William Alexander Dennis (abt. 1774 - abt. 1860)

Born about 1774 in Colony of Virginia

Husband of Catherine Olivia (Fortune) Dennis — married before 1805 in Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died about 5 Dec 1860 at about age 86 in Leesburg, Virginia, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jeanne Howell [send private message]

Biography

William Alexander DENNIS was born about 1774 in Loudoun County, Virginia and died on 5 December 1860 in Leesburg, Loudoun County, Virginia. ^[1]

He was the son of John Dennis and Elizabeth Buckley.

He was married to Catherine Olivia FORTUNE.

Catherine Olivia FORTUNE was born on 15 November 1780 in Virginia and died on 14 November 1840 in Virginia. She was the daughter of Garner FORTUNE and Lucy HARTGROVE. She is buried in Sharon Cemetery, Middleburg, Loudoun County, Virginia.

Children of William Alexander DENNIS and Catherine Olivia FORTUNE:

1. Washington W. DENNIS (Born: Before 1818 [Marriage occurred in 1831, assume he was at least 13 years old at the time of his marriage]; Died: Between 1838 and 1850); Married: 12 February 1831 in Loudoun County, Virginia to Frances M. STONEBURNER - He was a Schoolteacher and farmer by Occupation
2. Margaret H. DENNIS (Born: 11 February 1805; Died: 29 July 1888 in Loudoun County, Virginia); Married: About 1843 to Samuel RUSK
3. Olivia F. DENNIS (Born: 11 August 1806 in Loudoun County, Virginia; Died: 17 October 1880 in Caldwell, Noble County, Ohio); Married: 28 April 1831 in Loudoun County, Virginia to her first cousin, Samuel Lewis DENNIS, Jr. the son of Samuel Lewis DENNIS, Sr. and an unknown mother.
4. Catherine L. DENNIS (Born: About 1813); Married 13 March 1845 to William H. STEPHENSON
5. Caroline S. DENNIS (Born: About 1821); Married: 1 June 1841 in Loudoun County, Virginia to Samuel A. TILLETT

Research Progress

Bartmess claimed his wife's maiden name may have been CALLENDAR, but stated that was only a theory and she had no proof. She also said her nickname might have been Kitty.

The Find a Grave listing lists her as Catherine Olivia (FORTUNE) DENNIS.

From the notes of Sharon (BARTMESS was her email listing over at aol), email received 10 March 2000:

"I do have some clues from the Deed books in Loudoun County as to where the Dennis group came from and where to look for our dead John. This has been done by studing their neighbors and friends. John Dennis, Jr. had leased some land belonging to the Carter family for three lives. His leased land was on the south side of Goose Creek and was partly in Loudoun County and partly in Fauquier County. I learned this from reading the lease agreement of his neighbor. When William and Thomas bought their land it was on the north side of Goose Creek and I believe it was land they had leased before they were able to purchase it. The same tracts belonging to Tom and Will were described as being the land that Bryan FAIRFAX inherited from his father and leased to various individuals. When Fairfax sold this land to George BALYLY the leases were still in force. Then he died and the land was divided among his sons who decided to sell to people who had leases if they wanted to buy. Both Tom and Will added small portions to their purchase of Balyly by buying land from the Barrs who lived next door. It appears that Tom lived in George Barr's old house and Will lived in the house built by George BAYLY or Pierce his son. All the Dennis land tracts were described as being on the waters of Goose Creek. This land was also along the road that led from Middleton to Handy's Mill."

From the notes obtained from Sharon (BARTMESS was her email listing over at aol) on 19 September 2000:

"To those who I have not written to in some time, I purchased a letter on ebay written by Washington W. DENNIS home to his father William A. DENNIS in Loudoun County, Virginia. The letter was sold by man in Virginia who purchased the letter from a stamp dealer in northern Virginia. I can't tell everyone how thrilling it was to hold that old letter in my hand!

"Notice the spelling of Absalom and it is the same as the spelling on the deeds Absalom signed in Loudoun County

"From the letter I realize that Callendar S. Dennis and Olivia Jane Dennis had not been born yet. Since this was written 22 April 1838, William A. must have been the oldest son of Washington and his birth year on his tombstone must be incorrect. The tombstone says 18 September 1838, but he was clearly alive before that time. The census must be consulted again as I had assumed that Callendar S. was the one born about 1833. Virginia Catherine must have been born about 1837. This needs to be looked at further.

"The letter is written on very thin paper and every scrap of room is filled. The margins are filled also. The notes in the margin seem to be after thoughts. Washington's handwriting is small but very readable. He spells things as they sound and uses the "f" as the old double ss. There is not a character on the computer key board that I can use to show how this letter looks. He also does not use periods at the end of sentences. I will type the letter just as it appears - spelling and all. I will make copies of the letter and send to those who want a copy. I intend to donate the letter to the Library of Virginia in Richmond as they wanted it. They stopped bidding on it so that I could purchase it and then donate it to them. They will preserve it forever.

She then transcribed the letter as follows:

"Batesville, O

Apl 28 18s/

Mr. William A. Dennis

Aldis PO

Loudoun County

Virginia

Belmont Co. Ohio Aprile the 22nd 1838

Dear Father and Mother

We received your kind letter of the 25 of January Some time in February and we was glad to hear from you and to hear you was all alive and tolerable well, We are all well at this time and I hope when this letter comes to hand it may find you all well and being well I have delayed writing to you on the account that we expected to have seen Brother Marcus here before this time and also Cousin Lewis and Sister Olivia as you rote to me they ware on there way to Illinois and Missouri if thay are gone from your house to the new country they have not stopped to see us but we are still looking for them on here yet but I rather expect they are gon on past here if they intend going this spring I should like to see you all very well. We expected to have been there to see you by this time but I have been disappointed in getting money for my land I have sold it for one hundred and sixty five dollars in silver or gold and it to be payed by the first of the month so the man could not get the money according to promise and so I still kept the place And I expect to stay here this year and then I shall sell and come and see you all once more and bring my family with me I have been very busy this winter I have taught three months School this winter I had twenty schollars since though there was forty schollars came to me and some if she pay I never expect to get atall (end of page 1)

My school was out the first of this month and ever since I have been very hard at work so my hands are so sore and stiff that I can scesely write atal I have been clearing land for to plant in to Tobacco I suppose tobacco will fetch a tollerable good price next fall I will give you a short history about Harper and Hoge how they have managed (?) they business to work me out the fifty dollars I was to have had It appears that Harper never pushed Hoge for the money according to my directions and Hoge got the news he was judged by me and Harper making no push what does Hoge do but come to our house and pumped (?) round me in a very distant manner to know what I knew of the sircumstances so I knew his meaning and gave him no satisfaction on the subjec (This was on Christmas eve Hoge was here.) and early next morning he started from here and went to Harper and told him that he had bought him some money that one of the women had found the day he mooved by there and he would have brought it home sooner but the woman that found the money had refused to give the money to him to bring home to him untill then and for his part he pursuaded her often to give the money up but she all ways refused untill just then and he had brought ninety dollars of the money home out of pure good will and he would give his note for the ballance of the money which he sayed she had used about fourty fore dollars was used, and I and the most of the people is of the opinion Hoge is the person that made use of it. (End of page 2)

Harper refused to pay me one cent for my trouble and information he says I have no rite to one cent of the money for Hoge bought the money home of his own accord that he never never proceeded according to my directions and therefore I have no rite to ask any thing for what I done and there is no use of going to law with him as he has money and I have none for cases are generally decided in favors of them that has the largest purse

I have not near room enough to explain the hole matter it would take three sheets of paper to explain the hole subject to you I want you to form your own opinion of this subject as it can be better conceived than explained by me on so small a piece of paper I will tell you all about the crooks and turns of the rascals on both sides for I conside Harper just as mien as Hoge if he does not satisfy me for my trouble You wrote something about my coming back you I rather expect to reap any benefit as to wealth from my return all the benefit I shall epect to reap is that blessing I so long for of conversing with my Parence Brother and Sisters if you was all out here I should be much better satisfyed with this county that I am at this time We are here like lost birds far from our relations and for no cause but poverty for it is not wealth that keeps me here, The price of wheat has been $1.00 per Bushel but now 62 cents n corn from 40 to 50 cents oats 3 cents We have had a very cold and backwards spring here and on Easter sunday we had a heavy fall of snow and for several days after snow continued to fall and we have had several freezes since then (end of page 3. On both sides of the folded letter from the front page continues:)

There has been a great deel of fuss about the money business in this county and they will take no money in the land office except Gold or silver and you may tell Brother Marcus he need not bring any other sort of money to enter land with except Treasurey notes and them he can get at the City of Washington and they are ? handier than the spetia?

I have a great deal more to write but I have not room to tell you all I want to tell you You will please to write to me with out delay when you get this letter we are very sorry to hear of your afflection with the fever last fall but that we all to ? with I must come to close as my paper is getting scarse You must direct your letter to the same place as before We remain your affectionate children

William A. Dennis Washington W. Dennis

Kitty Dennis Frances M. Dennis

(in the margin of page 2) We have heard from Uncle Absalom and family lately and they are all tolerably well at this time there has been several of his family here this winter and Sarah and Abraham Forshey his Son in law I have been at Uncle's myself this winter

(In the margin of page 3) I wish to tell Cousin Lewis that it is my advice to him to come and see the western County before he brings his family to it because if he does not like the country when he sees if he can easly return to them again in his old settlement

End of letter:

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147136702/william-alexander-dennis: accessed 10 February 2023), memorial page for William Alexander Dennis (1774–5 Dec 1860), Find A Grave: Memorial #147136702, citing Sharon Cemetery, Middleburg, Loudoun County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by anonymous researcher (contributor 46628119).

• Notes obtained from several emails of Sharon DENNIS (Bartmess) to Jeanne Howell.

• Obituary, The Mirror, Leesburg, Virginia, 20 February 1861. Mentioned in email from BARTMESS on 28 August 1999. I still need to locate and transcribe this source.

• probable match: "United States Census, 1810," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2Q-5KN : accessed 22 May 2018), Wm Dennis, Loudoun, Virginia, United States; citing p. 234, NARA microfilm publication M252 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 69; FHL microfilm 181,429.

• possible match: "United States Census, 1820," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHLY-45L : accessed 22 May 2018), William Dennis, Leesburg, Loudoun, Virginia, United States; citing p. 135, NARA microfilm publication M33, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 137; FHL microfilm 193,696.

• possible match: "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5F-FP9 : 22 May 2018), William A Dennis, Cameron, Loudoun, Virginia, United States; citing 3, NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 193; FHL microfilm 29,672.

• possible match: "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRB-YKM : 20 August 2017), William Dennis, Jonah Hood, Loudoun, Virginia, United States; citing p. 148, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 564; FHL microfilm 29,688.

• 1850 U. S. Census, Loudoun County, Virginia, population schedule, no division stated, p. 237 A (stamped), dwelling 1076, family 1076, household of Wm Dennis; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8DZ-3QZ : accessed 22 May 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 957; Family History Library microfilm 444,947.

• 1860 U. S. Census, Loudoun County, Virginia, population schedule, Aldie (post office), Southern District, p. 87 (penned left), p. 615 (penned right), dwelling 615, family 615, household of Wm A Dennis; database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M41J-DLW : accessed 22 May 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 1359; Family History Library microfilm 805,359.