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Joseph Hanks was born Dec 20-1725 in Richmond Co, Va. His father was John (under 21 in 1708), who died c1740. His mother was Catherine (m c1714) who died in 1779. Joseph was administrator of her estate. Joseph m c1758 Ann Lee, daughter of William Lee 1704-1764. Their first child was Thomas b 1759 (pension application). The second was likely James b 1761. His name does not appear in any contemporary record. He is mentioned in one tradition.
Joseph lived in Richmond Co until the spring of 1782, when he went to Hampshire (now Mineral) Co, (W) Va. This was in Patterson Creek Valley. Thomas had gone ahead. He was there in 1780. Except for several months back to Richmond Co to collect his mother's legacy and to try to collect money due to him as overseer, Joseph lived in Hampshire Co, next to a William Lee, (Lee later went to Ky) until he went to Nelson Co, Ky.
Joseph gave a mortgage in Hampshire Mar 0-1784 (proved Nov 9). On Feb 28-1787 he bought land in Ky from John Lee, probably another brother-in-law. While in Hampshire, Joseph's youngest child, Nancy, was born in 1784. She has been confused with Nancy Hanks Lincoln. The will of Joseph was written Jan 8-1793 and probated May 14. Son, James, deceased, is not mentioned. Each of 5 sons got a horse. Each of 3 daughters a heifer. The rest of the estate went to his wife.
In September 1780 Thomas Hanks was drafted in Hampshire Co in the Virginia militia. His pension application R4571 tells of his service. The pension of a fellow soldier, Sanford Carter W9377, gives the same information. They marched to Hillsborough, N C, where they joined the Southern Army. They passed through or close to Campbell Co, Va. Here was a Hanks colony: A James Hanks bought land Mar 27-1780, a Thomas was taxed in 1782, and Abraham in 1783. These men - brothers - were cousins of Joseph Hanks.
In the month of March 1781 Thomas Hanks returned home. Carter says Feb 28-1781. On the way home they spent some time guarding Tory prisoners at Albemarle. In the winter of 1781-82 Thomas spent 2 months guarding prisoners at Winchester. Married in 1793 Thomass moved from Hampshire to Ross Co, Ohio in 1800. He died in 1834.
Now, did Thomas, 21, have a brother, James, 19, who was in service with him? They certainly saw their father's cousins, when going or coming from North Carolina. Adjoining Campbell Co on the east is Charlotte Co. Here in 1780 lived Rachel Shipley Berry, wife of Richard. They were preparing to go to Ky. Their oldest daughter, 23, was married. There were 7 other children, 21 to 4.
Rachel's father, Robert Shipley, had left Charlotte Co in 1771, going to Mecklenburg Co, N C. By 1792 he was in Mercer Co, Ky. The youngest Shipley child was Lucy, born c1761. About 1780 either she made a trip to Charlotte Co from N C to visit her oldest sister, Rachel Berry, or, possibly, she never went to N C and was raised by Rachel.
Somehow Lucy met and married James Hanks about 1781. A daughter, Nancy was born Feb 5-1784. James died soon after. About 1787 Lucy and daughter, Nancy went to Ky. They lived with the Berrys until Lucy was remarried in 1790. Nancy continued to live in Berry homes until her marriage in 1806 to Thomas Lincoln. Her guardian is listed as Richard Berry, Jr. Richard Sr had died in 1798.
In the Berry home Nancy lived with here cousin Sarah Mitchell, 1781-1855, who was captured by Indians in 1790 near Crab Orchard, Ky. Her mother, Naomi Shipley Mitchell, 42 was killed. Sarah was released about 1795. She was married in 1800.
It is generally accepted that Joseph Hanks was the paternal grandfather of Nancy. John Hanks, grandson of Joseph, said that Nancy was his cousin. Dennis Hanks, another cousin, said that Nancy's mother was a Hanks. He thought she was sister of his mother. Actually, she was a sister-in-law. This makes Nancy's grandfathers Joseph Hanks and Robert Shipley. Most other Shipleys ended up in Ky. In the Mercer Co tax list Oct 23-1792 Robert Shipley is "exempted from further payment of county levies and taxes due to age and infirmity". He likely died not long after.
NOTE: In 1996 I published A Speculative Study trying to show that the grandfathers of Nancy Hanks were Joseph Hanks and Richard Berry. The newest Lincoln scholar, Christopher C Child, has convinced me that the maternal grandfather was Robert Shipley. (Data supplied by Tom Hill.) Many sources have been used and many persons have helped in this study. Some of the ideas cannot be documented.
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