Display Patriot - P-165228 - Richard GENTRY

Richard GENTRY

SAR Patriot #: P-165228

The following information was assembled from numerous sources and cannot be used directly as proof of Qualifying Service or Lineage.
It is considered a research aid and is intended to assist in locating sources that can be used as proof.
 

State of Service: VA      Qualifying Service: Private / Patriotic Service
DAR #: A044140

Birth: 26 Sep 1763 / Louisa / VA
Death: 12 Feb 1843 / Madison / KY

Qualifying Service Description:
  1. 1780, he served two months as a Private in the company of Captain William Dalton
  2. 1781, he served in the company of Captain John Miller, commanded by Colonel Holt Richardson
  3. 1781, he served as a substitute in the company of Captain J. Karr/Carr, same regiment

Additional References:
  1. Revolutionary War Pension File: W10976 and Bounty Land Warrant81502-160-55
  2. Richard Gentry, The Gentry Family in America, 1676-1909, New York City:The Grafton Press,1909, pg 49
  3. Quisenberry, Anderson Chenault,Revolutionary Soldiers in KY, [np]: Kentucky Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 1895, pg 115

Spouse: (1) Jane Harris; (2) Nancy Guthrie/Guttry;
Children: Jane; David; Charles; Reuben; Nancy; Overton; Joshua; Christy; Valentine; Joseph; Robert; Rodes; William; James;
Members Who Share This Ancestor
Date Approved Society ACN SAR Member Info Lineage via Child View Application Detail
1973-04-24 VA Unassigned Richard Henry Gentry (104459) Richard   
1974-02-05 VA Unassigned Richard Hunter Lawson (106160) Nancy   
1974-03-12 FL Unassigned Richard Gentry Estill Jr (106494) Ruben   
1982-12-27 OK Unassigned John Thomas Bradshaw (121398) Overton   
1991-07-18 TX 219413 William Stollings Bush (133903) Nancy   
2009-11-02 CA 36906 Gregory Alan Sims (175327) David   
2011-03-11 KY 41773 Andrew Gentry Caudill (179062) Charles   
2014-03-12 MD 57619 Christopher Peter Stuart (190328) Reuben   
2014-03-12 MD 57620 Morgan Kai Stuart (190329) Reuben   
2015-04-17 KY 63335 Allen McKee Dodd (194273) Nancy   
Location:
Lemay / St. Louis / MO / USA
Find A Grave Cemetery #:

Grave Plot #:
OPS2 2093A
Grave GPS Coordinates:
Find A Grave Memorial #:
Marker Type:

SAR Grave Dedication Date:

Comments:
  • Upright V/A stone
  • Richard Gentry was originally buried on his farm in Madison Co., KY, but in 1958 his remains were relocated to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, OPS-2, Grave 2093-A


Directions to Cemetery / Gravesite:



Author: Peter Edwin Broadbent Jr

Richard Gentry was born on 2 September 1763 in Louisa County, Virginia, to David [Patriot P-165211] and Mary (Estes) Gentry. In 1778, his family moved to adjoining Albemarle County.

In 1780, at age 17, Richard served his first tour of duty in the Albemarle County militia. The company was sent along the James River, first at Surry County, then Petersburg, and finally at Richmond before being discharged. In May 1781, he started his second deployment as the Albemarle County militia went to defend Richmond against the British on the south side of the James River. Richard’s company then moved north to Spotsylvania County and skirmished with British soldiers moving towards Charlottesville. He continued his service through the siege of Yorktown in October 1781, after which he marched British prisoners to Fredericksburg and was discharged.

On 5 April 1784, he married Jane Harris, the daughter of Christopher [Patriot P-175755] and Agnes (McCord) Harris in Albemarle County. In 1786 they rode on horseback with their first child to Kentucky via the Cumberland Gap. They lived at Boonesborough for a year, and Richard’s name appears on the Fort Boonesborough Monument as one of the first settlers in Kentucky. After a year, they settled near Madison County. Richard became very wealthy, initially manufacturing and trading salt and raising and marketing mules, cattle, and hogs.

He and Jane had a large family, including: 

  • Reuben was born in 1785 and married 1)Elizabeth White and 2) Sarah Brock.
  • David was born in 1787 and married Susan Maupin.
  • Richard was born in 1788 and married Ann Hawkins.
  • Christy was born in 1790 and married Lucy Christy.
  • James was born in 1792 and married Ann Campbell.
  • Joseph was born in 1794 and died young.
  • Nancy was born in 1795 and married Jeremiah Bush.
  • Joshua was born in 1797 and married Adaline Henry.
  • Joseph was born in 1799 and married Elizabeth Tribble.
  • Overton was born in 1802 and married Lucinda Reid.
  • Rodes was born in 1804 and married 1) Allie Moore and 2) Nancy Culbertson.
  • Jane was born in 1806 and married 1) Valentine White and 2) James Blythe. 

Following Jane’s death in 1821, Richard married on 13 October 1821 to Nancy Guthrie, the daughter of Nathaniel Guthrie. The couple had the following known children: 

  • Josiah was born in 1822 and married Matilda Webster.
  • Robert was born in 1824 and married Mary Catherine Engleman.
  • Charles was born in 1826 and married Esther Ann Kikendall.
  • Valentine was born in 1827 and married Susan Engleman.
  • Tyre was born in 1830 and died young.
  • William was born in 1832 and married Nancy Bright.
  • Mary Jane was born in 1834 and married Reuben Engleman. 

A Baptist for most of his life, Richard joined the Disciples of Christ Church in his later years. He successfully applied for a Revolutionary War pension in 1832. 

The Patriot died on 12 February 1843 in Madison County and was buried on his estate. He was reinterred at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Richard’s descendants recalled him as a large man, over six feet tall and 220 pounds, with light hair, blue eyes, and a florid complexion, who loved to hunt and celebrate the 4th of July. 


Sources: 

  1. Gentry, Richard, The Gentry Family in America, New York City: The Grafton Press, 1909, pages 49-60
  2. Revolutionary War Pension file W10976
  3. Madison County, Kentucky Will Book H, page 153

Send a biographical sketch of your patriot!

Patriot biographies must be the original work of the author, and work submitted must not belong to another person or group, in observance with copyright law. Patriot biographies are to be written in complete sentences, follow the established rules of grammar, syntax and punctuation, be free of typographical errors, and follow a narrative format. The narrative should unfold in a logical manner (e.g. the narrative does not jump from time period to time period) or have repeated digressions, or tell the history of the patriot's line from the patriot ancestor to the author. The thinking here is that this is a patriot biography, not a lineage report or a kinship determination project or other report published in a genealogy journal. The biography should discuss the qualifying service (military, patriotic, civil) of the patriot ancestor, where the service was rendered, whether this was a specific state or Continental service, as well as significant events (as determined by the author) of the patriot's life. This is the entire purpose of a patriot's biography.

Additional guidelines around the Biography writeup can be found here:

Send your submission1, in a Microsoft Word compatible format, to patriotbios@sar.org for inclusion in this space


1Upon submission of a patriot biography, the patriot biography becomes the property of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and may be edited to conform to the patriot biography submission standards.


© 2025 - National Society of the American Revolution (NSSAR)