Several years ago we had some discussion on the Hensley households in Illinois in the early to mid 1800's. I found a little bit of extra information this past Sunday on a visit to the local KYOWVA genealogical society library that I would like to archive on this mail list. This seems to be a letter from Emma Hensley Anselmo dated Aug 9, 1989. It is written to Hu Davis who was living in Venice, CA at the time. I will quote from the letter: James Hensley b. 1770-1780 had a son James Jr b. 16 Nov 1813, Floyd County, Ky who was my great grandfather. He married only one time. ....James Hensley b. 1770-1780 and James Jr. b. 1813 were the only two James Hensleys Edgar County, Il in 1824. James r. bo. 1813 was 11 years old in 1824. He did NOT marry Elizabeth Lewis as you have listed him. He married Mary Johnson in Clark Co. Il 3 May 1835. Therefore James Hensley b. 1770-1780 must have been the one who married Elizabeth Lewis in 1824. James and Elizabeth Lewis Hensley had 3 children: Mary b. ca 1825, WIlliam b. ca 1828, and Robert b. March 1830. .....The 1850 census Clark Co, Il shows Elizbeth Drake (Elizabeth Hensley m. John Drake in 1834) widow with her children including WIlliam and Robert. IN the household of Elizabeth Drake 1860 census Edgar Co Il is William Hensley with his wife and children. This proves to me that WIlliam and Robert were children of Elizabeth Lewis Hensley Drake born when she was married to James Hensley. A direct dexcendent of Mary Hensley has family information that states Mary's mother was Elizabeth Drake. Your listing shows Chatherine as the wife of Christopher Hensley. Christopher's first wife was Susan Penrod, his second wife was Catherine Tomkins, his third wife was Arminda Coon. Sarah Hensley and Catherine Hensley whom I believe were daughters of James Hensley b. 1772-1780 are not in your Hensley listing. .....Also Martha E. Hensley, I believe, was a daughter of James Hensley b. 1770-1780 is not listed. She married John A. Bell, Coles County, IL.... This lady in another letter seems to think that her Hensley line is connected to Chrisley Hensley in Montgomery County, Virgina with sons named Daniel, James, William, Elijah, George, Isaac and John. She says that her gr-grandfather, James Hensley, Jr. born about 1815 in Ky was the son of James Hensley....who in turn was the son of Chrisley. The reason for my interest in the Illinois Hensley lines is that my Bird Hensley (b. c. 1810 in Pittsylvania County, Va) lived with parents Solomon and Elizabeth Hensley in Cabell County, VA until his late teens. He then moved to Illinois and married Nancy Webb from KY there. Or it is possible that he married Nancy and then moved with her family to Illinois....later in life (before the 1850 census) Bird moved his family back to Cabell County where he and his family lived for the rest of their lives. There seems to have been a Samuel Hensley who could have been a brother to Solomon who appear to live in Floyd County and then in Wayne County...and Solomon's land seems to have been in Wayne County after Wayne was taken from Cabell.....I think that there is a possible connection between the family that is described in this letter and that of my own Hensley family. Too many ifs and ands and buts here....but I didn't want to lose the thoughts. marsha moses