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- Information on this family and its descendants comes from Judy Henry. She has come out with book entitled A Henry Family History: Descendants of Samuel Henry, Sr.
From Judy Henry; it looks forward to her book A Henry Family History: Descendants of Samuel Henry, Sr.
Our SAMUEL HENRY was born about 1730. He is said to have been a cousin of Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia. If this is the case, then this family originated in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Other family descendants state that the Henrys were of Irish descent. Many Scotts did migrate to Ireland before coming to the American colonies. Scotch-Irish settlers from what was Augusta, Boutourt Counties (now Rockbridge County) Virginia had family connections and were neighbors of the Henrys "over the mountains" in what is now Tennessee.
Tradition indicates that Samuel, Sr. and his family lived in Hanover County, Virginia where at least some of his children were born. No records have been found to connect them to Hanover County or to Patrick Henry. No marriage record has been found for Samuel Henry, but a 1787 Washington County deed names his wife as Rachel. By 1778 Samuel and his sons are shown in the records of the newly formed Washington County, North Carolina, which today is the state of Tennessee. Their near neighbors in Washington County were evident in the records of the Augusta/Rockbridge County area of Virginia just before they are found in the Watagua River area of what is now Tennessee. Samuel Henry Sr.'s sons Samuel, Jr. and James are said to have married in Augusta County. It was quite common for extended families, neighbors, and even church congregations to migrate as a group. The Chalkley records of Augusta County, Virginia list the names of Samuel, William, John, James and Hugh Henry both before and after this family had moved over the mountains. Perhaps further research would help take this family back to Virginia.
When the last 100 acres of Samuel Henry's land grant was sold in 1801, the deed was made in the following names: William, James, Hugh, John, Samuel Jr. and Ezekiel. These six men are found owning neighboring land and together in early deeds and court minutes. They are assumed to be sons of Samuel Henry, and perhaps, Rachel, his wife, who may have also had daughters, Rachel, who married Elisha Dodson, and/or Mary, plus others unknown. [1]
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