Person:John Denton (18)

Watchers
John Bunard Denton
b.26 Jul 1806 Sparta, White County, Tennessee
d.24 May 1841 Village Creek, Tarrant County, Texas
Parents and Siblings
(edit)
m. 21 Jan 1794
  1. John Bunard Denton1806 - 1841
Spouse and Children
(edit)
m. 23 Jun 1825
  1. Sarah Elizabeth Denton1826 - 1894
  2. Rev. Jonathan Franklin Denton1828 - 1907
  3. Narcissa Jane Denton1830 - 1879
  4. Edward B. Denton1833 -
  5. Eldridge Hopkins Denton1833 -
  6. Dr. Ashley Newton Denton1836 - 1901
  7. Rev. John Bunard Denton, Jr1840 - 1912
Add another spouse & children
Facts and Events
Name[2][3][4] John Bunard Denton
Gender Male
Birth[3] 26 Jul 1806 Sparta, White County, Tennessee
Marriage 23 Jun 1825 Clark County, Arkansasto Mary Greenlee Stewart
Census[6] 1830 Clark County, Arkansas
Will[9] 15 Jul 1840 Red River County, Texas
Death[2][3][5] 24 May 1841 Village Creek, Tarrant County, Texas
Burial[4][3] Courthouse Lawn, Denton County, Texas
Probate[1] Nov 1848 Red River County, Texas

He was adopted in Tennessee abt. 1816 by the family of Johua Wells, a preacher and blacksmith, who moved to Clark County, Arkansas Territory. At the age of 12, he ran away to work as a deckhand on an Arkansas River flatboat.[4]

About 1825, he underwent a conversion and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. For ten years served in Arkansas and southern Missouri as an itinerant minister.[4]

Clark County, Arkansas, 1830 census:[6]

Denton, John
Males
under 5 = 1
20-29 = 1
Females
under 5 = 2
20-29 = 1

In Jan 1836, Denton crossed the Red River into Texas with Littleton Fowler (also a preacher) and settled in Red River County. Because the money he earned as a preacher was inadequate to support his family, he undertook the study of law in 1838. Six months later he was licensed to practice and went into partnership with John B. Craig at Clarksville.[4]

By 1840, he was captain of a militia company under Col. Edward Tarrant. On 24 May, he was killed by Indians on Village Creek in northeast Tarrant County while on a scouting expedition with Henry Stout.[2][4]

His body originally was buried in an unmarked grave near the confluence of Oliver Creek & Denton Creek. According to some accounts, about 30 years later, Stout was able to relocate Denton's grave, and the remains were reburied by John S. Chisum in a wooden box in the corner of the yard of his home on Clear Creek, near Bolivar. In 1901, the Pioneer Association of Denton County, after diligent search and thorough identification, again removed the remains and buried them with appropriate ceremonies in the southeast corner of the Denton County Courthouse lawn.[2][4]

References
  1. ↑ Clarksville, Red River, Texas, United States. Northern Standard (Clarksville, Texas)
    25 Nov 1848.

    John D. Craig appointed executor of Denton's estate in regard to some land he owned in Harrison County.

  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Clark, Pat B. The History of Clarksville and Old Red River County. (Dallas: Mathis, Van Nort & Co., 1937)
    p. 35 ff.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Find A Grave.

    John B. Denton

  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Handbook of Texas Online.

    DENTON, JOHN BUNYAN

  5. ↑ John B. Denton Family Bible record.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Clark, Arkansas, United States. 1830 U.S. Census Population Schedule
    p. 198.
  7.   U.S. Territorial Papers
    Vol. 19, p. 17, 1818.

    Signed the petition that Arkansas Territory be formed from the southern part of the Missouri Territory.

  8.   Teeples, Gary Ronald, and Ronald Vern Jackson. Arkansas tax lists, 1819 to 1829. (Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1978, c1976 (Salt Lake City, Utah : Ambassador Press)).

    1828: Caddo Valley, Clark County, Arkansas
    1839: Hempstead County (Why was he still paying taxes in Arkansas at this late date?)

  9. ↑ Texas. Probate Court (Red River County). Wills, 1847-1882. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980)
    (loose papers), 15 Jul 1840.

    [copy on file]

    The Republic of Texas
    County of Red River

    Witness all men by these presents---

    That I John B. Denton in view of the Mortality of man do make this my last will and Testament---

    First I will that my debts be paid out of my property.

    2nd I will that my beloved Wife Mary Denton have and hold all my personal property during her life,

    3rdly I will to my beloved Wife Mary six hundred and forty acres of land which I attained as a headright from the government of Texas. And also three hundred and twenty acres of land part of an undivided section belonging to Craig & Denton [i.e., his law partnership in Clarksville] West of Decable[?] on Mud Creek in fee simple to her and her heirs forever.

    4th I will to my daughter Elizabeth in fee simple one thousand acres of land to be taken out of the land held by Craig & Denton in partnership.

    5th The ballance of my undivided interest in land held with J.B. Craig to be Equally divided with my son Johnathan Denton my Daughter Narcissa J. Denton my son Eldridge H. Denton my son Ashley N. Denton & my son Brunard P. Denton to be held by them & their heirs in fee simple for Ever.

    Sixthly I Appoint constitute and Ordain my friends William N. Porter and John B. Craig my Executors of this my last will and testament in Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the 15th day of July 1840.

    [signed] J. B. Denton [seal]

    Test.
    Richard Miller
    J.B. Cassidy

  10.   Texas. General Land Office. Abstracts of All Original Texas Land Titles Comprising Grants and Locations. (Austin, Texas: Texas General Land Office)
    Red River County, Texas, 4 Oct 1838.

    Received conditional land certificate #303, final certificate #24.

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