Thomas Rueben Hanks (1786 - 1857)

Born 30 Apr 1786 in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Hill) Hanks — married Sep 1804 in Pulaski, Kentucky, United States

Descendants

Died 28 Nov 1857 at age 71 in Anderson County, Texas, USA

Biography

Genealogy of the Hanks and allied families^[1] Our Hanks Family
Page 30
Thomas son of Moses Hanks
Thomas, son of Moses and Agatha Hanks, married Sarah "Sally" Hill, evidently in Pulaski County, Ky., in Sept. 1804. We do not know the relationship of the numerous Hills who married into the Hanks family.

Williamson County covered a largo part of Tennessee and when it was cut up to form other counties, Maury Co. was one of them. Many of the Hanks kin and friends "fell" into Maury Co., but Thomas was among those who were "left" in the old county, where he was listed in the 1820 census. (The 1810 census was destroyed). Evidently Thomas was a shrewd trader and farmer, for he seemed to acquire quite a bit of property and slaves. The deed books of all counties whore we find him listed show him to deal extensively in land.

Thomas made quite a name for himself as a minister for the Primitive Baptist Church. His mother, being a Dodson which family had numerous Primitive Baptist ministers in its fold, it is no wonder that she had some sons to follow this route. The books on churches of Tennessee list him many times as being here or there or the other place as the minister of this or that church from one end of Tennessee to the other.

In 1824 the lower part of what is now Tennessee was opened to settlers and the Hanks families followed the crowd on. Here Thomas, with his brother George and their sons, at one time or another in the few years to come, wore listed on the deed records of Hardeman County.

On the tax list of 1826, Thomas was shown to own 100 acres--entry 1884, range 1, section 1. .also--entry 1741, range 4, section 1, covering 40 acres. The 1828 list showshim taxed for one slave, and the 1829 list shows him with 94 acres.

In this year of 1829, Thomas made a trip to the now lands being opened up in Texas by the Austins. Several Baptist books of this early time mention his visit and the services he held in the homes of the settlers.

Thomas and Sally Hill moved to Maury County, Tennessee after their marriage in Pulaski County, Kentucky. He was a Baptist minister there and in Texas. He helped in the establishment of Knob Creek Church. In 1835 they migrated to Anderson County, Texas, where Thomas served as the first clerk in the county. Sally died in 1847.

The Hanks family of Virginia and Westward" by Adin Baber, 1965^[2]

Thomas Hanks, the minister, left Tennessee from Nashville, in the late winter of 1835 with a wagon train, made up of 30 ox drawn wagons. Whole families- children, grownups and slaves- repeated the journey so many of them had made before, through Virginia, into Kentucky and on into Tennessee. Most of these people were from Thomas' own church, and they hoped to form a colony under Austin, in Texas, even tho the Mexican government did not allow any worship outside the Catholic Church. These people were on the trail for three months, arriving at their destination in time to receive land grants by March, 1836" (From Moses Hanks per Gladys Lee Hanks Johnson, 3 Oct 1956)

When the Republic of Texas joined the U.S., Thomas Hanks qualified himself to perform marriage ceremonies, and went about re-marrying those he and married under the laws of Mexico. One woman said, "Daddy Hanks, knowing Mr. _____ as I know him now, I don't know if I want to marry him again."

Hanks, Rev. Thomas, Age 72; came to Texas in 1833, in San Augustine County til 1844, then to Anderson County. Was Baptist Church (minister)for years. Died in Anderson County 11-28-1857. (Palestine Advocate 2 Dec 1857)

Find-a-Grave ^[3]

Rev Thomas Hanks

Birth: Apr. 30, 1786 Pittsylvania County, Virginia, USA

Death: Nov. 28, 1857 Anderson County Texas, USA

Spouse: Sarah Hill Hanks (1784 - 1847)

Mother: Agatha Hanks

Father: Moses Hanks Sr

Sources

1. ↑ Gladys Hanks Johnson, GENEALOGY OF THE HANKS AND ALLIED FAMILIES (1965), HILL SUPPLEMENT available Ancestry.com. [database on-line]. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: Johnson, Gladys Hanks,. Genealogy of the Hanks and allied families. Houston, Tex.?: unknown, 1990. https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/18631/ page 204-206
2. ↑ The Hanks family of Virginia and Westward" by Adin Baber, 1965 (Palestine Advocate 2 Dec 1857)
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/72271934/thomas-reuben-hanks : accessed 18 July 2022), memorial page for Rev Thomas Reuben Hanks (30 Apr 1786–28 Nov 1857), Find a Grave Memorial ID 72271934, citing Antioch Cemetery, Montalba, Anderson County, Texas, USA ; Maintained by Deb (contributor 46832182) .

Acknowledgments

• This person was created through the import of Weaver.ged on 03 January 2011.