Home › Jefferson County › Records › Family › Gedcom / Family Files

Family Files: Joseph Hankins

Sun, 01/04/2009 - 3:05pm — Ruth Hoggatt

JOSEPH HANKINS, the elder

By Robert W. Scott
© 1998

Joseph Hankins, ca. 1760-1833/36 a pioneer Baptist minister, was probably born in Virginia, and came to Milton Twp., Jefferson Co., by way of Tennessee and Kentucky. His parentage is unknown, but names in his family suggest he descends from Thomas Hankins who died 1748 in Frederick Co. Va.

Little is known about his life before coming to Indiana. The maiden name of his wife, Nancy is unknown. She was born about 1772. Censuses give her birthplace both as North Carolina and Virginia. (Joseph should not be confused with his grandson, Joseph Hankins, 1815-1862, who married Nancy Cain in 1832 in Jefferson Co.) This couple is probably the Joseph and Nancy Hankins who were dismissed from the Richland Baptist Church in Grainger Co., Tenn., in 1791.

He may be the Joseph Hawkins on the tax list in Garrard Co., Ky., on 8 Apr. 1799. Joseph Hankings is on the 1801 tax list and he is probably the Joseph Hankins living on Drakes Creek with 133 acres in 1803. Joseph Hankins purchased 200 acres at the head of Drakes Creek in 1807.

The family moved to the area that became Jefferson Co., by 18 Oct. 1810 when his daughter, Elizabeth, married John Chambers in what was then Clark Co. The family apparently came immediately to the Indian-Kentuck area. Joseph's first official record in Jefferson County came on 23 July 1812 when he was sued for failing to deliver a horse to James Noble. Joseph's first land record comes when he entered 160 acres in Section 11 Township 4N Range 11E on 30 June 30, 1827. This land is on the East Fork of the Indian Kentuck Creek in Milton Twp.

An account by John Vawter recalls a minister named Hawkins who was a "hell-fire redemptioner" who later became a Baptist. This may be Joseph whose only official church records connect him with the former Milton Baptist Church on the East Fork. A Milton Township history by the Jefferson County Historical Society reports that the Manville Baptist Church (an error, it meant Milton Baptist Church. There was no such body as the Manville Baptist church.) had two ministers who disagreed about communion. These were Hankins, and Elder Leavitt. The split ultimately led to the formation of the Manville Christian Church.

Joseph probably the only minister at the Milton Baptist Church in its first iteration. The church was formed in 1829 and was a member of the Coffee Creek Association. Joseph is reported as minister there in Sept. 1832. The annual association minutes do not list the minister each year. However, Joseph's son, Aaron Hankins, was a delegate to the association in 1830, and son William was a delegate in 1831.

Joseph died between 14 May 1833, when he signed as a witness for Ralph Griffin's application for a Revolutionary War pension application, and 5 Aug. 1836 when two deeds in Jefferson Co. divided his land among his heirs. The Milton Church dissolved by 1837, perhaps because of Joseph's death. It reformed in 1840 with his widow and most of his children as charter members.

Joseph's heirs executed two deeds selling Joseph's land on 5 Aug.1835. A deed to Moses Hankins specifies that Moses will "take care of his mother, to wit, Nancy Hankins, the widow of Joseph Hankins." When Moses moved to Illinois in 1851, he deeded part of Joseph's original tract to brother-in-law, David Buchanan, and also handed over care of Nancy to David. Nancy is probably is probably the Nancy Hankins who died in 1865 according to Milton Church records.

Children of Joseph and Nancy Hankins

1. William Hankins Sr. 28 Nov. 1788-21 Oct. 1864, buried Milton Baptist Church. He married on 15 Jan. 1811 in Jefferson Co., Elizabeth McCarty ca. 1796-1883?
2. Absolem Hankins b. ca. 1792 died 1862/1870. He m. on 5 Apr. 1814 in Jefferson Co., Catherine McCarty, who died 1850/60.
3. Elizabeth Hankins 12 Aug. 1796-24 April 1862 She m. 18 Oct. 1810 in Clark Co. John Chambers Jr. 5 April 1789-25 Nov. 1851. They lived 1820 in Jennings Co. and in 1832 they moved to Decatur Co. In 1845, they moved to Harrison Co., Mo. where they died. Both buried Baptist Cemetery, Cainesville, Harrison Co., Mo.
4. Rebecca Hankins ca. 1797-Apr. 1881 born in Kentucky, died in Shelby Twp., Jefferson Co. She m. 5 Mar. 1822 in Jefferson Co. She m. 5 Mar. 1822 in Jefferson Co. Henry Hall 7 Nov. 1881-5 Jan. 1878, buried Canaan Cem.
5. Edna Hankins b. 1799/1800 last listed 1870 census, Shelby Twp. She m. 1st 25 Mar. 1825 in Jefferson Co. William Buchanan 1801-1833, buried Buchanan family cemetery in Brown Twp., Ripley Co. She m. 2nd 14 June 1851 in Jefferson Co., Isaac Conner.
6. John Hankins 1802/03-20 Apr. 1881 He lived Shelby Twp. when he died. He m. 1st Jan. 1824 in Jefferson Co., Patsy Buchanan. He m. 2nd 27 July 1836 in Jefferson Co., Elizabeth Pulliam.
7. Joseph Hankins Jr. ca. 1805-1848/50 He m. 4 Mar. 1828 in Switzerland Co., Catherine Rogers 1809/10-after 1880. Catherine lived 1860 Henry Co and 1880 in Rush Co., Ind.
8. Moses Hankins 1806/08-28 Mar. 1869 (age 61 years 2 months 10 days) He married Rachel Blankenship, 1807/12-10 Jan. 1878 (age 61 per tombstone) Both buried Hankins family cemetery in Jasper Co., Ill. Their marriage is proved by her dismissal from the Indian-Kentuck Church as Rachel Henkins, formerly Blankenship, and by the death certificate of a daughter.
9. Aaron Hankins b. 1806/07, possibly a twin to Moses from their identical age in the 1850 census. He was still alive on 6 Aug. 1887. He married 1st in 1832 in Jefferson Co., Lydia Pherigo. He m. 2nd 5 Sept. 1835, Sarah McKay Hutchinson.
10. Edith Hankins 25 Aug. 1814-20 Aug. 1891 She m. David Buchanan 3 Apr. 1810-3 Jan. 1875, both buried Milton Baptist Church. No record of their marriage, but both signed the Hankins estate settlement as well as the settlement of David's father, Wilson Buchanan in Ripley Co.

Secondary Sources: History of Milton Twp., Jefferson Co., Historical Society. John Vawter recollections (printed in several sources.) Primary Sources: Jefferson and Ripley Co. Deeds. Coffee Creek Baptist Association minutes.