My Genealogy Hound

Jonathan G. Hankins is a native of Alabama, born in Lafayette County, June 19, 1844. His father, Richard Hankins, a farmer by occupation, was a native of Tennessee, born in 1802, and married Miss Sarah Dunken, a native of Kentucky, born in 1816, and by her was the father of eleven children, namely: Polly A., Rutha, Debbie E. (deceased), John S. (deceased), Martha J., Rebecca (deceased), Susan (deceased), James B. and Rollie T. Mr. Hankins, Sr., took an active interest in politics, serving as sheriff of Lafayette County, Ala., for over eight years. He volunteered to serve in the war of 1836. Both he and his wife were members of the Primitive Baptist Church, and took a deep interest in religious and educational matters, as well as in all public enterprises. He died in 1880, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years. His widow still resides on the old home place, aged seventy-four years. The immediate subject of this sketch was reared in Alabama, receiving his education at the private schools, and in 1862 he entered the Confederate army under Gen. Grocy, in Company I, Forty-third Alabama Regiment, and participated in some of the hard fought battles of that war, among the principal of which were Chickamauga, Bristol, Va., Richmond, Petersburg. At the surrender he was in Virginia, and immediately after that he returned to his home and engaged in farming eighty acres of land. July 13, 1865, he married Mrs. Frances (Gilmer) Herrington, a native of Georgia, who was born in 1836, a daughter of Archie and Peggie Gilmer, and by her has six children: Blendinio P., Dora L. (deceased), Alice E., Oscar L., Alonzo and David M. Mr. Hankins is still engaged in tilling the soil, owning 120 acres of good land, with 50 acres under cultivation. He is a stanch Democrat and takes an active interest in the politics of his county. Mr. and Mrs. Hankins are both members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Hankins takes an active part in everything for the building up of his community.