ParisTimes Pioneers

Parents of Henry C. Paris

[Information was sent in by Jim Henderson - Descendants of Edward Paris]
(Part I, The First Three Generations by James R. Henderson)

Henry Clay Paris, along with his brothers Bennett, William, James F. and Isham Paris were all sons of Ezekiel Paris/Parris. There was also a sister, Elizabeth.

Ezekiel married Polly Bennett in Clay Co., KY on 9 May 1816.

In 1850 -- Ezekiel was living in Madison Co., KY, where he is listed in the Census, age 65. He had a daughter Elizabeth and sons Isham, Volney? (hard to read) and Henry living with him. (His wife Polly evidently died prior to 1850.)

Also in Madison Co., KY in 1850: William Paris, age 25, with wife Emily, age 20 and 2 children. Bennett Parris was living in Washington Co., KY in 1850, age 30, with wife Rachel and 5 children.

By 1860 -- Ezekiel's known sons had moved to Menard Co., Illinois. In the 1860 Census there, Bennett, William, James F. and Isham (misspelled Isom) Paris are all listed, with Henry C. Paris, the youngest brother (age 17), living in William's household.

Jim has traced Ezekiel back to the 1820 Clay Co., KY Census in which there are two other Paris heads of household: Moses and Ezekiel, Sr. (Ezekiel Sr.'s surname is mis-spelled "Parish").

I am confident that the younger Ezekiel and Moses were both sons of Ezekiel Paris, Sr.

Ezekiel Paris, Sr. first shows up in Kentucky on the 1789 tax list of Fayette Co. with his brothers James and Moses. They had recently moved to KY from Rowan Co., North Carolina.

Ezekiel, Sr. is on the tax lists of Madison Co., KY in 1793 and 1794. In 1795 he is in Campbell Co., KY and the next year he is back in Madison Co.

About 1798 Ezekiel, Sr. moved to Cumberland Co., KY (1800 Tax List) and then to Wayne Co., KY (1801 Tax List) before moving back to Madison Co. by 1806. He doesn't seem to have owned any land, which may partially explain his wanderings.

In addition to his son Ezekiel, Jr., Ezekiel, Sr.'s children included sons Moses and William, daughter Elizabeth and undoubtedly others.

I have not yet found any record of Ezekiel, Sr.'s wife's name. The origins of Ezekiel, James and Moses Paris in Rowan Co., NC are proven by James Paris' widow Polly's Revolutionary War Widow's Pension application.

The records in Rowan Co., NC prove that Ezekiel was a son of Moses Paris, Sr. who arrived in Rowan Co. in the early 1760's.

Unfortunately, I have found no record of Moses Paris, Sr.'s wife's name. I do, however, have convincing evidence that Moses Paris, Sr. was born in Baltimore Co., Maryland in 1722, son of Edward and Susannah Paris.

I have written a short biography of Moses Paris, Sr. which I will e-mail to you if you would like to read it. I have much more information on the Paris family, so please feel free to write me at my home e-mail: sharon@sword.net.

Regards, Jim Henderson

P.S. My descent from Moses Paris, Sr. is through his son Moses, Jr.'s daughter Betsy who married Daniel Talbott in Clark Co., KY in 1798. Coincidentally, I am also a cousin of Henry Clay Paris' wife Sarah Frances Conover, as we are both descendants of Willem Gerretse Couwenhoven and Jannetje Pieterse Monfoort. -- Jim