Grace Hendon Chancey was about 70 years old when she decided to write "The Hendons From Gunpowder River." Mrs. Chancey did her best in researching and subsequently writing her book. We should remember that her tasks must have been overwhelming for a woman her age. Since the book was published in 1977, much additional information concerning the British connections to the family have been discovered and over one hundred Hendon / Henden descendants are actively researching their ancestors.

Mrs. Chancey chose to omit some relevant information from her book because it did not fit into her personal realm of morality. The most glaring example follows: According to Mrs. Chancey, Captain James F. Hendon (1778-1845) married a widow, Margaret Whitehead, about 1830. Margaret brought five children (from a previous marriage) to her new marriage.  Good old James loved those children as his own and even legally adopted each of them before his death in 1845. What a wonderful, warm, fuzzy story!

Unfortunately it is not true and Mrs. Chancey knew that before she included it in the book. Actually, James Hendon and Margaret Whitehead lived together as husband and wife without going to the trouble of getting married. Jim Hendon was indeed the father of the five children. A descendant of that family showed Mrs. Chancey the proof while she was in Georgia researching for her book. But, she ignored the facts because she was embarrassed about the living arrangement and because the relationship resulted in five illegitimate children.

Beware. "The Hendons From Gunpowder River " contains numerous mistakes: lineages; names; birth dates; marriages; etc. A few people have vocally criticized Mrs. Chancey's work and one has even suggested that "almost nothing in the book is accurate." That statement is of course ridiculous.

Olive Stone of Salt Lake City researched her Hendon roots for several decades and gladly shared her findings with many people, including Grace Chancey. Sadly, Mrs. Stone was not given sufficent credit for her material which was utilized in "The Hendons From Gunpowder River."

All Hendon descendants owe Mrs. Chancey our thanks for writing the book at all. In spite of its shortcomings, it is better than nothing! Maybe those who are so critical should write their own book.

I own a copy of "The Hendons From Gunpowder River" and have done "lookups" for several years. This practice has brought some criticism toward me by one person who accused me of  "spreading misinformation" !  When answering queries, I always mention that the book has some errors. Until better information is available, I'll keep using what I now have to assist others in their research.

Perhaps it's time for the self-righteous to take a close look at themselves.

As always, your comments are welcomed.

E. Wayne Hendon
ewhendon@sbcglobal.net