DENSON HATHCOCK458

DENSON HATHCOCK was probably born in Chatham Co NC about 1788. Although the names of his parents are unknown, his brother was undoubtedly JOHN HATHCOCK, who was born in North Carolina in 1775 and died in Madison County, Alabama in the 1860's. The parents of these men were probably living in Chatham Coo NC in 1790 with a son 2 years of age (Denson) and a Son about 15 years of age (John). There were four HATHCOCK families living in Chatham Co NC at the time of the first census in 1790.

1790 CENSUS OF CHATHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

HOSEAH HATHCOCK 1 head of family and 3 males under 16.
WILLIAM HATHCOCK 2 heads of family* and 1 male under 16, 8 females.
* The two heads of household are believed to be Nancy, wife of William Hathcock Sr., son of Joseph Hathcock of Brunswick Co VA, and William Hathcock Jr.
JAMES HATHCOCK 1 head of family, 1 male under 16, 3 females.
JOHN HATHCOCK 1 head of family, 2 males, 5 females.

DENSON and JOHN HATHCOCK'S father could not have been WILLIAM or JAMES HATHCOCK who both had only one child in 1790. The 1804 HATHCOCK registrants of the Elbert County, Georgia, Land Lottery were: WILLIAM, HOSEA, two JOHNS, WINFRED, a widow, and JAMES HATHCOCK. The father of DENSON HATHCOCK cannot be determined from this limited information, but HOSEA HATHCOCK is a good possibility.

The earliest record of DENSON HATHCOCK appears in the marriage records of Elbert County, Georgia, where several HATHCOCK families migrated from Chatham County North Carolina, about 1795. DENSON HATHCOCK married Mary (Polly) Jones, daughter of Nathan Jones and Courtney Bell, 26 October 1806, in Elbert County, Georgia. JOHN HATHCOCK, who is believed to have been a brother to DENSON HATHCOCK, married Sarah Jones, another daughter of Nathan Jones, sometime before September 1816. Nathan Jones and his wife married in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, on 1 January 1763 and Nathan died in Elbert County, Georgia, in 1807. On an Estate Administration record in Elbert County, dated 28 January 1808, DENSON and JOHN HATHCOCK are mentioned as Legatees of the estate of Nathan Jones. Since women could not hold property, Mary aod Sara Jones' share of their father's land went to their husbands, DENSON and JOHN HATHCOCK.

Denton Hathcock is listed on the Madison Co AL Tax Lists for 1812, 1815 and 1816.

1830 Census of Haywood Co TN

Denson Heathcock 1 male 5-10, 2 males 15-20, 1 male 40-50; 1 female 5-10, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 15-20, 1 female 40-50

1840 Census of Haywood Co TN

Denton Heathcock 1 male 50-60; 3 females 15-20, 1 female 40-50.

1850 Census of Haywood Co TN

Denton Mitchcock m 62 VA
Mary Mitchcock f 49 GA
Robert Mitchcock m 25 GA [see following note]
Mary Mitchcock f 20 AL
Elizabeth Mitchcock f 18 AL

1860 Census of Fayette Co TN District 2, family 213

Denton Haithcock m 62 TN
Polly Haithcock f 28 TN
Bettie Haithcock f 25 TN

Denton’s son Robert was listed in the same census, family 228. His wife was Mahala and he had four children, ages 2-10.

Note added by Clayton Heathcock, 3 Nov 2009: A review of this census page shows that this person is recorded as Piaty Hathcock, a female. Also, the family name is spelled “Mithcock”, not “Mitchcock” as recorded by Douglas Hathcock in this review. In addition, note that the birth states of both Denton and Mary do not agree with the 1860 census. This may not a record of the family of Denton Hathcock.

Note added by Clayton Heathcock 15 Nov 2016: On the other hand, comparison of 1850 with 1860 makes a better case that this is really Denton Hathcock. Mary (Polly) and Elizabeth (Bette) could be the daughters with nicknames in 1860, relative ages are about right. This would mean that Denton’s wife died between 1850 and 1860.

In the 1830 census of Haywood Co TN, Denson Heathcock and family is listed, but Peyton was still in Alabama at that time. The 1830 census returned a count of 1856 males and 1590 females.

In the 1840 census of Haywood Co TN, the families of Denton Heathcock and Peyton Heathcock are both found. The total population of the county in that census was 3998 males and 3577 females. This was a relatively small community and it is very likely that Denton and Peyton were close relatives, perhaps brothers.

Alabama Census, 1810-90461

Name: Denton Hathcock
State: AL
County: Madison County
Township: No Township Listed
Year: 1812
Record Type: Tax list
Page: NPN
Database: AL 1811-1819 Tax Lists Index

Name: Denton Hathcock
State: AL
County: Madison County
Township: Tax List
Year: 1815
Database: AL 1810-1819 Tax Lists Index

Name: Denton Hathcock
State: AL
County: Madison County
Township: Alabama Territory
Year: 1816
Record Type: Resident's List
Database: AL 1811-1819 Tax Lists Index

Denton Heathcock
County: Haywood
State: Tennessee
Free White Persons - Males - 50 thru 59: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 3
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49: 1

Denton Hathcock and Polly Jones moved to Haywood Co Tennessee.460 It is not known when Polly Jones was born or when she died. Since she was married in 1806, she was probably born sometime before 1790. The 1830 census of Haywood Co gives her age as 40-50, correponding to a birth year of 1780-1790. However, in the 1840 census, the oldest female in Denton Heathcock’s family was still given as age 40-50, corrsponding to a birth year of 1790-1800. This would suggest that Polly was born in 1790 and was 16 years old when she married in 1806.

However, in the 1850 census of Haywood Co, Mary “Mitchcock”, apparently wife of Denton “Mitchcock”, was listed as only 49 years of age. This may simply reflect a woman shaving her age for the census taker a little more each year. Or it could mean that Denton’s first wife died between 1840 and 1850 and he remarried.