Heavener
The Henry-Heavener Connection
By James D. Henry
Submitted and updated by Ethelyn Coffey

    
    The first wife of John Henry Sr. was Elizabeth, surname unknown.  A few Web sites and people with family Trees have stated her surname to be Heavner/Heavnor/Heavener but none have offered proof to substantiate this assertion.  The purpose of this article is to help prove a Henry-Heavener connection did exist by (1) investigating the German origins of the names Henry and Heavener, (2) looking at birth records in Pennsylvania, (3) comparing the hand writing of Jacob Heavner 's name found in two documents, one document belonging to John Henry Sr., the other a marriage document of Jacob Heavner, and (4) the close proximity of the Henry and Heavener families in Pennsylvania and Virginia during the late 18th and early 19th centuries supported by the high probability that the Jacob Henry who married Mary “Polly” Heavener was the son of John Henry Sr.

German Variants of the Henry and Heavener Names

    Because of family lore, it is believed John Henry Sr. came from Germany.  This comes from the following sources:

1. “Daddy [Walter McClure Henry (18901961)] always told me that his great-great grandfather John came over to this country from Germany as a boy and changed his name from Heinrich to Henry."
Source:  Excerpt of a letter from Ethelyn Coffey to Ottalee Winegar dated 11 Apr 1983

2. Darrell May said his mother, Thelma Powell Henry [1905-1956], who married Sylvester May, told him that her grandfather, William Powell Henry [1853-1937, great grandson of John Henry Sr.] would sing the German Song “Bingen* on the Rhine” to her and say, ‘that’s where we’re from child!”
Source:  Excerpt from an email from Ethelyn Coffey to Jim Henry dated 21 Dec 1999

*Bingen Am Rheim, Germany, is located a few miles west of Frankfurt, Germany on the Rhine River. Large ships can navigate the Rhine River from Frankfurt to the Atlantic Ocean but it is more likely that William Powell Henry was referring to John Henry Sr. being from Germany rather than the town of Bingen because “Bingen on the Rhine” is a folk song sung throughout Germany.

3. “I remember, as a youngster, my father [Walter McClure Henry (1890-1961)] telling me that his great-great grandfather [John Henry Sr.] came from Germany, that he worked his way over to America.”
Source:  Excerpt of an email from Ethelyn Coffey to Jim Henry dated 16 Dec 2000

4. Another item in support of John Henry Sr.’s German ancestry is a deed, dated February 1808 in Russell Co., VA, showing his son, Philip Henry, buying 100 acres of land from Henry Umbarger on which Philip signed his name in German.

    Those references are in complete disagreement that state John Henry Sr. was born in Holland or the Netherlands which can be found on a few personal Web sites and others, e.g., the databases in Ancestral File (AF) and International Genealogical Index (IGI) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).

    Using this information as a premise, the next process was to find the German name for John Henry.  During a conversation in June 2000 in Sleinwender, Germany between Brett Henry, Martina Denser, and Roland Paul, a professional German genealogist asserts “the acceptable name for John Henry in German is Johannes Henrich and it is more likely he sailed from Rotterdam, the port used by the majority of German immigrants during the mid-18th century, rather than Amsterdam.”  This information contradicts the notion that he sailed from Amsterdam as has been passed down from family lore.

    A trip down the Rhine River to Rotterdam and then to America was not an easy undertaking.  From the "Journey to Pennsylvania" by Gottleib Mettelberger, written about his journey to Pennsylvania in 1750: "Down the Rhine to Rotterdam or other ports is done from May 1st to end of October - a full half year amid hardships.  Rhine boats from Heilbronn to Holland have to pass through 26 custom houses ... Each stop takes one to three days.  Trip down Rhine takes four, five and six weeks.  When the ships come to Holland they are detained there five to six weeks.  The freight fare from Holland to Philadelphia was
14 - 17 louis d'or."  It is a matter of record that only English ships were allowed into American ports (pre-US) at that time.
Source:  Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Vol. 1  1727-1775  Edited by William John Hinke PhD. DD (Microfiche Nos. 6051507 through 6051509)

    It is important to also consider the variations possible for the name Henrich.  Betty Heavener Hottenstein writes:  “From "History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania" Reading Public Library, Vol. II, PA Room, R974.827 R54  re: Heinrich (Henry) Family - The family name Henry has been changed from the German name of Henrich.  F. Pichler, a high authority on the etymology and meaning of family names, alleges that it was corrupted into Henerich, Heinrich, and Henry, and its meaning was a courageous man or spirited hero, probably from the Anglo-Saxon hentan, haen or hent which meant to seize, to lay hold of, to conquer, or to overcome, as haen hentan, sich einer Sache bemachtigen, ricca, ric, rich, possessing a large portion of courage.”  

    From the “The Heavener Family of Montgomery Co., VA” written in 1983 by Dorothy H. Bodell, she says, “In the index of The Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families, edited by Samuel Kriebel Brecht, are listed under Heebner (Hubner, Heavener, Hevener, Heavner, Hiebner) all the variations of the name I have found in this research.
 
Pennsylvania Birth Records

    Of the nine known children by John and Elizabeth Henry only one document for son, Lewis, states he was born in Pennsylvania.  This comes from the Vital Statistics at Frankfort, KY reporting:  “Lewis Henry, son of John and Elizabeth, was born in PA in 1790.”  However, according to the 1840 Putnam Co., IN Census and the 1850 Monroe Co., IN Census his son, Philip, was born circa 1784, also in Pennsylvania.  Family lore says that John Henry Sr. settled in Pennsylvania so we will assume that his son, John Jr., born in 1883 (taken from the Bible of William Powell Henry), was also born in Pennsylvania.  

    During the 18th century there was a high percentage of German people living in the Berks County, Pennsylvania, especially in the Reading and Tulpehocken areas.  When looking at the original German Church records for the Trinity Lutheran Church of Reading and the Christ Lutheran Church of Stouchsburg by using the above variations in name spellings, the following birth and baptismal records were found.  It should be noted that these records were found after the article "The Henrys of Eastern KY and Southwestern VA" was written and waiting publication therefore that article does not reflect this new information.

From the Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, Pennsylvania:
    Johannes Heinrich
    Born: 08 Feb 1783
    Baptized: 30 Mar 1783
    Father: Johann Heinrich
    Mother: Elisabeth Heinrich
    Sponsor: Johann Hübner & Elisabetha

    Johannes and Johann are variations of John.  Heinrich is a variation for Henrich/Henry.  It seems     possible this could be the same John Henry Jr. found in the bible of William Powell Henry,     which states that John Henry Jr., son of John and Elizabeth Henry, was born on 29 January 1783.

    Hübner [Huebner] is a variation of Heavener.  Often a sponsor for a baptism was a family     member.  Could the Sponsor, Johann Hübner [Huebner/Heavener], be related to this Elisabeth     Heinrich?





From Church Records: Adams, Berks & Lancaster Counties, PA 1729-1881:
    Philip Henrich
    Birth: 20 Dec 1783
    Baptism: 27 Feb 1784
    Father: John Henrich
    Mother: Elisabeth Henrich
    Sponsor: Philip Hübner [Huebner/Heavener]
    Location: Berks Co., PA
    Church: Old Northkill Lutheran Church, now Friedens Lutheran Church, Bernville

    It is highly possible this is the same Philip Henry who according to the 1840 Putnam Co., IN     Census and the 1850 Monroe Co., IN Census was born circa 1784 in Pennsylvania.  Could the     Sponsor, Philip Hübner [Huebner/Heavener], be related to this Elisabeth Heinrich?

Christ Lutheran Church, Stouchsburg:
    Jacob Henrich
    Born: 09 Feb 1788
    Father: John Henrich
    Mother: Elisabeth Henrich
    Sponsor: parents

    Is this the same Jacob, son of John Henry Sr. and Elizabeth, who married Mary “Polly”     Heavener?  This birth date of 1788 agrees with the census listings found on Jacob Henry.

Christ Lutheran Church, Stouchsburg:
    Ludwig Hennerich
    Born: 24 April 1790
    Baptized: 15 August 1790
    Father: John Hennerich
    Mother: Elisabeth Hennerich
    Sponsor: Ludwig Lange

    Hennerich is another variant of Henry.  According to the Web site     http://www.virtue.nu/misantrope/names/boys.htm, the name Lewis is a variant of Ludwig.  Vital     Statistics at Frankfort, KY, says:  “Lewis Henry, son of John and Elizabeth, was born in PA in     1790.”  
    It seems more than a coincidence that the bible* of Isaac Henry (1816-1888) transcribed by     Ethelyn Coffey on 07 August 2001, has the same birth date for Lewis Henry:  24 April 1790.
    
    *The People's Standard Edition of Holy Bible - Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year     1872 by Ziegeler and McCurdy.  Bible is in possession of Anna Lou Henry Ison, Lexington, KY.      Formerly referred to as the "Lewis Henry Bible." Now in the possession of Walter Conn Henry.


Documents of John Henry Sr., Philip Heavener and Jacob Heavener
    
    If there is not a family connection between the Henrys and Heavners, why does the document found in the original documents of John Henry Sr. as seen in the "Bits and Pieces from the Little Tin Bucket", in document No. 6 on page 3 say:
    
    






        Receiv'd of John Henry Three
            Dollars and Fifty cents of Philip
            Heavners Estate.  Received by mee [me]
            Jacob Heavner  February the 2_
            day 1813
            Lewis henry [Henry]                     Jacob Heav [the remainder cut off]


 

    The handwriting of the name Jacob Heav on this document has been compared to the marriage document, dated 05 February 1814, signed by a Jacob Heavner.  Except for the bottom of the “J” the “acob” and the “Heav” appear to be the handwriting of the same man.


 


Location of the Henry and Heavener Families in Virginia

    Records and maps show the Henry and Heavener families were living in close proximity in the state of Virginia during the last five years of the 18th century in the adjacent counties of Wythe, Pulaski, and Montgomery.  Between the years 1795 and 1801 John Henry Sr. appeared on the Wythe Co. VA Tax List, 17931800, compiled by Malita Warden Murphy & James L. Douthat; the Wythe Co. VA Tax Lists 17961800, List B, compiled by Netti Schreiner-Yantis; and the Wythe Co. VA Personal Property Tax Books, Reel #350, located in Library of Virginia, Richmond, VA.  His son Daniel was born in Wythe Co. in 1799, his daughter Cathy/Caty married John Gose on 20 February 1800 in Wythe Co., and his son Philip married Catherine Etter on 18 March 1804 in Wythe Co.  It is highly probable Jacob Henry, who married Mary “Polly” Heavener, the daughter of Christopher/Strophel Heavener, in Warren Co., KY in 1813, was the son of John Henry Sr.  She had come to Warren Co., KY with her father and family, from Montgomery Co., VA in 1811/12.  

    Christopher/Strophel Heavener, born in Berks Co., PA in 1749, is on the 1810 Census in Montgomery Co., VA.  He had settled near Philip Hubner in Montgomery [this part of Montgomery Co is now Pulaski Co.] Co., VA.  Laura Perkey, a descendent of Christopher, says one of his sons, Jacob, was born in Montgomery Co., VA in 1801, and another son, Samuel was born in Wythe Co., VA in 1806.

    As shown in the Birth Records of Pennsylvania the sponsor for Philip Henrich was Philip Hübner.  Philip Hübner appears in 1790 Dauphin Co., PA Census as Hebener and in 1793 as Hevener.  He left Pennsylvania and appears in Montgomery [now Pulaski] Co., VA on the 1797 Personal Property Tax List.
From the Wills in Montgomery and Fincastle Counties, Virginia, 17731831 there was a will, probated May 1804, of Philip Heavener.  A Jacob Heavener, under age 21, was listed as an heir.

    In an email from Chris Heavener on 08 May 2001 to Ethelyn Coffey:  Re: Christopher Heavener "Same Christopher purchased land on April 28, 1800, 50 acres adjoining Philip Heavener's land.  [Land Book D Montgomery County Courthouse, Virginia]  I have a land map showing the owners name and number of acres.  It shows Christopher's land adjacent to Philips and land belonging to a Henry just North? of Philip's property.  This is Dunkard Bottom, New Dublin and lands adjoining."

    Though some of this information is not conclusive, it is the opinion of this writer there is a high probability that John Henry Sr.’s wife, Elizabeth, was a Heavener and could have been the sister of either Christopher Heavener or Philip Heavener or of both.  For conclusive evidence it would be helpful to find a marriage record for John Henry and Elizabeth.

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