John Crenshaw, of Hanover County

Biography

John “Thomas” Crenshaw, son of Thomas “Granger” Crenshaw (d. 1704) was born about 1685-1695 in New Kent County, and died after 1743 at St. Paul’s Parish, Hanover County, Virginia.

Thomas J. “Granger” Crenshaw in 1703 Left 150 c.land, K.Wm. Co., VA to oldest son, John

His wife was perhaps Sarah, or perhaps an unknown daughter of James Dabney.

Family

unknown Dabney was born circa 1695 in Pamunkey Neck, Hanover County, Virginia, USA. Perhaps she was the daughter of James Dabney (son of Cornelius Dabney) and his wife Ann.

(Sarah?) married John Crenshaw in 1714 in Hanover County, Virginia, USA. John Crenshaw was born about 178? and died after 1743. He was the son of Thomas Crenshaw (d. after 1704) of King William County.

Together they had the following children:

• Thomas Crenshaw, Sr;
• James Dabney Crenshaw;
• Mary Austin;
• Henry M Crenshaw;
• Cornelius Crenshaw;
• David Crenshaw.

She died on March 6, 1760 in St Pauls Parish, Hanover County, Virginia, British Colony. Nothing has been found to indicate when James Dabney or his wife Ann died, because very few of the fire-damaged records of King William County have survived between 1706 and 1721.

Notes

Joseph Crenshaw, of Lunenberg County was a man nearly sixty, if not already so, and with a large family and a flourishing enterprise on the banks of the Pamunkey, when he enlisted. We do not know the precise reason for the enlistment of a sixty year old man into the British Colonial Army, but some of the background information has been examined, and from that source, a reasonably laid out analysis may be made.

First of all, it was probably something that young Washington may have wished. This youthful soldier had gained much experience by his early participation in the French and Indian War and in the engagements preliminary to it.

As early as the campaign of 1753, half a decade before Joseph Crenshaw became involved, George Washington had certain military responsibilities thrust upon him. The manner in which he anticipated problems and prepared for them bears upon this point. For example, he had no knowledge of the language of the French and Indian enemies against whom he was to contend. In order to solve one of these shortcomings, Washington, at the insistence of Governor Dinwiddie, sought out the help of Christopher Gist.

Selection of Gist was a boon for two reasons. First was his command of the Indian language, and second, was his skill as a woodsman. It was into a wilderness that Washington must go, and it was in such a place that Washington was to learn that a military commander must be a master of many things.

It was here, on the way to the Ohio River that the future leader of the Continental Army was to struggle with great difficulties and to learn how to solve problems, or to avoid them. Quality in manpower, brainpower and experience became very important, and the test of quality became more important than quantity.

Gist had much experience, not only in translating for his commander, but was something of a diplomat and he could negotiate with the Indians, both those who were allied with the French and those who supported the British forces. In George Washington's Papers II, page 41 it says that Washington, "...knows but little of their language."

Christopher Gist was not the first of the great Indian linguists of Colonial Virginia. Cornelius Dabney, of Pamunkey Neck had performed that function for the Williamsburg authorities when Joseph Crenshaw was an infant. Later, John Crenshaw, brother of Joseph had married Sarah Dabney, a grand daughter of the old man who served the colony in its negotiations with the Indians. It is a strong possibility that Joseph Crenshaw had acquired a knowledge of the Indian language. The opportunity to do so, must have developed from the many Delaware, Pamunkey and Rappahannock Indian families who crossed at the ferry landings, and who gathered about that place where there was trading to be done and jobs to be had. But certainly, the example set by Cornelius Dabney must have influenced other family members to emulate him. There is every reason to believe that Joseph Crenshaw had a more than elementary understanding of the Redman's tongue, and, added to his other skills, made him a valuable addition to the headquarters unit of George Washington.

References

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jwmurphy/shaw3.txt (2 of 23)7/19/2006 3:22:29 PM
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~jwmurphy/shaw3.txt
• Reference: Ancestry Genealogy - SmartCopy: May 17 2022, 2:58:21 UTC
• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/111701831/person/4...
• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees by SmartCopy: Nov 24 2014, 6:51:11 UTC
• Crenshaw family in Virginia @2023 Mindy Taylor AG. (chart) https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/GFB2-Q7Q