Return to Genealogy Repository

1. WILLIAM³ HANKS, JR. (WILLIAM², PETER¹) was born 27 Apr 1739 in Anne Arundel Co. MD, and died Jul 1814 in Bedford Co. PA¹. He married SARAH BENSON ca 1760 in MD, daughter of WILLIAM BENSON and ANN GREEN. She was born ca 1741 in Montgomery Co. MD, and died May 1804 in Bedford Co. PA².

Follow the links below to outlines on each child.

Children of WILLIAM HANKS and SARAH BENSON are:

i. RACHEL⁴ HANKS, b. 11 Dec 1761, Loudon Co. VA; d. 1 Apr 1842, Bedford Co. PA³; m. EPHRAIM AKERS, Oct 1784; b. 25 Mar 1761; d. 14 Mar 1817, Bedford Co. PA⁴.

ii. FLEETWOOD HANKS, b. 19 Jan 1764, Rock Creek Parish, then Frederick Co. MD⁵; d. Aft. 1814, Henry, now Oldham Co. KY at Harrod's Creek; m. (1) RUTH WYATT, 1798; m. (2) ABIAH HYNES, 17 Apr 1814, Jefferson Co. Kentucky.

iii. JOHN HANKS, b. 1766, Loudon Co. VA; d. 1805, Loudon Co. VA; m. ABIGAIL JACKSON; b. 1760⁶; d. 18 Jan 1847, Muskingum Co. OH⁶.

iv. NANCY HANKS, b. 4 Oct 1769, Loudon Co. VA⁷; d. 17 Jun 1835, Bedford Co. PA⁷; m. (1) NICHOLAS SCHOOLEY, ca 1786; d. 9 Jul 1795; m. (2) ROBERT AKERS, 24 Dec 1799; b. 24 Sep 1771; d. 29 Dec 1838, Providence Twp. Bedford Co. PA⁷.

v. ROSANNA HANKS, b. 4 Oct 1769, Loudon Co. VA; d. 1 Jan 1839, Bedford Co. PA; m. JACOB LODGE, 9 Feb 1786; b. 31 May 1759; d. 9 May 1851, Providence Twp. Bedford Co. PA⁸.

vi. LEAH HANKS, b. 22 Jun 1771, Loudon Co. VA⁹; d. 4 Sep 1854¹⁰; m. TIMOTHY HIXSON, 20 Mar 1797, Loudon Co. VA¹¹; b. 1 May 1775, Loudon Co. VA¹²; d. 15 Jan 1857¹³.

vii. MARY HANKS, b. Bef. 1775, Loudon Co. VA; m. SAMUEL JACKSON; b. ca 1777¹⁴; d. 7 Jan 1834, (Will recorded)¹⁵.

viii. BENJAMIN HANKS, b. 14 Jun 1779, Loudon Co. VA; d. 12 Oct 1822, Bedford Co. PA; m. REBECCA BARTON, Dec 1803, Bedford Co. PA; b. 12 May 1783, Amwell Twp. Hunterdon Co. NJ¹⁶; d. 21 Jan 1875, Brush Creek Twp. Fulton Co. PA¹⁷.

ix. SARAH HANKS, b. 12 Oct 1781, Loudon Co. VA; d. Athens Co. OH; m. JAMES JAMES; b. Bet. 1770 - 1780; d. Bet. 1840 - 1850.

Notes for WILLIAM HANKS, JR.:

1798 US Direct Tax: PA, Bedford Co. Providence Twp.

William HANKS
House, 30 X 16, value $30
Log Barn
neighbor: George Breathed
Acres: 170, value $170
_________________________________________

1800 PA Census: Bedford Co. Providence & Colerain Twps. p. 403:

William HANKS
Males: 1 (16-26); 1 (45+)
Females: 1 (10-16); 1 (45+)
_________________________________________

1808 Triennial Tax Assessment: PA, Bedford Co, Providence Twp:

William HANKS: 175 Acres Patent; 2 Horses, 2 Cattle; Farmer; $637; Tax $2.39
_________________________________________

1810 PA Census: Bedford Co. Providence Twp. p. 561
Series M252, roll 45/46

Benjn HANK
Males: 3 (<10); 1 (26-45); 1 (45+)
Females: 2 (<10); 2 (16-26); 1 (45+)

It is possible that the male above the age of 45 was Benjamin Hanks' widowed father William, who did not die until 1814, but did not otherwise appear as the head of his own household in 1810. Benjamin himself would have been only 31 in 1810, so he would have been the male in the middle category of 26-45. It is not clear who was the female in the 45+ category.
_______________________________________

"Nancy Hanks of Undistinguished families" by Adin Baber, 1960, p. 115:

"The name, William Hanks, again appears on the earliest tax list extant, 1782, of Loudoun County, and this man is known to be a son of William the Quaker, and was born April 27, 1739 near the Patapsco River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Quoting from a letter of one of his descendants, Mrs. Jennie Schooley Hoffman, it reads: 'This William Hanks settled in Loudoun County, Virginia, near where Leesburg now is. His wife was Sarah, born 1754, died in May 1804. William Hanks died 1814. They had nine children, all born in Virginia. Three sons: John, Fleetwood, and Benjamin. . .six daughters, Rachel, Leah, Nancy, and Rosanna, twins, born October 4, 1770, Mary and Sarah.' (Hoffman to Rudolph, April 18, 1927, Baber Papers.) This William had previously resided in Frederick County, Maryland, where his son, Fleetwood was born, and where William mortgaged his personal property to secure a loan in 1768. (Deed Book L, p. 219, Frederick County, MD)

It was his daughter, Nancy, who has been thought by some to have married Tom Lincoln; but she did not. She had a daughter, Duannah, and then married Nicholas Schooley, by whom she had two children, a son and a daughter; then she married secondly Robert Akers, and by him there were six more children. The tradition is that she was a fine woman. The daughter, Duannah, became a noted and beloved school teacher and, at her death, left by will, considerable property to her half-brother and half-sister.

The tradition in this family is not that their Nancy married Thomas Lincoln, for they know differently, and as courthouse records confirm; but that their Nancy was a cousin to the Nancy who did marry Tom.....
_________________________________________

Bedford County, PA willbook 1, p. 401

In the name of God Amen, I William Hanks of Bedford County Providence township and State of Pennsylvania, yeoman feeling myself somewhat infirm in body, tho sound in mind and memory, I desire that this shall be my last Will & Testament and that after my decease I will that my funeral expenses and all my just debts shall be paid, and then I desire that my real and personal property shall be disposed of in the following manner, viz, 1t I give and bequeath unto my grand daughter Duannah Hanks too flat irons, too iron pots, one tin bucket, one wooden do one pewter dish, three pewter plates, one iron ladle, one corner cubboard, with all the furniture belonging thereto, one sorrel mare, that I call top, one washing tub one cow named cherry, too yews and too lambs, one feather bed and bedsteads that stands in the loft over my room and under tick, too flax sheets, too flax and to do one tweed blanket and too single do too callico bed quilts one cotton and wool covered, the shovel and tongs and tea kettle one little spinning wheel, also the wool and flax and tow that I have now in the house also one new course coverlid, one lindsey bedquilt, the new feathers that is in the house, and nine geese also the meet and fat that I now have, Also she is to have the privilege of my end of the house and half the garden for two years and half, also that she is to be found bread and meet sufficient for her and feed sufficient for the stock that I leave her, this much I bequeath unto her and no more, -- I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth Smith that now lives with me, one chaff bedtick, one sheet, one coarse coverlet, one black and white two year old heifer, one sheep, one spinning wheel this much I bequeath unto her & no more. I give and bequeath unto my son Benjamin Hanks all the plantation whereon I now live, and he is to pay one hundred and twenty five pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania in too year and a half from this date, and if the money is not paid in that time the plantation is to be sold and all that it comes to over the above mentioned sum is to be his. And he is to find Duannah Hanks as I have mentioned she is to be found, this much I bequeath unto him and no more I give and bequeath unto my son John Hanks'es heirs one dollar this much I bequeath unto them and no more -- I give and bequeath unto my son Fleetwood ten dollars, this much I bequeath unto him and no more -- I also will that all my property that is not herein mentioned is to be sold and the amount thereof to be equally divided between my six daughters -- And be it also remembered that I appoint my son Benjamin Hanks and Ephraim Akers to be my true and lawful Executors to execute all and every part of this my last will and testament. In testimony whereof I have set my hand and affix my seal, and I do acknowledge this to be my last Will and testament, revoking all others from the day and date herein mentioned -- this 15 day of July in the year one thousand eight hundred & fourteen

Williams Hanks {Seal}

Witness present

Timothy Hixson, Nicholas "X" Homler

And be it remembered that the words, "and he is to find Duanna Hanks as I have mentioned she is to be found" was enterlined before sined.

Bedford County SS: Personally appeared before me the subscriber Register for the probate of Wills and granting letters of administration in and for said XXX by Timothy Hixson and Nicholas Homler the subscribing witnesses to the written will, who being duly sworn depose and say that they were personally present and heard and saw william Hanks the testator sign seal and declare the foregoing instrument in writing as and for his last will and testament, that at the time of doing thereof the testator was of sound and disposing mind and memory according to the best of the deponents knowledge and belief and that they subscribed as witnesses in the presence of the testator -- sworn and subscribed the 28th day of July AD 1814.

N.B. deponents further say the name "William Hanks" signed to the foregoing Will was written by James James at the request of the said William Hanks the testator --

Timothy Hixson
Nicholas "X" Homler

Before D. Mann Register
filed & registered 28th July 1814

Be it remembered that on the thirtieth day of July AD 1814 Letters testamentary were granted to Benjamin Hanks & Ephraim Akers, Executors in the foregoing Will of William Hanks named -- they having been first duly sworn according to law
_________________________________________

Endnotes

1. Will written 15 Jul and proved 28 Jul 1814
2. Nancy Hanks of Undistinguished Families by Adin Baber, p. 115
3. Akersville Methodist Cemetery
4. tombstone in Akersville Cemetery
5. Prince George's Parish book
6. Mrs. M. Kathleen Felsted; 19 Glenbrook Drive; Phoenix, MD 21131410.628.1523
7. Akersville Methodist Cemetery
8. will
9. reckoned from death date on tombstone
10. McKendree Cemetery, Fulton Co. PA near Crystal Spring
11. Hixson family group sheets from Stanley G. Hixson; 5211 Leeward Lane; Alexandria, VA 22315-3944; December 1995
12. reckoned from death date on tombstone
13. McKendree cemetery tombstone
14. Shirley B. O'Leary
15. "Cousin-to-cousin Courier"
16. Information sent by George J. Hanks, Jr.; January 1996
17. Jared & Charlotte Hanks' family bible

Return to Genealogy Repository