Henderson Web Generation One

Hendersons, including our Hendersons, were in Venango County, Pennsylvania, by the early part of the nineteenth century. The early accounts have our Hendersons from the north of Ireland; and, as did the Morrisons, they might have arrived in Venango County by coming over the mountains from eastern Pennsylvania (instead of coming south from New England). It has only been after the publication of The Oil Creek Flemings and related families (1999) that I learned the first name of our earliest known Pennsylvania Henderson and the maiden name of his wife.

Credit for this is due to Diana (Robb) Cronhardt, who is a third great granddaughter of James and Sarah (Park) Henderson. One of Diana's initial sources was a 16 July 1940 letter from her great uncle John M. Henderson (#98) to Diana's mother, Margaret (Williams) Robb (see #228). John M. Henderson was Colorado State Auditor from 1891-1893, and when living in Chicago, had access to major Chicago libraries. Diana eventually travelled to Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, and obtained a copy of James Henderson's will.

1. JAMES¹ HENDERSON born circa 1758, either in eastern Pennsylvania or more likely northern Ireland, died 5 December 1795, buried in Kishacoquillas Valley, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania; married in 1781 SARAH PARK in Paxtang, present-day Swatara Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Sarah was born circa 1769, location not known, died 28 March 1830 in Venango or present-day Forest County, Pennsylvania, buried in the Concord Cemetery, Allegheny Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania.¹ For a description of this old cemetery, see Concord Cemetery in the Oil Creek Lytles web site. Sarah was probably a sister of Elizabeth Park who married Robert Hunter—see the section "Robert Hunter and other early Hunters of Venango-Forest and Warren counties, Pennsylvania."

According to Jordan (1913), page 776:

… Robert Hunter had three brothers, Samuel, who subsequently settled in the Isle of Man, William, who remained in County Tyrone, and Jared [Jahu?], who in company with his brother Robert and certain neighbors named Gilson, Broadfoot and Henderson sailed with their families in the latter part of the eighteenth century from the port of Londonderry for Philadelphia, and settled at first in Centre County Pennsylvania [actually Centre County was not set off from Mifflin County until 1800]. Later Robert and Jared located and secured each one hundred acres of land about two miles from what is now Enterprise, Warren County, [Pennsylvania] and their friends located near what is now Titusville, a few miles away …

Little is known of our Hendersons until Sarah and her children moved to Venango County, Pennsylvania. James and family were enumerated in the first United States federal census, 1790, in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania (census page 152). James died in 1795 in Mifflin County. His will reveals he was a farmer and had stock "on my land laying and being Situated on the South Side of Jacks Creek" [a tributary of the Juniata River]. His will directed the testators to raise a two-story house (apparently for his family), suggesting he was planning on Sarah and children staying at the Mifflin County location. Sarah was only circa 36 and still of child-bearing age when James died. But Venango County records show that she did not remarry. Sarah and children were still in Mifflin County, in Armagh Township, in 1800 (census page 491).

James Henderson's will was written 30 November 1775 in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania; recorded 16 December 1775 in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. Those mentioned were wife Sarah; and children (named in order of birth in James's will): "my oldest daughter Jane;" Elizabeth; Sarah; "my oldest son Richey;" Samuel; Margaret; Martha; and David. Executors were wife Sarah and Robert Hunter. Robert Hunter was probably the brother-in-law of James Henderson. Robert Hunter married Elizabeth Park, the sister of Sarah (Park) Henderson. Others mentioned were Rob Chambers of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (owner of property) and James Christwell (a subscribing witness).²

Sarah and children came to Venango County, Pennsylvania, in the early 1800s. The region would have been a wild, pristine forested area at that time. In 1806, Sarah Henderson was taxed in Allegheny Township, Venango County. This was at the same time that Sarah’s son Richard Henderson was being taxed in Warren County, the Enterprise area, present–day Southwest Township.³ In 1811, Sarah Henderson, designated as “Widow Henderson,” was taxed for land in Allegheny Township, Venango County. She continued to be assessed in Allegheny Township until 1832 when she was marked “deceased.”

Sarah Henderson purchased 100 acres of land from the Holland Land Company, 2 May 1816, Tract #107, District 7, Venango County.

Venango County Deed Book F, page 71:

Richard Henderson of Warren County; Samuel Henderson of Crawford Co.; William and Sarah Broadfoot and Margaret Watson of Venango County, to David Henderson of Venango County, all joint and equal heirs to the estate of Sarah Henderson, deceased, quit claim 100 acres, part of Tract #107 in McDowell’s District (now District 7), being property that Sarah Henderson bought in 1816. Consideration: $10. Dated 31 March 1832; recorded 14 Oct. 1833. Witnesses: James Allender and William S. Watson.

Pertaining to the witness, William S. Watson, there was a William S. Watson, born 23 July 1803; died 7 July 1862, a son of John and Rebecca (Bradley) Watson, mainly a Crawford County family.

I could not find Sarah Henderson in the 1810 federal census. She was not with Richard Henderson and his family in Warren County, Pennsylvania, in 1810.⁴ The first Henderson appearing in the Venango County federal censuses was Sarah’s son David Henderson in the 1820 federal census for Allegheny Township⁵ and a John Henderson (apparently not related to our Henderson) in Irwin Township. At that time, Sarah’s son Richard Henderson was still enumerated in Warren County,⁶ and son Samuel Henderson was in Crawford County.⁷ In 1830, Richard was in Deerfield Township (part of present–day Southwest Township), Warren County;⁸ and Samuel was in Oil Creek Township, Crawford County.⁹ [Note: there is an Oil Creek Township in Crawford County and an Oil Creek Township (erected from Allegheny Township in 1866) in Venango County.] David apparently was missed in 1830 census—he was still in Allegheny Township in 1840.¹⁰ (There was also a John Henderson of Irwin Township, Venango County, and an Archibald Henderson of Frenchcreek Township, Venango County, in 1830 federal census for Venango County.)

**Children of James and Sarah (Park) Henderson:**

	2	i.	Jane² Henderson ("my eldest daughter").¹¹.
	3	ii.	Elizabeth Henderson.
	4	iii.	Sarah Henderson, born circa 1785; died 19 February 1839; buried in Concord Cemetery, Allegheny Township, Venango County; married William Broadfoot, born circa 1777; died 6 May 1846, also buried in Concord Cemetery.¹² Children, if any, not known. William and Sarah (Henderson) Broadfoot lived in Allegheny Township, Venango County. On 28 May 1847, John Broadfoot (his relationship to our Hendersons has not been established) and David Henderson petitioned the court to sell real estate of William Broadfoot, deceased. ¹³ There was another early Venango County Broadfoot family, located mainly in the Franklin, Venango County, area, that might have been related to William Broadfoot who married Sarah Henderson.
+	5	iv.	Richard Henderson, ("my eldest son"), born 1784–87; died circa 1865; married Violet Hunter.
+	6	v.	Samuel Henderson, born 6 June 1790; died 24 April 1855; buried in Pioneer Cemetery, Titusville, Oil Creek Township, Crawford County; married 1814 Rebecca Mitchell.
+	7	vi.	Margaret Henderson, (great great grandmother of the author), born circa 1791 in Pennsylvania; died 12 February 1870; buried in the Concord Cemetery, Venango County, Pennsylvania; married Robert W. Watson.
	8	vii.	Martha Henderson (youngest daughter).
+	9	viii.	David Henderson, born 30 September 1794; died 11 September 1859 ; buried in Old Brown Cemetery, Pleasantville, Pennsylvania; married Jane Watson.