Joseph G. Gentry

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117537097/joseph-g.-gentry

A Patriot of the American Revolution for NORTH CAROLINA. DAR Ancestor # A044135

	Volume 2 Issue 7

July 2002

Home Page and Index

________________________________________

THE SONS OF SAMUEL-II GENTRY

Part 3. Joseph Gentry and Family

by

Willard Gentry

Abstract

Continuing a series providing comprehensive descriptions of the sons of Samuel-II Gentry, his son Joseph is described, along with a summary of Joseph's children.

Introduction

The current article continues a series of articles on the sons of Samuel-II Gentry by describing virtually all that is known to this author of Joseph-III Gentry known to the author. An interpretation of the references, and an outline of the conclusions drawn from the references is provided. As in preceding articles, such conclusions have been based upon reasonable and "informed" probabilities in interpreting the data.

Jump to References

Joseph Gentry

-

- born possibly about 1721, Hanover County, Virginia; died April 1813 in Surry County, North Carolina.

married in Louisa County, Virginia, to Agnes (Shelton ?).

	Children (order of birth and birthdates of daughters uncertain - see discussion below)

i. Samuel Gentry, born about 1748, Louisa County, Virginia; married (1) Surry County, North Carolina to probably a daughter of Matthew Brooks; married (2), 24 May 1787 (bond), Surry County, North Carolina to Sarah Brock; married (3), Barren County, Kentucky, to Sarah Melton; died 1816, Barren County, Kentucky.

ii. Elizabeth Gentry, born about 1751, Louisa County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Andrew Spear/Speer.

iii. Anne Gentry, born about 1754, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to John Ridings.

iv. Shelton Gentry, born about 1758, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Elizabeth (Unknown); died 1834, Surry County, North Carolina.

v. Susanna/Susannah Gentry, born about 1761, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Joseph Ratcliff/Ratliff.

vi. William Gentry, born about 1764, Lunenburg County, Virginia; died before 1804, Surry County, North Carolina.

vii. Agnes ("Agey") Gentry, born about 1766, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina to William Hodge/Hodges.

viii. Judith Gentry, born about 1768, Rowan (later Surry) County, North Carolina; married Surry County, North Carolina to Amos Hodge/Hodges.

ix. Sarah Gentry, born about 1771, Surry County, North Carolina; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Elisha Isaacs.

Joseph Gentry in Virginia

There is no clear evidence to indicate whether Joseph was the third son of Samuel Gentry, or if his brother Allen was the older of the two. There is little question that Allen's oldest son, Shadrack, was older than any of Joseph's children (assuming no children died while young), and consequently it is probable that Allen was married before Joseph. The author has somewhat arbitrarily judged that Joseph was the older of the two based upon the observation that during their early years in Lunenburg County, when the two brothers had moved from Louisa County and were no longer living on their father's plantation, it was Joseph who purchased land which the brothers appear to have shared and farmed together for a number of years. This was in 1752. Allen did not purchase land on his own account until 1755. On the other hand, given Joseph's rather flamboyant, outgoing (one might even say "aggressive") nature revealed in court records, he may simply have been more assertive than his brother.

There is no documentation of the maiden name of Joseph's wife, Agnes. Given the fact that one of Agnes' sons and one grandson were named Shelton, it is reasonable to suppose that this was her maiden name. A William Shelton, of Albemarle County, bought a part of Joseph's property in 1756, possibly with the thought of moving to Lunenburg County. This may have been Agnes' father. For whatever reason, William seems to have changed his mind, for in 1762, while still living in Albemarle County, he sold this land.

There are voluminous references to Joseph in Lunenburg County, but the only reference to him in Louisa County was in 1762 when he was one of three of Samuel Gentry's sons to witness the sale of the latter's last remnant of land in that county. This sale came well after Samuel and most of the family had moved from Louisa County to Lunenburg County. Joseph did not lead the way in this family move, but he (and presumably also Allen) was among the earlier members to settle in Lunenburg County. Joseph was not in any of the first Lunenburg County tithable lists for 1747 to 1752, although three of his brothers, David, Nicholas, and William were in the 1752 list. There are no records available for 1753 or succeeding years until 1764.

A chronology of Joseph's land transactions in Lunenburg County is as follows:

1752 Purchased 490 ac on S. side of Reedy Creek (formerly part of Michael Mackey and Abraham Cocke grants), from Joseph Minor.

	1756	Joseph and Agnes (his wife) sold 274 ac on Reedy Creek to William Shelton (Agnes' father?) of Albemarle Co. [William sold this land in 1762.]

1758 Joseph sold 60 ac on Reedy Creek and both sides of Horsepen Creek to Moses Cockerham
1759 Joseph and Agnes sold 37 1/2 ac. or his original Mackey grant land to Everard Dowsing
1760 Joseph bought 8 ac on Horsepen Creek from John Hanna
1762 Joseph bought 60 ac on Horsepen Branch from Daniel Mason.
1762 Joseph sold to Moses Cockerham, 68 ac he had purchased from Joseph Minor and Daniel Mason.
1766 [Lunenburg County August Court minutes show Joseph Gentry "not [an inhabitant] of this county".]
1770 Joseph and wife Agnes of North Carolina, and Allen and wife Mary of Lunenburg County, sold 118 ac on Reedy Creek [the balance of the land still owned by Joseph].
The fact that Joseph bought land in 1752 indicates that he must have come to the county in that year and bought land almost immediately after arriving. In addition to the direct transactions in which Joseph was involved, his name appears in a number of other records in which he was a witness or was cited as an adjoining land owner.

Fig. 1 Lunenburg County, with location of early grants

In the limited records of Cumberland Parish, which included all of Lunenburg County, Joseph's name also appears, for the most part in processioning returns at which he was present between 1760 and 1764. Significantly, in 1768, by which time court records showed that Joseph had left the county, for the processioning of the line between Joseph's land and an adjoining owner, Joseph was not present, but Allen Gentry was present instead. It appears that Joseph and Allen had some joint ownership agreement for the Reedy Creek property that was not formally recorded (perhaps Allen paid part of the purchase price). After Joseph left Virginia to go to North Carolina, Allen remained behind for some four or more years, and handled the final sale of the land before he also left Lunenburg County. Agnes was living in North Carolina at the time of the final sale and "[could not] conveniently travel to our county court to make acknowledgement of the deed". She acknowledged her relinquishment of dower in September 1771 to two agents of the court in Surry County. One can read between the lines and presume that she may have been in the last stages of pregnancy before the birth of her youngest child, Sarah.

Joseph had as many references in the county court minutes as all of the rest of the Gentrys in Lunenburg County put together -- twice the number of his older brother David which in itself was a lot. Some of these involved normal civic responsibilities such as serving on the jury, being assigned to his share of road construction and maintenance, acknowledgement of indentures for some of his sales and purchases of land, and serving as a witness for third-party suits. He posted bond on behalf of a neighbor who was granted letters of administration for an estate. Another neighbor posted bond with Joseph and two other citizens in order to be able to "keep an ordinary at his house" (that is to operate a tavern). In addition to these, Joseph had an active court presence of a different nature. He was involved in a number of suits in which he was brought into court for the payment of debt, and also cases where he sued others for debt. He was involved in two cases where he sued another man for assault and battery. On another occasion, judgment was against him for "profane swearing". In still another suit, the nature of which was not disclosed but which must have been of a rather serious nature, Joseph was indicted by a grand jury in a case that went to a jury trial in which Joseph was declared not guilty. The court minutes together reflect a man who was the opposite of retiring -- an active, forceful, vigorous member of the pioneer community.

Joseph Gentry in North Carolina

As we have seen above, by 1766 Joseph was ready to move on to fresh pastures, accompanying his older brother Nicholas to the rapidly-settling foothills of central North Carolina. Joseph, Nicholas, and their nephew, Hezekiah, were recorded in tax lists that are believed to be dated 1768 in Rowan County, a county that encompassed most of the northwest quarter of the state of North Carolina. Joseph and another brother, Samuel, were included in another tax list that was dated between 1768 and 1770. Joseph and the other Gentry brothers were in a part of Rowan County that became Surry County in 1771 -- an area which was quite large in its own right at first and which in time was split into five counties. A chronology of Surry County records for Joseph follows.

1772 Joseph Gentry licensed to keep a public ferry at his own landing (an area that later became known as "Matthew Brooks' Ferry"). Rates were established at:

     5 sh for wagon & team; 3 sh for cart & team; 6 d for man & horse; 4 d for footman.

1773 Court order for [12 men] to lay out a road from Joseph Gentry's Ferry on the west side of the Yadkin River to Fox Knob and Allens Iron Works [at the Wilkes County line], and on the east side of the River to [the Moravian settlement of] Salem
1774 Joseph Gentry sold 50 ac on "south side of Yadkin River" to Samuel Gentry, it being part of a tract of land granted by John Earl Granville to Edward Hughs [Hughes] in 1748 and now in the possession of Samuel. [Note. The designation "south side of the Yadkin River" referred to the portion of Surry County that was south of the west-to-east portion of the river, and west of the north-to-south portion of the river. In other words, it was the area that now is occupied by Yadkin County.]
1774 Joseph Gentry bought 331 ac on south side of Yadkin River, being a tract of land granted by John Earl Granville to Edward Hughs [Hughes] in 1748 and now in the possession of Joseph. [This is the same land, a part of which Joseph sold to his son, Samuel in the deed above which was recorded several months earlier in the year.]
1775 Joseph Gentry sold 181 ac of former Granville Tract to Math. Brooks and now in the possession of said Mathew Brookes.
1787 State grant of 150 ac on east side of Fishers River to Joseph Gentry.. [Tax records suggest Joseph's son Shelton took over and farmed this land.]
1789 Joseph Gentry and Samuel Gentry sold to John Ridens [Ridings], 110 ac of land on south side of Yadkin River. [This appears to be 60 ac still owned by Joseph of the original 331 ac of land which he bought, together with the 50 ac of land which Joseph sold to Samuel. John Ridings was a son-in-law of Joseph. The deed was witnessed by Andrew Speer, another son-in-law, by Matthew Brooks and by Sarah Gentry, Samuel's wife.]
1789 Joseph and Agnes Gentry, his wife, sold 40 ac on Yadkin River to Math. Brooks. [This was the last portion of Joseph's original 331 ac.]
1799 State grant of 50 ac on Kelly's Creek to Joseph Gentry, adjoining his own land.
1813 Joseph Gentry died, taxed for 225 ac under his own name during the last years of his life, and apparently owning another 75 ac for which Shelton was taxed.
Fig. 2 Surry County, with location of grants to Joseph Gentry's family

These records show that Joseph first settled at a strategic point along the Yadkin River where he took advantage of his position to operate a ferry. Later this ferry service, and the adjoining land, were turned over to Matthew Brooks, to whom Joseph was related through the marriages of two of his brothers, David and Nicholas. [For a discussion of the Brooks family relationships, see the June issue of the Journal of Gentry Genealogy.] In 1787, Joseph received a state grant on the Fisher River, considerably to the north of his previous location. Joseph sold the last of his Yadkin River property and moved with his son Shelton to the new location where both Joseph and Shelton remained for the rest of their lives.

Tax lists for Surry County are unusually complete. Joseph and members of his family are found in these in almost every one of the years for which records survive, starting with 1782 (when tax list enumerations were resumed after the end of the Revolutionary War), and continuing until after Joseph's death. During the last fifteen or so years of his life, the tax records show Joseph being taxed for varying amounts of land varying from 125 acres in 1801, to a high of 325 acres in 1807. Some of this variation undoubtedly was due to a part of Joseph's land being farmed by other family members, and conversely, Joseph farming land owned by his son Samuel. Even so, there is an ultimate 25 acre discrepancy at the time of his death that is not accounted for by recorded deeds or grants. These records not only confirm the granting, purchase, and sale of land, but also provide some indication of family make-up. From 1785 to 1792, Joseph was listed as liable for two white polls in his household, in addition to a slave. This may have been his youngest son, William, reaching taxable age (twenty-one) in 1785. We will discuss this in more depth later. The reappearance of an extra tithable individual in 1801 and 1802 (and perhaps 1803), might possibly have represented a brief return home by William prior to his death at an untimely age, or it may have been a newly-married son-in-law of Joseph.

Besides land records, and tax records, we have available a number of court records pertaining to Joseph. From them we learn of his operation of a ferry across the Yadkin River during the early years of his living in Surry County. In 1772, a schedule of fares was established by the court at 5sh for wagon & team; 3sh for cart & team; 6d for man & horse; 4d for footman. There is also a reference to Joseph's ferry in a 1773 court order to establish a road from the Moravian settlement of Salem, east of the Yadkin River, crossing the river at Joseph's Ferry and continuing to the far side of Surry County at Allens Iron Works along the Wilkes County line. In time, as the ferry changed hands, this road came to be known as Brooks Ferry Road.

While Joseph was not asked to participate in the laying out of this early road, he and Shelton were assigned the duty by later courts of assisting in the "viewing and laying out" of public roads along the north side of the Yadkin River from the community of Rockford (the first county seat of Surry County) to the Wilkes County line. Joseph and Shelton were called upon for this service on three separate occasions between 1791 and 1794. Other than these court assignments, Joseph's contacts with the courts in Surry County were quite routine compared to his experiences in Lunenburg County. He served on the court's grand jury on several occasions. He testified when necessary to confirm the sale or purchase of land. He was called upon to swear to other legal matters or to provide a security bond. In 1789, the courts assigned to Joseph responsibility for Amasa Dean, an orphan boy of fifteen who was apprenticed to Joseph until Amasa reached the age of twenty-one. (The court minutes read that Amasa was bound to Joseph "to learn the Art and Mystery of Planter".) Amasa was probably living with Joseph at the time of the 1790 census.

Joseph wrote a will dated November 1804 which was filed for probate in May 1813. This will can be summarized with respect to bequests as follows:

Wife: Agnes ... to have negro woman, Jemima and residue of estate after specific gifts to other heirs ...

	Son:	Shelton ... 75 acres where he now lives and a share of the estate.

Dau: Elizabeth Speere, negro girl Hannah and a share of the estate.
Grand-Dau: Mary Gentry, daughter of my deceased son William ... 25 pounds.
Son: Samuel ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Anne ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Agey [Agnes] ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Judith ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Sarah ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Susanna ... a share of the estate.
Joseph's sons Samuel and Shelton, and his wife Agnes were named as executors. There are a variety of loose papers relating to the settlement of this estate that are filed in the North Carolina State Archives. Among these is a listing of debts and credits relating to the estate, the last one of which, dated 28 April 1813, reads, "debit to cash for Nixon for coffin, 12/-". [All listings are in pounds, shillings, and pence and then converted at exchange "dollars at 8/-".] This clearly establishes Joseph's date of death as some time in April, 1813.

A number of remarks concerning this will are appropriate. One relates to the acreage of land held by Shelton. In 1804 and 1805, at the time of the writing of the will, Shelton was being taxed for 175 acres and Joseph for 225 acres. Shelton received a state grant of 100 acres in 1801. This suggests that of the 175 acres for which he was being taxed, 100 acres was his own, and the remaining 75 acres was owned by Joseph but farmed by Shelton.

Another point brought out in the auxiliary papers is the appointment of William Hodges as the agent to receive the payment to Samuel Gentry as the latter's share (William being the husband of Agnes Gentry, and thus a brother-in-law of Samuel). By the time of Joseph's death, Samuel had left Surry County and moved to Barren County, Kentucky. (Samuel's will, dated 1816, makes reference to an inheritance due him from his father.) It is also noteworthy that a $50 payment was made to "Polly [Mary] Gentry" in accordance with the will. There is no indication from any of the records as to the age of Mary, but there is no reference to her being a minor. She was apparently living in Surry County in 1813, and unmarried.

The final settlement of the estate was not until after 1826 when Agnes, Joseph's widow, died, thereby releasing her residual share of Joseph's estate for division among the remaining heirs. Agnes left a will which was written in 1813, and received for probate at the February 1826 Surry County Court. In this will, she left her remaining personal estate to her son Shelton and to her granddaughter Nancy (daughter of Shelton).

Children of Joseph and Agnes Gentry

Samuel Gentry

Samuel was the oldest of Joseph's sons, and the founder of a dynastic line of descent that was very prominent in Warrick and Spencer Counties, Indiana, and Ohio County, Kentucky. We will not discuss him further in this article, deferring to a full article on his life and family in a coming issue of the Journal of Gentry Genealogy.

Shelton Gentry

Shelton was closely associated with his father throughout the latter's life, moving with Joseph from the latter's Yadkin River property to Joseph's succeeding property along the Fisher River on the north side of the Yadkin, in what remained Surry County after various divisions of the county. [In addition Shelton was named by the courts as guardian for Joseph in the last years of the latter's life - see Addendum to References.]

Shelton was married to Elizabeth, whose maiden name is not known, although there has been speculation that she was a member of the Burrus family. Shelton and Elizabeth had a large family, their oldest son being Michael B. Gentry. Michael appeared briefly in tax records, and a Surry County marriage bond dated 1811 exists for his marriage to Sarah Burrus (a cousin?). Michael appears to have briefly moved to Jackson County, Tennessee, and was in the 1820 census for that county, but then returned to Surry County. He died before 1830, and his family was scattered among several households at the time of the 1850 census.

Joseph (Jr) was probably the next oldest son of Shelton. Family Bible records show he was born in September 1790, while the 1790 census lists two minor sons for Shelton. Possibly Joseph was one of these if the date of the enumeration was late enough in the year. Joseph had a large family that moved to Greene County, Indiana between 1840 and 1850. Joseph died after this move, but before 1850. Most of his family are included in the 1850 Greene County census.

Shelton's third son, Robert also had a large family almost all of whom were still living at home with Robert at the time of the 1850 census. Shelton had at least five daughters, Nancy, Agnes, Catherine (or Katherine), Elizabeth and Susanna born between about 1785 and 1810. Shelton's family appears to have lived in a very close-knit community. His sons Joseph and Robert married Mary (Polly) and Nancy Hodge(s) respectively, undoubtedly a part of the same extended family as the William Hodges and Amos Hodges married by Shelton's sisters Agnes and Judith. As further evidence of a very close-knit community, Shelton's daughters Elizabeth and Nancy married Jesse and Hardin Franklin.

[Following paragraph revised 7/20/02 based upon text of Shelton's will which has been located in the North Carolina State Archives - see Addendum to References.]

Shelton died in Surry County in the spring of 1834 based upon the date his will was received for probate. The last previous record of Shelton during his lifetime was a bill of sale dated 1832 for sale of a negro boy. In a bill of sale, dated 1834, Elizabeth Gentry (Shelton's widow) and her son Joseph (Jr), sold a negro woman and child as a part of the settlement of Shelton's estate. In another deed dated 1835, Elizabeth Gentry gave to Robert Gentry, 70 acres of land "for love and good will to her son". In 1838, Abraham Howard, acting as a trustee, probably for Shelton's estate, sold land left to Joseph Jr. by Shelton, "as described in Shelton Gentry's will".

William Gentry

Our only evidence of the existence of this son of Joseph Gentry lies in the statement in his will in which he bequeathed twenty-five pounds to William's daughter Mary. Joseph's William is frequently confused in genealogical listings with Joseph's brother, William. The latter married Lucy Claiborne, and is included in a dozen or so references in Lunenburg, Virginia. This brother William accompanied Joseph to North Carolina and was apparently living with him at the time of his death in 1772.

The William who was Joseph's son, apparently had only the one child, and we have no clue as to the identity of his wife. We can speculate that the younger William was the second tithable individual in Joseph's household in the 1785 to 1792 Surry County tax records. If so, his appearance as a tithable individual in 1785 leads to the assumption that he reached tithable age (21 at the time) in that year, and that he was born about 1764. This is compatible with the ages of the rest of Joseph's children. One can speculate as to why this possible son of Joseph never established his own separate household, even if it was on land owned by Joseph, and was not even named individually in the tax lists during this eight-year period. It is possible that William was sickly or had some other problem during his early life which led eventually to an untimely early death and which kept him from establishing a separate household during his first adult years.

The 1790 census confirms the fact that there was a tithable male living with Joseph at that time. This individual could have been William or could conceivably have been a son-in-law of Joseph who was living with the family. We can account for at least two of Joseph's daughters living with him in 1790. If the tithable man was a son-in-law, then a third daughter of Joseph would have been living at home (along with Joseph's wife Agnes, accounting for four females being present). If the tithable man was William, then the fourth female could have been William's wife, or could have been the third daughter.

We can conjecture that William had recently married and his wife was with him, but their daughter Mary had not yet been born. We can also conjecture that William left home (or died?) in 1792. If so, we can hypothesize that William's daughter Mary may have been about the age of thirteen at the time of the writing of Joseph's will, and about twenty-two at the time of his death. There is absolutely no evidence as to what happened to Mary. Her mother very likely survived William, and re-married, in which case Mary was presumably living with her step-father at the time of Joseph's death.

Joseph Gentry's Daughters

Compared to many early Gentrys, Joseph's family is unusual in that we have from Joseph's will and estate papers, a complete list of daughters, and also a complete list of their husbands. We do not have a one-to-one listing of each daughter with her corresponding husband, but there is sufficient information that these identifications can be established by a study of the existing documents. We do not have direct evidence as to the ages of the various daughters. This must be deduced from auxiliary documents, primarily census records.

Three daughters and their husbands are listed in the 1790 Federal census for Surry County. These, in order of relative age are Elizabeth, wife of Andrew Speer ["Spur"]; Anne, wife of John Ridings ["Ridins"]; and Agnes ("Agey"), wife of William Hodges. There is some ambiguity for Elizabeth's family for there is an "Andrew Spur" and an "Andrew Spur Jr" listed. The latter family appears to be that of a newly-married couple with one young son, and was too young for a family expected of Elizabeth. Obviously, we have no direct evidence from the 1790 census of the age of any female members of the household, but by following the families through successive census listings we find that Elizabeth was born before 1755 (based on the 1800 census), and was probably married in about 1780. Anne was also born before 1755 but judging from the ages of her children in the 1800 and 1810 Surry County census, she was probably married in about 1782. Agnes was born between 1765 and 1774, most probably much nearer to 1765. Agnes' date of marriage can be estimated as about 1784.

Two of the remaining daughters, Judith and Sarah, apparently were living with their parents in 1790, but Susanna may already have married and left home. Sarah and Elisha Isaacs appear in the 1800, 1810, and 1820 Surry County census listings. The 1800 census lists Sarah as born before 1774. Judging from the age of her husband (born 1774 to 1775), she was probably born within two or three years before 1774, and was married in about 1791 or 1792.

There are no census records available for Amos and Judith Hodges. Family tree listings on the Ancestry.Com World Tree website show one known son for Amos (also known as Amasa?) and Judith, namely William H. (Buck) Hodges, born 3 Jun 1799 in Surry Co. Amos is shown as having died before 1809. This author cannot vouch for these facts, but they would confirm the fact the Judith was probably living at home in 1790 and not married until after that time.

We are also missing census records for Joseph Ratcliff (or Ratliff) and his wife Susanna. The Joseph Ratcliff who appears in the 1810 Surry County census is too young to be the husband of Susanna and probably was a son. This younger Joseph was born 1784 to 1794 and appeared to be newly married with one child born not long before 1810. This suggests that Joseph Ratcliff Jr. may have been born in about 1784 to 1786, and correspondingly suggests that if his mother was Susanna, she may have been born about 1761 to 1764.

Conclusion

Born in Hanover County, Virginia, Joseph Gentry was a prominent member of his community in Lunenburg County, Virginia, and in Surry County, North Carolina where he died. His family, moderately large by the standards of the day, has been well-documented in contemporary references with the exception of one son, William, and two daughters, Susanna and Judith, for whom we have the identification of husbands but little else. Joseph is a prime example of the pioneering spirit of so many of the early Gentrys, as he moved successively from Louisa County to Lunenburg County, Virginia and on to North Carolina, always in the forefront of those seeking more space and new homes.

References

The existence of so many varying records concerning Joseph and his sons, makes it very difficult to pick a number of especially pertinent references to accompany an article like this without overwhelming the reader. On the other hand, many records are difficult for the casual genealogist to access, and it may be of value to have available in one place, a collection of all of the references pertaining to Joseph. As a compromise, for this Journal issue, we have prepared a separate, supplemental appendix of information that may be accessed by those wishing to study the references in depth, but at the same time, will not take up the space and time of reading for those who are not so inclined. Census records for Joseph's family are shown below.

View Additional References | Return to Top

North Carolina Census Records

1790 Federal Census,

Surry Co., NC M(>16) M(0-16) F Slaves

	Gentry, Joseph

Gentry, Shelton

Gentry, Samuel

Ridins [Ridings], John

Hodges, William

Spur [Speer], Andrew 2

1

2

1

1

2 1

2

5

3

1

1 4

3

3

5

2

4 3

0

1

0

0

0

1800 Federal Census

	Born

/ Sex 1790-

1800 1784-

1790 1774-

1784 1755-

1774 Bef

1755

Surry Co., NC

Page

657 Samuel Gentry

  (Sarah)	M

F 4

3 1

2 0

0 0

2 0

0 son of

Joseph

657 Shelton Gentry

  (Elizabeth)	M

F 2

1 1

2 0

0 1

1 0

0 son of

Joseph

657 Joseph Gentry

  (Agnes)	M

F 0

0 1

0 0

0 0

0 1

1

657 Matthew Gentry M

F 2

0 0

0 0

0 1

1 0

0 son of

Samuel

666 Elisha Isaac

  (Sarah)	M

F 2

2 0

0 1

0 0

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

686 John Ridings

  (Anna)	M

F 1

3 2

1 1

1 0

0 1

2 dau of

Joseph

692 Andrew Speer

  (Elizabeth)	M

F 0

1 1

0 2

1 0

0 1

1 dau of

Joseph

710 William Hodges

  (Agnes)	M

F 4

0 1

1 0

0 1

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

1810 Federal Census

	Born

/ Sex 1800-

1810 1794-

1800 1784-

1794 1765-

1784 Bef

1765

Surry Co. NC

Page

635 Shelton Gentry

  (Elizabeth)	M

F 1

2 2

1 1

1 0

0 1

1 son of

Joseph

663 Joseph Gentry

  (Agnes)	M

F 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 1

1

634 William Hodges

  (Agnes)	M

F 2

1 1

0 3

0 1

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

643 Joseph Ratcliff M

F 0

1 0

0 1

1 0

0 0

0 son of

Susanna?

669 Elisha Isaacks

  (Sarah)	M

F 3

2 1

1 0

0 1

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

685 John Ridings

  (Anna)	M

F 0

0 0

2 3

0 0

0 1

1 dau of

Joseph

Shelby Co., KY

156 Andrew Spears

  (Elizabeth?)	M

F 0

1 1

1 0

1 0

0 2

2

Barren Co., KY

048 Samuel Gentree M

F 0

1 2

2 1

0 0

0 1

0 son of

Joseph

[Note. Five children of Samuel included in Barren Co. and Ohio Co., KY census listings]

________________________________________

© 2002, 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.

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	Volume 2 Issue 7

July 2002

Home Page and Index

________________________________________

THE SONS OF SAMUEL-II GENTRY

Part 3. Joseph Gentry and Family

by

Willard Gentry

Abstract

Continuing a series providing comprehensive descriptions of the sons of Samuel-II Gentry, his son Joseph is described, along with a summary of Joseph's children.

Introduction

The current article continues a series of articles on the sons of Samuel-II Gentry by describing virtually all that is known to this author of Joseph-III Gentry known to the author. An interpretation of the references, and an outline of the conclusions drawn from the references is provided. As in preceding articles, such conclusions have been based upon reasonable and "informed" probabilities in interpreting the data.

Jump to References

Joseph Gentry

-

- born possibly about 1721, Hanover County, Virginia; died April 1813 in Surry County, North Carolina.

married in Louisa County, Virginia, to Agnes (Shelton ?).

	Children (order of birth and birthdates of daughters uncertain - see discussion below)

i. Samuel Gentry, born about 1748, Louisa County, Virginia; married (1) Surry County, North Carolina to probably a daughter of Matthew Brooks; married (2), 24 May 1787 (bond), Surry County, North Carolina to Sarah Brock; married (3), Barren County, Kentucky, to Sarah Melton; died 1816, Barren County, Kentucky.

ii. Elizabeth Gentry, born about 1751, Louisa County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Andrew Spear/Speer.

iii. Anne Gentry, born about 1754, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to John Ridings.

iv. Shelton Gentry, born about 1758, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Elizabeth (Unknown); died 1834, Surry County, North Carolina.

v. Susanna/Susannah Gentry, born about 1761, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Joseph Ratcliff/Ratliff.

vi. William Gentry, born about 1764, Lunenburg County, Virginia; died before 1804, Surry County, North Carolina.

vii. Agnes ("Agey") Gentry, born about 1766, Lunenburg County, Virginia; married Surry County, North Carolina to William Hodge/Hodges.

viii. Judith Gentry, born about 1768, Rowan (later Surry) County, North Carolina; married Surry County, North Carolina to Amos Hodge/Hodges.

ix. Sarah Gentry, born about 1771, Surry County, North Carolina; married Surry County, North Carolina, to Elisha Isaacs.

Joseph Gentry in Virginia

There is no clear evidence to indicate whether Joseph was the third son of Samuel Gentry, or if his brother Allen was the older of the two. There is little question that Allen's oldest son, Shadrack, was older than any of Joseph's children (assuming no children died while young), and consequently it is probable that Allen was married before Joseph. The author has somewhat arbitrarily judged that Joseph was the older of the two based upon the observation that during their early years in Lunenburg County, when the two brothers had moved from Louisa County and were no longer living on their father's plantation, it was Joseph who purchased land which the brothers appear to have shared and farmed together for a number of years. This was in 1752. Allen did not purchase land on his own account until 1755. On the other hand, given Joseph's rather flamboyant, outgoing (one might even say "aggressive") nature revealed in court records, he may simply have been more assertive than his brother.

There is no documentation of the maiden name of Joseph's wife, Agnes. Given the fact that one of Agnes' sons and one grandson were named Shelton, it is reasonable to suppose that this was her maiden name. A William Shelton, of Albemarle County, bought a part of Joseph's property in 1756, possibly with the thought of moving to Lunenburg County. This may have been Agnes' father. For whatever reason, William seems to have changed his mind, for in 1762, while still living in Albemarle County, he sold this land.

There are voluminous references to Joseph in Lunenburg County, but the only reference to him in Louisa County was in 1762 when he was one of three of Samuel Gentry's sons to witness the sale of the latter's last remnant of land in that county. This sale came well after Samuel and most of the family had moved from Louisa County to Lunenburg County. Joseph did not lead the way in this family move, but he (and presumably also Allen) was among the earlier members to settle in Lunenburg County. Joseph was not in any of the first Lunenburg County tithable lists for 1747 to 1752, although three of his brothers, David, Nicholas, and William were in the 1752 list. There are no records available for 1753 or succeeding years until 1764.

A chronology of Joseph's land transactions in Lunenburg County is as follows:

1752 Purchased 490 ac on S. side of Reedy Creek (formerly part of Michael Mackey and Abraham Cocke grants), from Joseph Minor.

	1756	Joseph and Agnes (his wife) sold 274 ac on Reedy Creek to William Shelton (Agnes' father?) of Albemarle Co. [William sold this land in 1762.]

1758 Joseph sold 60 ac on Reedy Creek and both sides of Horsepen Creek to Moses Cockerham
1759 Joseph and Agnes sold 37 1/2 ac. or his original Mackey grant land to Everard Dowsing
1760 Joseph bought 8 ac on Horsepen Creek from John Hanna
1762 Joseph bought 60 ac on Horsepen Branch from Daniel Mason.
1762 Joseph sold to Moses Cockerham, 68 ac he had purchased from Joseph Minor and Daniel Mason.
1766 [Lunenburg County August Court minutes show Joseph Gentry "not [an inhabitant] of this county".]
1770 Joseph and wife Agnes of North Carolina, and Allen and wife Mary of Lunenburg County, sold 118 ac on Reedy Creek [the balance of the land still owned by Joseph].
The fact that Joseph bought land in 1752 indicates that he must have come to the county in that year and bought land almost immediately after arriving. In addition to the direct transactions in which Joseph was involved, his name appears in a number of other records in which he was a witness or was cited as an adjoining land owner.

Fig. 1 Lunenburg County, with location of early grants

In the limited records of Cumberland Parish, which included all of Lunenburg County, Joseph's name also appears, for the most part in processioning returns at which he was present between 1760 and 1764. Significantly, in 1768, by which time court records showed that Joseph had left the county, for the processioning of the line between Joseph's land and an adjoining owner, Joseph was not present, but Allen Gentry was present instead. It appears that Joseph and Allen had some joint ownership agreement for the Reedy Creek property that was not formally recorded (perhaps Allen paid part of the purchase price). After Joseph left Virginia to go to North Carolina, Allen remained behind for some four or more years, and handled the final sale of the land before he also left Lunenburg County. Agnes was living in North Carolina at the time of the final sale and "[could not] conveniently travel to our county court to make acknowledgement of the deed". She acknowledged her relinquishment of dower in September 1771 to two agents of the court in Surry County. One can read between the lines and presume that she may have been in the last stages of pregnancy before the birth of her youngest child, Sarah.

Joseph had as many references in the county court minutes as all of the rest of the Gentrys in Lunenburg County put together -- twice the number of his older brother David which in itself was a lot. Some of these involved normal civic responsibilities such as serving on the jury, being assigned to his share of road construction and maintenance, acknowledgement of indentures for some of his sales and purchases of land, and serving as a witness for third-party suits. He posted bond on behalf of a neighbor who was granted letters of administration for an estate. Another neighbor posted bond with Joseph and two other citizens in order to be able to "keep an ordinary at his house" (that is to operate a tavern). In addition to these, Joseph had an active court presence of a different nature. He was involved in a number of suits in which he was brought into court for the payment of debt, and also cases where he sued others for debt. He was involved in two cases where he sued another man for assault and battery. On another occasion, judgment was against him for "profane swearing". In still another suit, the nature of which was not disclosed but which must have been of a rather serious nature, Joseph was indicted by a grand jury in a case that went to a jury trial in which Joseph was declared not guilty. The court minutes together reflect a man who was the opposite of retiring -- an active, forceful, vigorous member of the pioneer community.

Joseph Gentry in North Carolina

As we have seen above, by 1766 Joseph was ready to move on to fresh pastures, accompanying his older brother Nicholas to the rapidly-settling foothills of central North Carolina. Joseph, Nicholas, and their nephew, Hezekiah, were recorded in tax lists that are believed to be dated 1768 in Rowan County, a county that encompassed most of the northwest quarter of the state of North Carolina. Joseph and another brother, Samuel, were included in another tax list that was dated between 1768 and 1770. Joseph and the other Gentry brothers were in a part of Rowan County that became Surry County in 1771 -- an area which was quite large in its own right at first and which in time was split into five counties. A chronology of Surry County records for Joseph follows.

1772 Joseph Gentry licensed to keep a public ferry at his own landing (an area that later became known as "Matthew Brooks' Ferry"). Rates were established at:

     5 sh for wagon & team; 3 sh for cart & team; 6 d for man & horse; 4 d for footman.

1773 Court order for [12 men] to lay out a road from Joseph Gentry's Ferry on the west side of the Yadkin River to Fox Knob and Allens Iron Works [at the Wilkes County line], and on the east side of the River to [the Moravian settlement of] Salem
1774 Joseph Gentry sold 50 ac on "south side of Yadkin River" to Samuel Gentry, it being part of a tract of land granted by John Earl Granville to Edward Hughs [Hughes] in 1748 and now in the possession of Samuel. [Note. The designation "south side of the Yadkin River" referred to the portion of Surry County that was south of the west-to-east portion of the river, and west of the north-to-south portion of the river. In other words, it was the area that now is occupied by Yadkin County.]
1774 Joseph Gentry bought 331 ac on south side of Yadkin River, being a tract of land granted by John Earl Granville to Edward Hughs [Hughes] in 1748 and now in the possession of Joseph. [This is the same land, a part of which Joseph sold to his son, Samuel in the deed above which was recorded several months earlier in the year.]
1775 Joseph Gentry sold 181 ac of former Granville Tract to Math. Brooks and now in the possession of said Mathew Brookes.
1787 State grant of 150 ac on east side of Fishers River to Joseph Gentry.. [Tax records suggest Joseph's son Shelton took over and farmed this land.]
1789 Joseph Gentry and Samuel Gentry sold to John Ridens [Ridings], 110 ac of land on south side of Yadkin River. [This appears to be 60 ac still owned by Joseph of the original 331 ac of land which he bought, together with the 50 ac of land which Joseph sold to Samuel. John Ridings was a son-in-law of Joseph. The deed was witnessed by Andrew Speer, another son-in-law, by Matthew Brooks and by Sarah Gentry, Samuel's wife.]
1789 Joseph and Agnes Gentry, his wife, sold 40 ac on Yadkin River to Math. Brooks. [This was the last portion of Joseph's original 331 ac.]
1799 State grant of 50 ac on Kelly's Creek to Joseph Gentry, adjoining his own land.
1813 Joseph Gentry died, taxed for 225 ac under his own name during the last years of his life, and apparently owning another 75 ac for which Shelton was taxed.
Fig. 2 Surry County, with location of grants to Joseph Gentry's family

These records show that Joseph first settled at a strategic point along the Yadkin River where he took advantage of his position to operate a ferry. Later this ferry service, and the adjoining land, were turned over to Matthew Brooks, to whom Joseph was related through the marriages of two of his brothers, David and Nicholas. [For a discussion of the Brooks family relationships, see the June issue of the Journal of Gentry Genealogy.] In 1787, Joseph received a state grant on the Fisher River, considerably to the north of his previous location. Joseph sold the last of his Yadkin River property and moved with his son Shelton to the new location where both Joseph and Shelton remained for the rest of their lives.

Tax lists for Surry County are unusually complete. Joseph and members of his family are found in these in almost every one of the years for which records survive, starting with 1782 (when tax list enumerations were resumed after the end of the Revolutionary War), and continuing until after Joseph's death. During the last fifteen or so years of his life, the tax records show Joseph being taxed for varying amounts of land varying from 125 acres in 1801, to a high of 325 acres in 1807. Some of this variation undoubtedly was due to a part of Joseph's land being farmed by other family members, and conversely, Joseph farming land owned by his son Samuel. Even so, there is an ultimate 25 acre discrepancy at the time of his death that is not accounted for by recorded deeds or grants. These records not only confirm the granting, purchase, and sale of land, but also provide some indication of family make-up. From 1785 to 1792, Joseph was listed as liable for two white polls in his household, in addition to a slave. This may have been his youngest son, William, reaching taxable age (twenty-one) in 1785. We will discuss this in more depth later. The reappearance of an extra tithable individual in 1801 and 1802 (and perhaps 1803), might possibly have represented a brief return home by William prior to his death at an untimely age, or it may have been a newly-married son-in-law of Joseph.

Besides land records, and tax records, we have available a number of court records pertaining to Joseph. From them we learn of his operation of a ferry across the Yadkin River during the early years of his living in Surry County. In 1772, a schedule of fares was established by the court at 5sh for wagon & team; 3sh for cart & team; 6d for man & horse; 4d for footman. There is also a reference to Joseph's ferry in a 1773 court order to establish a road from the Moravian settlement of Salem, east of the Yadkin River, crossing the river at Joseph's Ferry and continuing to the far side of Surry County at Allens Iron Works along the Wilkes County line. In time, as the ferry changed hands, this road came to be known as Brooks Ferry Road.

While Joseph was not asked to participate in the laying out of this early road, he and Shelton were assigned the duty by later courts of assisting in the "viewing and laying out" of public roads along the north side of the Yadkin River from the community of Rockford (the first county seat of Surry County) to the Wilkes County line. Joseph and Shelton were called upon for this service on three separate occasions between 1791 and 1794. Other than these court assignments, Joseph's contacts with the courts in Surry County were quite routine compared to his experiences in Lunenburg County. He served on the court's grand jury on several occasions. He testified when necessary to confirm the sale or purchase of land. He was called upon to swear to other legal matters or to provide a security bond. In 1789, the courts assigned to Joseph responsibility for Amasa Dean, an orphan boy of fifteen who was apprenticed to Joseph until Amasa reached the age of twenty-one. (The court minutes read that Amasa was bound to Joseph "to learn the Art and Mystery of Planter".) Amasa was probably living with Joseph at the time of the 1790 census.

Joseph wrote a will dated November 1804 which was filed for probate in May 1813. This will can be summarized with respect to bequests as follows:

Wife: Agnes ... to have negro woman, Jemima and residue of estate after specific gifts to other heirs ...

	Son:	Shelton ... 75 acres where he now lives and a share of the estate.

Dau: Elizabeth Speere, negro girl Hannah and a share of the estate.
Grand-Dau: Mary Gentry, daughter of my deceased son William ... 25 pounds.
Son: Samuel ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Anne ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Agey [Agnes] ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Judith ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Sarah ... a share of the estate.
Dau: Susanna ... a share of the estate.
Joseph's sons Samuel and Shelton, and his wife Agnes were named as executors. There are a variety of loose papers relating to the settlement of this estate that are filed in the North Carolina State Archives. Among these is a listing of debts and credits relating to the estate, the last one of which, dated 28 April 1813, reads, "debit to cash for Nixon for coffin, 12/-". [All listings are in pounds, shillings, and pence and then converted at exchange "dollars at 8/-".] This clearly establishes Joseph's date of death as some time in April, 1813.

A number of remarks concerning this will are appropriate. One relates to the acreage of land held by Shelton. In 1804 and 1805, at the time of the writing of the will, Shelton was being taxed for 175 acres and Joseph for 225 acres. Shelton received a state grant of 100 acres in 1801. This suggests that of the 175 acres for which he was being taxed, 100 acres was his own, and the remaining 75 acres was owned by Joseph but farmed by Shelton.

Another point brought out in the auxiliary papers is the appointment of William Hodges as the agent to receive the payment to Samuel Gentry as the latter's share (William being the husband of Agnes Gentry, and thus a brother-in-law of Samuel). By the time of Joseph's death, Samuel had left Surry County and moved to Barren County, Kentucky. (Samuel's will, dated 1816, makes reference to an inheritance due him from his father.) It is also noteworthy that a $50 payment was made to "Polly [Mary] Gentry" in accordance with the will. There is no indication from any of the records as to the age of Mary, but there is no reference to her being a minor. She was apparently living in Surry County in 1813, and unmarried.

The final settlement of the estate was not until after 1826 when Agnes, Joseph's widow, died, thereby releasing her residual share of Joseph's estate for division among the remaining heirs. Agnes left a will which was written in 1813, and received for probate at the February 1826 Surry County Court. In this will, she left her remaining personal estate to her son Shelton and to her granddaughter Nancy (daughter of Shelton).

Children of Joseph and Agnes Gentry

Samuel Gentry

Samuel was the oldest of Joseph's sons, and the founder of a dynastic line of descent that was very prominent in Warrick and Spencer Counties, Indiana, and Ohio County, Kentucky. We will not discuss him further in this article, deferring to a full article on his life and family in a coming issue of the Journal of Gentry Genealogy.

Shelton Gentry

Shelton was closely associated with his father throughout the latter's life, moving with Joseph from the latter's Yadkin River property to Joseph's succeeding property along the Fisher River on the north side of the Yadkin, in what remained Surry County after various divisions of the county. [In addition Shelton was named by the courts as guardian for Joseph in the last years of the latter's life - see Addendum to References.]

Shelton was married to Elizabeth, whose maiden name is not known, although there has been speculation that she was a member of the Burrus family. Shelton and Elizabeth had a large family, their oldest son being Michael B. Gentry. Michael appeared briefly in tax records, and a Surry County marriage bond dated 1811 exists for his marriage to Sarah Burrus (a cousin?). Michael appears to have briefly moved to Jackson County, Tennessee, and was in the 1820 census for that county, but then returned to Surry County. He died before 1830, and his family was scattered among several households at the time of the 1850 census.

Joseph (Jr) was probably the next oldest son of Shelton. Family Bible records show he was born in September 1790, while the 1790 census lists two minor sons for Shelton. Possibly Joseph was one of these if the date of the enumeration was late enough in the year. Joseph had a large family that moved to Greene County, Indiana between 1840 and 1850. Joseph died after this move, but before 1850. Most of his family are included in the 1850 Greene County census.

Shelton's third son, Robert also had a large family almost all of whom were still living at home with Robert at the time of the 1850 census. Shelton had at least five daughters, Nancy, Agnes, Catherine (or Katherine), Elizabeth and Susanna born between about 1785 and 1810. Shelton's family appears to have lived in a very close-knit community. His sons Joseph and Robert married Mary (Polly) and Nancy Hodge(s) respectively, undoubtedly a part of the same extended family as the William Hodges and Amos Hodges married by Shelton's sisters Agnes and Judith. As further evidence of a very close-knit community, Shelton's daughters Elizabeth and Nancy married Jesse and Hardin Franklin.

[Following paragraph revised 7/20/02 based upon text of Shelton's will which has been located in the North Carolina State Archives - see Addendum to References.]

Shelton died in Surry County in the spring of 1834 based upon the date his will was received for probate. The last previous record of Shelton during his lifetime was a bill of sale dated 1832 for sale of a negro boy. In a bill of sale, dated 1834, Elizabeth Gentry (Shelton's widow) and her son Joseph (Jr), sold a negro woman and child as a part of the settlement of Shelton's estate. In another deed dated 1835, Elizabeth Gentry gave to Robert Gentry, 70 acres of land "for love and good will to her son". In 1838, Abraham Howard, acting as a trustee, probably for Shelton's estate, sold land left to Joseph Jr. by Shelton, "as described in Shelton Gentry's will".

William Gentry

Our only evidence of the existence of this son of Joseph Gentry lies in the statement in his will in which he bequeathed twenty-five pounds to William's daughter Mary. Joseph's William is frequently confused in genealogical listings with Joseph's brother, William. The latter married Lucy Claiborne, and is included in a dozen or so references in Lunenburg, Virginia. This brother William accompanied Joseph to North Carolina and was apparently living with him at the time of his death in 1772.

The William who was Joseph's son, apparently had only the one child, and we have no clue as to the identity of his wife. We can speculate that the younger William was the second tithable individual in Joseph's household in the 1785 to 1792 Surry County tax records. If so, his appearance as a tithable individual in 1785 leads to the assumption that he reached tithable age (21 at the time) in that year, and that he was born about 1764. This is compatible with the ages of the rest of Joseph's children. One can speculate as to why this possible son of Joseph never established his own separate household, even if it was on land owned by Joseph, and was not even named individually in the tax lists during this eight-year period. It is possible that William was sickly or had some other problem during his early life which led eventually to an untimely early death and which kept him from establishing a separate household during his first adult years.

The 1790 census confirms the fact that there was a tithable male living with Joseph at that time. This individual could have been William or could conceivably have been a son-in-law of Joseph who was living with the family. We can account for at least two of Joseph's daughters living with him in 1790. If the tithable man was a son-in-law, then a third daughter of Joseph would have been living at home (along with Joseph's wife Agnes, accounting for four females being present). If the tithable man was William, then the fourth female could have been William's wife, or could have been the third daughter.

We can conjecture that William had recently married and his wife was with him, but their daughter Mary had not yet been born. We can also conjecture that William left home (or died?) in 1792. If so, we can hypothesize that William's daughter Mary may have been about the age of thirteen at the time of the writing of Joseph's will, and about twenty-two at the time of his death. There is absolutely no evidence as to what happened to Mary. Her mother very likely survived William, and re-married, in which case Mary was presumably living with her step-father at the time of Joseph's death.

Joseph Gentry's Daughters

Compared to many early Gentrys, Joseph's family is unusual in that we have from Joseph's will and estate papers, a complete list of daughters, and also a complete list of their husbands. We do not have a one-to-one listing of each daughter with her corresponding husband, but there is sufficient information that these identifications can be established by a study of the existing documents. We do not have direct evidence as to the ages of the various daughters. This must be deduced from auxiliary documents, primarily census records.

Three daughters and their husbands are listed in the 1790 Federal census for Surry County. These, in order of relative age are Elizabeth, wife of Andrew Speer ["Spur"]; Anne, wife of John Ridings ["Ridins"]; and Agnes ("Agey"), wife of William Hodges. There is some ambiguity for Elizabeth's family for there is an "Andrew Spur" and an "Andrew Spur Jr" listed. The latter family appears to be that of a newly-married couple with one young son, and was too young for a family expected of Elizabeth. Obviously, we have no direct evidence from the 1790 census of the age of any female members of the household, but by following the families through successive census listings we find that Elizabeth was born before 1755 (based on the 1800 census), and was probably married in about 1780. Anne was also born before 1755 but judging from the ages of her children in the 1800 and 1810 Surry County census, she was probably married in about 1782. Agnes was born between 1765 and 1774, most probably much nearer to 1765. Agnes' date of marriage can be estimated as about 1784.

Two of the remaining daughters, Judith and Sarah, apparently were living with their parents in 1790, but Susanna may already have married and left home. Sarah and Elisha Isaacs appear in the 1800, 1810, and 1820 Surry County census listings. The 1800 census lists Sarah as born before 1774. Judging from the age of her husband (born 1774 to 1775), she was probably born within two or three years before 1774, and was married in about 1791 or 1792.

There are no census records available for Amos and Judith Hodges. Family tree listings on the Ancestry.Com World Tree website show one known son for Amos (also known as Amasa?) and Judith, namely William H. (Buck) Hodges, born 3 Jun 1799 in Surry Co. Amos is shown as having died before 1809. This author cannot vouch for these facts, but they would confirm the fact the Judith was probably living at home in 1790 and not married until after that time.

We are also missing census records for Joseph Ratcliff (or Ratliff) and his wife Susanna. The Joseph Ratcliff who appears in the 1810 Surry County census is too young to be the husband of Susanna and probably was a son. This younger Joseph was born 1784 to 1794 and appeared to be newly married with one child born not long before 1810. This suggests that Joseph Ratcliff Jr. may have been born in about 1784 to 1786, and correspondingly suggests that if his mother was Susanna, she may have been born about 1761 to 1764.

Conclusion

Born in Hanover County, Virginia, Joseph Gentry was a prominent member of his community in Lunenburg County, Virginia, and in Surry County, North Carolina where he died. His family, moderately large by the standards of the day, has been well-documented in contemporary references with the exception of one son, William, and two daughters, Susanna and Judith, for whom we have the identification of husbands but little else. Joseph is a prime example of the pioneering spirit of so many of the early Gentrys, as he moved successively from Louisa County to Lunenburg County, Virginia and on to North Carolina, always in the forefront of those seeking more space and new homes.

References

The existence of so many varying records concerning Joseph and his sons, makes it very difficult to pick a number of especially pertinent references to accompany an article like this without overwhelming the reader. On the other hand, many records are difficult for the casual genealogist to access, and it may be of value to have available in one place, a collection of all of the references pertaining to Joseph. As a compromise, for this Journal issue, we have prepared a separate, supplemental appendix of information that may be accessed by those wishing to study the references in depth, but at the same time, will not take up the space and time of reading for those who are not so inclined. Census records for Joseph's family are shown below.

View Additional References | Return to Top

North Carolina Census Records

1790 Federal Census,

Surry Co., NC M(>16) M(0-16) F Slaves

	Gentry, Joseph

Gentry, Shelton

Gentry, Samuel

Ridins [Ridings], John

Hodges, William

Spur [Speer], Andrew 2

1

2

1

1

2 1

2

5

3

1

1 4

3

3

5

2

4 3

0

1

0

0

0

1800 Federal Census

	Born

/ Sex 1790-

1800 1784-

1790 1774-

1784 1755-

1774 Bef

1755

Surry Co., NC

Page

657 Samuel Gentry

  (Sarah)	M

F 4

3 1

2 0

0 0

2 0

0 son of

Joseph

657 Shelton Gentry

  (Elizabeth)	M

F 2

1 1

2 0

0 1

1 0

0 son of

Joseph

657 Joseph Gentry

  (Agnes)	M

F 0

0 1

0 0

0 0

0 1

1

657 Matthew Gentry M

F 2

0 0

0 0

0 1

1 0

0 son of

Samuel

666 Elisha Isaac

  (Sarah)	M

F 2

2 0

0 1

0 0

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

686 John Ridings

  (Anna)	M

F 1

3 2

1 1

1 0

0 1

2 dau of

Joseph

692 Andrew Speer

  (Elizabeth)	M

F 0

1 1

0 2

1 0

0 1

1 dau of

Joseph

710 William Hodges

  (Agnes)	M

F 4

0 1

1 0

0 1

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

1810 Federal Census

	Born

/ Sex 1800-

1810 1794-

1800 1784-

1794 1765-

1784 Bef

1765

Surry Co. NC

Page

635 Shelton Gentry

  (Elizabeth)	M

F 1

2 2

1 1

1 0

0 1

1 son of

Joseph

663 Joseph Gentry

  (Agnes)	M

F 0

0 0

0 0

0 0

0 1

1

634 William Hodges

  (Agnes)	M

F 2

1 1

0 3

0 1

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

643 Joseph Ratcliff M

F 0

1 0

0 1

1 0

0 0

0 son of

Susanna?

669 Elisha Isaacks

  (Sarah)	M

F 3

2 1

1 0

0 1

1 0

0 dau of

Joseph

685 John Ridings

  (Anna)	M

F 0

0 0

2 3

0 0

0 1

1 dau of

Joseph

Shelby Co., KY

156 Andrew Spears

  (Elizabeth?)	M

F 0

1 1

1 0

1 0

0 2

2

Barren Co., KY

048 Samuel Gentree M

F 0

1 2

2 1

0 0

0 1

0 son of

Joseph

[Note. Five children of Samuel included in Barren Co. and Ohio Co., KY census listings]

________________________________________

© 2002, 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.

http://janetstephenson.com/Stephenson.htm

Notes for Joseph G. Gentry:

Joseph was a grandson of one of two brothers who were British Soldiers and came to America in 1676. The "hand down" story of the Gentry family is that the Gentry family in the United States descended from two Gentry

brothers who came over from England. They settled in the Carolinas – one family locating there whose descendents are the "Gentry Pony Show" people. The other family later went to Ohio and Kentucky.

I only know our line of Gentrys as recorded in the History of Warrick, Spencer and Perry Counties published in 1885.

Children of Joseph Gentry and Agnes Shelton are:

                      i.   Elizabeth Gentry, born in Louisa County, VA; married Andrew Speare.

ii. Judith Gentry, born in Surry County, NC; married Amos Hodges.
22 iii. Samuel Gentry, born 1753 in Lunenburg Co., Virginia; died 16 Feb 1816 in Surry County, NC; married (1) Sarah Melton; married (2) Sarah Brock 24 May 1775.
iv. Shelton Gentry, born Abt. 1758 in Lunenburg County, VA; died Abt. 1834 in Surry County, NC; married Elizabeth ?.
v. Agnes Gentry, born Abt. 1765 in Virginia; married William Hodges.
vi. Anna Gentry, born Abt. 1765 in Virginia; married John Ridings.
vii. Sarah Gentry, born Abt. 1770 in Surry County, NC; married Elisha Isaacs.
viii. William Gentry, born Abt. 1773 in Surry County, NC; died Bef. 1800 in Surry County, NC.
ix. Susanna Gentry, born Abt. 1780 in Surry County, NC; married Joseph Ratcliff.

GEDCOM Note

Joseph Gentry - Last Will and Testament transcribed Posted 24 Nov 2018 by avelyn Joseph Gentry Last Will and Testament North Carolina Wills & Probate Records: Vol 1-3, 1777-1827 Probate Date: (May 1813/Recorded) November 17, 1804 Surry County, North Carolina

In the name of God Amen, I Joseph Gentry of Surry County and State of North Carolina, being weak in body but sound in mind do constitute and appoint this my last will and testament, disposing of my property in manner and form following. First, I bequeath to my beloved wife Agnes Gentry, all my Estate, real and personal during her lifetime, except such property as I shall otherwise bequest. Item. I bequeath to my son Shelton Gentry seventy five acres of land, more or less on which he now lives to be laid off agreeable to the conditional line between us. Item. I bequeath to my daughter, Elizabeth Speere one negro girl name Hannah and her Increase at the death of my wife Agnes. Item. I bequeath to Mary entry, daughter of my son William Gentry deceased, twenty five pounds. Item. It is my will that at the death of my wife, Agnes, the remainder of my property real and personal be equally divided between my sons Samuel and Shelton and my daughters Ann, Agey, Judith, Sarah and Susan. Item. I bequeath to my beloved wife her own Bed and Furniture and my negro woman Jemima to be her real property and she, viz, my wife Agnes to dispose of them at her death as she thinks proper. Also, I constitute Samuel Gentry, Shelton Gentry and my wife Agnes Gentry Executors of this my last will and testament. As witnessed my hand this 17th of November, AD 1804 Signed and sealed in Presence of: His Mark: Joseph Gentry Ma Hughes Alch Hughes Wm Dobson State of North Carolina, Surry County, May Session, AD 1813 Matthew M Hughes (one of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing last will and testament of Joseph Gentry) made oath that he saw the said Gentry sign, publish and declare the same to be his last will and testament that he was of sound disposing mind and at the same time he saw Alchilus Hughes and William P. Dobson sign the same as witness thereto which was ordered to be recorded. Recorded accordingly by: J. Williams Transcribed by: Carole V Beringer, November 24, 2018 &ltp&gtJoseph Gentry - Last Will and Testament transcribed&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtPosted 24 Nov 2018 by avelyn Joseph Gentry Last Will and Testament North Carolina Wills & Probate Records: Vol 1-3, 1777-1827&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtProbate Date: (May 1813/Recorded) November 17, 1804 Surry County, North Carolina&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gt&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtIn the name of God Amen, I Joseph Gentry of Surry County and State of North Carolina, being weak in body but sound in mind do constitute and appoint this my last will and testament, disposing of my property in manner and form following.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtFirst, I bequeath to my beloved wife Agnes Gentry, all my Estate, real and personal during her lifetime, except such property as I shall otherwise bequest.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtItem. I bequeath to my son Shelton Gentry seventy five acres of land, more or less on which he now lives to be laid off agreeable to the conditional line between us.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtItem. I bequeath to my daughter, Elizabeth Speere one negro girl name Hannah and her Increase at the death of my wife Agnes.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtItem. I bequeath to Mary entry, daughter of my son William Gentry deceased, twenty five pounds.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtItem. It is my will that at the death of my wife, Agnes, the remainder of my property real and personal be equally divided between my sons Samuel and Shelton and my daughters Ann, Agey, Judith, Sarah and Susan.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtItem. I bequeath to my beloved wife her own Bed and Furniture and my negro woman Jemima to be her real property and she, viz, my wife Agnes to dispose of them at her death as she thinks proper.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtAlso, I constitute Samuel Gentry, Shelton Gentry and my wife Agnes Gentry Executors of this my last will and testament.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtAs witnessed my hand this 17th of November, AD 1804&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtSigned and sealed in Presence of: His Mark: Joseph Gentry&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtMa Hughes&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtAlch Hughes&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtWm Dobson&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtState of North Carolina, Surry County, May Session, AD 1813&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtMatthew M Hughes (one of the subscribing witnesses to the foregoing last will and testament of Joseph Gentry) made oath that he saw the said Gentry sign, publish and declare the same to be his last will and testament that he was of sound disposing mind and at the same time he saw Alchilus Hughes and William P. Dobson sign the same as witness thereto which was ordered to be recorded.&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtRecorded accordingly by:&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gt&ltp&gtJ. Williams&lt/p&gt&lt/p&gt&ltp&gtTranscribed by: Carole V Beringer, November 24, 2018&lt/p&gt

• Military_service: North Carolina, United States - 1776
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Aug 13 2020, 21:12:07 UTC