Henry Gambrel was born on December 10, 1798 to William Gambrel and Winnifred Elkins. Henry was the first child of ten children born to this union. The children of William and Winnifred were as follows: Henry, Miranda, Mariah, Thompson P., William Jr., Jane, Mary Polly, Elizabeth, Evaline and Permelia. Henry was born in Pendelton District, South Carolina. The Gambrel family moved to Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, sometime between 1801-1803, after Henry and Miranda Caroline were born. More siblings were born in Kentucky and then in 1814 the family moved to Gibson County, Indiana. The above portrait of Henry and one of his wives was taken at City Gallery, Atlanta, Illinois. I hope to learn which of the wives is in the above picture but judging by his aged look in the picture one wouldn't think that it was his first wife and might not be his second wife. Hopefully we will find the missing pieces that will lead us to the indenty of the woman above.

Henry Gambrel was married four times. First to Mary Polly Roberts on January 22, 1819. She died sometime after 1836 and is buried at the Emerson Cemetery, Montgomery Township, Gibson County, Indiana. Known children born to them were: Eliza Gambrel Welhorn, Winnifred Gambrel Sumner, Elizabeth Gambrel Ayers, Nellie Gambrel, Elihu Gambrel, Sarah Gambrel and Thompson Gambrel. His second wife was Nancy Montgomery and to this marriage was born four daughters, Mariah Gambrel Wilhite, Martha Gambrel Noyes, Mary Gambrel Poe and Miranda Gambrel Rigg. They were married on October 16, 1839 and lived on a farm near Princeton, Indiana. Nancy died on July 12, 1862 and is buried also at the Emerson Cemetery in Gibson County, Indiana. Henry's third wife was Lydia Johnson whom he married on December 13, 1863 in Gibson County, Indiana. I do not have a death date on Lydia but Henry married his fourth wife, Julia Thomas on October 05, 1871 in Edwards County, Illinois. I have been told that Henry had twenty children. This was relayed to me by my Uncle Frank Rigg whose grandmother was Miranda Gambrel Rigg. He tells me that she told him of the twenty children and that was reinforced by his mother, Pearl Palmer Rigg, telling him this as well. It could very well be that Henry and his first wife had more than seven children as the first child I have for them was born in 1828, which would have been nine years after they were married and then seven children were born in pretty rapid succession. Of course this may never be able to be proven. So now we have four wives and eleven children.

Not much else is known about Henry. I have seen information that suggests that not only was he a farmer but also a justice of the peace. He was a property owner which is known from land records. In 1850 he had property worth 3000 dollars. Numerous mentions are made of "the Gambrel Farm" near Princeton, Indiana. Henry died on October 14, 1875 and is also buried with his first two wives at the Emerson Cemetery in Gibson County, Indiana. His tombstone inscription says that he died at the age of 77 years 10 months and 4 days and also says that he was the husband of Nancy Montgomery which suggests to me that one of their daughters, possibly Mariah Wilhite since she lived nearby, was in charge of making the arrangements for his burial. As I am able to learn more about this most interesting man I will add more to this page.