John Denty

John Denty, the son of William and Elizabeth Heniken Denty, was born in Fairfax County, Virginia on 21 Jan 1807. By the time he'd reached thirteen, if not much earlier, his parents had moved to Anne Arundel County, Maryland. In January of 1825 or 1826 he married Maria (or Mariah) Barber in the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland.[1] Six months after the birth of their first child, on 20 Oct 1828, John purchased an acre near Elk Ridge Landing, apparently very near, perhaps even adjoining, his parents. In the 1830 Census, one unknown male 10-15 and one unknown female 10-15 were enumerated with John, Maria, and their young daughter Amanda.

Just before the birth of second daughter Martha on 22 Apr 1831, John and Maria, along with John's parents, sold their property in Maryland and moved to Ohio, settling in Bennington Township in the northernmost portion of Licking County. The Denty family doubtless did not travel alone. James and Aquilla Barber, also from Anne Arundel County, settled on adjoining farmland. In fact, Aquilla had married his wife Rachel Watts in the same Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore attended by the Dentys.[2] There were many surnames in Licking familiar to any Fairfax County researcher as well, names such as Southerd, Minor, and Potter.[3] This may or may not have been by chance, for Ohio had, after all, been the most popular destination for migrants from the Northern Neck of Virginia since it's territorial days. The Warners, for example, had moved to Ohio after the death of Elizabeth Denty Warner, choosing Madison County rather than Licking. One would assume that this was coincidental, that there would have been no contact between families separated by more than two decades and approximately fifty miles. But how then can one explain why John's son John Wesley named his son Warner Charles Denty?

John built the second water mill in Licking County at the junction of Indian Run and Lake Fork. "It was both grist and saw mill in an early day, though later only a sawmill, driven by steam power".[4] By 1880, it stood as "the only mill in Bennington Township bringing Mr. Denty into the threshold of a sizable fortune".[5] This description is borne out by census information. In 1850, John had real estate valued at $3,800; in 1860 real property valued at $7,700 and personal property at $600. And in 1870, both John and his son estimated their individual real and personal property at $7,500 and $1,385 respectively, resulting in a combined worth of $15,000 and $2,770. Both in 1842 and 1845, John received a commission as Justice of the Peace for the township of Bennington.

Throughout his life in Licking County, he and Maria were active in the Methodist Church. In 1840 a Methodist "class" was formed at his home, and John was a member of the committee formed to purchase land and erect a building. Along with his parents, he was listed among the organizers of Lambert's Chapel in 1850 and was among the first members of the Third Methodist Episcopal Church in Appleton Township. See photo.

Maria died in 1873, but John lived to the age of ninety, dying on 10 Sep 1897.[6] Both are buried in Bennington Cemetery. They were the parents of three children: Amanda, Martha E. and John Wesley. Once again, the daughters are examined below.

The eldest, Amanda Denty, was born on 3 Mar 1828. On 7 Jul 1842, at the age of fifteen, she married William Weyant. They had five children: Andrew (born 8 Jan 1845), Malvina (b. 16 Dec 1850, d. 11 Apr 1855), Maria Teresa (b. 15 Sep 1854, d. 25 Sep 1854), Charles Fremont (b. 10 Sep 1856), and Ugenia Weyant (b. 24 May 1860, d. 26 Feb 1862). In the 1870 Census, the family was enumerated in Trenton Township, Delaware County, Ohio, next door to son Andrew. That year, William had substantial real and personal property estimated at $17,166 and $28,115. The Weyants had reportedly moved to Kansas by 1881.

Born on 22 Apr 1831, Martha E. Denty married David Weyant, brother of William, on 10 Jun 1847. When enumerated in the 1860 Census, farmer David estimated that he owned real and personal property worth at $7,500 and $900. In 1870, that real and personal property had increased to $11,000 and $2,525, and he employed at least two farm laborers. David and Martha Denty Weyant had two daughters: Laura Adeline (b. 14 Oct 1850) and Florence (b. 1854). Martha died on 5 Mar 1880.

Birth date of John: 21 Jan 1807. [Hill, History of Licking County, Ohio, p. 653]

Marriage date: 5 Jan 1825. [Denty Family Bible: Copy provided by Opal Denty; Licking County Genealogical Society, Licking County, Ohio] But the Baltimore Marriage Records have the date as 4 Jan 1826 in first Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, MD. Marriage #570. Ceremony performed by Rev. Shane.

20 Oct 1828: Purchased 1 acre for $100 from Richard Hopkins. Land described as lying on the Baltimore-Washington City Turnpike near Elk Ridge Landing, adjoining Elizabeth Parsons in Anne Arundel Co. [Deed Book WSG 13, p. 582]

1830 CENSUS, Anne Arundel Co, MD (Fourth District): 1 male 10-15, 1 20-30; 1 female under 5, 1 10-15, 1 20-30 (Who are the 10-15 year old male and female?) Very close to John is the household of Susan Denty with 1 female under 5, 1 5-10, 1 20-30. [Pg 100]

According to family tradition, he moved to Licking, OH in 1831. And indeed, about 1831 he sold property in Anne Arundel Co, MD to Howard McCanly. [Index/Orig: Book WSG 14, p. 312. Unable to locate original]

In Jan 1840 a Methodist "class" was formed by Rev. Wesley Clark "at the home of John Denty". Membership included John, David Weyant, A.C. Barber, and Noah Southard (another Fairfax County name), who all served on the committee to purchase land and erect building. [Centennial History of Licking County, Ohio, p. 274: Copy provided by Opal Denty]

1840 CENSUS, Licking Co, OH (Bennington Township): 1 male 30-40; 1 female 5-10, 1 30-40. (Daughter Amanda enumerated in nearby household of William and Elizabeth Denty that year. On adjoining farms were James Barber and Aquilla Barber.) [Pg 313]

4 Oct 1842: Rec'd commission as Justice of the Peace for Bennington Township, Licking County for period of 3 years. Rec'd second commission on 11 Dec 1845. [Copies of Commission Certificates provided by Opal Denty]

7 Sep 1850 CENSUS, Licking Co, OH (Bennington Township): Farmer age 43, born in VA, with real estate valued at $3,800; Maria age 43, born MD; John W. age 7; Elizabeth age 60. [Pg 504]

In 1850 "John Denty and wife" and William and Elizabeth Denty were among the organizers of Lambert's Chapel, also Methodist. [Hill, p. 274: Copy provided by Opal Denty]

In 1851 John Denty and A.C. Barber were among the first members of the Third Methodist Episcopal Church in Appleton Township.

"John Denty erected the second mill [in township of Appleton] at the junction of Indian Run and Lake Fork. This mill was both grist and saw mill in an early day, though later only a saw-mill, driven by steam power." "Today [in 1880] it stands as the only mill in Bennington Township bringing Mr. Denty into a threshold of a sizable fortune." [Centennial History of Licking County, Ohio, p. 273; Unknown typescript: Copies provided by Opal Denty]

20 Jun 1860 CENSUS, Licking Co, OH (Bennington, P.O. Appleton): Age 53, no occupation given, born OH, with real and personal property worth $7,700 and $600; Maria age 54, born OH. (Next door was mother Elizabeth Denty with Wesley age 17 and Rachel. And very close are households of John Barber and David and Martha Weyant.) [Pg 41]

14 Jul 1870 CENSUS, Licking Co, OH (Bennington, P.O. Hartford): Miller age 63, born VA, with real and personal property worth $7,500 and $1,385; Maria age 64, born DC; John age 27, farmer with real and personal property worth $7,500 and $1,385; "domestic servant" Rachel Minor, age 18; Melissa M. age 27, George 6, and Warner 4. (Next door is John Barber and not too far away is James Barber.) [Pg 16]

11 Jun 1880 CENSUS, Licking Co, OH (Bennington): Farmer age 73, VA VA VA; farmer John W. age 36, OH VA DC; Melissa M. age 39; George age 17 and Warner age 15, both listed as farm hands; Lavina age 7. (Next door is the household of "farm hand" Charles and Rachel Potter.) [Pg 6]

The house built by John only a short distance from his sawmill is still standing. [Illustration from 1875 Atlas: Copy and photo provided by Opal Denty]

[1] The Denty Family Bible has a year of 1825, but the entry in the church record is 1826.

[2] Aquilla C. Barber and Rachel Watts were married there on 23 Jul 1814. At least one of their children, Aquilla Junior, was born in Anne Arundel County on 24 Apr 1823.

[3] John Wybert Denty's daughter Rebecca had married Edward Potter in the eighteenth century. In the 1880 Census farm hand Charles Potter, wife Rachel and children resided next to John Wesley Denty. Wife Rachel was probably the Rachel Minor who had resided with the Dentys in both the 1860 and 1870 Censuses.

[4] Centennial History of Licking County, Ohio, p. 273.

[5] Unknown typescript dated 1880: Copy provided by Opal Denty.

[6] Interestingly, the house John built close to his sawmill is still standing.

Chapter 18

John Denty