George Hinshaw (1775 - 1862)

Born 1 Oct 1775 in Guilford, North Carolina

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 27 Apr 1862 at age 86 in Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Sharon Hinshaw-Payne [send private message]

Biography

Born 10-1-1775, Guilford County, North Carolina, son of William Hinshaw and Mary Hinshaw.

George was issued a Cherokee Indian Agency Passport on August 10, 1801:

"George Henshaw having lawful business is permitted to pass to the Muscle Shoals & return within two months from the present date. (Return J. Meigs, Agent for the Cherokees".

A George Henshaw appears (along with Jesse Henshaw and Benjamin Henshaw) on the 1801 Tax List, Roane County, Tennessee. Also appearing on this same Tax List was George's future father-in-law, Francis Johnson. (Note: Roane County was formed December 20 1801, before Overton County was formed in 1808).

He married Elizabeth Worthington, 1805, Randolph County, North Carolina. Elizabeth was born Jul 12 1777. To this union was born:

1. Malinda Hinshaw (1807-1887)

At Cane Creek MM on 5-7-1808, George was disowned for being "married out of unity".

George was a maker of gunpowder. Elizabeth was killed in an accidental explosion while assisting George in the making of gunpowder.

After Elizabeth's death, George and daughter Malinda moved to Overton County, Tennessee.

He then married Susanah Johnson, 1809, Overton County, Tennessee. Susanah, daughter of Francis Johnson and Mary Harrington, was born Nov 12 1790, Warren County, Tennessee.

Note that Susannah was the sister of Marietta Johnson who married George's brother Jacob.

A deed was recorded in Overton County, Tennessee, on April 25, 1808, where George (then residing in Overton County) purchased 56 acres of land on a branch of Eagle Creek from John Coons for $200. This land was later found to have been incorrectly surveyed, and another document is recorded on May 24, 1827 where George releases obligations to Coons.

A deed was recorded in Overton County, Tennessee, on August 20, 1811:

"Know all men by these presents, that we, Jesse Hinshaw, Benjamin Hinshaw, and Jacob Hinshaw, for divers good causes and consideration us hereunto moving, we do hereby constitute, authorize and appoint George Hinshaw, our brother, our attorney in fact for us and to our use and in our absence in the State of North Carolina to settle and convey lands, tenements, other property to use belonging or in any wise appertaining and for us, and in our names and to our use to ask for and receive, sue and recover all legacies, estate, profits, debts, dues, interests, due to us on note, bond or otherwise in as full and ample a manner as we could if we ourselves were personally present and for us, and in our names, to assign, deed, conveyance, leeses, receipts or any other instrument of writing, that he our said attorney shall or may deem necessary in acting as transacting in or about our business and we, each and every one of us do hereby ratify and confirm whatever our said attorney shall do for us in our names touching anything or things that we can legally authorize him to do for us and in our names. Given under our hand and seals, this 20th day of August 1811. :Jesse Hinshaw (seal)

Benjamin Hinshaw (seal)

Jacob Hinshaw (seal)

STATE OF TENNESSEE

Overton County AUGUST TERM 1811.

Then was the due execution of the within Power of Attorney from Jesse Hinshaw, Benjamin Hinshaw, and Jacob Hinshaw duly acknowledged in open court and ordered to be certified.

Let it be registered B.Tolten, Clk Sept 3rd, 1811 Then was the above instrument in writing registered by me. Jno. M D. -----

A deed was recorded in Overton County, Tennessee, on July 18, 1815, where George (then residing in Overton County) purchased 150 acres of land on a branch of Eagle Creek from Henderson Bates for $600.

On September 11, 1815, George served on a Grand Jury in Overton County. On March 11, 1816, George was again called for jury duty but was released.

George and family were shown in the 1820 census, Overton County, Tennessee:

George Henshaw household:

3 males under age 10 [Cyrus, William and Jehu].

1 male age 45+ [George].

3 females under age 10 [Polly Ann, Cynthia and Nancy J.].

1 female age 10-16 [Malinda].

1 female age 26-45 [Susannah].

In 1826, George and Stephen Webb Sr. travelled to Illinois in a small two-horse wagon and made a claim on some land along the Kankakee River, near Joliet, intending to settle there. They then returned to Tennessee for their families, and early in the spring of 1827, George and family, along with brother Jacob, Stephen Webb, and a William McCord, started for Illinois. However, having reached McLean County, Illinois, poor weather made traveling up the Kankakee impossible. Further, some difficulty had occured between the whites and the Winnebago Indians near Galena, and the settlers feared an Indian war in the northern part of the state. All of these considerations forced them to stop and settle in McLean County, first in Blooming Grove, then finally in Dry Grove.

The following land sale records show George's purchases and migration:

*DATE ACRES COUNTY: TWP/RANGE, SECTION RESIDENCY

10/10/1829 80 @ $1.25 McLean: 23N/02E, Sec 17 Tazewell Co.

2/15/1830 80 @ $1.25 McLean: 23N/02E, Sec 20 Tazewell Co.

4/14/1831 80 @ $1.25 McLean: 23N/02E, Sec 19 McLean Co.

1/12/1835 40 @ $1.25 Woodford: 25N/01E, Sec 1 McLean Co.

1/12/1835 80 @ $1.25 Woodford: 25N/01E, Sec 14 McLean Co.

1/04/1836 80 @ $1.25 Woodford: 25N/01E, Sec 13 McLean Co.

1/04/1836 80 @ $1.25 Woodford: 25N/01E, Sec 11 McLean Co.

5/30/1836 40 @ $1.25 Iroquois: 25N/12W, Sec 11 Iroquois Co.

9/03/1836 40 @ $1.25 Woodford: 25N/01E, Sec 9 McLean Co.

5/28/1838 80 @ $1.25 Clay: 05N/07E, Sec 32 Clay Co.

5/28/1838 80 @ $1.25 Clay: 05N/07E, Sec 31 Clay Co.

5/28/1838 40 @ $1.25 Clay: 05N/07E, Sec 31 Clay Co.

11/07/1838 80.16 @ $1.25 Clay: 04N/07E, Sec 6 Iroquois Co.

11/07/1838 107.12 @ $1.25 Clay: 05N/07E, Sec 31 Iroquois Co.

11/07/1838 50 @ $1.25 Clay: 05N/07E, Sec 32 Iroquois Co.

George and family were shown in the 1830 census, Tazewell County, Illinois:

George Henshaw household:

1 male age 5-10 [George].

1 male age 10-15 [Jehu].

1 male age 15-20 [William].

1 male age 50-60 [George].

2 females age 10-15 [Cynthia and Nancy].

1 female age 30-40 [Susannah].

no slaves.

7 persons total in household.

In 1836, George was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, Tenth General Assembly, from McLean County.

George and family were shown in the 1840 census, McLean County, Illinois:

George Hinshaw household:

1 male age 5-10.

1 male age 15-20 [George].

1 male age 60-70 [George].

1 female age 10-15.

1 female age 40-50 [Susannah].

no slaves.

4 [sic] persons total in household.

2 persons engaged in agriculture.

George and Susannah were shown in the 1850 census (Sep 16 1850), Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois:

George Henshaw, age 74, born in North Carolina; farmer; $7000 real estate.

Susannah Henshaw, age 58, born in Virginia.

Milly King, age 6, born in Illinois.

Edwin Smith, age 26, born in Kentucky.

George and Susannah were shown in the 1860 census, Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois:

George Hinshaw, age 85, born in Tennessee; $200 personal property.

Susana Hinshaw, age 70, born in Tennessee.

Amelia King, age 16, born in Illinois.

George Hinshaw died Apr 27 1862, near Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois; buried Scogin's Cemetery, McLean County, Illinois.

Widow Susanna was shown in the 1870 census (Jul 14 1870), living in the household of son George in Bloomington Township, McLean County, Illinois:

Hinshaw, Susanna, age 77, born in Virginia; keeping house.

Susannah died May 9 1876, buried Scogin's Cemetery, McLean County, Illinois.

The following article was published in "The Pantagraph" (Bloomington, Illinois) on Monday, October 8, 2007:

BLOOMINGTON - Young Cyrus Hinshaw returned home after chasing lost livestock and told his parents that he found the perfect place for a cemetery, said Fontella Haycraft, great-great-granddaughter of the boy's parents, George and Susannah.

When Cyrus became ill and died at age 17, his 1828 burial was the first in what would become Scogins Hill Cemetery in Bloomington.

The Hinshaw family gathered at that same cemetery Sunday afternoon to honor Cyrus and other ancestors by dedicating a large, stone bench to them. The family's young children performed the unveiling of the bench.

"We want them to remember their heritage," said Joyce Hinshaw.

The bench was flanked with red and purple flowers. One side of the stone was engraved with the story of William and Mary Hinshaw's 1768 immigration to America from Tyrone County, Ireland. The other side told the story of their son, George, who married Susannah Johnson and settled in McLean County with her in 1827.

The couple purchased several hundred acres in the county, which came to be known as Hinshaw Grove. George served as a Democrat in the Illinois House of Representatives with Abraham Lincoln.

"I feel blessed just being a part of this great family," Haycraft said. The dedication was part of the family's annual reunion, which continued at George R. Hinshaw's residence with a potluck.

Sources

• "The Hinshaw and Henshaw Families", by William Hinshaw; edited by Milo Custer; private printing, Bloomington, Illinois, 1911; Frank I. Miller Co., printers. LDS microfilm number 1402822.
• Genealogy on file with the LDS (Microfilm number 1126498, Batch 7906602, Sheets 81-84) as submitted by Robert Lee Baker
• "All About the Bensons, Hinshaws, and Others" by Imogen Benson Emery, in the LDS Family History Library, microfiche #6017328.
• The Church Of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (LDS) International Genealogical Index (IGI) - Tennessee.
• "The Compendium of American Genealogy", GS929.373 V81 in a local library.
• "The Good Old Times in McLean County, Illinois", subtitled "Old Settlers of McLean County, Illinois", microfilm #0164002 in the LDS Family History Library.
• "History of McLean County", F547 M16 B3 in the Sutro Library, S.F.
• "Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy", by William Wade Hinshaw, in many well-stocked libraries.
• "Hinshaw Chart and List" (1/1/68) by Ralph Edward Pike, from "Family Records of Morgan Co., Ind.", Public Library of Mooresville, Morgan Co., Indiana (LDS microfilm 1509501).
• Gravestone inscriptions in the Hinshaw Cemetery, Stout's Grove Cemetery, Parklawn (Danvers) Cemetery, & Scogin Hill Cemetery, McLean County, Illinois.
• 1850 census, Bloomington Township, McLean County, Illinois; roll M432-117, page 26, line #9, dwelling #607, family #620.
• "Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823", Potter, GS 929.375 P86 in a local library.
• Cherokee Blood Newsletter, Vol. I, Spring 1983, pages 20-21.
• "Hinshaw Family": a collection of family group sheets by Edna Harvey Joseph; LDS FHL microfilm #1572018 items 8-10 and #1572019 items 1-4
• 1860 census, 3rd Ward, Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois; page 719, line #39, dwelling #1601, family #1613.
• Overton County, Tennessee, Court Annex Deed Book A, pages 238-239.
• Overton County, Tennessee, Court Annex Deed Book E, pages 538-539.
• "Overton County, Tennessee, Genealogical Records", by Edythe R. Whitley, GS929.3768 W61 in a local library.
• Overton County, Tennessee, Court Annex Deed Book B, pages 213-214.
• Overton County, Tennessee, Court Annex Deed Book B, pages 345-346.
• Overton County Circuit Court Minute Book, 1815-1824
• 1820 census, Overton County, Tennessee; roll M33-122, page 256.
• 1830 census, Tazewell County, Illinois; roll 23, page 179.
• 1840 census, McLean County, Illinois; roll 65, page 274.
• "Custer's McLean County", by Milo Custer, in the LDS Family History Library, microfilm #0897324, item 5.
• 1870 census, Bloomington P.O., Bloomington Township, McLean County, Illinois; roll M593-258, page 43, line #16, dwelling #90, family #90.
• "The Pantagraph" (Bloomington, Illinois), Oct 8 2007: http://www.pantagraph.com/news/ancestors-honored-with-dedication-of-new-bench/article_a6cbf70b-7805-5baa-871d-645656405c3b.html.

Acknowledgements

WikiTree profile Hinshaw-230 created through the import of Jackson Family Tree.ged on Oct 24, 2012 by Lee Jackson.