27TH GENERATION

1792. Jonas DENTON was born in 1677 in Hempstead, Long Island, Queens, Nassau County, New York. He died in 1717. Jonas, his family and cousin Jonathan Seaman moved west along an old trail from New York through Carlisle, PA, crossing the Potomac River near where Peter Stephens ran a ferry. Later Robert Harper established Harper's Ferry there. From this point, the Dentons skirted over to Winchester. Jonas bought 3,100 acres from Joist Hite on March 26, 1735. The other
Dentons probably made their settlement official by purchasing land from the Hites. The new home was near the Great Road from the Carolinas to Philadelphia (now U.S. Highway 11), cut out by the Indians years before.

Jonas, John Denton and Thomas Palmer bought 3,100 acres of bottom land along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in the vicinity of Tom's Brook, VA from Joist Hite for 200 pounds, March 26, 1735. (Joist Hite of Lancaster, PA, of German descent, along with Robert McKay had taken 100,000 acres of land in the colony of Virginia, October 21, 1731. They
settled both German and Scotch-Irish families on the land.) According to Deed Book, B, p. 544, Frederick CO Court, Winchester, VA, dated August 20, 1777, the deed to the 3,100 acres was not recorded until 1777 because of the Joist Hite-Thomas Lord Fairfax litigation which began in 1749 and did not end until after the Revolutionary War. It was settled in favor of Hite in 1786 -- twenty-six years after the death of Hite, and four years after Thomas Lord Fairfax's death. Part of the Jonas Denton land was mentioned as being in Augusta County. However, when Jonas and Jane Denton were in their advanced years, Jonas had turned his land over to his sons and was "just living on the land." Evidently, the squabble between Hite and Fairfax took its toll; both Jonas and Jane Denton were reported to
have been severely senile in their latter years.

Interestingly, Lord Halifax lived his last years alone at Greenway Court. No women were allowed! His experience with a lost love affair in England drove him to despair!

He was married to Jane SEAMAN (daughter of Jonathan Seaman I) in 1698. Jane SEAMAN was born in 1679. Jonas DENTON and Jane SEAMAN had the following children:

child+1917 i. Mary DENTON.
child+1918 ii. Robert DENTON.
child+1919 iii. Samuel DENTON.
child1920 iv. John DENTON was born in 1700. He died in 1765 in Frederick County, Virginia.
child+1921 v. Joseph DENTON.
child+1922 vi. William DENTON.

He was married to Jane HARDENBROCK in 1711. Jane HARDENBROCK was born on 25 Sep 1691. Jonas DENTON and Jane HARDENBROCK had the following children:

child+1923 i. Samuel DENTON.
child+1924 ii. Elizabeth DENTON.
child+1925 iii. Capt. John "John Jun" DENTON.
child1926 iv. Benjamin DENTON was born in 1714.
child+1927 v. James DENTON.

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