Great, great grandfather

James Henderson

And

Great, great Grandmother

Rebecca (Wilson) Henderson

They were married in Ky. and were there when the daughter Phebe was born. A few years later they left their home on Licking River and moved to Ohio. Many from Kentucky and from the eastern states were pouring into the rich valley north of the Ohio River.

"By the year 1796 Colonel Jane completed a National road from Ft. Henry, now Wheeling W. Va., to Maysville Ky. Maysville just across the river from Brown Co. Pres. Washington paid a great tribute to Jane by appointing him to this great task. This road famous for many years, known as "Jane’s Trace" opened the beautiful Ohio valley to the ambitious pioneers." From Jane Gray’s novel "Betty Jane".

Whether our ancestors moved by wagon over this "trace" or crossed the Ohio River with their goods and chattels I can not say.

We know that Rebecca (Wilson) Thompson wife of Closs II was tired and persuaded him to stay on Licking River a year. Why "rest" if all they had to do was to cross the river? Remember this Rebecca (Wilson) Thompson was Grandpa Billing’s Grandmother.

Now we have the subject of this sketch, Rebecca (Wilson) Henderson, Grandma Billing’s grandmother also leaving her home on Licking River Ky. and settling in Brown Co. Ohio when her daughter Phebe was a little girl. Phebe born in 1797 would in 1800 or ’01 when the Thompson went on into North West Ter.

The subject of this sketch Rebecca (Wilson) Henderson reared her daughter Phebe to "keep the Sabbath" as a strict Presbyterian. Did she spring from "James Wilson" the raw Irish Presbyterian of North Carolina as we know that Rebecca (Wilson) Thompson did? This daughter Phebe "attended the Christian Church of which she was a member". Find out about this Henderson strain. D. Pat. Henderson was a noted Christian pioneer preacher in Ky. and the name appears often on the map of the state.

Could it be that the two Rebecca Wilsons were cousins and both decendants of the "raw Irish Presbyterian" to whom we fondly look for a connecting link with Woodrow Wilson?

Grandpa Billings son of Jane (Thompson) Billings; dau of Rebecca (Wilson) Thompson; dau of James Wilson.

Grandma Billings dau of Phebe (Henderson) Bowler; dau of Rebecca (Wilson) Henderson; dau of _____ Wilson.

Closs II and his wife Rebecca (Wilson) Thompson were cousins. Possibly Rebecca (Wilson) Henderson was a cousin.

Giving us three direct descents from Woodrow Wilson whose ancestors were also Irish Presbyterians who settled in the same part of the country. Can you prove it?

If you can link James Henderson to D. Pat Henderson and the Wilsons to Woodrow we will have cause to rejoice in the fact that the sweet Grandma Phebe was our ancestor.