The Orphans

In the 1870 Census, a young woman named Josephine Danty, age twenty-one, was enumerated in the household of John Young in the Mount Vernon District of Fairfax County, Virginia. On 12 Dec 1876 eighteen year old Emma J. Denty married twenty-two year old William H. Young in Fairfax County. William was the son of John C. and Sarah Young, and interestingly, the bride also claimed that couple as her own parents. In the 1880 Census farmer William H. and wife Emma Denty Young were residing in Fairfax County, but that year their ages were given as twenty-five and nineteen respectively, which would mean that Emma had actually been a fifteen year old bride. Were Josephine Danty and Emma J. Denty the same young woman? If they were, how can one explain the rather large disparities in age between Josephine Danty in 1870 and Emma J. Denty in 1876 and 1880? Did the census taker simply make an error in 1870 when Emma was actually only eleven? If so, the small discrepancy remaining is reduced to an irrelevant two years. But who were the parents of this young woman or women? The situation is further complicated by the death of an Emma Josephine Denty in Alexandria, Virginia in October 1881.[1]

Also residing in the William and Emma Denty Young household in 1880 was Samuel L. Dainty, age eighteen. No relationship was given for Samuel, he was simply described as working on the farm; but it's quite natural to assume that he was Emma's younger brother. A search of the birth records of both Washington DC and Virginia, however, have thus far failed to locate any birth record for a Samuel Denty from 1853 through 1879. But whatever the uncertainties regarding his birth and parentage, we do know what happened to young Samuel "Dainty". In the 1890 District of Columbia Directory, a "Samuel B. Denty, occupation driver, was residing at 1317 4½ SW. The following year "Samuel E. Denty", a conductor, was listed at that same address. In the 1900 Census, Samuel L. Denty, a grocer, was residing at 301 M Street in Washington, DC with wife Susie and son Clinton, who'd been born on 2 Nov 1898. It's perhaps more than coincidental that Simeon F. Denty had identified himself as a grocer in 1880, and that James Molair Denty and his brother Harrison B. Denty owned a grocery store in the District of Columbia.[2]

Samuel died in 1905. On 14 Jul 1905, Susie Denty had a second son named Samuel L. after his father. The widowed Susie eventually married Hugh Dollins, a civil engineer employed by the District of Columbia. Elder son Clinton L. served in the National Guard in World War I, after which he worked in a rubber plant in Akron, Ohio. He married Lillian Cooley (b. 18 Jan 1890 or 1894, d. 1 Dec 1981), the daughter of J. T. Cooley, and died in Waverly, Humphries County, Tennessee on 19 Mar 1966. Both Clinton and Lillian are buried in Arlington Cemetery. Younger son Samuel constitutes the exception to our rule, i.e. he will be the only person born after 1902 who will be profiled, albeit briefly. A student in the U.S. Coast Guard residing with Hugh and Susie Denty Dollins at the time of the 1930 Census, he later became an engineer like his stepfather. Samuel died in February 1987.

Whether Clinton or Samuel Denty fathered children isn't known. Nor do we know the parentage of Samuel L. Denty Senior and his presumed sister Emma J. Denty Young. Both were born in Virginia, Emma between 1849 and 1861, with 1854-1855 being the likeliest years; Samuel in April 1862. There were only so many male Dentys available who could have fathered those two children in those years. Although Jonathan Wilson Denty, the youngest child of Jonathan Denty, and the mysterious William Dainty who lived with John and Rebecca Denty Williamson in 1850 can't be discounted, the likeliest candidate would seem to be Elisha Denty, son of Samuel and Nancy Bayliss Denty. He was born about 1838, thus being the appropriate age. Clearly he was married to a woman named Josephine by 1864 when they both signed the deed relinquishing any rights in the Samuel Denty estate to Elisha's older brothers Thomas and Silas. Based upon Elisha's age, the couple could have easily been married as early as 1856, thus falling within the large range allotted to the birth of Emma J. And it would certainly have been appropriate to name their son Samuel after Elisha's father. Nor can Elisha or Josephine be found on the 1870 Census - or any other for that matter - and are presumed to have died. See Research Notes below. Was Elisha Denty's wife Josephine Young? If so, it would not have been unusual for the orphans to be cared for by their maternal relatives. Obviously, this is speculation; more questions than answers, more clues than facts. All we can assert with confidence is that Emma J. Denty and Samuel L. Denty were the descendants of John Wybert Denty, and hope that future research can provide the documentation so sorely lacking.

30 Aug 1870 CENSUS, Fairfax Co, VA (Mt. Vernon District): "Josephine Danty", age 21, born VA, was enumerated in the household of John Young. [Pg 353]

12 Dec 1876: Marriage of Emma J. Denty, age 18, and farmer William H. Young, age 22, in Fairfax Co. John C. and Sarah Young are listed as parents of both bride and groom. Ceremony performed by J.K. Nichols. [Vital Records, p. 21]

1880 CENSUS, Fairfax Co, VA: Samuel L. Dainty 18, born VA, enumerated in household of William H. Young 24, DC MD MD; Emma J. Young 19, VA VA VA. Also in the household were son William 3, half-sister (of William) Cornelia Wells 40, DC Engl MD; and James Bush 65. No relationship was given for Samuel.

In the 1890 DC Directory "Samuel B. Denty", a driver by occupation, is listed at 1317 4 ½ SW. In the 1891 Directory Samuel E. Denty, a conductor, is listed at the same address.

15 Oct 1898: Josephine Denty, age only 12 days, daughter of Samuel L. and Susie Denty, died. The funeral was to be held from the residence at 900 3rd Street, at the corner of I.

7 Jun 1900 CENSUS, Washington, DC: Grocer born Apr 1862 in VA; wife Susie L; son Clinton S. (Family was residing at 301 M Street.) [Pg 17]

31 Jul 1900: Ethel May, infant daughter of Samuel L. and Susie Denty died. The funeral was to be held from the residence at3rd and M Streets. [Internments in the Historic Congressional Cemetery]

Samuel's will filed 3 Apr 1905, executor approved 10 Apr, final accounts on 9 Aug 1906 and 15 Apr 1907. [Orig: Folio 48, #61]

In the 1913 District of Columbia City Directory: "Susie L. Denty, widow of Samuel L. Denty, 1363 Spring Road NW".

1930 CENSUS, Washington DC (Precinct 10): Civil Engineer Hugh D. Dollins age 45, FL TN AR, the owner of a house on Princeton Place NW valued at $12,000; wife Susie age 50, DC MD MD; stepson Samuel L. Denty, DC VA DC, student with the U.S. Coast Guard. [ED 316, Sheet 6B]

[1] There was also Emma J. Denty Knight, born on 7 Dec 1855, the daughter of Edward Montgomery Denty. The year of birth and name are misleading, for she married Louis Joseph Knight in 1872 and was having children by him until 1893. She cannot therefore be the wife of William H. Young.

[2] Simeon and Janepher's son Simeon Francis became a District of Columbia streetcar conductor, another parallel.