THE GENTRY FAMILY

OF

DICKSON COUNTY , TENNESSEE

By

Joseph Neal Luther

Benejah Gentry is the father of William Gentry and grandfather of Ann Gentry who married Silas Thompson, grandson of Neil Thompson.  Nicholas Gentry, Sr. was Benejah Gentry's grandfather.  Neil Thompson married Elizabeth "Betty" Gentry daughter of Simon Gentry and probably the granddaughter of David Gentry, brother of Nicholas Gentry, Jr.

NICHOLAS GENTRY, SR.

Nicholas Gentry, Sr. was a member of the British Army and came to this country as part of the movement of troops to deal with Bacon's Rebellion. His sons included Nicholas Gentry, Jr. and David Gentry.

NICHOLAS GENTRY, JR.

1697-1779

Nicholas Gentry, Jr. was born at St. Peter's Parish in New Kent County , Virginia on 30 May 1697 .  He married on 30 May 1697 in New Kent County to Jane Brown.  He had also married first Mary Brooks.  He owned land in that part of Hannover County which later became Louisa County .   He died in 1779 in Albemarle County , Virginia .

His will was probated in Albemarle County in April 1779 and was dated 20 February 1777 . Bezaleel Brown and Benejah Brown were witnesses to this will.  His son, Benejah Gentry, was named for Benejah Brown.

His children included:

1. Moses Gentry, born 1722 in Hannover County ; married Lucy Sims; died in 1808 in Albemarle County .  Children included:  Claiborne Gentry, Nicholas Gentry, Francis Gentry, Joanna Gentry, and Addison Gentry.

2. David Gentry, born 1724 in Hannover County, Virginia; married lst to Jane Kendrick; married 2nd to Mary Estates; died in 1812 in Richmond, Madison County, Kentucky.  Revolutionary War service.  Children included: Richard Gentry. 

3. Nicholas Gentry III, born in 1726 in Hannover County; married first Elizabeth Stringer; married second Sarah Dickens; died circa 1787.  Revolutionary War service.  May have been the Nicholas Gentry who died in Davidson County , Tennessee .

4. Mary Gentry, born circa 1728 in Hannover County ; married Mr. Hinson.

5. Robert Gentry, born circa 1730 in Hannover County; married first Judith Joyner; married second Rachel West; died circa 1811 at Dandridge, Jefferson County, Tennessee.  Children included: Charles Gentry, Jesse Gentry, Bartlett Gentry, Martin Gentry, Elizabeth Gentry, Sarah Gentry, and Mary Gentry.

6. Elizabeth Gentry, born 14 October 1831 in Hannover County ; married Nathaniel Haggard.

7. Benejah Gentry, born 1733 in Hannover County; married first Miss Austin; married second Anne Jones; died 1830 in Charlottesville , Albemarle County , Virginia .  Ancestor - see later.

8. Martin Gentry, born 11 September 1747 in Hannover County ; married Mary Timberlake; died 22 April 1827 in Madison County, Kentucky.  Children included: Bartlett Gentry, Patty Gentry, and Elizabeth Gentry.

9. Nathan Gentry, born circa 1741 in Hannover County ; married Marianna Black; died in 1784 in Louisa County , Virginia .

Will of Nicholas Gentry, Jr.

            In the name of God amen, I, Nicholas Gentry of Albemarle County , VA. , do make this my last will and testiment.  Imprimis.  My desire is that my well beloved wife, Jane Gentry, remain in the possession and engagement of my whole estate, both real and personal, during her life, and after decease, I give and bequeath to my son, Martin, a Negro girl, Milly, and likewise a Negro boy, Charles, and the children of said Milly with all of her future children, I bequeath to him and his heirs forever, provided my son Martin gentry, his heirs, executors or administrators, pay to my son Nathan Gentry, the sum of fifteen pounds current money of Virginia to him, his heirs and assigns, to be paid yearly, five pounds, until paid.  I likewise give to my son Martin Gentry my copper still, and my gun, to him, his heirs and assigns, forever.

            I give and bequeath to my grandson Bartlett Gentry, son of Martin Gentry, one Negro boy named Patrick, and to his sister Patty, my granddaughter, I give one Negro girl named Minnie, to them and their heirs and assigns forever.  But if either of my grandchildren, Bartlett or Pattie, die without lawful issue, the said Negroes Patrick and Minnie descend to my son Martin gentry, his heirs and assigns forever.

            And further, my will and desire is that my sons Moses, David and Nicholas Gentry and my daughter Mary have twenty shillings apiece and no more, to be paid out of my estate and that they, nor any of them shall enjoy any more, unless the laws of this country, should entitle them to a greater sum; in that case my desire is that they shall not possess, nor enjoy any more than the law entitles disinherited children to.

            Further, my desire is that after my will desired shall be executed, the remaining part of my estate, shall be equally divided between my sons Robert, Benejah, Nathan, Martin, and my daughter Elizabeth Haggard and my granddaughters Jane Timberlake and Ann Jenkins; which two last Timberlake and Jenkins, shall have half as much as my son Robert, shall have no more, and Ann Jenkins shall have, as Jane Timberlake, and no more.

            My desire is that my estate be appraised, and lastly I appoint my beloved Jane Gentry and my sons David and Martin Gentry, as executors, of this my last will and testiment, and I do hereby revoke all former wills made by me, and declare this to be my last will and testiment.  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 20th day of Febry., in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy seven.

Signed, sealed and delivered

            in presence of                                       Signed Nicholas Gentry

  Bezaleel Brown

  Benejah Brown

BENEJAH GENTRY

1733-1830

Benejah Gentry was born in 1733 in Hannover County , Virginia .  He lived a few years in Louisa County and then lived on an estate in south Albemarle County , near the old Lynchburg Road .  This was on Biscuit Run, three miles south of Charlottesville .  He died in 1830 in Charlottesville , Albemarle County , Virginia .

Benejah Gentry first married a Miss Austin who died in 1780 after the birth of their son, William Gentry.  He then married Ann Jones, daughter of James and Margaret Jones of Culpepper County , Virginia .

Benejah Gentry is described this way in "The Gentry Family in America :"  "He was a successful planter and owned a number of Negro slaves.  He was a man of fine character, well beloved by his neighbors, a leading member of the Baptist Church , and very active and zealous in religious work.  He could read his Bible from memory, and always led the singing in church."

In 1817, Benejah Gentry transferred all his property to his son Robert, although his death did not occur until 1831, at the great age of 98.

The will of Benejah Gentry was probated in Albemarle County on 3 January 1831 .  It names as legatees his children Robert, Fannie, John, William, Thomas, Katy, Jane Fulture, and Sarah Hardin.  His executors were William Dunkum, James and Robert Gentry, his sons.

Children included:

1. Mary Gentry; married Jeremiah Cleveland, brother of Colonel Benjamin Cleveland - a hero of the Battle of King's Mountain  who was terror to the North Carolina Tories during the Revolution; died in 1846 in Albemarle County.  Children included: Benejah Cleveland, William Cleveland, Martha Cleveland,  Sara Cleveland,  Elizabeth Cleveland, and Ann Cleveland.

2. Elizabeth Gentry married William Goodwin.

3. Annie Gentry married Benjamin Sowell.

4. Sallie Gentry married George Hardin.

5. Jane Gentry married Thomas Fulture and settled in Kentucky .

6. William Gentry, born 24 January 1780 in Louisa County , Virginia ; married Lucy Carr; moved to Dickson County , Tennessee ; died there on 28 February 1840 .  Ancestor - see later.

7. Thomas Gentry, born 4 April 1782 in Albemarle County; married in Albemarle County on 12 December 1804 to Anna Carr, daughter of Gideon Carr and Ann Sandridge; moved to Dickson County, Tennessee in 1805; died there on 1 February 1849; buried in the Stuart Cemetery.  His will is dated 1 March 1847 and filed in Dickson County , page 172, No, 105.  Children included: Anderson Gentry, Nancy Gentry, Mary Ann Gentry, Benejah Gentry, Susannah Gentry,  Eliza Jane Gentry,  Martha Gentry,  Jane Gentry, and  Lucinda Gentry.

8. James Gentry, born 15 October 1786 in Albemarle County ; married 4 August 1808 in Virginia to Elizabeth Tooley; died 15 January 1861 in Meshack, Monroe County , Kentucky .

9. John R. Gentry, born circa 1790 in Albemarle County; married 20 November 1804 in Albemarle County to Mary "Polly" Thurman; died circa 1845 at Crozet, Albemarle County, Virginia.

10. Robert Gentry, born 1788; married Mary Wingfield; died 1879.  Children included: Albert Gentry.

11. Martha "Patsey" Gentry; married Elijah Dawson; moved to Calloway County , Missouri .  Children included: Robert Dawson, Elizabeth Dawson, Martin Dawson, and James Dawson.

12. Kate Gentry; married her cousin John P. Gentry, moved to Madison County, Kentucky.

13. Frances Gentry married William Dunkum.  Children included: Susan Dunkum.

14. Susan Gentry did not marry.

WILLIAM GENTRY

1780-1840

William Gentry was born 29 January 1780 in Albemarle County , Virginia .  He married on 14 January 1805 to Lucy Carr in Albemarle County .  William Gentry moved to Tennessee in 1805, where he died on 28 February 1840 .

William Gentry immigrated with his brother Thomas to Dickson County , Tennessee in the summer of 1805.  They came on the Wilderness Trail through the Cumberland Gap .  They were among the early settlers of Dickson County .

In 1805, William Gentry had a land grant of 71 acres in Tennessee .  He was a farmer, miller and ironmaster.  He purchased a gristmill on Beaverdam Creek on 27 February 1827 .  He was an ironmaster at Jackson Furnace, some 4 miles north of his home.  By 1838, William Gentry had more than 1,000 acres of land in Dickson County , most along the Beaverdam Creek north and east of Burns.

William Gentry appears on the 1820 Census of Dickson County, Tennessee at page 9.  He also appears on the 1840 Census at page 211.

Lucy Carr was the daughter of Thomas and Ann (Sanders) Carr.  She was born in Virginia and died on 13 July 1859 in Dickson County , Tennessee .  See the Carr group.

William Gentry died in testate and his children made separate divisions of his property including parcels of land, slaves, equipment, etc.

William and Lucy (Carr) Gentry had 6 known children, including the following:

1. Elizabeth Gentry, born 5 November 1805 in Albemarle County, Virginia; married circa 1828 to Davidson Crunk; died 14 February 1882.  They had 3 children: Lucy Elizabeth Crunk, Eliza Ann Crunk, William Crunk.

2. William Tazewell Gentry, born 19 April 1812 in Dickson County , Tennessee ; married around 1836 to Martha Carr; married second to Mrs. Sara Flowers Tate; died 2 December 1878 .  He appears in the 1850 Census of Dickson County (422) with his wife Martha.  Children included: Sarah Gentry, Mary E. Gentry, Martha J. Gentry, Silas A. Gentry, Walter Philip Gentry, and Edward W. Gentry.

3. Walter Carr Gentry, born 2 March 1816 in Dickson County; married his cousin Nancy Gentry on 3 September 1840 ; died 2 April 1893 .  Nancy Gentry was the daughter of James Gentry and was born in Tompkinsville , Kentucky .    Children included: Martha Jane Gentry, Amanda Gentry, James Dickson Gentry, Hickman Gentry, Kandis Gentry, Granville Moulton Gentry, Alton Monroe Gentry, Sardis Ann Gentry, and Fulton Tidwell Gentry.

4. Matthew Leonidas Gentry, born 1 January 1818 in Dickson County; married first Eliza Gentry; married second Susie Harris on 21 May 1842; married third Nancy Richardson on 16 March 1844; married fourth Amanda Tate Tidwell on 24 April 1870.  Amanda later married Andrew Jackson Luther, son of John and Laura ( Anderson ) Luther.  See the Luther group. He also appears on the 1850 Census of Dickson County at #423 with his wife Nancy Richardson.  Shown on the 1860 Census of Dickson County (100-251) with his second wife, Mary Jane Harris.  Died 25 September 1870 . Children included:  Lucinda Gentry, Lewis Gentry, and Alice Palestine Gentry.

5. Benejah Gentry, born 7 July 1819 in Dickson County; married his cousin Jane Gentry on 19 July 1840 in Dickson County; moved to and died in Tompkinsville, Monroe County, Kentucky.  Jane was the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Tooley) Gentry.  Children were:  Lucinda Gentry, Milton Gentry, Benejah Gentry, and Robert Gentry.

6. Ann Gentry, born 21 January 1823 in Dickson County ; married 20 March 1844 to Silas A. Thompson.  She died 7 September 1906 .  Ancestor - see the Thompson group.

GENTRY SOURCES

Garrett, Jill K. (1984) Dickson County Handbook.  Easley , South Carolina :  Southern Historical Press.

Gatchell. Nellie E. (1984) Our Gentry Lineage:  A Family History of William Tazewell Gentry.  Clayton MO:  Genealogical Research and Productions.

Gentry, O.B. (1975) The Gentry Family from England to Virginia to Dickson County , Tennessee .  Nashville .

Gentry, Richard - The Gentry Family in America : 1676-1909.   New York : The Grafton Press.

Goodspeed Publishing Company (1896) History of Tennessee - Montgomery , Robertson, Humphreys, Stewart, Dickson, Cheatham, and Houston Counties .  

Virginians in the Revolution, pp. 302.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Dr. Joseph Luther

Old School Research

9101 Whispering Wind Road

Lincoln NE    68512

jluther@neb.rr.com