Archibald William Hendry
Archibald William Hendry

By Spessard Stone


Archibald W. Hendry, a pioneer settler of Fort Green, Florida, was a Union soldier and farmer.

Archibald William Hendry was born January 20, 1846, Lowndes County, Georgia. He was a son of John Hendry, Jr. and Clarissa (Maulden) Hendry. With his father (his mother died 1848) he moved in the 1850s to Hamilton County, Florida.

On May 15, 1864 at Fort Myers, Florida, Archibald W. Hendry enlisted as a private in Company B, Second Florida Cavalry, United States Army. Company muster rolls described him as being: 5 ft. 10 inches; complexion, eyes and hair, light; occupation, farmer. The medical records show that on June 10, 1865 he was treated for rubeola. He was mustered out with his company on November 29, 1865 at Tallahassee, Florida.

In 1866, probably in Hamilton County, Florida, Archibald married Mrs. Elizabeth (Coulter) Gill, born October 29, 1830, Georgia, widow of William Gill. Elizabeth and William Gill had five sons: William A. Gill, James F. Gill, Gabriel H. Gill, John W. Gill, George H. Gill.

The 1870 census of Hamilton County, page no. 8, outside of Jasper, dated 15th day of August 1870, post office Bellville, recorded in household 4/4: "Archable" Hendry, 23, with $800 in real estate, $300 personal estate, occupation farmer; Elizabeth, 37, occupation keep house; Alice, 16 ast. at keep house; James, 14, Augustus, 13; John, 11; George, 8; Alexander, 4; Archable, 2. James, John and George were sons of William and Elizabeth Gill. Augustus probably was William A. Gill. Alexander was Archibald and Elizabeth's son. Archable had to be William A. Hendry, Archibald and Elizabeth's second son. The identity of Alice is unknown.

About 1871, the family moved to Fort Green, Manatee (now Hardee) County, Florida where many of Archibald's relatives had already settled. A. W. Hendry was listed as a taxpayer in 1872 in Manatee County. The A. W. Hendry family was enumerated in the 1880 census of Manatee County, Fort Green precinct.

The Hendrys were members of Fort Green Methodist Church. Two of Archibald's sons, John A. Hendry and Archibald B. Hendry, were Methodist ministers although the latter's ministry was short lived due to his early death. Rev. John A. Hendry served missions at Lake Worth and Volusia and churches at Appalachicola, Starke, Lakeland, Bradenton, Madison, Ocala, Quincy, Hampton, Plant City, and Fort Pierce.

In April 1891, Archibald applied for an invalid pension from service in Co. B, 2nd Fla. Cav. His claim was based upon an accident, of which J. M. Altman described in an affidavit on July 13, 1894:

"On the 14th day of July A.D. 1888, I saw A. W. Hendry driving on the road from Fort Green, Fla. to Bowling Green, Fla., when about 2 3/4 miles from Bowling Green the team of horses which the said A. W. Hendry was then and there driving, suddenly became frighten and runaway, throwing Mr. Hendry from his buggy. I immediately caught and teed the horses and went to Mr. Hendry, who seemed to be suffering very greatly from bruises and bodily injuries, having his leg broken.

"I think the cause of the team becoming frighten was the dislocation of the small bolt from one side of the buggy, thereby causing the tongue to drop."

His claim was approved under certificate no. 925642. Records as provided by the National Archives do not specify when he became eligible for a pension but at his death he was receiving $38 per month. It should be noted that 1845 was given as his birth in his pension records, but all other sources cite 1846.

Elizabeth Hendry died June 10, 1912. Archibald William Hendry died June 1, 1920. They are buried in Fort Green Methodist Cemetery.

Issue of Archibald W. and Elizabeth Hendry:

1. John Alexander Hendry, born April 28, 1867; died July 30, 1925, Fort Pierce, Fla.; married on January 4, 1892 Sarah Susannah Fussell. Sarah "Sallie" was one of seven graduates of the first graduating class of Florida Conference College at Leesburg (now Florida Southern College, Lakeland) in 1890.
2. William Alderman Hendry, born October 28, 1868; died August 31, 1948, Fort Green, Fla.; married Mary Walker.
3. Avannah Hendry, born 1870; died 1950, Fort Green, Fla.; married on September 8, 1892 James Elam Alderman.
4. Harry Hendry, born 1871; died in childhood after 1880 census.
5. Judith Hendry, born November 16, 1873; died July 29, 1927; married on April 18, 1897 James Lucian Durrance.
6. Archibald Benjamin Hendry, born May 1, 1875; died June 7, 1899; never married.
7. Sanky Hendry, born June 10, 1877; died September 30, 1886, Fort Green, Fla.



Class of 1890, Southern College, L-R: Henrietta Abney, Lennie Sessions, Hannah Hopson, Beulah Milam (Warner), Addie Abney (Bardwell), Sallie Fussell (Hendry), Stella Norton (Whidden). Southern College was at Leesburg from 1887-1892. It is now Florida Southern College, Lakeland. Photo was downloaded from the Florida Archives.

References: Earl R. Hendry, "The Hendry Family of North and Central Florida," Gatlinburg, TN, 1971; pension application of Archibald W. Hendry, National Archives; Fort Green Methodist Cemetery.

This profile is adapted from the author's profile in South Florida Pioneers 41/42 (July/October 1984).


Feb. 08, 2001, April 7, 2004, Nov. 19, 2007