William Harrison Denty

The youngest son of John and Susannah Denty, William was born about 1812 or 1813 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. The first recorded mention of William is an interesting one. On 28 Jul 1834, William purchased the following items at the estate sale of Reuben Tillman: one flute, one pair of shoe brushes, three yards of black mareno (a type of cloth), twelve and one half yards of dark calico, one vest, and a fur hat. Was William a dandy, was he buying gifts, or was he making purchases for an employer or to sell later himself? At brother Thomas Jefferson Denty's estate sale in 1836 he bought one "patent silver watch" for $40.00; another valuable item, but one that undoubtedly held sentimental significance.[1] That year William was living in Meridianville, Alabama, just north of Huntsville, as the letter informing him of Thomas' death was addressed there; but by 1837 he'd moved to Lowndes County, Mississippi, where he married Mary Dotherow on 27 Dec 1837. Two years later he wrote a letter to Thomas' widow Elizabeth Abernathy Denty from Columbus in Lowndes County.

I received yours the 19th Sept and was glad to hear that you was all well. We are all well at present except the baby[2] has a very bad cold. We have enjoyed very good health this year and have made a fine crop of cotton and a very indifferent crop of corn. I shall make some two hundred and 30 or 40 bags of cotton with 33 hands. Cotton crops are better in this county this year than ever I saw or heard of. There is cotton in this county that is sayed will make 4000 per acre. I expect to stay at the same place. I shall get some $600 for next year. It will be out of my power to come to see you all this winter, as you my prosperity depends on my one industry and it stands me in hand to make hay whilst the sun shines. If we should all live I hope to be able in a few years to visit all my friends and relations once more. I received a letter last night from Brother John. He sayed they were all well and that Rebecca[3] was at his house going to scoal and she was well and well satisfied. Our little daughter was eight months on the 17 day of this month. She has four teeth, can walk and begins to talk a little. I wish you to write as often as you can conveniently.

P.S. Our High Sherif Co Byrnes shot him self on the morning of the 14 ult, being the first day of court. No person knows for what cause only the derangement of his business. It is sayed that the estate will fall behind some fifty thousand dollars.

Clearly, to judge from his reference to "33 hands", William, like his brother Thomas, was employed as a plantation overseer. In a letter dated 16 Mar 1840 brother John Ramsey Denty wrote that William "had quit the man he lived with last year and has moved to the west side of the Tombigbee River and is doing business for Capt. Talafer at $600 for the year". Sure enough, the 1840 Census found him residing in Noxubee County, Mississippi, heading a household of one white female under 5, one 15-20, five black males 10-24, three 24-36, one black female under 10, one 10-24, one 24-36, and one 55-100, with eleven persons employed in agriculture. His stay in Noxubee County, however, was brief. By February of 1842, he had joined brother John Ramsey Denty in the young and booming Desoto County, Mississippi, where he was in a group of residents ordered to work on the county road.[5] (See map, Counties Significant to the Southern Dentys.)William appeared on the 1842 Desoto County Tax List with one poll, one watch valued at $15.00,[6] and one slave. He didn't actually purchase land, however, until the following December, when he obtained ten acres from Joseph Johnston, John Ramsey's father-in-law. This acreage may have actually been a private agreement between William and Joseph, for clear title wasn't granted and recorded until 3 May 1848, three years after Joseph's death – and then only as a result of a court order. Since ten acres would hardly seem sufficient for farming, was William in fact still working as an overseer, perhaps on the large Johnston plantation? In 1844 he was listed for one poll, watches valued at $40.00, one pistol, and two slaves. That was the last year that he would be taxed for the ownership of any slaves, although he hired "Caroline and one child" from the C.C. Prior estate in 1848. On 21 Feb 1845 he finally purchased 160 acres from Joseph and Mary Johnston, and to our knowledge, never worked as an overseer again. In the 1850 Census, thirty-seven year old William listed himself as a farmer with $1,600 in real property and a "hired laborer", Josiah Spencer.

About 1859, William moved to Ashley County, Arkansas, in the southeastern corner of that state on the Louisiana border. Behind him, in the Baker Family Cemetery close to his old home, he left two of his five children and his wife Mary, who had died on 5 Jun 1858. In the 1860 Census farmer William was residing in Ashley County in Main Saline Township, Hamburg Post Office, with daughter Alice Ophelia, married daughter Margaret, and son-in-law Robert Cooper. In two separate letters written to his wife Rebecca, Capt. James Abernathy mentioned that William had been drinking since moving to Arkansas.[7]

On 4 Feb 1862 William married Elizabeth Ann Crow in Ashley County. Whether that helped his drinking is anyone's guess. Sister Susan Kent Denty reported that he died on 18 Dec 1867. He was fifty-five or fifty-six years old.

In the 1880 Census the widowed Elizabeth Denty, age fifty-four and born in Mississippi, was residing in the household of Gordon and Sarah Crow. Elizabeth, who was born on 28 Jun 1826, died on 8 Nov 1908 and was buried in Ashley County. Perhaps William rests near her, but in an unmarked grave.

Of William's three surviving children, only Alice Ophelia, the subject of the following chapter, lived to enjoy middle and old age. Two other daughters survived to young adulthood, however, and produced children.

Susan Elizabeth Denty, born on 17 Feb 1839, married farmer Carroll Cooper in Desoto County, Mississippi on 18 Aug 1858. According to sister Alice Denty Dean, the Coopers had six children, only three of whom - Laura,[8] William, and Margaret Ophelia Cooper - lived past infancy. Susan died in Desoto County, Mississippi only seventeen days after her father's death in Arkansas, i.e. about 4 or 5 Jan 1868.

Margaret Ann Denty married Robert Cooper, Carroll Cooper's younger brother, on 2 Apr 1859. Unlike Susan and Carroll Cooper, the newlyweds apparently moved to Ashley County, Arkansas with William. In the 1860 Census they were listed in his household, along with younger sister Alice Ophelia Denty. After that census enumeration they had a daughter, Carrie E. Cooper. Widowed during the War, Margaret married Samuel Aiken in 1866 and gave birth to twins in 1867. She died before 18 Mar 1867, when Colbert, T.C. and Carroll Cooper posted bonds as guardians for daughter Carrie. Her twins, William and Mary, died in 1868.

Research Notes: William Harrison Denty, Mary Dotherow Denty, and Elizabeth Crow Denty

Marriage 1: 27 Dec 1837. Bride: "Mary Ann Dethero". Ceremony by F.E. Harris, G.M. [Marriage Book 2, p. 83: Copy appearing in Abernathy and Smith, The Descendants of Thomas Jefferson Denty and Elizabeth Abernathy Denty]

28 Jul 1834: W.H. Denty listed among purchasers at the estate sale of Reuben Tillman in Limestone. William bought 1 flute for $1.25, 1 pair of shoe brushes for $ .12 ½, 3 yards of "Blk Mareno" for $2.07, 12 ½ yards dark calico for $3.69 ¾, 1 vest "sellers" for $1.62 ½, and 1 fur hat for $1.68 ¾. [Will Book 4, p. 363, 365-367]

14 Oct 1836: Letter written by Jesse Abernathy to William informing him of his brother's death was addressed to William in "Meridianville, Ala".

27 Dec 1836: Was listed among buyers at the Thomas J. Denty estate sale in Giles Co, TN; purchasing one "patent silver watch" for $40. (Only one other item, one of the beds, excelled that in price.) [Abernathy and Smith]

16 Mar 1840, John Ramsey Denty: William "had quit the man he lived with last year and has moved on the west side of the Tombigby River and is doing business for Capt. Talaferer at $600 for the year". [Copy appearing in Abernathy and Smith]

1840 CENSUS, Noxubee Co, MS: 1 white male 20-30; 1 white female under 5, 1 15-20; 5 black males 10-24, 3 24-36; 1 black female under 10, 1 10-24, 1 24-36, 1 55-100; 11 persons involved in agriculture.

In February of 1842 William was ordered to work on road from William Solomon's to the Camp Creek Bridge in Desoto Co, MS. Also appointed were: John Denty & hands, Jacob Prewitt & hands, Joseph Johnston & hands, Jesse Johnston". [Board of Police Minutes 1838-1843, p. 198: Copy provided by J.P. Bell]

1842 Desoto Co Tax List: 1 poll, watches valued at $15, 1 slave = taxes $1.32 ½.

22 Dec 1842: Rec'd 10 acres in Desoto Co, MS from Joseph Johnston. (Deed unrecorded but by order of court Joseph Johnston's executor Stephen Johnston finally granted clear title on 3 May 1848.)

1844 Desoto Co Tax List: 1 poll, watches valued at $40.00, 1 pistol, 2 slaves = taxes $4.40 to state and $1.10 to county.

21 Feb 1845: Purchased SW ¼ S25 T2 R7W in Desoto Co from Joseph and Mary Johnston for $700. [Book H, p. 60]

19 Dec 1845: William bought some item or items from estate of Joseph Johnston, paying $22.00. Also 16 Jan 1846 for $18.95. [Probate Record 1846-1848, p. 415]

2 Sep 1846: Purchased boar for $4.87 at estate sale of William T. Smith in Desoto Co. [Probate Record 1846-1848, p. 149]

15 Jan 1847: Stephen Johnston, as executor of the Joseph Johnston estate rec'd $44.62 from William H. Denty. An earlier list of the accounts and notes due the estate showed $40.00 due from William on 1 Feb 1845. [Probate Record 1846-1848, p. 413]

3 May 1848: Stephen D. Johnston, executor of the Joseph Johnston estate, was ordered by court to grant William clear title to 10 acres purchased from Joseph on 22 Dec 1842. (Apparently exact boundaries had never been specified.) The land was identified as lying in NE ¼ S35 T2 R7W. [Desoto Book H, p.415]

List of slaves hired from estate of C.C. Prior for 1848 includes: "Caroline and one child" hired by W.H. Denty for $75.00. [Probate Record 1846-1848, p. 498]

1850 CENSUS, Desoto Co, MS (Northern Division, Dwelling #188): Farmer age 37, born in GA, with $1600 in real property; wife Mary born NC; daughters Susan 11 and Margaret 8; son Thomas J. age 6; and "laborer" Josiah Spencer. [Pg 380]

25 Jun 1859: "W.H. Denty" was appointed to work Raleigh Road from Memphis Road to Perkin's Gate. Other workers included C. Cooper. [Desoto Genealogical Society, Desoto Descendants, v. 10, n. 3, p. 115, Aug 1992/Orig: Board of Police Record 1858-1868, p. 108]

Birth and death dates of Mary Dotherow Denty, "Consort of William Denty", taken from tombstone in Baker Cemetery. Cemetery is located ¼ mile south of Pleasant Hill Road just east of Malone Road on land owned in 1973 by Sandy Betts. (Bell claims cemetery is 1 mile south of Pleasant Hill Road.) [Bell and Scott, Desoto Cemetery Inscriptions, p. 7; Tennessee Genealogical Society, Ansearchin News, v. 18, n. 4, p. 170, Oct-Dec 1971]

According to Alice Denty Dean, the family moved to AR when she was three, i.e. about 1859. [Alice Denty Dean, 10 Aug 1878: Copy appearing in Abernathy and Smith]

1860 CENSUS, Ashley Co, AR (Main Saline Township, Hamburg Post Office): Farmer age 48, born in GA, with real and personal property worth $1,000 and $4,000 respectively; Robert Cooper age 21, born NC; M.A. Cooper age 17, born MS; A.O. Denty age 4, born MS. [Pg 83]

1 Jul 1861: Purchased 40 acres in S23 T18 R9W in Ashley Co, AR from the Champagnolle Land Office. [AR Land Records: ancestry.com/Orig: Doc # 14256]

Birth and death dates for Elizabeth A. Crow Denty: 28 Jun 1826 – 8 Nov 1907, from tombstone. [Ashley County Genealogy Society, Tombstone Inscriptions and Notes of Ashley County, Arkansas, p. 48, 137] (She's listed in two cemeteries, the Crow and the Lakewood, aka Crossett.)

In letters dated 18 Jun 1862 and 15 Oct 1862, Capt. James Abernathy mentioned that he'd been told that William had been drinking since moving to AR. [Copies appearing in Abernathy and Smith]

Alice Denty Dean, on 16 Feb 1890, in referring to recent death of John Ramsey Denty, wrote that "Uncle John . . . was a good Christian and a Methodist and a good man. The Dentys were always said to be proud but about this I know but little. I know my Pa was & all I knew of them." [Copy appearing in Abernathy and Smith]

1880 CENSUS, Ashley Co, AR: "Elizabeth Denty", age 54, born MS, residing in household of Gordon and Sarah Crow, the latter age 24, AR VA VA, with their children and other Crows and Akins. [Census transcription provided by William J. Williams]

In letter dated 7 Feb 1869 sister Susan Kent Denty stated that John had written her "last summer stating that Brother William was dead, that he died the 18 December before". That would make the year 1867.

Alice Denty Dean, 10 Aug 1878: "Pa & Ma had six children, 4 girls and 2 boys". Name of second son is unknown. [Copy appearing in Abernathy and Smith]

[1] He also named his first and only son Thomas Jefferson Denty.

[2] Susan Elizabeth Denty, who had been born on 17 Feb 1839.

[3] Susannah Rebecca Denty, later Rebecca Denty Abernathy.

[4] In the Marriage Record her name is written as Mary Ann, but she clearly signed the letter "M. F." Her last name is spelled various ways, but her daughter Alice Denty Dean usually spelled it "Dotherow"

[5] Requiring male residents to man road crews was the standard method by which counties maintained their roads. If the resident was a large slaveowner, he was expected to provided "hands".

[6] No doubt the silver watch he purchased at the Thomas Denty estate sale.

[7] James Abernathy, 18 Jun 1862 and 15 Oct 1862: Copies appearing in Abernathy and Smith.

[8] Laura eventually married a Mr. Johnston, very probably yet another of our frequently recurring Johnstons, since Joseph's son Jesse and his numerous offspring lived in Horn Lake, the location of Laura Cooper Johnston's home.