Henry Ballinger Machen1,2,3

Family Chart
ID# 2561, (1776 - 1861)

Key Events:

Birth: 8 May 1776, Prince William Co., Virginia4,5,6
Marriage: 16 Jul 1802, South Carolina, Nancy Tarrant (6 Sep 1783 - 1852)7,8
Death: 11 Apr 1861, Lyon Co., Kentucky9

Copyright Notice

Narrative:

     Henry Ballinger Machen was born on 8 May 1776 in Prince William Co., Virginia.4,5,6
     Henry married Nancy Tarrant on 16 Jul 1802 in South Carolina.7,8
     Henry and Nancy moved in 1809 from South Carolina, locating on a farm in Caldwell Co., Kentucky.10 Henry appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Caldwell Co., Kentucky, with a household consisting of three white males under age 10 (son Francis and two others), one age 10 to 16 (Willis), one age 16 to 26 (unknown), one age 26 to 45 (himself), one white females under age 10 (unknown), one age 16 to 26 (daughter Mary), and one over age 45 (wife Nancy). There were also 12 male slaves under age 26, and 12 females, all but two under age 26.11
     Henry appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Caldwell Co., Kentucky, with a household consisting of one male age 10 to 15 (son Francis), one age 20 to 30 (unknown), and two age 50 to 60 (himself and another), one female under age 5 (unknown), one age 10 to 15 (unknown), and one age 40 to 50 (wife Nancy, though she was actually about 57). There were also 17 male slaves and 7 females.12
     Henry appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Caldwell Co., Kentucky, with a household consisting of one male aged 20 to 30 (son, Francis), one aged 60 to 70 (himself), one female aged 5 to 10 (granddaughter, Ellen Mary Cobb) and one aged 50 to 60 ( wife, Nancy), as well as 13 male and 12 female slaves.13
     Henry and Nancy appeared on the 1850 Federal Census of Caldwell Co., Kentucky, enumerated 30 Aug 1850, reporting real estate of $6,000, and 21 slaves. Their granddaughter, Ellen Mary Cobb, was listed as living with them.2,14
     His wife died in 1852.15,16
     Henry appeared on the 1860 Federal Census of Eddyville, Lyon Co., Kentucky, enumerated 1 Jun 1860, reporting real estate valued at $5600, personal estate valued at $20,000, and seven slaves in one slave house.17,18
     He was a prosperous farmer, and said to be "a man of much energy and good sense."19,20,21,22
     On 7 Aug 1841 he bought a group of slaves from Caleb Clark Cobb, widower of his late daughter Mary. They included a Negro man named Dick, age 26 years; Edey and her two children, Silas a boy about age 11, and Ataeian a girl age 3; Dolly and her three children, John a boy about 4, Rose a girl age 2, Lewis an infant boy about 2 weeks; Nelly and her child Henry age about 6 mo; and a man Anderson age about 35.23
     Henry died on 11 Apr 1861 in Lyon Co., Kentucky, at age 84.9

Children:
     Children with Nancy Tarrant

The number of unknown children in the 1820, 1830, and 1840 census suggest that there were many more children of Henry and Nancy. Some unsourced online family trees report a total of eight children.

Citations

  1. [S2964] Christenson, Elroy Christenson, "Sgt. Henry Machen Family," shows name as Henry Ballinger Machen.
  2. [S1825] Henry Machen household, 1850 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky.
  3. [S732] Caldwell Co. Marriage Records, loose papers, consent of H. Machen to the marriage of his oldest daughter, 2 Dec 1822.
  4. [S2964] Christenson, Elroy Christenson, "Sgt. Henry Machen Family," shows date, county, and colony, citing Bible record of Henry Machen, owned by John Machen, Greenville, South Carolina, 16 Sept 1947, affidavit in the files of the DAR, Washington.
  5. [S1825] Henry Machen household, 1850 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, shows age 74 and state.
  6. [S1813] Henry Machen household, 1860 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky, shows age 84 and state.
  7. [S2964] Christenson, Elroy Christenson, "Sgt. Henry Machen Family," shows date, and state, citing records of Laura Cleveland Edwards and records of Mrs. Robert L. Adams.
  8. [S1825] Henry Machen household, 1850 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, shows them in same household, apparently as man and wife.
  9. [S2964] Christenson, Elroy Christenson, "Sgt. Henry Machen Family," shows date, county, and state, citing records of Laura Cleveland Edwards and records of Mrs. Robert L. Adams.
  10. [S49] Freeman, Family File "David and Deborah.GED," 31 Jul 1998, reports Battle, Perrin & Kniffin, Kentucky: A History of the State 2nd ed., (Caldwell Co.: 1885) shows this information.
  11. [S2962] Henry Machen household, 1820 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky.
  12. [S2963] Henry Machen household, 1830 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky.
  13. [S1801] Henry Machen household, 1840 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky.
  14. [S1747] Henry Machen, owner, 1850 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, slave schedule.
  15. [S49] Freeman, Family File "David and Deborah.GED," 31 Jul 1998, and reports Battle, Perrin, Kniffin, Kentucky: A History of the State 2nd ed., (Caldwell Co.: 1885) shows same.
  16. [S1813] Henry Machen household, 1860 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky, shows her husband living alone.
  17. [S1813] Henry Machen household, 1860 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky.
  18. [S1676] Henry Machen, owner, 1860 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky, slave schedule.
  19. [S49] Freeman, Family File "David and Deborah.GED," 31 Jul 1998, citing Battle, Perrin & Kniffin, Kentucky: A History of the State 2nd ed., (Caldwell Co.: 1885).
  20. [S2962] Henry Machen household, 1820 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, shows eight members of the household engaged in agriculture.
  21. [S1825] Henry Machen household, 1850 U.S. Census, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, shows occupation as farmer.
  22. [S1813] Henry Machen household, 1860 U.S. Census, Lyon Co., Kentucky, shows occupation as gentleman.
  23. [S1975] Deeds, Caldwell Co., Kentucky, K:437, Caleb C. Cobb to Henry Machen.
  24. [S870] Cobb, "Jefferson Davis Cobb's family," e-mail to author, 23 Apr 2005, citing letter in 1930's from Ruth, wife of Frank A. Cobb, grandson of Thomas Jefferson Cobb, reporting she said Mary was the sister of Willis B. Machen.
  25. [S49] Freeman, Family File "David and Deborah.GED," 31 Jul 1998.
  26. [S49] Freeman, Family File "David and Deborah.GED," 31 Jul 1998, and reports Battle, Perrin & Kniffin, Kentucky: A History of the State 2nd ed., (Caldwell Co.: 1885) shows same.