Some Descendants of Hugh Mahaffey Henderson of Winston County, Alabama

Written by: Helen Cook Austin, Ph.D.
This sketch is copyrighted by Helen Austin (118 Ryan Crest Lane, Decatur, AL 35603); used by permission.


Hugh Mahaffey Henderson b 1814 Laurens Co, SC, lived in Gwinett Co, GA from about 1820-1837 with his father, James Henderson and his mother, the former, Miss Mahaffey. H.M. was called mostly by his middle name, Mahaffey, Mahatha, Hathey.

About the time of the Cherokee removal from Georgia, Mahaffey removed with wife Mary (said to be a Cherokee) to the Kimberly area of Jefferson Co, AL where he owned a large tract of land on which coal deposits were later excavated. It is said in the Walker County history,that the Cherokees in the area mined this coal by hand and floated it on barges down to Tuscaloosa. This agrees with the family legend that Mahaffey had a business running flat boats down the river.

During the Civil War, Mahaffey Henderson sold his lands and loaded mule wagons with his belongings and his large family, removing to Double Springs, Winston County, AL, the Free State of Winston. He lived near the Bonds family who also came to Double Springs from Gwinett, Georgia. It is thought that there might be a family connection between the Bonds or the Doss family of Gwinett. Hugh Mahaffey Henderson died in 1889, according to a memorial published in the Moulton Advertiser by the Agricultural Wheel organization (unless it was his son of the same name). He does not appear on the 1900 U. S. Census, but is on the Census of 1880. He was probably buried on his property deeded by Land Warrant in Township 10S, Range 8W, Sec 20, NENE and Sec 17, N of SESE.

Children of Mahaffey and Mary Henderson who have many descendants in Winston and Lawrence Counties of Alabama, were:

1. James W. Henderson b 1834 GA, d 1915 Henderson Cove, Lawrence Co, AL. He married Martha C. Brake Henderson after her husband William died.

2. William R. Henderson, Confederate Soldier,b 1835 GA,fought in the Battle of Mobile, was injured, captured and died 1864 at a military hospital on Ship Island off the coast of Mobile. He was buried in the Confederate Cemetery at Mobile, Alabama.

William married Martha C. Brake, daughter of Bennett Brake and Millie Speer in Jefferson Co, AL in 1857. Their children were John Allen, Milly, and a Genys. who died young. The other children were raised in Winston and Lawrence County, by Martha and their uncle, James who Martha married after William died. Martha's sister, Sarah Brake, married Confederate soldier Ambrose Doss who wrote to William and convinced him to join the CSA.

3. Elizabeth Henderson b May 1838 Jefferson Co, AL She died between 1921 and 1930 in Waxahachie, Ellis County, TX where she had moved about 1895 with her husband, Asa Payne Turner, son of Lewis Turner and Elizabeth "Kezziah" Payne. Her children were: Mary C, Lodamia, Nannie, John H. and Millie Turner. Nannie married a James M. Henderson in AL before they moved to Texas. It is not known if he is related to Mahaffey.

4. John Allen Henderson born 1840 Jefferson Co, AL died before or during the Civil War in Jefferson Co, AL. He never married or had children as far as this researcher knew in 2006.

5. Nancy Henderson b 1844 Jefferson Co, AL d 1930 In Mountain Springs area of Lawrence County, AL. Her first child was born during the Civil War, perhaps in Jefferson Co, ALa. He was named John C. Henderson b 1863- d 1930 in Lawrence County. Nancy married to Elijah Moses Turner, brother of Asa Payne Turner about 1864. Elijah died about 1870 in Winston Co, AL. Their children were: Sarah Bell Turner and Lewis Mahaffey Turner. Second, Nancy married to Jefferson Cleveland Parker of Mountain Springs area of Lawrence Co, AL. Their children were: William Hamby, M. Catherine "Caty", Thursey J., Jeffrey J., and Zora L. Parker. Many families of the Warrior Mountains are connected to Nancy.

6. Hugh M. Henderson was born 1846 in Jefferson Co, AL. His death date and place are unknown. He married Tabitha Castleberry in 1880. Land records have been found in Winston Co, AL showing the sale of his lands in 1898, but it is not known where Hugh and Tabitha moved after that.

7. Mary Ann "Polly" Henderson b Oct 1849 Jefferson Co, AL, died after 1910 in Double Springs, Winston Co, AL. She married in 1864 to Wiley H. Young, son of Daniel H. and Elizabeth Young. Their large family lived in Township 10S, Range 8W. Their children were Nancy, William, Seaborn E., Daniel, John, Martha and Martin (twins) Brantly, Wiley, Andy J., and Tammey.

8. David Hamby Henderson b Sep 1852 Jefferson Co, AL d 1925 Double Springs. He was buried in Fairview Cemetery. He married Elizabeth "Lizzie" Ellen Simmons, daughter of Robert Giles Simmons and Caroline Taylor about 1865 in Double Springs. Their children were: Mary, Martha, Margret, Rebecca, Lisa M., Cordelia, James H., Thomas J., and Ada (Sarah Emiline Ada Alice Charlotte) Henderson.

9. Margaret Juliana Henderson b 1855 Jefferson Co, AL, died of tuberculosis in 1931 in Corsicana, Navarro, TX at the home of her daughter. She married twice. First to Andrew Jackson Simmons, son of Robert Giles Simmons and Caroline Taylor in 1875 in Winston Co, AL. Andrew died young in 1886 of lung disease. Their children were: Frances Elizabeth "Fannie", Malinda Lou, David Hamby, Willie, "Mattie" (SarahAngeline Martha Jane Bell) Simmons.

Margaret married second to John Calhoun Austin, "Jack" in 1896 in Double Springs. The family lived West of Cheatham Rd. in the Warrior Mountains. Their children were: "Eunie", called Ather by her mother (Eunice Lee Josephine); George Reason, and Arthur Ambers Austin.


Margaret Juliana Henderson Simmons Austin (1855 - 1931), taken about 1910 in Lawrence County. She was the daughter of Hugh Mahaffey Henderson (1814 - 1889). Photo courtesy of Helen Austin.


Home