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Joel Denny

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Joel Denny

Birth
Surry County, North Carolina, USA
Death
4 May 1896 (aged 82)
Pilot Mountain, Surry County, North Carolina, USA
Burial
Shoals, Surry County, North Carolina, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Joel lived and died on his Farm near Pilot Mountain, NC at the age of 82 years. In 1937, his son David J. Denny was living on this farm. He and Nancy are buried at the Joel Denny Cemetery, probably located on or near this farm.

He lived in the Deron Community of Surry County. His home place is a part of the Azariah Denny land grant made in the 1780s.

Three of his sons fought in the Civil War, Joel himself was opposed to slavery and never owned a slave.

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Per the book "HERITAGE OF SURRY COUNTY NC VOL 1, 1983", Joel had traced his ancestry back to one Samuel Denny 1635-1710 who came to America from the Avon River section of England, settling first in Tidewater, VA. (Joel made no mention of this Samuel (1635-1710) in his letter to A. M. Denny). This Samuel's son David 1665-1733 married Rebecca Bell and they had a son John 1690-1765. John and his wife Sarah had a boy whom they named Samuel born 1715 after his great grandfather. The rest of the Denny heritage is outlined below in Joel's letter to A. M. Denny.

This Joel Denny is the one that wrote the letter (Prior to his death in 1896) on Denny history to Achilles M. Denny and deserves our gratitude for leaving us some links to the past. Data in this letter has held up to a great deal of scrutiny by later genealogists with very little to dispute.

THE DENNY FAMILY
HISTORY OF THE DENNY FAMILY AS GIVEN BY JOEL DENNY IN A LETTER TO A.M. DENNY (ACHILLIS) MANY YEARS AGO

Some time before the Revolutionary War one Samuel Denny came from across the waters and married a woman by the name of Southard, settled in Amherst, Virginia and raised 17 children. Their names as I recollect them were William, Azariah, John, Charles, Henry, Lazarus, Benjamin, James, and Shered. As to the daughters, I recollect few of their names at present, Keziah and Nancy only.

Keziah married John Robertson and settled in Grayson County, VA. That explains how the Denny family are connected with the Robertson and Jennings families.

One of the girls (I do not remember her name) married Britton Meeks, for short they called him "PRETTY" Meeks, although he was quite a homely man.

Some of the sons were killed in the Revolutionary War. Some time before the war, the old man Samuel Denny and several of his sons came to Surry County, NC and settled on the Hill Farm on the Arrarat River near the mouth of Pilot Creek. He remained there until he lost his wife, whose remains now lie under a rock pile on the south side of Pilot Creek, near the mouth, at the foot of the hill. After the death of his wife, the old man went west with some of his sons and died there, but I am not informed as to where. The book Heritage of Surry County NC Vol 1 1983 gives a different account of this story, it states that Joel said Samuel went to Gallia County Ohio with some of his sons!

Now back to his sons, James Denny settled in Patrick County, VA near the Bull Mountain and raised several children. One of his sons was named Azariah and one of his daughters married Richard Pilson.

Charles Denny (one of the first family) settled on what is now known as the A. M. Denny farm on the Arrarat River but sold out later and went to Kentucky.

John Denny (one of the first family) settled on the farm where Daniel Stoltz lived and died on Bull Run Creek. He had two sons, Samuel and William. Samuel married a woman by the name of Wooten who was killed by a careless act with a gun. He then married a sister of the same woman and settled on the farm where Stanford now lives. He sold out later and went to Gallia County, Ohio. William Denny, his brother married Sally Hill, sister to Richard Hill, and settled where Martin Hiatt lived and died. He had two sons, John and Obadiah. He also sold out and went to Gallia County, Ohio.

Azariah Denny (one of the first family) married Sally Wise Felton (Fulton?) and settled on the Martin Flinchum farm on Pilot Creek. He raised 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. Their names were James, Louis, Joshua, Harrel, Henry, William, and Jordan. The girls were Asenith, Polly, Sally, Nancy, Elizabeth and Rachel. Joshua married Jane Watkins and Asenith married Elisha Gentry and the two families went to South Carolina. James married Rebecca Vanderpool, Harrel married Elizabeth Hill, a half sister to Noah Hill, William married Ann Fulk and Jordan married for his first wife Martha Burchum and for his second, Polly Gibson. James, Harrel, Henry and William with their families went west and settled near Gallipolis in Gallia County, Ohio. Jordan lived with his father on Pilot Creek until his father's death and several years afterwards, then sold out and went to Johnson, County, MO and settled near Kingsville and died there. He had three sons, Harvey, John and William. Harvey married Rebecca Fulk, a sister to Bryson Fulk and they had two children, Martha and Elizabeth. William Denny is now living in Missouri.

The old man Azariah Denny's girls mentioned were married as follows: Elizabeth to Wm. Bray, Polly to Jesse Hill, Sally to James Stone, Nancy to William Stone, and Rachel to John Fletcher. The most of them went to Ohio, Fletcher and wife went to Tennessee.

Shered died leaving no family.

William Denny, one of the first family named, married Rebecca Hooper in Albemarle County, Virginia and moved to Surry County, NC and settled on the Arrarat River near Cedar Hill Church about 1773. He settled on an ax entry before the land offices were opened in the state and the land has been in the possession of the Denny Family ever since. He raised 7 children, Samuel, Lazarus, Azariah, Nancy, Martha, Keziah, and Sally. Samuel died a young man; Lazarus married Suzannah Burchum and raised several children, William, Azariah, Sally, Rebecca and Michol. They all went to Preble County, Ohio about 1825. He lost his wife and married Mary Ballard and they had 3 children, one boy David B. Denny. Azariah, son of the old man William Denny married Miss Elizabeth Stone and they raised Joel, Edmond, Martin, William, Nancy, Martha, Sally, Polly, and Elizabeth. All the girls remained single and Polly still resides at the old home. All of the rest of the family are dead. Joel married Nancy Jones, daughter of old Elder John Jones, and raised John, Gabriel, Bird, and David. Azariah was killed in the late war. Joel's girls were Elizabeth, who married Johathan Flinchum, Rosanna who married Marion Vaughn. Edmond Denny married Franklin Farris and raised Ann Denny, Coleman Denny, Mary who married A. S. Key, Ellen who married L. J. Key, and Nancy who married John W. Jones. Martin married Parmelia Key and raised Achillis Denny, Lewis Denny and Sally who married Aaron Fulk and Nancy who married J. F. Whittaker. Wm. Denny lived and died on the old homestead unmarried.

Old man Wm. Denny's girls married as follows: Nancy married Levy Burchum and settled in Grayson County, Virginia, Martha married Nathan Holt and moved to Ohio. Keziah lived with her brother, Azariah Denny. Sally married Achillis Key and they raised 8 children, Lewis, Wm., Augustin, and the girls, Emily, Nahalt, Parmelia, Lucinda, and Matilda.

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Joel lived and died on his Farm near Pilot Mountain, NC at the age of 82 years. In 1937, his son David J. Denny was living on this farm. He and Nancy are buried at the Joel Denny Cemetery, probably located on or near this farm.

He lived in the Deron Community of Surry County. His home place is a part of the Azariah Denny land grant made in the 1780s.

Three of his sons fought in the Civil War, Joel himself was opposed to slavery and never owned a slave.

***********************************************************
Per the book "HERITAGE OF SURRY COUNTY NC VOL 1, 1983", Joel had traced his ancestry back to one Samuel Denny 1635-1710 who came to America from the Avon River section of England, settling first in Tidewater, VA. (Joel made no mention of this Samuel (1635-1710) in his letter to A. M. Denny). This Samuel's son David 1665-1733 married Rebecca Bell and they had a son John 1690-1765. John and his wife Sarah had a boy whom they named Samuel born 1715 after his great grandfather. The rest of the Denny heritage is outlined below in Joel's letter to A. M. Denny.

This Joel Denny is the one that wrote the letter (Prior to his death in 1896) on Denny history to Achilles M. Denny and deserves our gratitude for leaving us some links to the past. Data in this letter has held up to a great deal of scrutiny by later genealogists with very little to dispute.

THE DENNY FAMILY
HISTORY OF THE DENNY FAMILY AS GIVEN BY JOEL DENNY IN A LETTER TO A.M. DENNY (ACHILLIS) MANY YEARS AGO

Some time before the Revolutionary War one Samuel Denny came from across the waters and married a woman by the name of Southard, settled in Amherst, Virginia and raised 17 children. Their names as I recollect them were William, Azariah, John, Charles, Henry, Lazarus, Benjamin, James, and Shered. As to the daughters, I recollect few of their names at present, Keziah and Nancy only.

Keziah married John Robertson and settled in Grayson County, VA. That explains how the Denny family are connected with the Robertson and Jennings families.

One of the girls (I do not remember her name) married Britton Meeks, for short they called him "PRETTY" Meeks, although he was quite a homely man.

Some of the sons were killed in the Revolutionary War. Some time before the war, the old man Samuel Denny and several of his sons came to Surry County, NC and settled on the Hill Farm on the Arrarat River near the mouth of Pilot Creek. He remained there until he lost his wife, whose remains now lie under a rock pile on the south side of Pilot Creek, near the mouth, at the foot of the hill. After the death of his wife, the old man went west with some of his sons and died there, but I am not informed as to where. The book Heritage of Surry County NC Vol 1 1983 gives a different account of this story, it states that Joel said Samuel went to Gallia County Ohio with some of his sons!

Now back to his sons, James Denny settled in Patrick County, VA near the Bull Mountain and raised several children. One of his sons was named Azariah and one of his daughters married Richard Pilson.

Charles Denny (one of the first family) settled on what is now known as the A. M. Denny farm on the Arrarat River but sold out later and went to Kentucky.

John Denny (one of the first family) settled on the farm where Daniel Stoltz lived and died on Bull Run Creek. He had two sons, Samuel and William. Samuel married a woman by the name of Wooten who was killed by a careless act with a gun. He then married a sister of the same woman and settled on the farm where Stanford now lives. He sold out later and went to Gallia County, Ohio. William Denny, his brother married Sally Hill, sister to Richard Hill, and settled where Martin Hiatt lived and died. He had two sons, John and Obadiah. He also sold out and went to Gallia County, Ohio.

Azariah Denny (one of the first family) married Sally Wise Felton (Fulton?) and settled on the Martin Flinchum farm on Pilot Creek. He raised 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. Their names were James, Louis, Joshua, Harrel, Henry, William, and Jordan. The girls were Asenith, Polly, Sally, Nancy, Elizabeth and Rachel. Joshua married Jane Watkins and Asenith married Elisha Gentry and the two families went to South Carolina. James married Rebecca Vanderpool, Harrel married Elizabeth Hill, a half sister to Noah Hill, William married Ann Fulk and Jordan married for his first wife Martha Burchum and for his second, Polly Gibson. James, Harrel, Henry and William with their families went west and settled near Gallipolis in Gallia County, Ohio. Jordan lived with his father on Pilot Creek until his father's death and several years afterwards, then sold out and went to Johnson, County, MO and settled near Kingsville and died there. He had three sons, Harvey, John and William. Harvey married Rebecca Fulk, a sister to Bryson Fulk and they had two children, Martha and Elizabeth. William Denny is now living in Missouri.

The old man Azariah Denny's girls mentioned were married as follows: Elizabeth to Wm. Bray, Polly to Jesse Hill, Sally to James Stone, Nancy to William Stone, and Rachel to John Fletcher. The most of them went to Ohio, Fletcher and wife went to Tennessee.

Shered died leaving no family.

William Denny, one of the first family named, married Rebecca Hooper in Albemarle County, Virginia and moved to Surry County, NC and settled on the Arrarat River near Cedar Hill Church about 1773. He settled on an ax entry before the land offices were opened in the state and the land has been in the possession of the Denny Family ever since. He raised 7 children, Samuel, Lazarus, Azariah, Nancy, Martha, Keziah, and Sally. Samuel died a young man; Lazarus married Suzannah Burchum and raised several children, William, Azariah, Sally, Rebecca and Michol. They all went to Preble County, Ohio about 1825. He lost his wife and married Mary Ballard and they had 3 children, one boy David B. Denny. Azariah, son of the old man William Denny married Miss Elizabeth Stone and they raised Joel, Edmond, Martin, William, Nancy, Martha, Sally, Polly, and Elizabeth. All the girls remained single and Polly still resides at the old home. All of the rest of the family are dead. Joel married Nancy Jones, daughter of old Elder John Jones, and raised John, Gabriel, Bird, and David. Azariah was killed in the late war. Joel's girls were Elizabeth, who married Johathan Flinchum, Rosanna who married Marion Vaughn. Edmond Denny married Franklin Farris and raised Ann Denny, Coleman Denny, Mary who married A. S. Key, Ellen who married L. J. Key, and Nancy who married John W. Jones. Martin married Parmelia Key and raised Achillis Denny, Lewis Denny and Sally who married Aaron Fulk and Nancy who married J. F. Whittaker. Wm. Denny lived and died on the old homestead unmarried.

Old man Wm. Denny's girls married as follows: Nancy married Levy Burchum and settled in Grayson County, Virginia, Martha married Nathan Holt and moved to Ohio. Keziah lived with her brother, Azariah Denny. Sally married Achillis Key and they raised 8 children, Lewis, Wm., Augustin, and the girls, Emily, Nahalt, Parmelia, Lucinda, and Matilda.

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