James Henderson (1783 - 1849)

Born 9 Mar 1783 in Hunterdon, New Jersey, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 25 Jul 1849 at age 66 in White Hall Township, Greene, Illinois, United States

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James Henderson, son of Edward and Rachel (Eaton?) Henderson, was born on March 9, 1783 in Bethlehem Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey and married on January 1, 1808 in Circleville, Darby Township, Pickaway County, Ohio to Mary White, daughter of Thomas and Amy (McGee) White. (15) Mary was born on October 25, 1787 near Old Fort Pitt, Pennsylvania. James died July 25, 1849, 66y 4m 15d, in White Hall Township, Greene County, Illinois and was buried in July 1849 in Henderson Cemetery, White Hall Township. Mary died August 9, 1849, 61y 9 m 16d, in White Hall Township and was buried in August 1849 in Henderson Cemetery.

In 1804, at the age of 21, James immigrated to Virginia (West Virginia). Two years later he moved to Pickaway County, Ohio where, on January 1, 1808, near West Fall, he married Mary White, eldest daughter of Thomas and Amy W. (McGee) White. They lived in Ohio near Mary’s parents, seven miles east of Circleville, on Pigeon Creek, until 1818. Biography of James: (16) “James Henderson was the first to make a claim on land north of Apple Creek, in this county, which was in Aug., 1818. He was born in Hunterdon county, N.J., March 9, 1783. He was the youngest of 10 children. His father’s name was Edward, and of Protestant Irish descent. At the age of 21, he went to Virginia, remained there two years, and then went to Ohio, where, in 1807, he married Mary White, eldest daughter of Thomas and Amy W. White, born Oct. 25, 1787. Her father’s mother’s maiden name was Shreve, whose grandfather, Derick Arison immigrated to New Amsterdam in 1680, from Holland. The maiden name of Mrs. White was McGhee, and her parents were Scotch. The children of James and Mary Henderson were eleven, 10 of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, three daughters and seven sons. Of these - Caroline, born in Oct., 1808, married by Rev. Bogarth, Jan. 1, 1828, to Geo. W. Allen, who died in Jan., 1864, and his widow now resides in Greenfield; Hope, married by John Allen, Esq., in Oct., 1831, to Rev. Amos Prentice, who died in Shelbyville, Ill., in Aug., 1849, she dying in Nov., 1879; Nathaniel, married in Dec., 1833, by John Allen, Esq., to Martha E. Bacon, who died in May, 1850, her husband following her in July, 1863, dying in Macoupin county; Thos., who now lives in Harrison county, Ia., married in June, 1834, to Eliza Estes, by Rev. J. B. Corrington; Edwin, now of Macoupin county, married in Nov., 1839, to Eliza J. Williams, by Rev. J. B. Corrington; James, now of Harrison county, Ia., married in March, 1841, to Elizabeth Peters; Perry, married to Ellen Williams, in Jan. 1846, by Rev. H. Wallace; his wife died in March, 1858, and he was found dead in his bed, on his farm, on Rock river, Rock Island county, Ill., June 10, 1882; Amy A., married to T. J. Robinson, in Jan. 1846, by Rev. H. Wallace; they now reside in Rock Island county; Safety M., married Hezekiah J. Williams, March 5, 1854, Rev. Rutledge, officiating; Franklin, married in July, 1851, by Rev. C. P. Baldwin, to Sarah A. Metcalf; F. Henderson, now resides in Towanda, Ill.; S. M. Henderson now lives on the old homestead, where he was born, three miles southeast of White Hall. He says, “Few and evil have been the days of the years of my pilgrimage, and I have not attained unto the days of the years of my fathers.” James H. Henderson died July 25, 1849, after a long and painful illness. His wife followed him Aug. 9, of the same year, having been an invalid for nine years. There are more than 150 descendants of James and Mary Henderson now living. . . . ”

A fairly detailed history of James and Mary Henderson was published in 1897 by L. P. Allen, entitled The Genealogy and History of the Descendants of Mercy Shreve and James White: “In May1818, with his brother-in-law Levi Reeder, James Henderson decided to migrate with their families to the territory of Illinois, then the limits of western civilization, where land was rich and cheap. Their lives had always been of a rural character, so the toil and dangers attending the lives of pioneers had no terror for them. At that period, in the western country, all travel was overland in rude wagons or by water in flat (keel) boats. On 7 May 1818 James Henderson purchased, of one Isaac Keys, a one-fourth interest in a keel boat, ‘which the said Keys had built.’ James agreed ‘to pay one-fourth of the expenses, and to have one-fourth of the profits arising from hire, freight and sale (if they should sell her).’ This boat was no larger than necessity compelled, had one sail and rudely constructed cabins to shelter them from sunshine and storms. In this they embarked with their families and several prospectors to make the voyage down the Sciota and Ohio Rivers to the rich and attractive territory of Illinois, then with a population sufficient to enter statehood, but widely scattered. Levi Reeder had recently married Eliza White, the youngest child of Thomas White and a sister of Mary Henderson. The Hendersons’ children ranged in age from seven and a half to one year. The two sisters and a young girl eloping were the only women in the company, and the only children were the Hendersons’ and the eldest child of Eliza Reeder. The remainder were prospectors and a boat crew of six men. Alfred Hinton, many years a highly respected citizen of Greene County, Illinois, joined them as far as Cincinnati. They traveled by day and when the nights were moonlit, but usually tied up at night. The women did the cooking on the land for the entire company.

“ In after life many incidents of the trip were related to the children by the parents. One is remembered vividly. ‘Among the crew were to bullies, who, after indulging in drink too freely, had an encounter that threatened to be fatal to one of them. Each one had his friends so no one dared to interfere, as a riot would surely have been precipitated. None but a woman was equal to the occasion. Seizing a bucket filled with water, Mary Henderson threw it upon them, complete drenching them. They did not resent the unexpected method of interference. As a woman she had their respect, while a man dared not interfere. They ceased their struggle. This incident was the occasion of James Henderson asserting some legal authority he had. He informed Mr. Keys that he was legal owner of a part of the boat by contract, and, as such, he had a right to tie the vessel up, which he would do, and his family go no further unless Keys would consent that the liquor be placed in charge of the women, to dispense among the crew only when necessary. Keys consented and no further trouble arose from that source.’ They descended the Ohio to its convergence with the Mississippi. From Cairo the boat was ‘cordelled’ up the Mississippi River, 160miles, landing 4 June 1818 at the mouth of the Wood River, a few miles east of Alton, in Illinois. . . . The Hendersons and Reeders passed the summer, fall and winter of 1818 on the Hills of Piasas, one and a half miles east of Alton. The winter was cold and the families suffered much. On December 4 a child was born to Mary Henderson, named Mary for her mother. In August of that year, in company with a few others, James Henderson made a tour of inspection of the fertile lands northward, of which they heard glowing descriptions. They selected locations and accordingly, on the advent of spring 1819, James Henderson hired a man with an ox team to take them the 45 miles to north of Apple Creek. They were the first families to locate in that section which later was to become Whitehall township. James Henderson laid the first claim north of Apple Creek and located on a stream which bore his name for many years. James and his wife were to live out their lives on this homestead and are buried in a family cemetery located on the land they settled. Madison County then extended over that territory, but subsequently was divided and the new county was named Greene. Several years later the town of White Hall was surveyed and platted, two miles distant, north. . . . James Henderson gave names to the several streams, names which they still bear. ‘Wolf Run’ was so called because he had seen a large black wolf on its bank and killed it. Another named ‘Crooked Run,’ as streams in his native state were called ‘runs.’ ‘Bear Creek’ was so named as a very large bear was seen in its vicinity. A stream near his own home was called ‘Henderson Creek’ for himself; later it became known as Seminary Creek. . . . The autumn of 1819 saw the death of the infant daughter, Mary, age 9 months. This was the first death in the settlement. . . .”

Children of James and Mary:

Caroline Henderson, b. October 13, 1808.

Hope Henderson, b. February 22, 1810.

Nathaniel Henderson, b. December 25, 1811.

Thomas Henderson, b. April 15, 1813.

Edwin Lee Henderson, b. June 15, 1815.

James White Henderson, b. February 10, 1817.

Mary Henderson, b. December 4, 1818.

Perry Henderson, b. December 6, 1820.

Amy Ann Henderson, b. October 29, 1822.

Safety McGhee Henderson, b. June 10, 1826.

Franklin Henderson, born September 15, 1828, married Sarah A. Metcalf on August 11, 1851. Their first child died young: Willie Morton Henderson, 10 Dec 1854 2y 2m 14d, Son of F. & S.A. Henderson

Sources

• Find A Grave Memorial# 9343794

Biography of James Henderson.