was born in April 1766 and was the oldest child of Nathaniel. Assuming the normal age for men to be married at that time, Nathaniel was probably born between about 1740 (possibly earlier) to perhaps 1743. This would put Nathaniel in the position of youngest or next to youngest of children of Samuel-II Gentry, Nathaniel's proposed father.
- Son Tyre (or Tyree) born before 1784 (probably the oldest child).
- Son born before 1774 and presumably a wife (see discussion below).
- Three Sons born between 1774 and 1791.
- A Daughter probably born shortly before or after 1770 (otherwise she was likely to have been married by 1790).
Nathaniel's Family Moves North
We have no information as to when Nathaniel left South Carolina, but he was missing from the
1800 census. The last record of anyone in his presumed family in Spartanburg County, South
Carolina, was in 1796 when Matthew appeared in court. The next and final reference to
Nathaniel was in the 1810 census for Pulaski County, Kentucky<13>. A proposed son and
two proposed grandchildren of Nathaniel (who will be discussed further below) indicated
birthplaces in South Carolina in the 1850 census, the latest approximate date being 1805. This
suggests that the family moved between 1805 and 1810 and their absence from the 1800
census was not because of absence but just a not uncommon case of being missed by the
census taker.
Nathaniel's move probably took him by way of Surry County. From there, he would have followed the Boone Trail established by Daniel Boone from the Yadkin River in Surry County across the northern part of North Carolina to the Holston River in Tennessee. At that point, Nathaniel would have picked up Boone's Wilderness Trail through Cumberland Gap to his destination. This trail had been cleared by Daniel Boone also, and widened in 1792 to allow wagon traffic. It would be interesting to know how much influence Nathaniel's Gentry relatives in Surry County had on his decision to move to Kentucky. For some reason, the years between 1800 and 1810 saw quite a number of migrations westward by these Gentrys. Richard Gentry's son, Richard Jr. was missing from the 1800 Surry County census and is believed to have left the county just before then. There was a Richard Gentry present in the same 1810 Pulaski County census listing as Nathaniel, and his age and family match that of the Surry County Richard Jr. The family of Joseph Gentry's oldest son, Samuel, began moving to Kentucky by 1799, settling in Ohio County, Kentucky, and Samuel himself moved to Kentucky in 1807. Seven of his sons moved eventually to Spencer and Warrick Counties, Indiana, on the Ohio River, adjacent to the counties in which Matthew Gentry's family is believed to have eventually settled. Nicholas Gentry's presumed son, Richard the War Veteran, had eventually returned after the war from South Carolina to Surry County where he was married. He was missing from the 1800 Surry County census and is mentioned in a deed of sale of his land in 1801 as being "formerly of Surry County". This Richard is on record as moving briefly to Lincoln County, Kentucky, then settling in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, adjoining Pulaski County.
Nathaniel's travels are shown on the map below. The map includes the locations where
Nathaniel is known to have been, but also Ohio County and Lincoln County, Kentucky, where it
is believed three of his sons may have been living in 1810.
Map 1. The Travels of Nathaniel Gentry
Nathaniel's Family - 1810
The census record for Nathaniel in 1810 clearly includes a son, possibly a daughter-in-law and
a number of grandchildren of Nathaniel. If we focus just on those listed in the census that
might have been a spouse or immediate children of Nathaniel, we have the following.
- Nathaniel Gentry as the head of household, born before 1765.
- A female also born in or before 1765. There is not enough information from this census alone to determine whether she was Nathaniel's wife, or his daughter-in-law. Given the alternative of choosing between one or the other, and considering Nathaniel's age, the younger woman wins out and it is highly probable this was a daughter-in-law of Nathaniel.
- A son who was 26 to 45 years-old (born 1765-1784); old enough to have a wife born about 1765, and consistent with being the son of Nathaniel in the 1790 census who was born before 1774.
- Three sons or grandsons who were 16 to 26 years-old (born 1784-1794). Again information from this census alone cannot distinguish among these. One or more could have been sons of Nathaniel who were born after 1774, including the possibility of being born a year or two after the 1790 census. Or one or more could have been grandsons.
- A female of the same age (born 1784-1794). Because we had concluded from the 1790 census that Nathaniel may have had a daughter, this could be that daughter. Or if at the upper end of the age range, she could be the wife of one of the sons/grandsons of her same age and one or more of the children under 10 years-of-age could be hers.
- The remainder of the individuals listed in the Pulaski County census are of an age that they are far more likely to be children of the family couples with whom Nathaniel was living.
Potential Sons of Nathaniel - Matthew Gentry
The children listed above for 1791 represent what little we know about Nathaniel's family
while he was living in South Carolina and before he moved to Kentucky. The 1791 census
report leaves us with at least four sons in addition to his son, Tyre, to be identified. The oldest
of these, born before 1774, undoubtedly accompanied Nathaniel to Pulaski County, Kentucky.
Considering the make-up of that son's family in 1810, if this son was living with Nathaniel in
1791, surely he would have been married at the time and have had his wife living with him.
For this reason we have included this wife in the listing for Nathaniel's family above. In
Spartanburg County records there is a brief reference to a Matthew Gentry
who was a defendant in the county court in 1796. His name appeared twice in relation to that
case, confirming the name of the individual involved<8c,d>. He was nowhere mentioned
again. Later Spartanburg District records indicate that he was not a part of either Samuel the
Elder or Samuel Gentry the Younger's households. We suggest that Matthew was Nathaniel's
second son and that he was born about 1768 to 1770.
Isham/Isom and John Gentry
Just to the north of Pulaski County, in Lincoln County, at the same time as Nathaniel was
moving north, two Gentrys appeared for the first time. The record for Isham
(also spelled Isom) Gentry can be summarized as follow:
- Isham married Elizabeth Lunsford<10>, 1803, in Lincoln County.
- A number of tax records are found in Lincoln County for Isham/Isom Gentry in successive years from 1805 to 1809<11>. The tax for 1809 includes three parcels of land totaling 450 acres of land on the Dix River (which runs parallel to almost the entire length of the north-east border between Lincoln County and Garrard County).
- Isham appeared in the 1810 Lincoln County census with a wife and three young daughters<13>. The census reported Isham as born before 1784. His wife was slightly younger and was probably born about 1784, meaning she had married at about age nineteen.
- The couple were present again in the 1820 Lincoln County census with a newly-born son.
- Marriage records for Lincoln County show the marriage in 1824 of Polly Gentry to David McCullum and in 1825 of Casandra Gentry to George McAfee. Both marriages list as bondsman, a "J. Sam" Gentry as father. This surely is someone's misreading of the name "Isom" Gentry.
- Isham received a grant of 200 acres of land along the Rockcastle River in April 1830 but he was not in the census for that year.
- Isham's family next appeared in the 1840 census for Platte County, Missouri, under the name "Isom" with three sons born in 1820 or after.
- An assumed son of Isham, "Isom" Jr., born about 1820 in Kentucky,was in the 1850 Platte County census but the senior Isham presumably had died by then. Isom Jr. moved from Missouri to Kansas where he was known as "I. B." Gentry rather than Isom.
In addition to Isham, there are a handful of Lincoln County records for a John Gentry:
- John Gentry married to Rebecca Richards, 1809, Lincoln County.
- John was listed in the 1810 Lincoln County census with a wife but no children. His date of birth was reported in the census as 1784 to 1794.
- John was missing as a separate entry in the 1820 census, but is presumed to have been the extra adult male living with Isham at the time of the census. We can surmise that John was a brother of Isham, had lost his wife and had not remarried.
- In 1835, the Lincoln County records show a marriage of a John B. Gentry to Sally B. King with Sally's father serving as a bondsman. This is presumably the same John Gentry finally re-marrying years after his first wife died.
- John was listed in the Lincoln County census in 1840 with this wife and a very young child. The census shows both John and his wife as having been born after 1790.
Despite the fact that there is no evidence connecting these two Gentrys, Isham and John, to South Carolinaa, we suggest that they were sons of Nathaniel and that Isham was one of the sons that were included in the South Carolina census. John's age was appropriate for being born shortly after that census. Isham and John cannot be linked in any way to the Gentrys that were present in 1800 and 1810 in nearby Green and Madison Counties, Kentucky. The few families there were all sons or grandson of Nicholas-II Gentry. There were some Johns among Nicholas' descendants, but nowhere else has the name Isham been found in any Gentry family . We have found no record showing where Isham and John were born, but we suggest that they accompanied or preceded their father in his move to Kentucky, presumably in about 1800, went on a little father north and settled in Lincoln County.
Samuel Gentry of Spencer County, Indiana
A Samuel Gentry appeared in the 1850 census for Spencer County, Indiana, with a reported age
of 65, born in South Carolina (in about 1785), living with his son Allen. Samuel and his possible
brother, Reason (see below), were the only two Gentrys born in South Carolina registered in
the entire state of Indiana in 1850. Most South Carolinians stopped in Tennessee as they
moved north or they moved westward into Georgia and Alabama. The census record for
Samuel and Allen can be traced beginning in 1810 in Ohio County, Kentucky, then in 1820 to
Spencer County, Indiana. In 1830, Allen was still in Spencer County but Samuel had moved to
Vermillion County, Indiana. In 1840 and 1850, both men were in Spencer County. The South
Carolina connection and Samuel's age suggest that he was one of the sons of Nathaniel that
was included in the 1791 South Carolina census. The coincidence of timing and place --
appearing in Kentucky in 1810 after not being present in any 1800 census lends support to this
proposal.
There are a few questions concerning Samuel's movements that deserve comment, The choice of Ohio County, Kentucky, for his first stop can be explained by the presence there of five of his North Carolina first cousins-once-removed. The oldest son of Joseph Gentry of Surry County was also a Samuel and a first cousin of the South Carolina Samuel. Five of the North Carolina Samuel's children had moved from Surry County to Ohio County, Kentucky by 1810 (one of them, Joseph, arrived even earlier, before 1800). Their father and the rest of his family moved over the same period of time to Barren County, Kentucky. Joseph remained in Ohio County, but by 1820, the other four siblings, along with their South Carolina cousin, had moved across the Ohio River into Warrick and Spencer Counties, Indiana, where they settled permanently.
The apparent move of Samuel to Vermillion County, Indiana, in 1830 is a very interesting one. His cousin, Matthew Gentry from next-door Warrick County, Indiana, moved at the same time which is understandable. But it is clearly coincidence, that at the same time, Jesse and Thomas Gentry, sons of David Gentry of Jackson County, Tennessee, moved from Tennessee to Vermilion County, Illinois [note spelling change]. These two counties straddled the Vermilion River as it crossed the state boundary from Illinois into Indiana, and then into the Wabash River. The area entered into a boom period in the mid-1820's and settlers flooded in from all the surrounding states drawn by rich farming land, salt deposits along the river, iron ore and transportation. The Vermilion River and the Wabash River were almost the only means of transportation from mid-Illinois and mid-Indiana to the markets downriver as far as New Orleans. Scores of huge flatboats regularly passed down the Wabash loaded with goods going to market. Unfortunately, the area was plagued with "swamp fever" (a form of malaria) that devastated families. It is perhaps significant that Samuel Gentry had five daughters in 1830 when he first went to Vermilion. In 1840, back in Spencer County, none of these were present. Thomas Gentry suffered the same apparent loss. In 1830, he was listed in Vermilion County, Illinois with seven children. In 1840, after returning to Tennessee, only two of those children were with him.
Reason Gentry
A Reason Gentry appeared in the 1850 census for Gibson County, Indiana, in two different
locations, apparently moving his home from one location to another during the census period.
In both listings he is described with a birthplace of South Carolina<13>. His age is given as
61 at one place and as 65 at the other (corresponding to approximate dates of birth of 1789
and 1785). Presumably this same Reason is listed in 1830 in the adjoining county of Posey,
Indiana. Here he is listed with a date of birth of 1790-1800, close enough to the 1850 dates to
be consistent. A man of that age, born in South Carolina and living in Indiana must have been
part of Nathaniel's family.
Although there is no further record of Reason by name, we can identify him in the 1810 Pulaski County census living with Nathaniel, and in the 1820 Gibson County, Indiana census living with "Elonder" Gentry, Matthew's presumed widow (see below). In 1810, he is undoubtedly one of the three young men that were 16 to 26 years old (born 1784-1794). In 1820, he is probably the 26 to 45-year-old male (born 1775-1794) in Elonder's household.
Nathaniel's Immediate Family - Summary
We have now tentatively identified five of Nathaniel's children who can be summarized in the
table below:
| Nathaniel Gentry | ||
| – Born about 1740, Hanover County, Virginia, – Died after 1810, probably in Pulaski County, Kentucky. | ||
| Children of Nathaniel (speculation): | ||
| i. | Tyre (also Tyree) Gentry; said to be born 20 Apr 1766 (in Lunenburg County, Virginia?); died 5 Aug 1845, Arkansas. Married Delilah --?-- . | |
| ii. | Matthew Gentry; born about 1770; died 1810-1820. Married Elonder (or Eleanor?) --?--. | |
| iii. | Daughter (?); born perhaps 1775-1780. | |
| iv. | Isham (also "Isom") Gentry; born about 1780; died before 1850? Married 12 Sep 1803, Lincoln County, Kentucky, to Elizabeth Lunsford. | |
| v. | Samuel Gentry; born about 1785, Ninety-Six District (later Spartanburg District), South Carolina; died after 1850, Spencer County, Indiana?. Married (2nd?) Susiana --?--. | |
| vi. | Reason Gentry; born about 1789, Spartanburg District, South Carolina; died after 1850, Gibson County, Indiana? | |
| vii. | John Gentry; born about 1791, Spartanburg District, South Carolina. Married (1) 16 Jan 1809, Lincoln County, Kentucky, to Rebecca Richards; married (2) 17 Aug 1835, Lincoln County, Kentucky, to Sally B. King. | |
Hypotheses Relating to Matthew Gentry
This leads us now to the family members that were living with Nathaniel in Kentucky in 1810. We suggest that most of them were the family of his hypothetical son, Matthew. We have already said that the only evidence we have as to his name is the record of two court appearances by him in the Spartanburg County Court in 1796. We have found no other evidence for Matthew and there were no members of Nathaniel's family present in Pulaski County in 1820. This leads to the conclusion that both Nathaniel and Matthew died in Kentucky, probably in Pulaski County, between 1810 and 1820.
The Indiana Gentrys
Census records in Gibson County, Indiana, for 1820 and in 1830 in neighboring Posey County
provide clues as to what happened to Matthew's family <13>.
- The 1820 census for Gibson County included the family of an apparent widow "Elonder" Gentry [perhaps the spelling should be "Eleanor"?]. It also included a separate entry for a newly married John Gentry.
- The combined census listings coincide almost exactly in age and sex with the composition of the extended family that was in Pulaski County ten years earlier. The only individuals missing other than Matthew, were two daughters and one son, born 1794-1800 (see discussion for Zimri/Zimriah Gentry below). We believe that it would be too much of a coincidence if this was not the family of our hypothetical Matthew Gentry and a brother, Reason Gentry whom we have described above.
- In 1830, there were no longer any Gentrys in Gibson County, but in Posey County, there were four Gentrys including Reason. From the placement in the census record, they appear to have all lived in the same neighborhood.
- The three Gentrys other than Reason were Martin, Pleasant, and Enos Gentry, each of whom can be identified by age with one of the members of both the 1810 household and that of 1820. Two of the youngest sons of Matthew and a daughter appear to have been living with Pleasant. Only one of the 1820 household was missing, a son born 1800-1810 whom we will discuss in a minute. John Gentry who had been in the 1820 census was missing and may have died.
The older son of Matthew missing in 1820 can be accounted for by a Zimri [also Yimri, Zimriah, and Zimry Gentry] who was in Washington County, Illinois in 1820, being listed in the state census, but not the federal census for that county. He was joined by Levi Gentry in neighboring St. Clair County, Illinois, in 1830. The appearance of Levi can be linked to the disappearance of his presumed record from the Posey County census. By 1840, Zimri and Levi parted ways and Zimri moved to Greene County, Illinois, while Levi moved to Wayne County, Missouri. Levi was present in the 1850 census for Wayne County, born about 1806 in South Carolina. He was also in the 1860 Wayne County census listed as born about 1802, also in South Carolina. That this is the same Levi as was present with Zimri in Illinois is supported by the fact that one of Levi's sons was named Zimri. Zimri was not in the 1850 census, so we do not have a record of his place of birth. There is no direct evidence that either man was related to Matthew, but their ages and Levi's birthplace fit right into the pattern of the Matthew Gentry family.
By 1840, attrition had struck three of the Posey County Gentry families. Pleasant Gentry had died but his widow, Hannah, was included in the census along with his children, one of whom incidentally, was named Reason. Enos also had died, and in November of 1940, his widow, Rachel, remarried. His family apparently moved from Posey to Vanderburgh County, Indiana, between 1830 and 1840. Most of his children continued to show up in Vanderburgh County census lists in 1850 and in 1860. Martin Gentry had also apparently died between 1830 and 1840, and his widow, Nancy, also remarried in 1845. A presumed son of Martin, Martin Jr., was living with Reason Gentry in 1850. Another family was added to the Posey County census listings in 1840 in the form of Allen Gentry, living close to his sister-in-law, Hannah. He undoubtedly was the brother who was living with Pleasant's family in 1830. Allen was also in the 1850 census with a reported age of fifty, and born in Kentucky. If correct, this suggests that Nathaniel and his family had left South Carolina just prior to 1800. This contradicts the evidence provided by Levi's census report which shows Nathaniel still present in South Carolina two to six years later. Allen's age in the 1850 is suspect. It does not agree with the expected order of his place among Matthew's children (see chart below). It also shows him as being thirteen years older than his wife, whereas in 1840 they were in the same age bracket (born 1800-1810). The author suspects that Allen was probably close to ten years younger than suggested by the 1850 census.
Before we leave Matthew's children, we need to consider the possibility
that Reason was a son of Matthew rather than a son of Nathaniel. His age is in the gray area
where he could be either. On the one hand, he remained with Elonder and Matthew's children
after Nathaniel died when all of his other sons had scattered. On the other hand, if
- (1) Tyre Gentry was Nathaniel's oldest son, and if
- (2) Tyre's date of birth is correct, and if
- (3) Matthew was a couple years younger than Tyre, then
- (4) Matthew was about twenty years old when Reason was born.
Map 2. Distribution of Nathaniel Gentry's Family
We have noted above as speculative proposals the names of all the sons of Nathaniel and Matthew . We have not discussed the possible identification of two apparent daughters of Matthew. In the 1850 census for Gibson County, Indiana, Reason Gentry was listed as living with a Minerva Harmon and her family, once in Montgomery Township in September 1850 and then again in Wabash Township in October of that year. Minerva was shown as age 53 in one case and as 55 in the second case, and as having been born in South Carolina. The combination of her date and place of birth and the fact that Reason was living with her in both instances suggests that Minerva was a daughter of Matthew and a niece of Reason. She was included with the Nathaniel family in the 1810 census in Kentucky, but presumably some time thereafter married a man by the name of Harmon who then died before 1850.
The 1810 and 1830 census records suggest that there was a second daughter of Matthew, whom we propose was Charlotte Gentry who married Jacob Rauth in 1831 in Posey County. She was one of Matthew's five children who were less than ten years old in the 1810 census, and was probably the presumed sister who was living with Pleasant in 1830. Somewhat arbitrarily, based on her marriage and comparing the records of these five individuals, we suggest that this daughter was the middle member of the five children.
Table of Relationships
With all the names we have added for Nathaniel's family, a tabular display will best and most
concisely summarize the relationships that are proposed. In the table below, all of Nathaniel's
immediate family are shown with the exception of his son, Tyre. They are displayed with their
respective ages as they are believed to be present in the 1790 (Spartanburg District, South
Carolina) and the 1810 census (Pulaski County, Kentucky).
The succeeding data from the 1820 to 1840 censuses have been extracted from the census records found in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri as appropriate for the particular individual. The right half of the table doubles as a time chart with column dividers serving as time lines for the years 1770, 1780, 1790, etc. This allows the addition of a rough graphical representation for each individual of the time span within which he or she was born. This simplifies the identification of the census age group for each person.
Conclusion
We have presented here in considerable detail (probably far more than the reader may want)
our efforts to piece together many scattered bits of information to assemble a picture of the
Nathaniel Gentry family. The proposals represent a combination of hypotheses, some of
which can be supported by no solid documentary evidence. On the other hand, we see no
conflicting evidence for these speculations. We believe the sum total of the proposals
represent a plausible picture of that early pioneer's family.
References
| 1. a. | "THE SONS OF NICHOLAS-I GENTRY, David Gentry and
Family" Journal of Gentry Genealogy, vol 2, issue 5, (Aug 2008) (revised) |
| b. | "DID NICHOLAS GENTRY THE IMMIGRANT HAVE TWO WIVES?" Journal of Gentry Genealogy, issue 2011A, (Feb 2011) |
| 2. | 1782 Surry County, North Carolina
Tax Lists Originals in State Archives, Raleigh, NC | |||
| Name |
Acres |
Black Polls |
Livestock | |
| Joseph Gentry | 150 | 1 | 3 horses, 10 cows | |
| Allen Gentry | 200 | 3 horses, 5 cows | ||
| Artha Gentry | 4 horses, 3 cows | |||
| Richard Gentry | 200 | 3 horses, 4 cows | ||
| Hezekiah Gentry | 3 horses | |||
| Samuel Gentry | 400 | 3 horses, 6 cows | ||
| Robert Gentry | 1 horse | |||
| Runnel Gentry | 2 horses | |||
| Nathaniel Gentry | 1 horse | |||
| Shelton Gentry | 2 horses, 2 cows | |||
| Samuel Gentry | 150 | 5 horses, 5 cows | ||
| Samuel Gentry | 120 | |||
| Nicholas Gentry | 150 | 3 horses, 9 cows | ||
| 3. | Leonardo Andrea, Columbia, SC, "Gentry
Family", Manuscript on microfilm compiled for Mrs. John F. Gannon, Montgomery, AL. | |||
| a. | Index II for land grants: | |||
| Nathaniel Gentry | 170 ac on Tyger River | 2 Oct 1786 | ||
| b. | Index III: | |||
| Nathaniel Gentry | 534 ac on Pacolet River, Greenville Co. | 4 Feb 1793 | ||
| c. | Land plats indexed after the Revolution: | |||
| Nathaniel Gentry | 2 in 96 Dist. | 1785 and 1792 | ||
| 4. | 1790 Federal Census, South Carolina | |||||
| Ninety-Six Dist, Spartanburgh Co. | M(>16) | M(<16) | F | |||
| p.86 | Gentry, Nathaniel | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| p.86 | Gentry, Samuel | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| p.86 | Jentry, Tyreh | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| p.86 | Jentry, Allen | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| p.87 | Jentry, Sam'l | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 5. | Albert Bruce Pruitt, "Spartanburg
County/District, South Carolina, Deed Abstracts, Books A-T (1785-1827)", by Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1988 | ||
| a. | 1791 Jun 10 | Bk(F-150) | (p.152) |
| Nansey Gentry (misreading of "Nathaniel"?) witnessed deed for sale of land on middle fork of Tyger R. known as Long Br. | |||
| b. | 1792 Nov 23 | Bk(F-316) | (p.168) |
| Nathaniel Gentry (Spartanburg) to Zabulon Bragg (same); bond of 200 pounds for deed to be made in 15 years for 100 ac on S. fork Tyger R; borders a pine tree Nathaniel sawed in the presence of Allen Gentry (and others). | |||
| 6. | South Carolina General Assembly Ordinance, MS Act No. 1123, 20 Feb 1779 | |||
| p.80, 101 | Hezekiah Gentry | Spartan District | liable for grand/petit jury | |
| p.88, 104 | John Gentry | Spartan District | liable for grand/petit jury | |
| p.89 | Nicholas Gentry | Cuffey Town & Turkey Creek | liable for court service | |
| 7. | Brent H. Holcomb, "Spartanburgh County, South Carolina, Minutes of the County Court, 1785-1799", Southern Historical Press, Easley, SC, 1980. | |
| a. | 1789 March Court | [p.91] |
| Nicholas Gentry [son of Samuel the Elder?] selected to serve on jury for Sept. court. | ||
| b. | 1789 Mar 18 | [p.96] |
| Samuel Jentry against
John Chesney. Case. Ordered, that this suit be dismissed at the Plaintiff's costs. | ||
| c. | 1794 Jan 15 | [p.188] |
| The County against
Samuel Jentry. "Qui Tam" [tax question?]. For a Brown mare, by request of the defendant this case is continued, until next court. | ||
| d. | 1796 Jan 16 | [p.221] |
| James Tanner & George Walker against
Matthew Gentry. Appeal. Ordered that the Judgment of the Justice below be recorded. | ||
| e. | 1796 Jul 16 | [p.222] |
| Alexander McBeth & Co.
against Matthew Gentry. Petition. Settled by the defendant in open court. | ||
| 8. | "Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications", National Genealogical Society, Washington, DC, 1976 |
| GENTRY, Richard, SC, b.VA, Justina/Jestin, W8844,
BLWt26713-160-55. Revolutionary War Pension reference (National Archives microfilm) File W8844, (BLWt 26713-160-55): Richard GENTRY, widow Justina or Gestin, of Rockcastle Co. KY Credited with 13 months service as a private in SC militia. |
| 9. | "Tyree Gentry", by Tom J. Gentry |
| Journal of Gentry Genealogy, vol. 2, issue #11, (Nov 2002) |
| 10. | "Marriages, Lincoln Co., Kentucky", Tennessee State Library & Archives. | |||
| 1803 Sep 12 | Isham Gentry | Elizabeth Lunsford | bond. Wm. Preston | |
| 1809 Jan 16 | John Gentry | Rebecca Richards | bond. Benjamin Warren | |
| 1824 Apr 21 | Polly Gentry | David McCullum | bond J Sam. [Isom] Gentry, (father) | |
| 1825 Dec 20 | Casandra Gentry | George McAfee | bond J Sam. [Isom] Gentry, (father) | |
| 1835 Aug 17 | John B. Gentry | Sally B. King | bond. Samuel Hocker, father Hobart King | |
| 11. | "Kentucky Landholders, 1787-1811", Tennessee State Library & Archives. | |||
| 1805 Jul 22 | Bk(1-07) | Isom/Isham Gentry | ||
| 1806 Aug 11 | Bk(1-10) | " | ||
| 1807 May 25 | Bk(1-09) | " | ||
| 1808 Jun 9 | Bk(1-13) | " | ||
| 1809 May 10 | Bk(2-16) | " | ||
| Bk(1-28) | " | 350 ac on Dicks [Dix] R 50 ac 50ac | ||
| 12. | Marriages, Gibson, Posey and Vanderburgh Counties, Indiana | |||
| a. | "Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892" URL: <http//www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=4717&key=D7852> | |||
| Groom | Bride | Date | County | |
| Enos Gentry | Polly Dodge | 7 Mar 1822 | Posey | |
| Allen Gentry | Sally Wilson | 1 Feb 1827 | Posey | |
| Martin Gentry | Nancy Temple | 16 Jul 1830 | Posey | |
| Enos Gentry | Rachel McNeely | 6 Sep 1827 | Vanderburgh | |
| Rachel Gentry | Alfred L. Everett / Everets |
23 Nov 1840 | Vanderburgh | |
| b. | LDS Soundex Records | |||
| Pleasant Gentry | Hannah Wills | 6 Feb 1821 | Gibson | |
| Hannah Gentry | James Carnahan | 13 Mar 1850 | Gibson | |
| c. | "Early Indiana Marriages to
1850" URL: <http:/freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bjblitzen/indianafrygentry=marriages.htm> | |||
| Charlotte Gentry | Jacob Rauth | 2 Jun 1831 | Posey | |
| Allen Gentry | Jane Edwards | 13 Feb 1832 | Posey | |
| Mahala Gentry | William McMunn | 4 Dec 1833 | Posey | |
| Elizabeth Gentry | Andrew Gluckman | 15 May 1839 | Posey | |
| Reason Gentry | Francis Coleman | 17 Jan 1842 | Posey | |
| Nancy Gentry | Abraham Shuck | 17 Aug 1845 | Posey | |
| 13. | Federal Census for 1810 - 1850 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Feb 2011, (revisions Nov 2011, April 2015, July 2015)
© 2011, W.M. Gentry - All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes provided that proper attribution (including author and journal name) is included.