Henshaw/Hanshaw

The Hanshaw family, sometimes spelled Henshaw, was a clan of rural Blacks who resided in an area east of Ocean Springs, on the west side of present day Hanshaw Road which was named for them and near the Belle Fountain Baptist Church.  The progenitors of this family were several brothers, Alexander (1854-1913), John b. 1844, Elick b. 1849, Harry b. 1850, and Samuel Hanshaw (1860-1920+), natives of Mississippi born of a Virginia father and Mississippi mother.

The only pre-emmancipation data on this family concerns  the name. On the 1860 census there is 1 black male slave of about 35 years listed as the property of Edward Henshaw. This slave owner only appears on this one record. He does not even appear on the general census schedule for that year.

I can only assume that Edward Henshaw did own my ancestors and that at least 2-3 of the men were actually brothers and not just owned by the same master. There was also a Lila b. 1855 and Eugenia b. 1872 who also bore the name Henshaw. Since it was so common for freed slaves to take the name of their master I may never know who of the Henshaws were actually related.