1. William Henshaw (1742-1796)
    +Elizabeth Gilbert (1746-1826)
 2..  William Henshaw (1767-1822)
 2..  Nathaniel Henshaw (1769-1838)
 2..  Elizabeth Henshaw (1771-1839)
 2..  Polly Henshaw (1774-?)
 2..  Joshua Henshaw (1775-1847)
 2..  James Steuben Henshaw (1778-1872)
 2..  Samuel Henshaw (1780-1818)
 2..  John Henshaw (1781-(c1781)
 2..  Andrew Henshaw (c1783-1805)
 2..  Benjamin Henshaw (1785-1842)

William Henshaw     [ID 04483]

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Born 1742, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts.^a,166,b

He married Elizabeth Gilbert, May 14 1767, Fair Haven Church, Middletown, Middlesex County, Connecticut.^{c,166,b,d,a,e}    Elizabeth, daughter of Nathaniel Gilbert & Jane Ballard, was born Dec 13 1746, Middletown, Connecticut.^f,g,h    Elizabeth was a great great granddaughter of Governor John Endicott of Massachusetts Bay Colony.^d

William Henshaw and family are shown in the 1790 census, Wells, Rutland County, Vermont, as follows:ⁱ

William Henshaw died Jul 4 1796, Milton, Onondaga County, New York; buried Milton Cemetery, Milton, Onondaga County, New York.^166,b,a,d,k

Elizabeth died Mar 7 1826, age 79y; buried Griffins Mills Cemetery, Erie County, New York.^d,l

The following information was extracted from William's Military Record:^d

Commission Ensign January 1, 1777; Served in Capt. Joseph A. Wright Company, in a Connecticut Reg't of Foot Commanded by Col. Phillip B. Bradley. Promoted to 2nd Lt. January 4, 1778; Served in Capt. Solomon Strong's Company, in a Connecticut Reg't of Foot Commanded by Col. Phillip B. Bradley. Listed as Lt. June 1, 1779; Served in Capt. Thaddeus Weed's Company, 5th Connecticut Batt'n, Commanded by Phillip B. Bradley. In the roll dated July 1779 William was absent by leave of his Excellency General George Washington. Listed as Paymaster July 1779. Promoted to 1st Lt. July 1780.

Some researchers have shown this William as the son of Benjamin Henshaw & Elizabeth Lord.^b    This connection is doubtful.    If William was born in 1743 then he would have been born 10 years before his parents were married (!), if his father was indeed Benjamin.    If instead William was born sometime c1753 (Benjamin was married in 1753), then William would have been only 13 years old at his marriage (!).

Others have said this William was the son of Joshua Henshaw & Elizabeth Bill.¹⁶⁶

But it is most likely that this William was the son of Benjamin's uncle James - he may be the same as William #4648.

Sybil Henshaw once stated that Benjamin Henshaw had raised (or apprenticed) a James Henshaw, born 1741, who was the son of a James Henshaw, a sea captain (1707-1759) [perhaps James #4519].    Sybil speculated that William might have been the brother of this James, both boys having been raised by Benjamin.^d

Note that William was married in the same church in Middletown, Connecticut where two daughters of Benjamin, Elizabeth and Sarah, were also married.    Furthermore, William's son, William Jr., was married in the same church in New Hartford, Connecticut where Benjamin's son, Benjamin Jr. was married.    Clearly there were close connections between William and Benjamin, and it seems likely that this William is probably the same as William #4648, son of James.   

SOURCES

166. Henshaw history and genealogy manuscript, original by Holmes Hart Henshaw, 1930; updated in 1995 by Donald Craig Henshaw and others.

(a) Mark Tunnell database: http://www.my-ged.com/tunnell.

(b) John Banes database: http://www.eskimo.com/~banes.

(c) "Connecticut Marriages to 1800" (www.ancestry.com).

(d) Contribution from Tom Henshaw.

(e) http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jdevlin/source_files/middletown_1church_marr.htm.

(f) Contribution from Tom Henshaw citing:
"The Gilberts of New England", by Geoffrey Gilbert 1893-1959, Victoria, BC (chapter 3, pages 436-437).

(g) Contribution from Tom Henshaw citing:
The "New England Historical and Genealogical Register", April, 1918;
The New England Historical and Genealogical Society; page 160.

(h) Contribution from Tom Henshaw citing:
"Obituary Records of Former Residents of Erie Co., NY", page 93.

(i) 1790 census, Wells, Rutland County, Vermont; roll M637-12, page 46.

(j) Contribution from Tom Henshaw citing:
1790 census, Wells, Rutland County, Vermont.

(k) Hatcher, Patricia Law. "Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots", Vo4; Dallas: Pioneer Heritage Press, 1987.

(l) "Early Settlers of New York State", Volume I, December 1937, Obituary Records; page 625.

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