- This topic has 4 voices and 5 replies.
-
Posts
-
Has anyone researched the Whitley County KY Bennett Family? I think they could have been from Chowan County NC area.
I have very little evidence but I am starting to find it. The early 19th century records indicate they may have migrated out of that area. Along with the Black family and the Asbell family. Hopefully we can motivate a DNA study of the Bennett family.
I have documented the existence of Native American Blood. I think the origin of the blood is the key. When it comes out in the DNA wash, I believe this Bennett family is of Chowan County NC.
All three family surnames you mention had numerous households on the 1790 Lincoln Co., Ky Tax Lists (Bennett), or their 1800 and 1818 successor counties in the cases of the Black & Asbell/Isbell families, or their next door counties of 1800…
and the Alexander Black, “Esquire”, of 1790 Chowan Co., NC, removed to the York District of SC by 1800…
Whitley County was created from Knox Co. in 1818;
Knox Co. was created from Lincoln Co. in 1800…
and there are two lines of Bennetts in 1820 Whitley Co., Ky…
Which specific family’s line are you researching…?
Bill
I descend from Ezekiel Bennett through his daughter Rebecca who married Jesse Powers.
I have a couple of Cherokee Applications naming Amos, “Rebecca’s brother” as 1/4 Cherokee. I was born and raised in Harlan County and now live in Whitley County, Corbin to be exact.
I was not aware that two separate Bennett lines resided in Whitley County KY, that is a new one on me. The only reason I strongly associate the Asbell family with the Bennetts is the fact that both the Harps and Bennetts married into the Asbell family. The Harps and Bennetts were closely allied at this time. I have a couple of gaps in my Whitley County genealogy that will take DNA to solve but I am 100% certain about Rebecca Bennett being a grandmother.
Ezekiel was named as Amos’ father on William H Harps Cherokee Application. The reason for denial from the Cherokee Nation was the discrepancy between Grant Harp’s (William’s Son) and William’s applications.
The Black family I speak of is David Black, but I have a found “since yesterday” a reference where he migrated to New York after leaving Chowan County NC.
Asbell’s allied with Harp’s and Bennett’s
Bennett family from Chowan County NC
Asbell family from Chowan County NC
Oral history say John Bennett was the father of the Whitley County Bennett’s and he married Rebecca Ross
Some Asbell’s (from this line) claim that Joseph Asbell and Dorthy Ross are their earliest known ancestors.
All this is circumstantial as hell but I have hit a huge brick wall in my Bennett research and I believe the only way to prove it is DNA.
All I know for sure is either the Bennetts, Powers, Sears, Hamblins, Monhollans or the Harps have Native Blood from this side of my family and it appears to be the Bennetts.
William
http://www.ridgetopshawnee.com
I think that I wrote to you as you inquired about the Bennetts line for the Native American Lineage Group. I wrote to you but I did not get a response . I descend from the Chowan Bennetts line through my Maternal line. Some of the Chowanocs went south into Anson County, NC and into South Carolina, including the Bennetts and Reeds and another Bass line that married with a Native woman of Nansemond/Chowanoc Ancestry who went to live amongst the Chowancs. Mixing with other Native and some non Native lines along the way. The photo of my ancestor, Darnetta Bennett Owens, was the Grand Daughter of a Full Native Man of Chowan Ancestry, Henry Bennett, Listed Mulatto. He settled in Anson county and his daughter intermarried with other Bennetts who were no Relation to him. As we had two sets of Bennetts in Anson County that were not related they did intermarry. One line was Native and one line had a connection to the Bennetts that were probably on the Risten Bennetts Plantation, That his daughter married into. His son married into another full Native line of my Great Grandmother. This lines DNA is Native also (Haplogroup A) Our oral history is very strong on the Chowanoc connection and his birth in 1810, as well as census records That correspond with the births in the Chowanoc households. Some of these record that may give a clue to these native lines were destroyed in courthouse fires in Chowan County (1848 by a clerk) and one in Anson County (fire). Many fires were set on purpose to cover up corruptions and documentation of native families. That is why some just dissapear and show up elsewhere without very little documentation. some Chowanocs wound up as indentured servants, on plantations, as farmers or absorbed into other tribes.
I think that DNA testing on the line of Bennetts males would be valuable in answering that question. There were often families of the same surnames who lived in close proximity with each other. DNA testing helped me to establish the native line maternally. Somehow it all may tie in. I did check out your website as well.
Good Luck.
Shoshone
Marlboro/Chesterfield/Darlington County
Pee Dee Indian Tribe Member
I am a decendant of the Whitley County, KY Bennetts and have been researching the family for 15 years.
Recently I have been wondering about a possible connection to the Chowan tribe out of NC back in the 1750’s.
I am involved in DNA testing. My brother has tested through familytreedna and the only Bennett matches are known “cousins” (5 Bennett matches out of more than 100 Bennetts tested), my father through DNAtribes and came back with 1/8 Native American, and I recently tested through familytreedna with their Family Finder test with no Bennett matches, yet.
I am very interested in finding out where my Bennetts came from. My earliest known ancestor is Amous Bennett b. 1791 Elk Valley, Campbell, TN. I have no idea where the Elk Valley birth location came from originally, but my grandparents genealogy papers listed it that way. The research I have done on the Bennetts places them in Claiborne County, TN and a good possiblity in the town of Speedwell in the 1790s-1807. The came to Knox County, KY about 1802 and I believe went back and forth between the states for awhile.
Would you share your info on the Native American blood that you have? I have the DNA results, but not an origin
Thanks,
Brandy
William,
I am a decendant of Amous Bennett, brother to Rebecca that married Jesse Powers. I’m not convinced that Ezekiel Bennett was their father. I have always seen John; however, there is no proof that he is their father either. What I do know through DNA testing is that Amous Bennett Snr. (born 1791, TN) is related by DNA testing to Levi Bennett (born 1789, TN who married Nancy Harp) and Ezekiel Bennett Snr. (b. 1795-1795 who married Lydia Asbell).
There are two Ezekiel Bennetts in the Claiborne County, Tn/Knox and Whitley County, KY area 1790s-1820s. The older Ezekiel Bennett who may/may not be Amous’ father is listed on a delinquent tax record of Claiborne County, TN 1807. From what I have heard being on a tax list means you are of legal age, 21. This Ezekiel Bennett was born 1786 or earlier. The younger Ezekiel Bennett born 1792-1795 married Lydia Asbell in 1827 Madison County, KY. He is related to Amous by dna, but we do not know if he is Amous’ brother or if their fathers were brothers. The Asbell family settled in Madison County, KY about 1808 from NC. The father of Ezekiel Bennett (b.1792-1795) is said to be John Bennett. A descendant of Ezekiel has his bible and on one page is written John Bennet, the date 30 Jun 1833 with some illegible writing of a bibe passage. It is possible that this is the d.o.d. for John Bennett. Mother Rebecca comes from the death record of Whitley County, KY Nov 1859 which lists John and Rebecca Bennett of VA as parents to deceased John Bennett age 80 died of old age. I have no clue where Rebecca’s maiden name of Ross came from.
What I can tell you of Bennett DNA testing is that we came from Europe. A male Bennett must have married a Native American woman. Bennett Haplogroup is R1b1b2a1a.
Here’s some info on my line:
Amous Bennett b. 1791,TN sp. Sally Hamblin b. 1797, NC
.John Bennett b. 1824, Whitley Co, KY sp. Obedience Mays b. 1826 Knox Co., KY
..John Mays Bennett b. 1852 Knox Co, KY sp. Rebecca Armedla Kerr b. 1858 Whitley Co, KY
…George Washington Bennett b. 1884 Whitley Co., KY sp. Sarah Jane Hill b. 1885 KY (my great grandparents)
John Mays Bennett’s spouse Rebecca Kerr is said to be 1/2 Cherokee. Rebecca Kerr’s sister Nancy Kerr married John Mays Bennett’s brother Benjamin Franklin Bennett. These families are dark skinned, black hair and some listed black eyes and some blue.
Rebecca’s parents are Andrew Kerr and Elizabeth Hamblin. The story is that Elizabeth Hamblin was Cherokee and is the daughter of Benjamin Hamblin Jnr.b. NC and Juda Sears of Whitley/Knox Co, KY. It is thought that Benjamin Hamblin Snr (Jnr’s father) is the brother of Amous Bennett’s wife Sally Hamblin. Supposedly, Ben Snr. married a Cherokee woman named Cassie/Casey Stormsworth or Thornsworth. The only marriage I have seen is Sarah Brim, and I haven’t seen an actual record of that marriage. What confuses me is that Benjamin Hamblin Snr. received a land grant on Patterson Creek, Whitley Co, KY in 1823 and Jnr. received one on Traces Branch, Whitley Co, KY in 1853 . If either were Native American they would not have been given a land grant. It may be possible that Benj. Jnr. hid his heritage well, but he would have been 1/2. None of it makes any sense mathmatically, but there’s got to be an answer somewhere.
I have also heard the my Bennett line is Cherokee. How, I do not know other than the blood line is maternal.
I hope that someone found a bit of useful info in this posting. Please let me know.
Thanks,
Brandy
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
