JAMES SMITH OF WILKES COUNTY, GA, AND ALLIED FAMILIES
OF
BARRON, FOSTER, WHITE, THOMPSON, CHAFFIN, AND COLLUM
In memory of Donna
Haygood Sarchet (August 16, 1958 – July 4, 2005), whose fine research,
inspiration and encouragement made this article possible.
Vicki Barron
Kruschwitz
114 Kingston
Drive
Waco, TX 76712
(254) 235-1437
Article originally posted August 2001. Most recent update: March 2006.
Note:
The information in this article comes from many sources, including
shared data from a number of Smith researchers, as well as primary research by
both Donna Sarchet and Vicki Kruschwitz.
There are many gaps in our knowledge about this family. And, as in all such documents, mistakes will
be found. But this information is
offered to generate input from other researchers to correct and expand our
knowledge of the James Smith family.
You are welcomed and encouraged to contact Vicki, who will attempt to
incorporate new data as quickly as possible.
*************
JAMES SMITH, who d. 1797/1799 in Wilkes County, GA, was the father of nine known
children, all of whom intermarried with a number of families who resided in or
had connections to Wilkes County. The
SMITH and allied families of BARRON, FOSTER, SIMMONS, THOMPSON, CHAFFIN, WHITE,
and COLLUM are addressed in this article.
In addition, the following surnames are included in the examination of
the movements of James Smith’s descendants: GAMMON, COOK, MANNING, POOL,
CATCHINGS, McINTOSH, and WATTS.
The
migration paths taken by James Smith’s children were varied. Some moved from Wilkes County to other
counties in Georgia -- Greene, Hancock, Putnam, Jones, Jasper, Newton, Walton,
Butts, Henry and Troup -- where they lived out their lives. Others left Georgia and were among the first
settlers of the Mississippi Territory.
The grandchildren of James Smith moved on to newly-opened Indian lands
in Alabama -- most notably, Tallapoosa County -- in addition to other states
including Tennessee, Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Missouri, as well as
the Republic of Texas.
JAMES SMITH
Prior to moving to Wilkes County, GA, James Smith was an early
resident of Craven County, NC. The
Smiths and their close associates, the Rice and Foster families, all lived in
Craven County, NC, just below the Trent River on or near Brice’s Creek and Island
Creek. The Trent River flows into the
Neuse River at New Bern; thus, these families lived only a few miles south (but
across the Trent River) from the colonial capital of North Carolina. [Source: A
Smith Family Odyssey, by Arthur R. Seder Jr., Genealogy Publishing Service,
1999]. Mr. Seder identifies James Smith
as the son of James and Martha Smith, per the will of the elder James Smith in
1745. The younger James Smith’s siblings
included Mary, Thomas, Martha (who married William Shepherd Foster) and John
Smith. Evidently, Craven County records
indicate that the elder James Smith and his brother, Thomas, purchased land on
Brice’s Creek in 1729. Thomas Smith’s
1750 will names wife, Elizabeth, and children Bazel, Boneta, Sarah, Thomas
Rigdon, and Nathan Smith. The names
James, Mary, Martha, John, Basil, Sarah, and Nathan are passed on through the
younger James Smith’s children and grandchildren.
The younger James Smith likely migrated to Georgia shortly before
the Revolutionary War. He and his son,
Nathan Smith, a known Revolutionary War soldier, could well be the two men with
those names listed as having served in the Battle of Kettle Creek there in
Wilkes County. John, David, and Nathan
Rice, and William Foster also fought in this battle. [Source: Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, by
Mrs. Howard H. McCall, 1968, pp. 248-249].
This also may be the James Smith who was granted 250 acres of bounty
land in 1784, which was taken up by Elijah Clark. James Smith’s certificate number was 1039, Nathan Smith received
certificate 1043 and William Foster 1044.
[Source: Georgia’s Revolutionary Bounty Land Records, 1783-1785,
by Nicole M. O’Kelley and Mary Bondurant Warrant, 1992, p. 44].
When Wilkes County began recording taxpayers in 1785, James Smith
was listed as owning 200 acres of land.
Over the years, he continued to hold this land, variously identified in
Wilkes County tax records as being located on Beaverdam Creek and adjacent
Michael Moore, Edward Butler, and Nathan Smith. Other neighbors included Rices and Fosters. [Source: Wilkes
County, Georgia Tax Records, 1785-1805, Vol. 1 & II, by Frank Parker Hudson]. Smith’s land was situated north of Little
River and south and west of the town of Washington, quite near the Kettle Creek
battlefield. (See Joseph Smith, child #7 below for more detail on James Smith’s
homestead). In his will, James Smith
described the property as being “granted to James Smith” and bequeathed it to
his son, Joseph. The referenced grant
was likely the 200 acres given to a James Smith in Wilkes County in 1787, Grant
Book OOO, p. 552. [Source: Index to
the Headright and Bounty Grants of Georgia, 1756-1909, by Rev. Silas Emmett
Lucas Jr., p. 606]. Apparently, James
Smith settled and paid taxes on the property prior to gaining title.
It is interesting that on 1 November 1788, Hry Mounger
Pro and Benj Catching C.W.C, Court of Justices of the County of Wilkes,
authorized David Creswell, County Surveyor to lay out 150 acres of land for a
James Smith “on his own headright.”
[Source: original document in the Headright/Bounty file, Georgia
Archives]. However, Wilkes County tax
records do not list this property under James Smith’s name.
On 24 January 1791, James Smith purchased 217 (elsewhere shown as
216) acres of land to the north on Long Creek from James Hart. [Source: Wilkes County Deed Book GG, p.
204]. He may never have lived on this
property. On 25 June 1796, Smith deeded
the land, which had since been taken from Wilkes County into the newly-created
county of Oglethorpe, to his son, John, and son-in-law, William Barron. [Source: Oglethorpe County Deed Book A, p.
335].
In his will dated 2 January 1797 (probated 9 July 1799 in Wilkes
County, GA), James Smith mentions sons John Smith, Joseph
Smith, Nathan Smith, Jacob Smith (deceased), and daughters Patty Barron, Mary White, Sarah Thompson, Elizabeth Smith, and
Rachel Smith. (Note:
The children do not appear to be listed in order of descending
age). Executors were Edward Butler,
Nathaniel Rice, and Samuel Rice. No
wife is named in the will. Her name is
said to be Mary, but no proof of this given name has surfaced to date. (See Appendix I
below for full text of will).
From the returns on this estate filed from 1799-1803, the spouses
of daughters have been determined. (Key
data from these returns is shown in Appendix I). A summary of James Smith’s children appears
as follows, with the two children of most interest to Barron researchers,
Martha Smith Barron and John Smith, listed first:
1. Martha “Patty” Smith, b. 14 March
1770, probably in Craven County, NC, d. after 1854 (1855?) possibly in Butts
County, GA; m. William Barron c. 1790.
The family resided in Wilkes, Hancock, Baldwin/Putnam, Jasper/Newton,
Meriwether, Butts and Troup Counties, GA.
2. John Smith, b. 1767/1769, d. 16 June 1827 in Jones
County, GA; believed to have m. (1) [Prudence?] Barron; probably m. (2) Nancy Simmons on 11 December
1811 in Putnam County, GA; resided in Wilkes, Hancock, Baldwin/Putnam, and
Jones Counties, GA.
3. Nathan Smith, b. 9 March 1750/1751, d. 30 April
1816; m. Sarah “Sally” Foster; resided in Wilkes County, GA.
4. Mary Smith, b. c. 1760,
d. probably 1810/1815; m. Dempsey White; resided in Wilkes and Washington (?) Counties, GA, and Natchez
District/Claiborne/Warren Counties, MS.
5. Sarah Smith, b. possibly
before 1765, d. unknown; m. William Thompson; resided in Wilkes and Washington (?) Counties, GA, and probably in
Natchez District/Claiborne County, MS, or (less likely) in Putnam, and
Jasper Counties, GA.
6. Jacob Smith, b. before
1765, d. late 1790/early 1791; m. Susannah
Thompson (daughter of Benjamin Thompson);
resided in the part of Wilkes County that became first a part of Oglethorpe
County, then Greene County, GA.
7. Joseph Smith, b. c. 1775,
d. 10 December 1865; m. (1) Polly Foster on 4 December 1799 in Wilkes County, GA; (2) Martha
Guthrey Andrews on 30 January 1848 in Henry County,
GA; resided in Wilkes, Greene, Putnam, Jasper and Henry Counties, GA.
8. Rachel “Zechie” Smith, b.
late 1770s, d. 23 September 1848; m. William
Chaffin; resided in Wilkes,
Walton/Jasper/Newton Counties, GA.
9. Elizabeth Smith, b.
early 1780s in Wilkes County, GA, d. (possibly) after 1837 in Kemper Co., MS;
m. David Collum; resided in Wilkes (?), Hancock (?) Counties, GA, Claiborne/Warren
Counties, MS, Missouri Territory, Jasper County, GA (?), and Kemper County, MS.
**********************************
1. Martha “Patty” Smith, b. 14 March 1770, probably
in Craven County, NC, d. after 1854 (1855?) possibly in Butts County, GA; m. William Barron (according
to John Davis Garrard, he was a son of William Barron and Prudence Davis Barron
of Wilkes County, GA, who may have previously resided in Craven County,
NC). He was b. May 1769, d. November
1848 in Butts County, GA.
Most published Barron family histories to date list William
Barron’s wife as Martha “Patty” Farr, based on documents written by John
Davis Garrard in the 1890s. [Source: 18
August 1892 letter to J.D. Barron and a document dated 1928 under the name of
Mrs. Frank R. Hean, entitled “The Barron Family of Warren County, Georgia, and
Descendants.” Though Mrs. Hean may have
updated this document, the original must have been Mr. Garrard’s work based on
such personal comments as “I was present at his (William Barron, Jr.’s) death”]. However, the evidence presented by James
Smith’s will and estate records (see Appendix I below
for detail) and his deed of land in Oglethorpe County (transcribed below) which
name his daughter, Patty Barron, and his son-in-law, William Barron, indicates
that William Barron’s wife was actually Martha “Patty” Smith.
William Barron and Martha Smith are believed to have married c.
1790, based on the birth of their oldest child in 1791. William Barron first appeared in Wilkes
County, GA, in 1791 paying a poll tax. His name is listed from 1791-1794 living near his mother, Prudence
Davis Barron, and his brother, John Barron, who appeared through 1793. [Source: Wilkes
County, Georgia Tax Records, 1785-1805, Vol. 1 & II, by Frank Parker Hudson].
(Note: In 1790, his mother
Prudence, John, and another brother, Samuel, were shown in Captain Lipham’s
District. From 1791 through 1793,
Prudence, John, and William Barron were listed in the same district. In 1794, Prudence and William were listed in
Captain McFarlin’s District, but Prudence appeared to own the same land as in
previous years. In 1795, Prudence was
still in McFarlin’s District, but William was listed in Thornton’s District,
and for the first time, owned property: 125 acres located on Rocky Creek,
adjacent John Carter). Neither Prudence
nor William owned slaves in the Wilkes County tax records.
In addition, the “Return of the Infantry of the Second Battalion
of the First Regiment of Wilkes County Militia Commanded by Major Aaron Lipham”
dated 18 October 1793 lists William Barron, (his brother) John Barrons (sic),
and (brother-in-law) Jacob Garrott (sic) in the Fourth Company. [Source: We Have This Heritage, by
Robert M. Willingham, Wilkes Publishing County, 1969, pp. 63-65].
William Barron and family resided in Wilkes County, GA, until
1795. He purchased his first land --
the 125 acres listed on the 1795 tax roll -- in Wilkes County in January 1795
and sold it seven months later, removing to Hancock County, GA, which was just
a few miles to the southwest. [Sources:
Wilkes County Deed Book RR, p. 159: John Combs to William Barron, 20 January
1795; Wilkes County Deed Book NN, p. 169: William Barron to John Ridley, 30
August 1795, 125 acres on dry fork of Rocky Creek]. William’s brother, John, had moved with his family to Hancock
County about 1794. Another brother,
Samuel, may have been in Greene, later Hancock, by 1791. Since William Barron did not sell his land
until August 1795, he was listed on the Wilkes County tax roll.
William Barron was identified as a resident of Hancock County in
June 1796, at which time his father-in-law, James Smith, gave him and John
Smith (son of James, see child #2 below) 217 acres in
Oglethorpe County. The abstract of this
deed is as follows:
p.
335, Deed Book A: 25 June 1796, James SMITH of Wilkes County, GA, to John
SMITH of said county & William BARRON of Hancock County, GA.
James Smith for $10 & for fatherly affection & goodwill to my son,
John Smith, & my son in law, William Barron, 217 acres in Oglethorpe
County on Long Creek waters, is part of 400 acres granted to James Hart, 30 May
1787. 217 acres was sold by James Hart
to James Smith by deed, 24 January 1791…. (signed) James SMITH. Wit: Spencer
Foster, Edward Butler, J.P. Wilkes County.
[Source: Oglethorpe County,
GA, Deed Books A-E, 1794-1809, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1999, p. 43].
(See reference to this same property in James Smith’s will in Appendix I below.
The will identifies the recipient of the property gift as his daughter,
Patty Barron).
In December 1796, William Barron purchased 100 acres on Rocky
Creek in Hancock County adjacent to a Samuel Barron. This area is located east of the Oconee River, just north of the
current Hancock/Baldwin County line.
[Source: Hancock County Deed Book D, pp. 10-11: Jesse Clements to
William Barron, 12 December 1796, 100 acres on Little Rocky Creek, adjacent
Clements, James Mitchell, Samuel Barron, and Clowers].
William Barron was found in the 1798 Hancock County, GA, tax
returns (incorrectly identified by the DAR as 1795 returns in their
transcription). He was living on his
100 acres on Rocky Creek adjacent Pritchett, located in Captain (Samuel)
Barron’s District. (Samuel Barron was
named militia captain in January 1798, according to The History of Hancock
County, GA, Elizabeth Wiley Smith, vol. 1, 1974, p. 132). Brothers John and Samuel Barron lived
nearby.
Sometime after moving to Hancock County, William Barron joined
Island Creek Baptist Church by letter.
His name is recorded in the church’s second minute book in a membership
list brought forward from the earlier book.
Unfortunately, the date he joined the church is not listed and the first
record book did not survive. However,
the list appears to be in chronological order and placement of his name
indicates that he joined sometime between 1795 and 1799.
In 1801, William Barron and brother-in-law, John Smith, sold the
land inherited from James Smith located in Oglethorpe County. This deed appears as follows:
p. 258, Deed Book D - 21 March. 1801, William BARRON of Hancock
County, GA, & John SMITH of Wilkes County, GA., to Elisha
Smallwood of Wilkes County, for $200,
216 acres in Oglethorpe County on Long Creek waters, is part of 400 acres
granted to James Hart, 30 May 1787….
(signed) John (x) Smith, William Barron. It is hoped the justices of Oglethorpe County will give due
credit to same. Wit: Thomas Porter,
J.P. $200 recd.
[Source: Oglethorpe County,
GA, Deed Books A-E, 1794-1809, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1999, pp. 225-226].
In 1802, William Barron was listed in Captain Williams’ District
in the Hancock County tax returns as owning 100 acres on “Rockey” Creek,
adjacent (Brice) Miller (brother-in-law of Samuel Barron, William’s recently
deceased brother). Brother-in-law John
Smith had arrived from Wilkes County and lived nearby. [Source: 1802 Hancock County Tax Returns,
pp. 74 and 76].
William Barron lived on his Rocky Creek property in Hancock County
for a number of years. No other land
purchases made by William in the area have been found. He sold the 100 acres on 27 February 1804 to
Stephen Wright. [Source: Hancock Deed
Book H, pp. 503-504: Sale of 100 acres on Little Rocky Creek, bounded east by
James Mitchell, west by James Greene].
In the 1804 Hancock County tax digest, Brice Miller paid tax in
Kinchins’ District for a white poll on behalf of neighbor and
relative-by-marriage, William Barron.
Miller and John Smith were again listed nearby. [Sources: Tim Hudson’s abstracts and An
Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. III, 1804-1806, R. J. Taylor Jr.
Foundation, pp. 024 and 026 of the Hancock County Digest].
On 2 March 1805, Martha Barron was received into Island Creek
Church by baptism. [Source: Island
Creek Baptist Church’s second minute book].
Martha was thirty-five years old and had been married about fifteen
years. This late conversion experience
causes this Barron researcher to wonder if there is any credence to the family story
that Martha was Jewish
On 5 July 1806, William and Martha Barron were dismissed by letter
from the Island Creek Baptist Church in Hancock County. There seemed to
be a general decision by the Barrons and allied families to leave Hancock
County about this time, probably due to the opening of new Indian lands to
settlers. William’s brother, John Barron, moved southwest to Jones
County. William and his sister-in-law, Jane Barron (widow of Samuel), and
brothers-in-law, Jacob Garrard (husband of sister Elizabeth) and John Smith
(brother of wife Martha and likely the husband of William Barron’s sister),
moved their families west to Baldwin (now Putnam) County, GA.
In the few extant early Baldwin County records, it appears that
William Barron purchased lot 253, possibly in late 1804, the same time frame
that Jacob Garrard bought nearby lot 239.
Both lots were located on Rooty Creek.
(Though there is no record of William buying this land, he sold 60 acres
of this lot to his son, Thomas, on 18 March 1816. [Source: Putnam County, GA, Deed Book E, pp. 37-38]. The land was described as lying on Rooty
Creek, adjoining James Barron’s lot 240 (on the southwest). James, also a son of William Barron, had
bought lot 240 in the second district of Baldwin (now Putnam) County, on 1
February 1814 from Richard and Mary Turner of White Marsh Island. [Source: Putnam County, GA, Deed Book E, pp.
297-299].
Jacob and Elizabeth Barron Garrard were Baptists and attended
Rooty Creek Baptist Church. Though no
records confirm it, it is likely that William and Martha’s family also attended
the Rooty Creek Church.
William Barron, Jacob Garrard, and John Smith were listed in the
1807 Baldwin County tax digest.
[Source: Georgia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Fall 1994, Vol. 30,
No. 3, “The First Families of Baldwin, Morgan, and Putnam Counties, 1807,”
contributed by Robert S. Davis Jr., p. 161].
These men were listed under Stephens’ 2nd Land Lottery District (now
Baldwin and Putnam Counties). Since
they were shown as paying property tax, they all had to have purchased land in
Baldwin prior to this time. Later that
same year, the area of the county in which they were living was incorporated
into newly-formed Putnam County.
In 1813, William Barron, Jacob Garrett (sic), John Roquemore
(husband of William’s daughter Mary Elizabeth), John Doss (whose daughter
married William’s son, James), and several Simmons families lived in Captain
William S. Morgan’s District in Putnam County.
[Source: 1813 Tax Roll Putnam County, GA, contributed by Margie
Glover-Daniels, found on the Putnam County GenWeb site].
William Barron, his son, James, Jacob Garrett (sic) and John
Rockmore (sic) still resided in William S. Morgan’s District in Putnam County
during the 1815 tax period. [Source: An
Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. V, 1814-1817, R. J. Taylor Jr.
Foundation, pp. 075, 076 and 077 of the Putnam County Digest]. In nearby districts lived Martha Barron’s
brother, Joseph Smith, (See child #7 for detail) and
John McKissack, who had married Jane Barron, widow of William’s brother,
Samuel.
William and Martha Smith Barron moved a few miles northwest to
Jasper County, GA, in 1817. On 29
November 1817, William sold his Putnam County property. [Source: Putnam County Deed Book F, p. 243:
170.5 acres on a “branch” not named (possibly Rooty Creek) from William Barron
to Thomas Edmundson]. Shortly
thereafter, on 8 December 1817, William Barron “of Putnam County” purchased a
tract of land on Shoal Creek in northern Jasper County. [Source: Jasper County Deed Book B., p. 108:
Mason Harvel sold to William Barron of Putnam County 202.5 acres, lot 208 in
the 19th district of Baldwin County, now Jasper, on Sholl (Shoal) Creek]. By the following spring, William and
Martha’s two adult sons -- James S. and Thomas Barron -- had sold out in Putnam
County and joined their parents in Jasper County. Their daughter and son-in-law, Mary Elizabeth and John Roquemore,
followed later. The 1820 Georgia census
records William, James, and Thomas Barron living in Jasper County (pp. 236 and
252). William was listed with 2 Ms
10-16, 1 M 16-26 (who was also between the ages of 16-18), 1 M 45+, 1 F 45+. He was also shown as owning two female
slaves aged 14-25. Thomas and James
each owned one slave. This information
is of interest, because no previous or subsequent tax, census, or other records
found to date have indicated that William Barron or his sons owned slaves. In “Recollections of John R. Barron (about
1940),” the great-grandson of William Barron (through his son, Smith)
states: “My father’s people never were
slaveholders. They didn’t believe in
slaves.” [Original manuscript in the
possession of Edna (Mrs. Carl) Weber, Lubbock, TX, in 1962]. Whether the family owned slaves briefly, but
had a change of heart, or whether the 1820 census record is incorrect is
unknown at this time.
In the 1820 Jasper County census records, several of Martha
Barron’s siblings lived nearby, indicating continuing close family ties over
the years. The family of Joseph Smith
was listed on page 204. William Chafin
(sic), husband of Zechie Smith, was noted on page 228, near William and Martha
Barron’s family on page 236.
William’s younger sons -- Henry, Joseph, Smith, and John Barron --
married in the next few years in Jasper or newly-formed Newton County.
In September 1818, soon after their move to Jasper County, William
and Martha Barron joined Liberty Baptist Church. Liberty Church was organized in 1815 in the area of Jasper County
that became a part of Newton County in 1821.
The congregation survived until 1851, at which time it had so few
members that the church disbanded and the members joined what is now Carmel
Baptist Church near Mansfield, Newton County, GA. [Source: Liberty and Carmel Baptist Church records, Newton
County, GA, located on microfilm, Drawer 74, Box 72, in the Georgia State
Archives].
The August 1822 minutes of this church state that “Bro. William
Barron [was] ordained a Deacon by laying on hands by Bro. Nickols and
Montgomery.” (This latter name refers
to David Montgomery, a Revolutionary War veteran). William Barron’s son-in-law, John Roquemore, was made a deacon in
1826. While at Liberty, William Barron
served several times as church moderator, on appointed committees and as
messenger to the annual Baptist association meetings.
Among
the host of recognizable surnames of relatives, close associates, and/or former
Wilkes County neighbors (such as Martin, Smith, Thompson, Doster, Roquemore,
Hays, Reeves, Strickland, Garrett/Garrard, Hammock, Farr, and Spears) who
appear on Liberty Church’s membership list, there is one particularly
interesting name: Rachel Chaffin. The
minutes indicate that Rachel Chaffin joined Liberty in early 1824 and was
dismissed by letter later that year.
Apparently, this Rachel Chaffin was Zechie Smith Chaffin, sister of
Martha Smith Barron (see child #8).
In 1826, William and Martha’s son, Smith Barron, followed his
father-in-law, James Reeves, west across the Ocmulgee River into newly-opened
Butts County, GA. Smith settled
adjacent to James Reeves in the north of the county near present-day
Fincherville. On 21 April 1827, William
Barron resigned his deaconship from Liberty Baptist Church in Newton County,
perhaps in anticipation of following his son to Butts County. Sometime later that year, sons Henry and
John, joined their brother, Smith, in Butts, settling near Smith’s property in
the gently rolling red lands outside what is now the county seat of
Jackson. Smith, Henry and John were all
listed in the 1828 Butts County Tax List.
Though William purchased land in Butts in October 1827 (located
farther south than that of his son Smith), it is debatable whether he actually
settled there that year. [Source: Butts
County Deed Book B, p. 26: On 2 October 1827 (less than two weeks after
William’s youngest son, John, married in Newton County), William Barron
purchased 127.5 acres of lot 85 in Henry (now Butts) County; witnesses: John
Barron, Susan Barron]. William and
Martha may have delayed their move until after 8 May 1829, the date they were
dismissed from Liberty Church in Newton County.
When Joseph Barron joined his father, William, and brothers in
Butts County in 1830, he chose to settle next to his brother, Smith. Perhaps William and Martha had moved closer
to their sons, as well. Even though
William still owned his property farther south, he was listed in the 1830
census adjacent to three of his four youngest sons -- Henry, Smith and Joseph
(p. 167); John Barron was enumerated four pages later (p. 171). William’s family consisted of only himself
and Martha: 1 M 60-70 and 1 F 60-70 with no slaves.
Later that year, tragedy struck the family when William and
Martha’s youngest child, John, who was just twenty years old, died. John left a widow, Susan, and perhaps the
young daughter who was listed with the family in the 1830 census.
In 1833, William sold the 127.5 acres that he had purchased in
1827. [Source: Butts County Deed Book
C, p. 425: On 26 December 1833, John Eidson purchased the west side of lot 85
in Henry (now Butts) County]. John
Davis Garrard (grandson of William Barron’s sister, Elizabeth Barron Garrard)
wrote in the 1890s that “in his (William’s) old age he broke up and lived with
his son, James and then his son Henry in Butts County, Georgia.” There is some truth to Garrard’s claim,
though the story appears to be more complex.
In January 1836, William Barron, wife Martha, and daughter-in-law
Susan (widow of son John), joined newly-formed Carmel Baptist Church in
Mansfield, Newton County, Georgia.
Church records indicate that the three brought letters from Mount
Pleasant Baptist Church, a sister church in Newton County. (Other members of Mount Pleasant included
Hiram Garrard, William Barron’s nephew, and Elizabeth and Keziah Farr, who were
sister and step-mother of Susan Farr Barron).
Their earlier membership at Mount Pleasant indicates that William,
Martha and Susan may have returned to Newton County from Butts soon after the
settlement of the estate of John Barron – possibly as early as 1834. William and Martha remained in their old
county for several years.
On 10 March 1838, William authorized the Carmel church clerk to
grant letters of dismission to him and Martha “if called for.” On 13 October 1838, the church furnished the
couple with letters. Susan Barron
(later Susan Peters) remained a member of the church until February 1848.
Perhaps William and Martha Barron moved near their eldest son,
James, in spring 1838. James already
resided in Meriwether County, GA, in the 1830 census (p. 151). By the 1840 census, William and Martha lived
next door to James’ now-motherless family.
[Source: 1840 Meriwether County census, p. 100]. Again, there were just the two family
members: William aged 70-80 and Martha also aged 70-80, with no slaves.
But
the records of Hephsibah Baptist Church, Troup County, GA, complicate the
story. Since the 1840 census enumerates
William and Martha in Meriwether County, living adjacent the family of son
James, it would be expected that William and Martha would have joined
Fellowship Baptist Church, where James was a deacon. Instead, we find that on 24 September 1838, William and Martha
Barron joined Hephsibah Baptist Church in Troup County by letter. Hephsibah was some miles away from son
James’ home in Meriwether. But it was
the church of William and Martha’s sons, Joseph and Smith Barron. William and Martha remained at Hephsibah for
2 ½ years, during which time William served on a few church committees. On 22 May 1841, William and Martha were
dismissed by letter. [Source: Hephsibah
Baptist Church minutes, Troup County Archives]. Did they then move back to Butts County?
According to John Davis Garrard, William was living with Henry in
Butts County when “he died in Nov., 1848, being 81 years and 5 or 6 months
old... I saw him frequently until I was
near 21 years of age. I was present at
his death and burial. Was the only one
besides his wife who witnessed his death, as he died very suddenly, although
complaining of hurting in his breast all the forepart of the day. I had gone on a visit to see him from Newton
County presuming that I would not have the opportunity to visit him any
more.” [Source: 18 August 1892 letter
to J.D. Barron]. Garrard described
William’s teeth in his old age as being “all perfect and as white clean and
pretty as a child’s could be at three or four years of age.” [Source: “The Barron Family of Warren
County, Georgia, and Descendants”].
Mrs. Margaret Etheredge, a descendant of William’s son, Henry, wrote,
“In 1848 he (William) died at the home of his son, Henry, who lived on Lot No.
169 near Old Bethel Church. He is
buried in a pasture on this lot.”
[Source: History of Butts County, Georgia, p. 287]. Martha Barron, age 80, was living with
Henry’s family in the 1850 Butts County census listing (p. 353).
But, by November 1852, Martha Barron had returned to Newton County
once again. On the 13th of
that month she rejoined Carmel Baptist Church, some fourteen years after
leaving the church to move to western Georgia.
Martha’s daughter, Mary Barron Roquemore, and her husband John were now
members at Carmel, following the consolidation of its congregation with that of
Liberty Baptist Church. The Roquemores
had been long-time members of Liberty, and Liberty was the church William and
Martha Barron had joined when they first arrived in what was then Jasper County
in 1818. Newton County seemed to continue
to draw the Barrons back from their westward migrations.
Martha remained a member at Carmel for just over two years. During that time she probably lived with the
Roquemore family. On Christmas day,
1854, daughter Mary Barron Roquemore died.
A few weeks later, on 15 January 1855, “Sister Patsy Barron” was
dismissed from Carmel Church by letter.
At almost 85 years of age, she must have been moving to live with
another of her children. Martha has not
been found in the 1860 census. One
family source states she died while living with Henry's family in 1855.
The children of William Barron and wife, Martha “Patty” Smith,
were:
a. James S. Barron, b. 29 November
1791, d. 18 January 1856 in Meriwether County, GA; m. (1) Mary Doss on
10 December 1812. She was b. 5 April 1794, d.
5 December 1839. He m. (2) Sarah
H. Martin on 14 November 1841. She was b. 12 June 1807, d.
12 April 1891. All bur. in Barron
Cemetery, Gay, Meriwether County, GA.
[Source: Birth and death dates from grave stones. Family Bible gives James’ death date as 1856
(written over 1855). Bible dated
January 22, 1838].
b. Thomas Barron, b. 27 October
1793, d. c. 1858 in Pike County, AL; m. Elizabeth Doss on 2 January 1817
in Putnam County, GA. She d. 1861 in Pike County,
AL.
c. Mary Elizabeth (Polly)
Barron, b. 10 June 1792 (Bible record) or 5 September 1796 (grave
stone), d. 25 December 1854 in Newton County, GA; m. John Roquemore on 5
August 1813 in Putnam County, GA. He was b. 7 May 1789, d. 10
June 1859. Both are bur. in Carmel
Cemetery, Mansfield, Newton County, GA,
d. Henry Barron, b. 8 November
1801, d. 12 August 1880; m. (1) Elizabeth Strickland on 21 June 1821 in
Jasper County, GA. She was b. 30 December 1799,
d. 13 December 1842. He m. (2) Penelope
Eidson on 19 November 1843. She was
b. 10 June 1809.
e. Joseph Barron, b. October
1803, d. 27 July 1839 in Troup County, GA; m. Sarah Graham Hays on 1
August 1822 in Newton County, GA. She was b. 8 November 1804
in SC, d. 1 November 1879 in Smith County, TX and was bur. in New Harmony
Cemetery, Smith County, TX.
f. Smith Barron, b. August
1805, d. c. 1868 in Pike County, AL; m. (1) Lucy N. Reeves on 6 April
1824 in Jasper County, GA. She was b. c. 1805, d. 29
October 1846. He m. (2) Sarah
Graham Hays Barron (widow of his brother Joseph) in c. 1847, probably in
Troup County, GA. She was b. 8 November 1804
in SC, d. 1 November 1879 in Smith County, TX, and was bur. in New Harmony
Cemetery, Smith County, TX.
g. John Barron, b. 5 March
1810, d. about October 1830 in Butts County, GA; m. Susan Farr on 2
October 1827 in Newton County, GA. They
had at least one child (1830 Butts County census). Susan Farr Barron later married John Peters in Newton
County, GA, on 31 December 1839. She was b. 30
September 1801 in
GA, d. 21 September 1878.
*************************************
2. John
Smith, b. 1767/1769, d. 16 June 1827 in Jones County, GA.
He is believed to have m. (1) [Prudence ?] Barron, and probably
m. (2) Nancy Simmons on 11 December 1811 in Putnam County, GA. Nancy was b. c. 1790, d. after 1860.
John’s first wife is believed to have been a Barron, a daughter of
William (?) and Prudence Davis Barron, based on several pieces of
evidence. First, in the LDS Ancestral File
submitted by Elzyvee S. Judd [Box 1, Springdale, UT 84767], John Smith’s wife
is identified as Prudence, surname unknown.
(See www.familysearch.com). Evidently Ms. Judd was not aware of a
possible Barron connection. But since
the given name Prudence is relatively uncommon generally -- but very common in
the Davis family of Craven County, NC -- the possibility that John Smith’s wife
might have been named Prudence does fit with the expected naming pattern in the
family of Prudence Barron.
Further, John Smith named a daughter Prudence (called “Prudy” in
his will), and two men who appear to be John’s sons, James and Basil Smith,
named daughters Prudence or Pruda. The
Barron wife possibility is strengthened when one considers that, in addition to
a child named Prudence, James had another child named Hiram Barron Smith. William and Prudence Davis Barron had a
grandson named Hiram Barron -- son of John and Elizabeth Garrard Barron. (See Appendix II
below for more information on the James and Basil Smith families).
Another indication that John Smith married a Barron wife is that,
in 1796, he appears to be one of the legatees who signed off on selling the
deceased Prudence Davis Barron’s personal and real estate:
[Deed Book QQ, p. 156] Prudence
BARRON, late of Wilkes County, decd., did by her last will & testament
appoint James WILLIS & Samuel BARRON,
exors. WILLIS & BARRON made a sale of the personal
estate of Prudence BARRON & now
about to make sale of the real estate.
We the undersigned indemnify the exors. for the sale already made &
about to be made, 19 October 1796. (signed)
Samuel BARRON for Nancy BARRON,
Jacob GARRARD, John (X) SMITH, Polley
BARRON. Test: R. B. WASHINGTON, A. LIPHAM, J.P. Rec 17 March 1798.
[Source: Wilkes County,
Georgia, Deed Books A-VV, 1784-1806, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1996, p.
529].
Note
that all of the individuals who signed off to sell Prudence Barron’s personal
and real estate have the surname of Barron, with the exception of Jacob Garrard
(a proven son-in-law of Prudence) and John Smith (believed to be a
son-in-law). The above abstracted item
appears in Wilkes County, GA, deed records.
Prudence Barron’s will is lost.
In
addition, John Smith bought Prudence Barron’s land two years later:
[Deed Book RR, p. 293] 9 January 1798, Samuel BARRON to John SMITH, both of Wilkes County, for
$200, 100 acres, part of tract granted to Prudence
BARRON on Little River waters, on N. side of said land, lying in an exact
square, adj. N. by MILLS & PORTER, E. by PORTER, S. & S.W. by BROOKS,
W. by LIPHAM. (signed) Samuel BARRON.
Wit: Wm. TRIPLETT, A. LIPHAM, J.P. Rec. 18 July 1799.
[Source: Wilkes County, Georgia,
Deed Books A-VV, 1784-1806, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1996, p. 595].
John Smith first appeared in Wilkes County, GA, tax records in
1790, paying one poll and listed next to James Smith. Thus, assuming this was his first tax to pay, John’s birth could
be estimated at c. 1769. However, since
the Wilkes County tax lists for 1788 and 1789 are missing, he could have been
born as early as 1767. John Smith
appeared as Prudence Barron’s neighbor from 1794 through her death in
1796. Tax records show that he
continued to live in this Wilkes County neighborhood through 1800. He apparently was a resident there as late
as March 1801, at which time he and his brother-in-law, William Barron (see
Martha Smith, child #1 above for more detail), sold the
216 acres in Oglethorpe County, GA, that had been given them by James Smith in
1796. (See Appendix
I below for full text of will).
John Smith appeared in the 1797 Wilkes County tax records with the
following land (and no slaves). Similar
entries occur through 1800:
1797 - J - Capt. Samuel
Wilkerson’s Dist.
Line
9 - John SMITH -- (1) 216 acres in Oglethorpe County on Indian Creek
adj. M. Moore and orig. granted to Jas. Hart, and (2) 100 acres in Wilkes
County on Little river adj. Lewis Willis, orig. granted to P. Barron.
[Source:
Wilkes County, Georgia, Tax Records,
1785-1805, Vol. 1 & II, by
Frank Parker Hudson].
In July 1801, John Smith sold the 100 acres he owned in Wilkes
County that had originally been granted to Prudence Barron:
[Deed
Book UU, p. 95] 27 July 1801, John SMITH to William PROCTER (PRAETOR),
both of Wilkes County, for $200, 100 acres in Wilkes County on water of N. side
of Little River, being part of a tract originally granted to Prudence BARRON, adj. BROOKE’s old
line, Thomas PORTER, PORTER & MILES, MILES fence, Lewis WILLIS, BROOKE’s
old line. (signed) John (x) SMITH. Wit: Patrick SHANNON, Lewis WILLIS. Received
$500 (not $200 as in deed), 20 July 1801. 13 February 1802, proved by Lewis
WILLIS before Thomas PORTER, J.P. Rec 2 January 1804.
[Source:
Wilkes County, Georgia Deed Books A-VV,
1784-1806, by
Michal Martin Farmer, 1996, p. 739].
On 5 June 1801 in Hancock County, GA, John Smith, William Barron, and
David Collum (all brothers-in-law) were buyers at the estate sale of one
Charles Waller. (Note: This may just be
coincidental, but Wallers appear in mid-1700s Craven County, NC, records as
contemporaries of the Smith, Rice, Foster, Barron, and Davis families. Also, this Charles Waller estate in Hancock
County had as appraisers John Bond Sr., Gideon Bond, and William Brooks -- all
of whom had ties to the Samuel Barron, son of Prudence Barron). [Source: Hancock County, GA, Wills and
Estates, Vol. AAAA, pp. 83-86].
John Smith purchased 100 acres on Island Creek in Hancock County
from John Hammok on 6 November 1801.
[Source: Hancock County Deed Book I, pp. 4-5]. Both John Smith and William Barron were listed in the 1802
Hancock County tax returns as living in Captain Williams’ District (pp. 74 and
76). The two men were again shown as
living in proximity in Kinchins’ District on the 1804 Hancock County tax
digest. [Source: An Index to Georgia
Tax Digests, Vol. III, 1804-1806, R. J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, pp. 024 and
026 of the Hancock County Digest].
In 1807, John Smith and William Barron were listed in the Baldwin
County, GA, tax returns under Stephens’ 2nd Land Lottery District
(now Baldwin and Putnam Counties).
[Source: “The First Families of Baldwin, Morgan, and Putnam Counties,
1807,” contributed by Robert S. Davis Jr., Georgia Genealogical Society
Quarterly, Fall 1994, Vol. 30, No. 3, p. 161].
It appears that John Smith sold a portion of his Hancock County
property to John Garrard (the father of Jacob Garrard, who married William
Barron’s sister, Elizabeth). [Source:
Hancock County Deed Book L, p. 439: 14 February 1810, John Smith to John
Garrard, both of Jones County for $200, tract in Hancock on Big Island Creek,
64 acres. Witnesses: James Sockwell,
Robert McGough].
John Smith is probably the man of this name who married Nancy
Simmons in Putnam County, GA, on 11 December 1811. (Note: Putnam County marriage records also show the marriage of
Bazzel (sic) Smith to Malinda Simmons on 8 April 1814. Basil, as mentioned above, was likely the
son of John Smith, and Melinda was a sister to Nancy Simmons). There are a number of land transactions
involving a John Smith in both Putnam and Jones Counties, but most have not yet
been identified as the “right” John Smith.
However, there are several Jones County deeds that tie a John
Smith to the Simmons family and to the Hammock family from whom our presumed
John Smith purchased his property in Hancock County: On 3 December 1813, Jeremiah Jackson of Baldwin County sold to
John Smith 50 acres of lot 53 in the 6th district of Jones
(originally Baldwin). The land was
described as adjacent Simmons, Williams and Hammack. [Source: Jones County Deed Book F, p. 206]. On 20 January 1814, William Simmons sold to
James Hammock, 50 acres (the south corner) of lot 53 in the 6th
district. [Source: Jones County Deed
Book E, p. 232].
In Jones County’s tax records for 1816, John Smith was listed in
Jefferson #358 District with near neighbors, William and Richard Simmonds (sic)
and Hugh M. Comer. The Comers had ties
to the Barrons from the early part of the century in Hancock County. [Source: An Index to Georgia Tax Digests,
Vol. V, 1814-1817, R. J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, pp. 024-027 of the Jones
County Digest].
As would be expected with such a common name, there were several John Smiths living in Jones County in the 1820 Georgia census. The most likely candidate for John Smith, son of James, is the man found on page 152 in Captain George’s District, though the age is not correct. This man was shown as aged 26 to 45. The son of James Smith would have been at least 51, having been listed on the Wilkes County tax records as early as 1790. Near neighbors included such recognizable allied names as Samuel Barron (relationship to the William and Prudence Barron family as of now unknown), George Cabiness, Henry Lockett (p. 151), Wilie Barron and John Cabiness (p. 149), Joel Gammon, Benjamin Lamar (p. 148), and Anderson Comer (p. 143). This John Smith had children whose ages match relatively well with what is known about the children of James Smith’s son, John: 2 M <10, 2 M 16-26 (of which one was 16-18), in addition to the M 26-45 (John, Sr.); 1 F <10 and 2 F 10-16 (Prudence, Nancy and Sarah), 1 F 16-26 (wife, Nancy) and 1 F > 45. John owned five slaves. It is known that two of John’s sons (Basil and James) were already married, and William may have been married, as well. Other children may have been born later.
John Smith wrote his will on 18 March 1826 and died on 16 June
1827 [Source: Smith Bible (probably belonged to son Nathan Smith), transcribed
in Bible Records, Vol. 4, Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society: Be
It Known and Remembered, 1966, pp. 40- 41.
Complete transcription of Smith Bible recorded in the Nathan Smith
section of Appendix II]. The will was filed on 2 July 1827 in Jones County, GA. He named his wife, Nancy. He then identified his sons John Jr.,
Nathan, Willis,
Joseph, Asa, Bassel, James, William, and Henry Smith, and daughters Prudy
Smith, Nancy Cook and Sarah Gammon. [Jones County Will Book A, pp 160-161]. The will indicates that John, Prudence,
Nathan, Willis, Joseph, and Asa Smith were either underage or unmarried. Another son, Henry, must have been mentally
or physically impaired, as John Smith directed that “the balance of my property
to be for the maintainance (sic) of my Son Henry during his natural life…” (See Appendix II
below for full text of John Smith’s will).
From the 1830 Jones County census listing for John’s widow, Nancy
Smith (p. 431), and the 1840 listing for Nancy Garner (p. 122), it appears that
one, possibly two, son(s) could have been born after the 1820 census. In addition, a daughter, Cynthia (named in
the suit referenced in the next paragraph), apparently was born after John
Smith’s will was written. In 1830,
Nancy Smith’s family consisted of 1 M 5-10 (probably Asa), 1 M 10-15 (probably
Joseph), 1 M 40-50, 1 F <5 (Cynthia), 1 F 40-50 and five slaves. Neighbors included James Gunn (p. 433),
son-in-law John B. Manning, John Gunn, Moses Gunn (p. 434), and Anderson Comer
and Samuel Gammon (p. 437).
On 1 June 1833, the widow of John Smith, Nancy Smith, married John
Garner. Within a year, they had a
son. But, on 20 December 1835, Garner
had abandoned his wife and son and moved to Jasper County. [Source: Nancy Garner vs. John Garner, Libel
for Divorce, dated 10 October 1836, filed in Jasper County, GA; original
document in Georgia Archives]. On the
same date as the Libel for Divorce, Nancy and the heirs of John Smith, Senior,
who had not yet received their full inheritance filed a complaint against John
Garner to prevent him from taking slaves and land (located in Jones County)
that belonged to the John Smith estate and were in possession of Nancy
Garner. John Garner was arrested on 7
December 1836 and posted $8000 bond on 10 December to ensure his compliance. [Source: John Smith et al vs. John Garner,
Bill for Discovery, Jasper County Superior Court; original document in Georgia
Archives]. The significance of the
documents in this case is the snapshot provided of the family of John Smith,
Senior, nine years after his death. All
children were named: John, William, Sarah (and husband Silas Gammon), Joseph,
Asa and Cynthia were plaintiffs in the case; Joseph, Asa and Cynthia were
identified as minors. Bassell and James
had received their inheritance through a gift of land and did not participate;
nor did James, Nathan, Prudy (widow of John B. Manning) and Nancy (and husband
William A. Cooke); these children had completed their inheritance by dividing
money received from sale of a slave after John Smith’s death. Willis and Henry had died, leaving no descendants,
sometime after John Smith’s 1826 will was written.
Nancy Smith Garner’s family is listed in the 1840 Jones County
census with 1 M 5-10 (John W. Garner), 1 M 15-20 (possibly Asa), 1 M 20-30
(possibly a farm laborer), 1 F 15-20 (Cynthia) and 1 F 50-60 (Nancy Garner),
with 8 slaves. On the same page is
listed the young family of Joseph Smith, likely her son.
Nancy Garner, age 63, b. GA, is listed in the 1850 Jones County
census, living with her youngest son John W., age 17, student. (p. 225). The family of her son, Joseph Smith, is
enumerated on p. 198. The rest of John Smith’s children appear to have moved
away from Jones County to other counties in Georgia, as well as Alabama,
Mississippi, Louisiana, and the Republic of Texas.
In 1860, a Nancy Garner, age 87, b. GA, owning personal property
valued at $2000, is found living with the family of John Stewart, age 37,
miller, and Narcissa (Ross) Stewart, age 35, b. GA. Though the age for this Nancy Garner does not coincide with ages
given in previous censuses, it seems likely that this was the same Nancy
Garner. Her relationship with the
Stewarts is unknown, but living next door was the family of her son, Joseph
Smith. [Source: Jones County, GA,
census, pp. 521 and 522]. Nancy Garner,
the Stewarts and the Smiths have not been identified in the 1870 census.
Below is a summary of John Smith’s children. Note that it has not been confirmed which
children were those of his first wife (nee [Prudence?] Barron) versus those from
his apparent second marriage to Nancy (nee Simmons?). However, it is believed that John, Nathan, Basil, James, William,
Nancy, Sarah, Willis and Prudence were from John Smith’s first marriage. The 1850 and 1860 censuses indicate that
Prudence Smith was born in 1810. If
this John Smith did indeed marry Nancy Simmons in December 1811, his first
wife, [Prudence?] Barron Smith apparently died sometime in 1810/1811, soon
after the birth of daughter, Prudence.
From the ages given for Joseph, Asa, and Cynthia in the case
against John Garner, they were definitely children of his second marriage; it
is likely that Henry was, as well.
(Additional information on some of the children is given in Appendix II below).
a. Basil Smith, b. 1 August
1793, d. 21 November 1879 in Rapides Parish, LA; m. Melinda Simmons on 8
April 1814 in Putnam County, GA.
b. James Smith, b. 26 March
1797 in GA, d. 30 March 1880 in Lafayette County, MS; m. Martha Sarah Pool
on 30 March 1819 in Jones County, GA.
c. William Smith
d. Sarah “Sally” Smith, b. c. 1800 in
GA, d. before 1867 in Smith County, TX; m. Silas Gammon on 12 October
1820 in Jones County, GA.
e. Nancy Smith, b. 28 February
1802 in GA, d. 1869 in Walker County, TX; m. William Alston Cook in c.
1819 in GA.
f. John Smith Jr. Possibly the John Smith who m. Nancy
Bridges on 20 April 1826 in Jones County, GA.
g. Nathan Smith, b. 1 July 1807
in GA, d. 19 May 1885 in Claiborne Parish, LA; m. Levinia (Loveina) --?--
on 13 November 1828 in GA.
h. Willis Smith, d. 1827/1836
with no descendants.
i. Prudence “Prudy” Smith, b. c.
1810 d. 29 July 1868 in Claiborne Parish, LA; m. (1) John B. Manning on
4 December 1827 in Jones County, GA; m. (2) John E. W. King on 23 April
1840 in Troup County, GA.
j. Joseph Smith. Likely the Joseph Smith who m. (1) unknown;
m. (2) Nancy Cleland on 24 October 1844 in Jones County, GA.
k. Henry Smith, d. 1827/1836
with no descendants.
l. Asa Smith, possibly b. c.
1822/1824 (?), m. Martha --?--.
m. Cynthia Smith, b. c. 1826.
**********************************
3. Nathan Smith, b. 9
March 1750/1751, d. 30 April 1816; m. Sarah
“Sally” Foster (daughter of William and Phoebe/Phebe
Foster, and granddaughter of William Shepherd Foster) c. 1782. She was b. 13 December 1765, d. 4 April 1820
in Wilkes County, GA. The Fosters and
James Smith (father of Nathan) all were residents of Craven County, NC, prior
to moving to Wilkes County, GA. (See Appendix III for discussion of the Foster family).
A Nathan Smith is listed as a Revolutionary War soldier who fought
at the Battle of Kettle Creek in 1779.
[Source: Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers in Georgia, by Mrs.
Howard H. McCall, 1968, p. 249]. Also,
in 1784, a Nathan Smith petitioned for 575 acres of bounty land. This acreage indicates he was applying on
the basis of service as a soldier.
[Source: Georgia’s Revolutionary Bounty Land Records, 1783-1785,
by Nicole M. O’Kelley and Mary Bondurant Warrant, 1992, p. 115]. Whether this is the Nathan who was the son
of James Smith is not known.
However, it is likely that the Nathan Smith who applied for two
certificates of 250 acres each was James’ son.
This quantity of 250 acres was the amount of bounty land reserved for
citizens as a reward for not plundering or distressing the country. [Source: “Georgia Bounty Land Grants,” by
Alex M. Hitz, http://www.sos.state.ga.us/archives/rs/gblg.htm]. Certificate numbers 808 and 1043 for Nathan
Smith and 809 and 1044 for William Foster (Smith’s father-in-law) for 250 acres
each were taken up by Benjamin Catching.
[Source: Georgia’s Revolutionary Bounty Land Records, 1783-1785,
by Nicole M. O’Kelley and Mary Bondurant Warrant, 1992, pp. 37 and 44].
Apparently, there were at least two Nathan Smiths living in Wilkes
County, GA, during the early 1790s through the early 1800s. Both owned land near Beaverdam Creek in the
vicinity of James Smith, father of one of the Nathans. Only by charting the two men through the
various tax digests (published by Frank Parker Hudson) and by comparing
neighbors and land acreage, grantees, and land descriptions in Wilkes County
deeds can these two men be distinguished.
In 1792, Nathan Smith of Rowan County, NC, purchased 150 acres of
land from Jacob Autry. This Nathan
Smith was listed in 1792 and subsequent tax years through 1801 as owning 150
acres of property in the same area of Wilkes County. In the tax records, this property is located near the headwaters
of Beaverdam Creek, which Frank Parker Hudson labels tax district “K” or “M.” In 1801, Nathan Smith Sr. sold the land to
(his son?) Nathan Jr. [Source: Wilkes County, Georgia, Deed Books A-VV,
1784-1806, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1996, pp. 176 and 747].
The other Nathan Smith was the son of James Smith. This is probably the Nathan Smith who owned
no property in the 1785 tax listing, living near both Jacob Autrey (sic) and
William Foster. In 1789, he purchased
200 acres from his father-in-law, William Foster. [Source: Wilkes County,
Georgia, Deed Books A-VV, 1784-1806, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1996, p. 154:
Wilkes County Deed Book GG, p. 215].
However, he is listed as paying taxes on this land as early as 1786 and
is listed as owning the property through 1805, the latest digest
published. Beginning in 1792, more
detailed information was provided on the Wilkes tax list, and Nathan Smith’s
200 acres were described as located adjacent James Smith. Nathan owned no slaves. Two published tax lists for later years
record only this Nathan Smith in Wilkes County. In 1809, Nathan Smith is listed on the same page as his son
Elbert, with son-in-law, Charles Philips (sic), on the following page. [Source: An Index to Georgia Tax Digests,
Vol. IV, 1809-1811, R. J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, pp. 096 and 097 of the
Wilkes County Digest]. In 1816, Nathan
and Elbert Smith are again found on the same tax page, with son-in-law, Leonard
Chaffin, living nearby. [Source: An
Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. V, 1814-1817, R. J. Taylor Jr.
Foundation, pp. 126 and 121 of the Wilkes County Digest].
The property of this Nathan Smith was situated in the tax district
listed by Frank Parker Hudson as “N,” which was located on Kettle and Beaverdam
Creeks. In 1798, he bought an
additional 100 acres from William Foster’s nephew, William Shepherd Foster. The land was described as being granted to
William Foster and formerly held by Drury Brazeal, James Smith, Nathan Smith,
and Charles Phillips. (Charles Phillips
Jr. married Nathan’s daughter). Nathan
Smith made a gift of this property to his son, Elbert, in 1805. [Source: Wilkes
County, Georgia, Deed Books A-VV 1784-1806, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1996,
pp. 556 and 813. See deed from William
Shepherd Foster to Nathan Smith in Deed Book RR, p. 73, and deed from John and
Sarah Rice, same book, p. 75. Also,
Nathan Smith to Elbert Smith in Deed Book VV, p. 358].
Evidently, Nathan Smith was the only child of James Smith to
remain in Wilkes County, GA, where he left a will dated 20 April 1814 and
probated 1 July 1816. His wife, Sally,
son, Elbert, and son-in-law, James Dorough, were named executors. The estate records named the legatees of
Nathan Smith. [Source: Early Records
of Georgia, Vol. I, by Grace Gilliam Davidson, pp. 99 and 197; also Vol.
II, p. 293]. The descendants of
this Nathan Smith and wife, Sarah Foster, have been extensively researched (and
recently published) by Art Seder of Virginia and Florida.
The
children of Nathan Smith and wife, Sarah Foster, all born in Wilkes County, GA,
were:
a. Elbert Smith, b. 4 April 1783, d. 10
July 1837 in Wilkes County, GA; m. Elizabeth Lybas in c. 1802. She was the daughter of William Lybas, who
emigrated to Georgia from Rockingham County, NC. In the 1830 Wilkes County census, Elbert owned 18 slaves.
b. Elizabeth Smith, b. c. 1785; m.
James Dorough.
c. Sally Smith, b. 1784, d. 1815 in Wilkes
County, GA; m. Charles Phillips Jr., c. 1804.
d. Mary “Polly” Smith, b. 1790; m. Leonard
Chaffin on 23 January 1812.
e. Phebe (Phoebe) Smith, b. 1800; m. Robert Moss on 4
February 1819.
f. Nathan Foster Smith, b. 1800, d. December 1866 in
Pulaski County, AR; m. Catherine Evans in 1827 in Newton County, GA.
g. William B. Smith, b. 1802; m. (1) Elizabeth --?--; m. (2) Mary
Snider (Snyder).
h. James B. Smith, b. 1803; m. Barbary
Nash on 13 December 1827 in Wilkes County, GA .
Some of this couple’s children resided in Newton County, GA, in
the same time frame as descendants of Nathan’s siblings, indicating a
continuing closeness of the extended family.
********************************
4. Mary
Smith, b. c. 1760, d. probably 1810/1815 in
Claiborne County, MS; m. Dempsey White. He was b. c. 1760, d. 1823 in
Warren County, MS.
James Smith identified his daughter, Mary White, in his 1797 will,
indicating that she was already married.
On 16 March 1801, Demsey (sic) White was among the heirs listed as
receiving a share of James Smith’s estate.
(See Appendix I for will transcript and summary
of estate records).
Records for Dempsey White in Georgia are sparse. In 1784, Dempsey White petitioned for bounty
land for Revolutionary War service as a private in the Georgia State
Legion. He requested land in Washington
County. However, the bounty was not
granted as his war service could not be proven. [Source: Georgia’s Roster of the Revolution, by Lucien
Lamar Knight, 1920, pp. 189 and 403].
Original documents housed in the Georgia Archives include a
certification of Jas Jackson “late Lt Col G L Legion” dated 26 March 1784 “that
Dempsey White served under me from the fall of Augusta to the evacuation of
Savannah as a good and faithfull (sic) citizen.” A second is “Demsy” White’s petition for 287 ½ acres of bounty
land in Washington County.
Dempsey White appeared in Wilkes County, GA, tax returns in only
one year -- 1785 -- at which time he paid taxes on 100 acres of land located in
Capt. Thompson’s Militia District in Wilkes County; he owned no slaves. This district was placed into Greene and
Washington Counties in 1786. (See Sarah
Smith, child #5, for more information about the
district). Other Whites paying taxes in
this militia district were James White (1 poll only) and William White (200
acres). Perhaps this land was a portion
of the 150 acres authorized to be laid out for “Demsey” White by Benj Catching
CWC of the Court of Justices of the county of Wilkes on 1 August 1785. [Source: original document Headright/Bounty
file in Georgia Archives.]
From a 1998 post on GenForum appears the following (contact has
not been made with the submitter although several attempts have been made):
“Looking for info on ancestors and
descendants of Demsey White, from Wilkes Cty GA to Miss in 1795 w/son
Reuben. Reuben's son
Nathan S. was b. 1811 and m. Narcissa
Ann Gayden. The family later moved to
Houston, TX. Dave Dixon <dixoneast@aol.com>"
If indeed Dempsey and Mary Smith White moved to Mississippi
Territory in 1795, then they must have been living elsewhere besides Wilkes
County, GA, from 1786 through 1794, as Dempsey White did not appear in Wilkes
County tax records for that time period.
Only two other mentions of Dempsey White have been found between
1785 and James Smith’s will dated 1797.
In 1787, 150 acres were granted to Dempsey White in Wilkes County. [Source: Index to the Headright and Bounty
Grants of Georgia, 1756-1909, by Silas Emmett Lucas Jr., 1970, p. 702:
Grant Book OOO, p. 188]. Reuben,
Daniel, John, and William White also received grants in Wilkes County in 1787.
Additionally, a 1793 militia muster roll for Washington County included
“Damey” White and Reuben White in District 5, Second Battalion, Second
Regiment. [Source: Records of
Washington, County, Georgia, Marie De Lamar and Elisabeth Rothstein, 1985,
p. 97]. It is assumed that “Damey”
White was Dempsey White. The possibility
that Dempsey White lived in Washington County, along with brother-in-law,
William Thompson, is strengthened by several pieces of evidence placing William
Thompson in Washington County between 1789 and 1798. (See Sarah Smith, child #5 below for
detail).
Sometime
between 1793 and 1798, Dempsey White moved his family to the Natchez District
of the Mississippi Territory. His
brother-in-law William Thompson may have moved his family at the same time.
Returns for James Smith’s estate in March 1803 included receipts
in November 1802 of “Wm Thompson for himself and Demcy [sic] White.” It is possible that Thompson may have acted
on behalf of Dempsey White since White (and possibly Thompson) had moved from
the area.
On 30 March 1798, 640 acres on Bayou Pierre were patented for
Demsey (sic) White in the northern part of the Natchez District that later
became Claiborne and Warren Counties, MS.
[Source: First Settlers of the Mississippi Territory, by Frances
Terry Ingmire and Carolyn Reeves Ericson, 1982, p. 85, Certificates entered
with Register of Land Office for District West of Pearl River, September 1806:
Cert. 30 recorded Vol. 4, p. 31].
Notation was made that the patent was derived by occupancy, inferring
that White lived on the property prior to 1798.
On the same date, 640 acres were patented to both Joseph and
Thomas White, also derived by occupancy and situated on Bayou Pierre. And on 13 September 1794, Thomas White was
patented 400f (probably f equals arpents: a French land unit equal to about
0.85 acre) on Bayou Pierre. Finally,
100 acres were registered in September 1806 for Reuben White on Bayou Pierre,
but no patent date was given. However,
one claim stated that Ralph Humphreys purchased land on Bayou Pierre from
Reuben White in about 1789. [Source: First
Settlers of the Mississippi Territory, by Frances Terry Ingmire and Carolyn
Reeves Ericson, 1982, pp. 26, 89, 90, 93, and 95]. Records indicate that Thomas White Sr. moved with his family from
North Carolina to Mississippi by 1793.
His sons included Thomas Jr., Joseph, Benjamin and Reuben White. [Sources: Mississippi Court Records,
1799-1835, by J. Estelle Stewart King, 1936, 1969, pp. 72 and 76; also The
Order of the First Families of Mississippi, 1699-1817, Charles Owen
Johnson, 1981, p. 85]. However, Thomas
White’s son, Reuben, had apparently died prior to 1806 and another Reuben (son
of James and Jerusha White) had moved to Louisiana. [Source: Research of Nancy Royce, Dickinson, TX, April 2001, e-mail
correspondence, nanc@lsfm.org]. So could this Reuben White living on Bayou
Pierre have been the brother or son of Dempsey White? At this time it is not known how Thomas White’s family was
related to Dempsey White.
It appears that Dempsey White lived near Reuben White and Ralph
Humphreys. In 1804, Ralph’s son, George
W. Humphreys, claimed land on Bayou Pierre, adjoining Henry Green and Llewellyn
Price, by right of his father’s occupancy.
The claim was contested, supported by a deed from Samuel or James (both
names cited in document) Davenport to William Thompson, dated 1 December 1797,
and witnessed by Dempsey White. In
order to be available as witness, White would likely have lived nearby. [Source: The Natchez Court Records,
1767-1805, Abstracts of Early Records, The May Wilson McBee Collection,
Vol. 2, 1953, p. 553: Claim #1455]. In
addition, in February 1804, Dempsey White, George W. Humphreys, and Llewellen
Price served together on a jury in Claiborne County. [Source: Mississippi Court Records, from the May Wilson
McBee Papers, 1958, p. 34]. And William
Thompson, JP, married three possible children of Dempsey White in 1800 and
1801: Ann White to Samuel Goodwin, Elizabeth White to Noah Blackwell, and Robert
White to Phillepina Hamberlin. (See Appendix IV below for detail).
This William Thompson who purchased land from Davenport and served
as a justice of the peace in the Natchez District may have been the husband of
Sarah Smith, sister of Dempsey White’s wife, Mary Smith. (See child #5 below
for more detailed discussion).
In addition to Humphreys, Price, Davenport, and Thompson, other
near neighbors were identified in an unrecorded land claim for 172 acres on
Bayou Pierre by George Cochran on 29 March 1804. The land plat showed Hezekiah Harman (sic), Christopher Braxton,
and Dempsey White as owning adjoining land.
[Source: The Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Abstracts of Early
Records, The May Wilson McBee Collection, Vol. 2, 1953, p. 559: Claim
#1536]. Hezekiah Harmon’s property was
described as being located on the south bank of Bayou Pierre, two leagues from
its mouth, 40 miles north of Fort Panmure (also known as Natchez). [Source: The Natchez Court Records,
1767-1805, Abstracts of Early Records, The May Wilson McBee Collection,
Vol. 2, 1953, p. 367].
Extant Claiborne County, MS, tax and census records list Dempsey
White from 1805 through at least 1816. By 1818, he no longer appears on the tax
roll. (And the 1820 census shows him in
nearby Warren County). Many of the tax
records are enumerated in alphabetical order, which give no clue as to who his
neighbors were. However, the
1807 roll seems to list individuals by proximity. Over three consecutive pages are found many
of the expected neighbors of Dempsey White: first page – Sarah Thompson
(probably William Thompson’s widow); second page – Shadrick and James Foster
(sons of William Foster, a neighbor of White’s from Georgia), Hezekiah Harman,
Josiah Flowers (who performed several White marriages); third page – Dempsey
White, Reuben White, Noah Blackwell (husband of Elizabeth White, who was likely
Dempsey’s daughter). Other Whites
(relationship unknown) were listed several pages farther down.
The 1810 tax list is equally interesting. On the same page we find Hezekiah Harmon,
Shem Thomson, James Devenport. Skip a
page, then are recorded Josiah Flowers and Spencer, James and Shedrick
Foster. On the next page are listed
Gibson Foster and George W. Humphreys.
Skip a page, then are listed James Hermon, Levi Thomson, Sarah
Thomson. Next page: Waterman Crane,
Robert Cochran. Next page: William
Foster and Noah Blackwell. Next page
Reuben and Dempsey White.
In 1810, the Dempsey White family was listed in the Claiborne
County, MS, census with 1 M > 21, 3 Ms < 21, 1 F > 21, 2 Fs < 21
and no slaves. Enumerated on the same
page were Reuben White and Noah Blackwell.
[Source: research of Nancy Royce].
Living in the same county was Thomas White (Jr.), with several men who
were apparently related. [Sources:
Mississippi Court Records, 1799-1835, by J. Estelle Stewart King, 1936,
1969, pp. 72 and 76; also The Order of the First Families of Mississippi,
1699-1817, Charles Owen Johnson, 1981, p. 85].
In an indenture dated 18 Apr 1812, Dempsey White “of Claiborne
County” deeded to Noah Blackwell of same 230 acres, “part of a tract whereon I
now reside,” containing 640 acres, witnessed by Reuben White. [Source: Claiborne County Deed Book E, p.180]. This 640-acre tract was probably the land
patent Dempsey White received in 1798.
And in the 1816 MS tax digest, Dempsey was recorded in Claiborne County
on the same page as Samuel Goodwin, husband of Ann White (likely Dempsey’s
daughter). Reuben White and several of
Thomas White Jr.’s sons were also living in Claiborne County. [Sources: research of Nancy Royce; also Early Inhabitants of the Natchez District
(MS), by Norman E. Gillis, 1963, p. 112].
If the female aged over 21 enumerated in Dempsey White’s family in
the 1810 census was his wife, Mary Smith, she apparently died in the following
years. Two records indicate that by
1815 Dempsey White married Hannah Fake.
On 13 November 1815, Dempsey White was appointed guardian of George
Fake, “an infant under 14 years.”
[Source: Claiborne County Records of Orphans Court 1805-1819].
In an indenture dated 21 December 1816, Dempsey White and Hannah,
his wife, of Claiborne County, and Thomas Fake and Zilpha, his wife, and
Christian Hackler and Elizabeth, his wife, of Jefferson County sold to Isac
(sic) Perkins of Adams County 178 acres on the waters of the north fork of
Coles Creek in Jefferson County, part of 500 arpents granted by the Spanish
Government of Louisiana to Martin Hestler now deceased, being the same tract
conveyed by Christian Hackler and others to John Fake now deceased. The following exception applied: “George
Fake an infant under 20 years is an heir at law of his father, said John Fake
deceased, entitled to a child's part undivided in said tract of 178 acres,
which said part is not intended to be conveyed by these indentures.” [Source: Jefferson County, MS, Deed Book A1,
p. 204].
From these records, it appears that Hannah was either the widow of
John Fake (and mother of George, who became ward of her new husband, Dempsey
White) or a daughter (with siblings: George, Thomas and Elizabeth Fake).
Josiah Flowers, who had married a sister (Abial) of Hezekiah
Harmon (neighbor of Dempsey White as early as 1804), performed the marriages of
Phebe White to Joseph Powell in 1816, and Celia White to Edward Cook in
1817. (It should also be noted that Dempsey
White’s son, Nathan married one of Hezekiah Harmon’s daughters, Rebecca. Another son, Reuben, married the daughter of
another of Hezekiah Harmon’s sisters, Lovina Harmon Tabor). [Source: The Order of the First Families
of Mississippi, 1699-1817, Charles Owen Johnson, 1981, p. 35].
Dempsey White moved from Claiborne to neighboring Warren County, MS, sometime between 1816 and 1818. In the 1820 census, Dempsey was enumerated in Warren County. His family included 1 M 16-18, 2 Ms 18-26, 1 M >45 and 1 F >45, with 1 slave. Two persons were employed in agriculture. [Source: 1820 Warren County census, p. 124]. Nearby, lived three other men related to Dempsey’s family: son, Nathan White; likely sons-in-law, Edward Cook and Joseph Powell; and Felix Thompson, ward of Reuben White. [Sources: 1820 Warren County census, pp. 119, 122 and 124; also Claiborne County Records of Orphans Court, 1805-1819.] Reuben White and several of Dempsey White’s likely sons-in-law, Samuel Goodwin and Noah Blackwell, continued to live in Claiborne County near sons of Thomas White Jr. [Source: 1820 Claiborne County, MS, census, pp. 4, 5, 7, and 9].
Also, of interest, was a set of men named Dempsey, Monty, and
Reuben White listed in the 1820 Lawrence County, MS, census (pp. 61, 64, and
75). Lawrence County is located some
100 miles southeast of Warren County.
In these families, both Dempsey and Reuben were aged 26 to 45 years
old. These men may have been related to
the elder Dempsey White in Warren County.
There is a will filed in Warren County for a Demsey (sic) White,
dated 21 April 1823, identifying property to go to wife, Hannah, with remainder
of property to be divided between sons and daughters (not named). Son, Nathan White, and likely son-in-law
Edward Cook were named executors, John Labdell and likely son-in-law Joseph
Powell, security. Cook refused
executorship. [Sources: Mississippi
Court Records, 1799-1835, by J. Estelle Stewart King, 1936, 1969, p. 129;
also Warren County, MS, Wills and Bonds 1823-1827, p. 6].
A Nathan White and Foster Cook were bondsmen for the estate of
William White in 1822. Reuben White was
estate administrator. [Source: Mississippi
Court Records, 1799-1835, by J. Estelle Stewart King, 1936, 1969, p.
134]. This Nathan White may have been
Dempsey’s son, and it is possible that William White may have been Dempsey
White’s brother (who lived nearby in 1785 Wilkes County, GA), but the
relationship of the other two men to Dempsey White is undetermined.
There are no listings for the name Dempsey White in the 1830
Mississippi census index.
It has not been proven that the Dempsey White of Claiborne and
Warren Counties, MS, was the man who married Mary Smith of Wilkes County,
GA. If this is the correct Dempsey
White, Dempsey remarried after Mary’s death.
It is noteworthy that William Foster was formerly a neighbor of the
Dempsey White in Wilkes County, GA, (and of Mary Smith’s father, James). Foster’s daughters, Sarah and Polly, married
Mary Smith White’s brothers, Nathan and Joseph Smith. (See Appendix
III for details on the Foster connection).
Foster’s family moved Claiborne County, Ms, once again becoming neighbor
to the Dempsey White there. Also in the
vicinity was David Collum, who married Mary Smith White’s sister, Elizabeth
(see
child #9 below). And it is likely that the William Thompson who lived on Bayou
Pierre in Claiborne County may have been the man who married Sarah Smith,
sister of Mary Smith, wife of Dempsey White.
More research is needed on this family.
A partial list of likely children of this Dempsey White (and
possibly Mary Smith) was created during the research of Nancy Royce and shared
for use in this article (see Appendix IV for more
detail):
a. Elizabeth White, b. 1777/1780;
m. Noah Blackwell on 2 October 1800.
Marriage performed by William Thompson, JP.
b. Reuben White, b. 1777/1780,
d. 1831; m. Nancy Tabor.
c. Ann White, b. c. 1780; m.
Samuel Goodwin on 25 June 1800 in Pickering County, MS (later Claiborne,
then Jefferson County). Marriage
performed by William Thompson, JP.
d. Robert White, b. before
1784; m. Phillepina Hamberlin on 6 December 1801. Marriage performed by William Thompson, JP.
e. Nathan White, b. 26 Aug 1792, d. 30
May 1835 in Yazoo County, MS; m. Rebecca Harmon.
f. Phebe White, b. c. 1797; m.
Joseph Powell on 26 December 1816 in Claiborne County, MS. Marriage performed by Josiah Flowers.
g. Celia White, b. 1795/1800;
m. Edward Cook on 9 January 1817 in Claiborne County, MS. Marriage performed by Josiah Flowers, bond
by Edward Cook and Reuben White.
Bettye
Green’s research added two children to this list: Margaret White, who married Elisha Flowers, and Lavina White,
who married Moses Jones on 11 Oct 1827 in Claiborne
County, MS by Levi Thompson. Elisha
Flowers’ name is linked to the White and allied families in the 1810s and
1820s, indicating a close relationship.
But additional evidence is required to determine whether he did indeed
marry a daughter of Dempsey White.
Nothing more has been found about Lavina White and Moses Jones to
corroborate Bettye Green’s research.
A letter
written by Morris E. White (at age 93, from Tampa, Florida) to Gifford White on
27 September1984 indicated that there may have been another son named Dempsey:
“Demsey and his oldest son, Rueben, were living in Wilkes County, Georgia in
1785. About 1795 they came to Claiborne
County, Mississippi. There is a
family
rumor that Demsey White has a son, who was also named Demsey, but who went to
Kentucky and became quite wealthy, leaving many descendants.” However,
documentary evidence regarding this Dempsey White is lacking.
A separate list of children posted by James H. Sutton, Jr., (jayhsutton@aol.com) on Ancestry.com
(http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:1179340&id=I55321325)
does not include Elizabeth, Ann, Robert or Celia, but does include others. Mr. Sutton identifies the following children
of Dempsey White: Reuben, Charlotte, Nicholas, Harrison, Dempsey,
Nathan, Phoebe, Margaret, Rachel, but attributes them to another wife, Eliza
Bainbridge. Mary Smith is named as his
second wife and Hannah -- ?? -- as his third, with mention that the last two
wives had five children (unnamed) between them. Mr. Sutton advises that his information came from a relative who
wrote the family line on a large piece of wallpaper many years ago. He has no corroborating data. So, though the information may be valid, it
needs thorough investigation
*************************************
5. Sarah Smith, b.probably before 1765, d. unknown; m.
William Thompson. He was b. probably before 1765.
Sarah Smith was married to William Thompson by 1797, based on her
father’s will and estate returns. There
were many William Thompsons listed in the Wilkes County, GA, tax records
between 1785 and 1797. Some research
has been done to determine which of these men was most likely to have married
Sarah Smith. The most promising
candidate appears to be the William Thompson listed in Captain Thompson’s
District of the 1785 Wilkes County tax digest, identified by Frank Parker
Hudson as QQ District. This William
Thompson owned 700 acres in Wilkes County and 575 acres in Greene, likely a
Revolutionary bounty land grant, with no slaves. Nearby lived Demsey (sic) White (who married James Smith’s
daughter, Mary), William White, Benjamin Thompson (whose daughter, Susannah,
married Jacob Smith), Jesse Tomson (sic) (a son of Benjamin Thompson),
Elizabeth Thompson, and James Beasley.
[Source: Wilkes County, Georgia
Tax Records, 1785 - 1805, Vol. 1 & II, by Frank Parker Hudson]. So it is quite possible that this William
Thompson was the son of Benjamin Thompson.
District QQ was located west of the Ogeechee River and below its
south fork. It was placed into Greene
and Washington Counties, GA, in 1786.
Most of William Thompson’s neighbors were found in the 1789 Greene
County tax list. But Thompson, Dempsey
White, and James Beasley were not in Greene.
[Source: An Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. I, 1789-1799, R.
J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, Greene County Digest]. This could indicate that the men lived in a portion of Wilkes
that was placed into Washington County.
However, little information is available for Washington County.
It appears that several William Thompsons applied for land
bounties following the Revolutionary War.
It is not possible to discern with certainty whether any of these
applications came from the William Thompson identified above. However, there is one interesting
application for 575 acres of land in Washington County by a William Thompson as
a refugee soldier. The certificate was
signed by Colonel James Jackson of the Georgia State Legion on 6 April
1784. [Source: Georgia’s Roster of
the Revolution, by Lucien Lamar Knight, 1920, p. 170]. This militia group was not often listed in bounty
applications, but it was the same group named on Dempsey White’s application.
There are several original documents in the Headright/Bounty file
of the Georgia Archives from the courts of justices of Wilkes and Greene
counties, authorizing surveyors to lay out tracts of land for “William
Thompson.” Note that these grants could
have gone to any of the men of this name living in Wilkes County in the
1780s. However, three of these
documents are of special interest: (1) a grant of 200 acres in Wilkes County
“in the crook of the Beaverdam (crossed out: on the south fork of Little River)
above the station including a mill seat;” signed by Sanders Walker CLC of the
Court of Justices of the County of Wilkes, dated 5 August 1783. This document places a William Thompson in
the vicinity of the James Smith family.
(2) a grant of 200 acres in Wilkes County “on the waters of Ogeechee, in
lieu of an old warrant of Wm White;” signed Sanders Walker C.W.C. on 10 August
1784. Recall that the 1785 Wilkes
County Tax Records listed the William Thompson who mostly likely married Sarah
Smith living in District QQ near the Ogeechee River (as was William
White). (3) a grant of 500 acres to
Benjamin Thompson in Greene County, “in lieu of part of an old warrant of 575
acres in the name of William Thompson on Bounty;” signed by Matt. Rabun, A.J,
Test Hen. Graybill C.G.C. on 7 May 1787.
This document relates a William Thompson to Benjamin Thompson and
mentions an old land grant to William Thompson of 575 acres. William Thompson of 1785 Wilkes County Tax
District QQ owned 575 acres in Greene County.
Both this last identified old land grant of 575 acres to William
Thompson and the application by William Thompson for 575 acres in Washington
County mentioned in a previous paragraph may refer to land actually granted to
William Thompson in Washington County on 14 August 1784 and platted in Surveyor
Plat Book A. [Source: Washington
County, Georgia, Surveyor’s Plat Book A – 1784, by Clifford S. Dwyer, 1985,
p. 249.] The plat shows the tract to be
located on Rocky Fork and Hays (Creek), bounded on the east by Benjamin
Thompson, all other sides vacant.
Benjamin Thompson was surveyor.
On the immediate preceding page are shown the surveyed lands of Benjamin
Thompson and likely sons Zachy. and James.
The 575 acres in Washington in 1784 are probably the 575 acres listed in
the 1785 Wilkes County tax digest as the property (due to changing county
boundaries in Greene) of William Thompson of District QQ – the man most likely
to have married Sarah Smith.
The William Thompson in Captain Thompson’s District in 1785 Wilkes
County may be the man in the following two deeds:
5 August 1789, William Thompson and Sarah, his wife, of Washington
County to Daniel Bankston of same, 234 acres in Greene Co., bounded NE by
Ogeechee River, S by James Beasley and Joel Banckston, NW by James Runer? Granted 1 May 1789. Wit: Barton Hannon, Proved before Benj.
Thompson JP. Rec. 8 July 1793. Greene County, GA, Deed Book B, p. 15.
[Source: Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 92, p. 102].
This deed is of particular interest for several reasons. Thompson’s wife was named Sarah, though
there is no proof that she was Sarah Smith.
The land was bounded by James Beasley, who was a neighbor of William
Thompson in Captain Thompson’s District in Wilkes County, 1785. Also, the deed was witnessed by Benjamin
Thompson, JP.
A second deed seems to refer to the same William and Sarah
Thompson:
[pp. 78-80:] 22 October 1791, William Thompson of Washington Co.,
GA to Joseph Howell of Burke Co., GA for sum of 150 pounds current money for a
tract of land in Washington Co., GA on Ogech--(sic) River, containing 200 acres
being grant (sic) to said Thompson dated 24th September 1784. Wit: Joseph
Howell, Junr. and Jonathan Drake. This is to certify that I have examined
Sarah, wife to the within mentioned William Thompson. This day of October 1791.
Reg: 17 July 1798.
[Source: Land Deed Genealogy of Hancock County, Georgia, by
Helen & Tim Marsh, p. 142].
Most early Washington County records were lost, and this couple
has not been further identified.
However, there is a William Thompson listed as a tax defaulter in
Washington County in 1798. [Source: Records
of Washington County, Georgia, by Marie De Lamar and Elisabeth Rothstein,
1985, p. 133]. Perhaps this William
Thompson had moved out of the county before 1798.
At this time, there are two credible theories on what happened to
William and Sarah Smith Thompson. The
first, and most likely, is that the Thompsons moved to Claiborne County, MS,
near where Dempsey White settled. This
theory is presented in the paragraphs immediately following. The second theory, discussed below in Appendix V, is that the Thompsons remained in Georgia and
migrated in a similar pattern as the Barron, Chaffin, and Joseph Smith
families, settling in the area of Jasper/Newton/Walton Counties.
The first theory is supported by the following data:
On 30 March 1798, in the part of the Natchez District which later
became Claiborne County, MS, a William Thompson was patented 640 acres on Bayou
Pierre (the same location and the same day as Dempsey White's patent; see Mary
Smith, child #4, above for additional detail). [Source: First Settlers of the
Mississippi Territory, by Frances Terry Ingmire and Carolyn Reeves Ericson,
1982, p. 87: Certificate 93 recorded Vol. 4, p. 98]. In 1802, George W. Humphreys gave a quit claim to James Davenport
on 280 acres, “on which William Thompson now resides.” [Source: Mississippi Court Records,
from the May Wilson McBee Papers, 1958, p. 20: Claiborne County deeds]. And in 1804, Humphreys claimed land on Bayou
Pierre, adjoining Henry Green and Llewellyn Price. The claim was contested, supported by a deed from Samuel
Davenport to William Thompson, dated 1 December 1797 and witnessed by Dempsey
White. [Source: The Natchez
Court Records, 1767-1805, Abstracts of Early Records, The May Wilson McBee
Collection, Vol. 2, 1953, p. 553: Claim #1455].
On 26 March 1804, Stephen Douglass presented his land claim for
640 acres on Bayou Pierre, adjacent George Humphreys, Waterman Crane, ___
Thompson, Filmer Green, and Stephen Richards.
Witnesses were Samuel Goodwin (likely son-in-law of Dempsey White) and
Hezekiah Harman (sic) (Dempsey White’s neighbor). A deed was produced dated 1802 stating that the property adjoined
the lands of Phoebe Goodwin (mother of Samuel Goodwin), Filmer Green, and
Abraham Green. In addition, Arthur
Patterson provided a plat supporting his 26 November 1804 land claim on Bayou
Pierre showing neighbors G. W. Humphreys, W. Crane, and William Thompson. Samuel Goodwin was witness to Patterson’s
claim. [Source: The Natchez Court
Records, 1767-1805, Abstracts of Early Records, The May Wilson McBee
Collection, Vol. 2, 1953, pp. 543 and 584: Claims #1172 and #1978]. Indications are that Thompson was living in
the same neighborhood as Dempsey White.
Strengthening the relationship of William Thompson and Dempsey
White in Mississippi is the fact that a William Thompson, JP, married three
possible children of Dempsey White in 1800 and 1801: Ann White to Samuel
Goodwin, Elizabeth White to Noah Blackwell, and Robert White to Phillepina
Hamberlin.
Of special import are two deeds from Hancock County, GA [Deed Book F, pp. 140-141.] In the first, on 4 November 1802, Ann Thompson of Hancock sold to “William Thompson of the Mississipi (sic) Teritory (sic) and Clabourn (sic) County one Negro Girl….” Witnesses were Stephen Waller and Benj Thompson. The second deed states that on 9 November 1802, Ann Thompson, widow of Benjamin Thompson and executor of his estate, sold to “William Thomson (sic) my Son of the Mississippi Territory one Negro boy named Abraham which is a part of the Estate said Benjamin Thompson deceased….” Witnesses were James Wood, John Thompson and Benj Thompson. These two deeds show that William Thompson, son of Benjamin and Ann Thompson of Wilkes and later Greene and Hancock Counties, had moved to Claiborne County, Mississippi Territory prior to 1802. As indicated before, the William Thompson most likely to have married Sarah Smith was probably the son of Benjamin Thompson.
Note that Ann Thompson deeded two slaves to her son, William (of Mississippi
Territory), in Hancock County, GA, in November 1802. During that same month, William Thompson (husband of Sarah Smith)
submitted in nearby Wilkes County receipts to James Smith’s estate: “Wm
Thompson for himself and Demcy [sic] White in full of their legacies.” [Source: Early Records of Georgia, Vol.
II, by Grace Gilliam Davidson, p. 293].
It is interesting that Thompson provided a receipt not only for himself,
but also for his brother-in-law, Dempsey White, known to be living in
Mississippi. Did William Thompson
return to Georgia late in the year 1802 from his new home in the Mississippi
Territory to complete transactions involving the estates of his father and
father-in-law? And if so, did he die en
route from Georgia to Mississippi in late 1802/early 1803 or soon after his
return? The following Claiborne County
records indicate that this scenario may be plausible.
The 640 acres patented to William Thompson in what became
Claiborne County, MS, were granted on 9 February 1807 to legal representatives
of William Thompson. [Source: First
Settlers of the Mississippi Territory, by Frances Terry Ingmire and Carolyn
Reeves Ericson, 1982, p. 87]. This
description of the grantees fits with evidence that William Thompson died
sometime in 1803, when his estate was appraised (apparently in November
1803). [Source: Mississippi Court
Records, from the May Wilson McBee Papers, 1958, p. 33: Minutes of
Claiborne County Orphans Court Book A, p. 6].
On 15 August 1809, authorization was given Thomas White and others to
lay off land for Sarah Thompson, administratrix of “Will Thompson.” Further,
Gadi Gibson was assigned to oversee the road from Widow Thompson’s branch to
Robert Cochran’s gin with a crew of hands from Crane, Christian, Scott, William
Smith, David Smith, and Robert Cochran.
[Source: Mississippi Court Records, from the May Wilson McBee
Papers, 1958, p. 33: Minutes of Claiborne County Orphans Court Book A, p.
127]. Robert Cochran was related to
George Cochran, who lived adjacent Dempsey White (see child #4
above). [Source: The Natchez Court
Records, 1767-1805, Abstracts of Early Records, The May Wilson McBee
Collection, Vol. 2, 1953, p. 559: Claim #1537].
Sarah Thompson was listed in Claiborne County tax records as early
as 1805. This tax list was recorded in
alphabetical order, but the next available list, 1807, showed nearby
households, which included Hezekiah Harmon, sons of William Foster (a neighbor
back in Wilkes County, GA), Dempsey and Reuben White and Noah Blackwell. In 1810, Sary (sic) Thompson was listed in
the census of Claiborne and Warren counties with 1 M >21, 3 M <21, 1 F
>21, 2 F <21 and 3 slaves. The
Claiborne County tax list for that year identified her neighbors as Hezekiah
and James Harmon, Shem and Levi Thompson, James Davenport, William, Spencer,
James, Shadrack and Gibeon Foster, George W. Humphreys, James and Waterman
Crane, Robert Cochran, Noah Blackwell and Dempsey and Reuben White.
Sarah Thompson apparently died
soon afterward. Her name does not
appear in later Claiborne County tax digests.
The 1813 and 1814 tax records include a line item for “The Heirs of
William Thompson.” In a deed dated
1814, Levi Thompson and Mary, his wife, sold to Richard Sheffield 640 acres on
Bayou Pierre. This land had been
“confirmed to heirs of William Thompson, deceased,” and Levi was identified as
one of the heirs. Levi and Mary
appeared before H. Harman, JQ. [Source:
Mississippi Court Records, from the May Wilson McBee Papers, 1958, p.
23: Claiborne County deeds].
The following children of William and Sarah Thompson of
Mississippi were submitted to www.familysearch.com by Robert S. Duggan
Jr., 1112 Mason Woods Dr., Atlanta, GA 30329-3804:
Shem Thompson, b. c. 1782 in MS.
Levi Thompson, b. c. 1784 in MS.
Ann Thompson, b. c. 1786 in MS.
Sarah Thompson, b. c. 1788 in MS.
Asa Thompson, b. c. 1790 in MS.
Rachel Thompson, b. c. 1792 in MS.
Will Thompson, b. c. 1794 in MS.
Mary Thompson, b. c. 1798 in MS, d. 1825; m. Thomas Berry in 1814
in MS.
However, no documentation of these children is available at this
time.
The children’s names and their identified birthplace of
Mississippi do not conclusively connect this William Thompson family with
William and Sarah Smith Thompson of Wilkes County, GA. However, they do provide interesting items
for speculation. Note that the first
son's name was Shem. In checking various
sources, Shem appears to be a rather uncommon given name, not only generally,
but within the surname of Thompson. A
Benjamin Thompson, who died in Bute County, NC, in 1771, was the father of
Benjamin Thompson of Wilkes, Greene, and Hancock Counties, GA (father of the
wife of Jacob Smith and, apparently, of William Thompson, husband of Sarah
Smith). The elder Benjamin Thompson had
another son named Shem. Perhaps William
Thompson named son Shem for his uncle.
However, why did he not name one of his sons Benjamin for his father and
grandfather? And why were sons named
Levi and Asa, given names that have not been found in either the Benjamin
Thompson or James Smith families?
(Note: John Smith, son of James, did have a son named Asa, but it is
believed that he was named for the brother of his mother, Nancy Simmons Smith).
The daughter, Ann, could have been named for William Thompson’s
mother. Sarah could have been named for
her mother. Rachel might have been
named for an aunt (Rachel Thompson married Seymour Catching). Will would have been named for his
father. And perhaps Mary was named for
her Aunt Mary Smith White (wife of Dempsey).
The
information on William Thompson of Mississippi is far from complete. But it seems reasonable, if not likely, that
this was the man who married Sarah Smith of Wilkes County, GA. There are just too many coincidences to
explain away: the arrival in Claiborne
County, MS, of the families of William and Sarah Thompson and Dempsey White
soon after their disappearance in GA.
These two families were long-time close neighbors in Claiborne
County. Sarah Smith Thompson and Mary
Smith White from Wilkes County, GA, were sisters. Two of their brothers married daughters of William Foster of the
Wilkes County, GA, area. By 1807,
several of William Foster’s sons were neighbors of the William and Sarah
Thompson and Dempsey White of Claiborne County, MS. By 1810, William Foster himself had removed from Georgia to
become a near neighbor in Claiborne County.
After the deaths of Sarah Thompson and William Foster, the Thompson,
Foster and White children continued to live as neighbors over a period of
years.
**********************************
6. Jacob
Smith, b. before 1765, d. late 1790/early 1791
in Wilkes County, GA; m. Susannah
Thompson.
She was the daughter of Benjamin Thompson, b. possibly 1760s, d. before
1830, probably in Greene County, TN.
An original document in the Headright/Bounty file, Georgia
Archives, from Elijah Clarke certified that a Jacob Smith “was a prisioner
(sic) with thee british a(t) thee siege (sic) of Augusta(,) since has served
under me as a faithfull soldier and has always (sic) ben (sic) a friend (sic)
to his Contry (sic) Given under my hand
2d Decm 1784.” A
Jacob Smith requested Georgia land bounties in 1784, both as a soldier and for
not plundering the countryside during the war.
The first request was for 287½ acres in Washington County; the second
for 250 acres. [Source: Georgia’s
Revolutionary Bounty Land Records, 1783-1785, by Nicole M. O’Kelley and
Mary Bondurant Warrant, 1992, pp. 81 and 112].
Either the bounties were not granted, were not taken up, or were sold,
as these lands were not listed under Jacob Smith’s name on the Wilkes County,
GA, tax lists.
Jacob Smith died prior to the writing of the will of his father,
James Smith, on 2 January 1797, as his portion of the inheritance was left to his
children. In 1802, returns from the
estate were paid to Abel McIntosh, guardian of the heirs of Jacob Smith. (See Appendix I
below for a complete transcription of James Smith’s will and probate records).
Evidence indicates that this was the Jacob Smith, who between the
years 1785 and 1790, was listed in militia district EE, later GG, located on
the western border of Wilkes County, near the south fork of Little River. Each of these years Jacob owned 200 acres of
land and no slaves. [Source: Wilkes County, Georgia, Tax Records,
1785-1805, Vol. 1 & II, by
Frank Parker Hudson]. On 7 August 1786,
“the Court of Justice of the county of Wilkes” authorized David Criswill,
County Surveyor, to lay out for Jacob Smith a tract of land containing 200
acres in Wilkes County (signed Hry Mounger Pro and Benj Catching
CWC). This property apparently was the
land on which Smith lived as early as 1785.
[Source: original document in Headright/Bounty file, Georgia
Archives.] This district was reasonably
near James Smith’s home place, which was located to the northeast on Beaverdam
Creek. Jacob Smith had several
neighbors of interest who recurred in the tax records. In 1785, 1786, 1787, and 1790 (both 1788 and
1789 records are missing), Seymour Catching, Douglas Watson, and Frederick
Williams were listed. In 1790, the last
year recording this Jacob Smith, additional neighbors of note were Richard
Smith and Zachariah Thompson. This
Jacob Smith did not appear in later tax years.
On 24 March 1791, Nathan Adkinson sold to Zachariah Thompson 160
acres in the forks of Little River adjacent Douglas Watson, Frederick Williams,
and Jacob Smith. A second deed
written on 20 April 1791 described the purchase of 20 acres on Little River by
Zachariah Thompson from Douglass (sic) Watson.
This land was adjacent “widow Smith.” [Source: Wilkes County,
Georgia, Deed Books A-VV 1784-1806, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1996, p.
231]. The first deed places Thompson,
Watson, and Williams in proximity to Jacob Smith. The second, which again mentions Thompson and Watson, indicates
that Jacob Smith had died.
Jacob Smith’s death about 1791 was confirmed by the tax records
for that year. In district GG, “Seemore
Catchings,” Frederick Williams, Zachariah Thompson, and Richard Smith were once
again listed. Next door to Richard
Smith was a new name: Susannah Smith, who, like Jacob Smith before her, owned
200 acres of land and no slaves. In
1792, Susannah Smith was living next door to Zachariah Thompson, with neighbors
Richard Smith, Douglas Watson, Frederick Williams, and James Smith (who owned
no land). Joseph Citching (sic)
returned a poll for Seamore Citching (sic).
It is assumed that Seymour Catching moved to Greene County, GA, since he
was shown to own land there in previous Wilkes County tax records. Susannah Smith owned 400 acres of land
located on Little River adjacent to Duglass (sic) Watson and no slaves. It seems a reasonable deduction that
Susannah Smith was the widow of Jacob Smith.
In the 1793 tax records, Susannah Smith no longer appeared. Instead, there was a new name: Abel
McIntosh, who owned 200 acres adjacent to Thomson (sic). Again, Richard Smith, Zechariah Thomson
(sic), Frederick Williams, and Douglass (sic) Watson were in the neighborhood. Since Abel McIntosh was identified in later
probate records as the guardian of Jacob Smith’s orphans and in 1793 tax
records replaced the position in the neighborhood first held by Jacob and then
Susannah Smith, evidence indicates that McIntosh had married the widow Smith.
There were no further tax records of this district in Wilkes
County as the district became a part of Oglethorpe County in 1794 and Greene
County in 1799. Abel McIntosh appeared
in the 1796 and 1798 Oglethorpe County tax lists, and there were mentions of
both Zachariah Thompson and Douglas Watson in Oglethorpe County deeds during
this time frame. [Sources: Georgia
Genealogical Magazine, 1796 Oglethorpe County Tax List, Vol. 38, No. 3
(149), Summer 1998, p. 168; An Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. I,
1789-1799, R. J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, 1986, p. 004a of Roberts’ District
in the Oglethorpe County Digest; and Oglethorpe County, Georgia, Deed Books
A-E, 1794-1809, by Michal Martin Farmer].
In 1801 and 1805, Abel McIntosh was listed in Owen’s District in
Greene County. Living nearby was Joseph
Citchings/Citchens (sic). [Sources: An
Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. II, 1800-1802, R. J. Taylor Jr.
Foundation, pp. 025, 026, and 028; also Vol. III, 1804-1806, pp. 052 and
053 in Oglethorpe County]. Seymour
Catching was living in adjacent Hancock County in this time period. [Source: An Index to Georgia Tax Digests,
Vol. III, 1804-1806, R. J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, p. 034 in Graybill’s
District, Hancock County].
On 10 March 1797, Benjamin Thompson of Hancock County, GA, wrote a
will naming his children, including Rachel Catching, Benjamin Thompson, (the
heirs of) Zachariah Thompson, Jesse Thompson, William Thompson and Susannah
McIntosh. In probate records, Rachel
Catching’s husband is identified as Seymore (sic) Catching, but there is no
further mention of Susannah McIntosh or her husband. However, the naming of Susannah McIntosh as a daughter of
Benjamin Thompson adds further support to the likelihood that she was
previously married to Jacob Smith. As
noted above, neighbors in Wilkes County of first Jacob Smith, then Susannah
Smith, and finally Abel McIntosh were Susannah Thompson McIntosh’s brother,
Zachariah Thompson, and sister, Rachel Catching. [Source: Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Nos. 52-53,
Spring-Summer 1974, pp. 142-143].
An 1803 deed in Greene County from Jesse Thompson, likely son of
Benjamin Thompson, to Abel McIntosh provides additional evidence of ties to
Susannah Thompson McIntosh’s family:
Jesse Thompson of Hancock County sold to Abel McIntosh of Greene
County on 28 February 1801 for the sum of $234, one negro girl about five years
old named Milicent. Wit: Nancy Corby, Hancock County. Recorded 14 January 1803. Greene County Deed Book AA, Page
594.
[Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land Records: Deeds 1785-1810,
by Freda R. Turner, p. 352].
A second deed not only confirms the marriage of Abel McIntosh and
Susannah Thompson, but also names two allied couples:
Abel McIntosh and Susannah, his wife;
James SMITH and Frances, his wife, and Holland Watts and Salatha, his
wife, all of Greene County sold to Jesse Mercer of Greene County on 21 January
1807 for the sum of $1290, 200 acres of land in Greene County. Recorded 5
October 1807. Deed Book BB, Page 622 (No witnesses were listed.)
[Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land Records: Deeds 1785-1810,
by Freda R. Turner, p. 469].
Salatha Smith married Hollon (sic) Watts on 22 July 1805 in Greene
County, GA. [Sources: Original marriage
records from Greene County Probate Court and Colonial Georgia Marriage
Records from 1760-1810, by Frances T. Ingmire, p. 138]. (The original page shows a date of
1806. However, several books listing
early Georgia marriages show the date as 1805.
There must be additional information on adjacent pages indicating the
date was actually 1805). The allied
names of James Smith and Salatha Smith Watts to Abel and Susannah Thompson
McIntosh provide additional circumstantial evidence of the relationship to
Jacob Smith.
But it was two 1809 deeds in Jasper County, GA, that finally brought together
all of the puzzle pieces. Abel McIntosh
had been identified earlier as the guardian of Jacob Smith’s orphans and as the
husband of Susannah Thompson. By
comparing neighbors of Jacob Smith, his widow Susannah Smith, and of Abel
McIntosh, significant evidence pointed to Susannah Smith and Susannah Thompson
McIntosh as being the same woman. But
the (surviving?) orphans of Jacob Smith were finally identified in Jasper
County.
On 11 September 1809, James Smith, Holland Watts, and Salatha
Watts, his wife, all of Greene County, TN, “lawful heirs of Jacob SMITH,
deceased, appoint our friend Able (sic) McIntosh of the county and state afsd.
as our lawful atty. to convey land, drawn as a Bounty by the heirs of Jacob
Smith, dec’d, in the 15th Dist. Baldwin, lot 105, in GA.” On 4 October 1809, McIntosh sold the
property to Benjamin Thompson (Susannah Thompson McIntosh’s brother) of Hancock
County. [Source: Georgia Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 29, No. 3-4, pp. 223 and 227:
Jasper County, GA, Deed Book 3, pp. 104 and 150].
The combination of information from James Smith’s and Benjamin
Thompson’s wills, Wilkes County tax records, the 1809 Jasper County deeds, the
1807 Greene County, GA, deed, and Salatha Smith’s 1805 marriage confirmed that
Susannah Thompson first married Jacob Smith, bore him at least two children:
James and Salatha, and then married Abel McIntosh, who became the children’s
guardian.
Evidently, the January 1807 sale of property in Greene County, GA,
occurred just prior to a move by the McIntoshes, Smiths, and Watts from Greene
County. Since the property sold
consisted of 200 acres and was conveyed not only by Abel and Susannah McIntosh,
but also by her children by Jacob Smith, it is almost certain that this was the
land owned originally by Jacob Smith as early as 1785. The family must have remained on the farm
during the time it moved from the jurisdiction of Wilkes County to Oglethorpe
County and finally to Greene County.
After more than 20 years, the family was moving on.
By early 1807 there were numerous references to the three men in
Greene County, TN, beginning with a 19 March 1807 deed, in which they purchased
a tract of land from Daniel Jackson on Lick Creek. Witnesses included Susannah Thompson Smith McIntosh’s
brother-in-law, Saymore (sic) Catching, and John Catching.
In about 1811, Holland Watts and James Smith moved their families
to Kentucky. Watts served in the War of
1812 as a private in the 2nd Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel W. Jennings.
[Source: Claim of service in War of 1812 to obtain bounty land, filed 30
June 1851 in Mercer County, MO]. And
James Smith may be the James T. Smith who served as a private in Colonel Henry
Renick’s Kentucky Mounted Militia.
[Source: Family Tree Maker CD519 Early Kentucky Settlers, 1700s-1800s,
Kentucky Soldiers of the War of 1812].
On 31 December 1812, Watts, McIntosh, and Smith sold a portion of
the property on Lick Creek in Tennessee to Joseph Davis. McIntosh was identified as living in Greene
County, TN; Watts and Smith were living in Knox County, KY. On 17 August 1818, the three men sold additional
acreage to Joseph Davis. All three were
identified as being from Knox County, KY.
[Source: Greene County, Tennessee,
Deed Abstracts 1785-1810 and 1810-1822,
by Joyce Martin Murray, 1996 and 1997, p. 125 and pp. 38 and 125, respectively:
Deed Book 1, p. 101, and Deed Book 2, p. 89].
Abel McIntosh’s family was not found on the 1820 Greene County,
TN, or Knox County, KY, census.
However, he was listed as a single M aged 70-80, living alone, in the
1830 Greene County, TN, census (p. 192).
On 17 January 1835, Abel McIntosh wrote his will. His wife was not mentioned, as she had died
prior to 1830. Heirs were a son, Jesse,
to whom he gave property adjacent George Crosby and Joseph Davis, and a
daughter, Susannah, wife of David Woods (married 3 December 1829 in Greene
County). [Sources: Greene County, Tennessee, Wills, 1783-1890, p. 45; also Greene County, Tennessee, Marriages
1783-1868, both by Goldene Fillers Burgner, 1981]. McIntosh apparently died prior to 9 November
1835, on which date James T. Smith, Holland Watts and Salentha (sic) his wife filed a case
against Jesse McIntosh, David Woods and Susanna his wife, heirs at law of Abel
McIntosh, deceased. The case was continued for testimony on 12 September
1836 and decided on 14 February 1837. Thomas L. Williams, Chancellor,
decided that the complainants were not entitled to relief and that they
were to pay costs. The Smiths and Watts then announced an appeal to the
Tennessee Supreme Court. [Source: Chancery Court Minutes, Greene
County, TN, Nov. 1825 - Jan 1831 (actually continues through May 1876), by
Goldene Fillers Burgner, 1987, pps. 57. 59. 61]. The outcome of the appeal is not known. It is assumed, since James and Salatha Smith were not named in
their stepfather’s will, that they were contesting the document.
James T. Smith and Holland Watts were found in the 1820, 1830, and
1840 Knox County, KY, censuses. James
T. Smith was found again in the 1850 Knox County, KY, census, living near
various other Watts families. (Seymour
Catching was a neighbor in the 1820 and 1830 censuses, and John Catching lived
nearby in 1840 and 1850). There were
many Smith and Watts marriages during these years including Salatha Smith,
Susannah Smith, James Smith, Zachariah Smith, Abel Watts, and James Watts. These names reflected the given names of
Smiths, Thompsons, and McIntoshes of earlier generations. [Sources: Knox County, KY, censuses – 1820
(pp. 288 and 290), 1830 (pp. 244 and 248), 1840 (pp. 309, 310 and 313), and
1850 (pp. 347, 354, 356 and 361)].
The known children of Jacob Smith and wife, Susannah Thompson,
were:
a. James T. Smith, b. c. 1786 in GA; m. Frances Brooks on 26 June 1806 in Oglethorpe County, GA. (Note: The marriage transcription shows James L. Smith. But it is likely that this is the right
couple). From the 1850 Knox County, KY,
census: James T. Smith, age 64, wheelright, b. GA; Frances, age 64, b. GA;
Mary, age 35; Minervy, age 33; James L., age 18; and Sarah, age 26. (See Appendix VI
below for a partial listing of their children).
b.
Salatha Smith, b. 1780-1790, d. 10 March 1846 in Knox County, KY; m. Holland
Watts on 22 July 1805 in Greene County, GA. He d. 1 March 1845 in Knox County, KY. (See Appendix VI below for a listing of
their children).
The known children of Abel McIntosh and wife, Susannah Thompson,
were:
a. Jesse McIntosh, b. c. 1790; m.
Jane --?--. From 1850 Knox County, KY,
census: Jesse McIntosh, age 60, b. GA; Jane, age 49, b. VA; Susannah, age 28,
b. TN; Jane, age 18, b. KY, Jesse G., age 10, b. KY. (Note: it is possible that Jesse McIntosh was a child of Abel
McIntosh and an earlier wife).
b. Susannah McIntosh; m. David Woods
on 3 December 1829 in Greene County, TN.
(Note: It is interesting that the surname McIntosh figures prominently
with the Collums as discussed below under Elizabeth Smith (see child #9).
Specifically, a Jesse McIntosh was the first husband of Sophia Collum
(b. 1818 in GA). Sophia is believed to
be the daughter of Wilkins Collum (suspected son of David Collum). Sophia and her second husband, Jesse
Dedwylder, and children are two households from Wilkins Collum (b. 1800 in SC)
in the 1850 Lauderdale County, MS, census.
Other Collum neighbors heading families in this county in 1850 were
Ephraim (b. 1800 in NC), Smith (b. 1810 in GA), Willis (b. 1814 in GA, living
next door to Wilkins and six listings down from Smith), and Harris (b. 1820 in
SC)].
*******************************
7. Joseph
Smith, b. c. 1775, d. 10 December 1865; m. (1) Polly Foster on 4 December
1799 in Wilkes County, GA. She was b.
likely late 1770s, d. before 1848. He
m. (2) Martha Guthrey Andrews (widow of William Andrews) on 30 January 1848 in Henry County, GA. She was b. c. 1800 and died 11 July 1873 in
Henry County, GA. [Source: First
Families of Henry County, Georgia, by the Genealogical Society of Henry and Clayton,
Counties, GA, Inc., 1993, p. 36 (from an article on the James Andrews family by
Doris Curry)].
Joseph Smith was given the family homestead in the will of his
father, James Smith, dated 2 January 1797: "Item I give and bequeath to my
Son Joseph Smith the Tract of land I now live on in the County of Wilkes
containing two hundred Acres more or less granted to James Smith to him and his
heirs forever.” (See Appendix I below for full text of James Smith will). James Smith had been listed in Wilkes County
tax records as owning this property as early as 1785 (the first tax listing
available) and again in 1786, 1787, and 1790 through 1796 (there are no
existing tax records for 1788 and 1789).
The land was described as being located on Beaverdam Creek, adjacent
Edward Butler and N. Smith. In 1797,
for the first time, Joseph Smith was listed in the tax record as owning this
200-acre property on Beaverdam Creek adjacent Edw. Butler, originally granted
to Jas. Smith (who was recorded as a defaulter); Joseph owned no slaves. Extant tax records for 1798 and 1799 are fragmentary
and do not include a listing of this property.
In 1800 and 1801, James Smith was again shown as property owner. James had died in 1799 and it is likely that
since his estate was still in probate the tract was listed under his name. In 1802, Joseph was once again paying taxes
on his inherited property. No tax
records are available for 1803. By
1804, Joseph was no longer listed in Wilkes County tax records. Where previously Nathan Smith’s property was
described as being located adjacent first James, then Joseph Smith, it was now
adjacent Charles Phillips. And Edward
Butler’s land, previously adjacent James Smith was now adjoining Black. [Source: Wilkes
County, Georgia, Tax Records, 1785 - 1805, Vol. 1 & II, by Frank Parker Hudson].
Deed records bear out the sale of James
Smith’s homestead by his son, Joseph, in 1803.
On 4 December 1799, Joseph Smith
married Polly Foster. [Source: Early
Records of Georgia, Vol. II, by Grace Gilliam Davidson, p. 356]. The will of William Foster of Claiborne County,
MS, shows that Polly was the sister of Sarah “Sally” Foster, who married Joseph
Smith’s older brother, Nathan. (See Appendix III for discussion of the Foster family). A Joseph Smith was given two draws in the
1803 Land Lottery, indicating that he had a wife and at least one child. [Source: Early Records of Georgia, Vol. I,
by Grace Gilliam Davidson, p. 315].
Joseph and Polly sold James Smith’s homestead after moving west to
Greene County, GA, as evidenced by the following:
John Bustin of Greene Co. and Noame[sic], his wife, sold to Joseph
SMITH of Wilkes Co. on 1 December 1802 for the sum of $425, 116 ½ acres of
land in Greene County bounded by Kimbrough, Harps, and William Wiggans [sic].
Wit: Thomas Hightower. Rec. 14 September 1803. Deed Book AA, p. 670. [Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land
Records: Deeds 1785-1810, by Freda R. Turner, p. 365].
[p. 278] 25 March 1803, Joseph SMITH & Polly, his wife,
of Green Co., Ga., to Isaac Langdon of Wilkes Co., Ga., for $1,000, 200 acres
in Wilkes Co. on Beaverdam Creek, adj. E. by Forster[sic], W. by James &
Black, all other sides vacant. not signed. Test: James (\) Foster, Robt.
Owsley, J.P. Rec. 12 June 1804. Deed
Book UU, p. 278.
[Source: Wilkes County,
Georgia, Deed Books A-VV, 1784-1806, by Michal Martin Farmer, 1996, p.
761].
Joseph Smith lived in Greene County for only a few years before
moving west again. The two deeds below
identify Joseph Smith’s neighbors and record the sale of his property.
Wood Moreland of Hancock County sold to Arthur Harris of Greene
County on 12 January 1804 for the sum of $200, part of tract of land granted to
Joshua Spradling on which Spradling now lives. Bounded by William Wiggins, Joseph
SMITH, John Kimbro, and John Ward. Wit: Isaac Moreland. Rec. 12 February
1806. Deed Book BB, p. 261.
[Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land Records: Deeds 1785-1810,
by Freda R. Turner, p. 425].
Joseph SMITH of Greene County and Polly, his wife, sold to
John Kimbrough of Greene County on 8 November 1805 for the sum of $350, 116 1/4
acres of land in Greene County bounded by Knowles and Kimbrough Ferguson. Wit:
William Wiggins and Joshua Wilson. Recorded 14 January 1806. Deed Book BB, p. 271.
[Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land Records: Deeds 1785-1810,
by Freda R. Turner, p. 426].
Joseph Smith owned his property for three years and lost $75 on
the sale! Perhaps he was eager to join
the exodus to the newly-opened lands in recently created Baldwin County. Cursory research shows a Joseph Smith on the
1807 Baldwin County tax digest in a district that became a part of Putnam
County later that year. Listed nearby
were William Glass, John Ledbetter, Micajah Brooks, and Richardson Black. These surnames were tied to the Smiths and
Barrons in Wilkes County in earlier years.
In the same area, William Chafin (sic) (likely the husband of Joseph
Smith’s sister, Rachel) was listed as paying a poll only. [Source: The First Families of Baldwin,
Morgan, and Putnam Counties, 1807,” contributed by Robert S. Davis Jr., Georgia
Genealogical Society Quarterly, Fall 1994, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 167 and
169].
Joseph Smith also appeared in Captain William E. Adams’ District
on the 1813 Putnam County tax digest. A
familiar name nearby was that of Micajah Brooks, but others had replaced some
of the neighbors of 1807. The new names
included Elijah Moseley, Levi Foster, Benjamin Simmons, Lucius Reeves, and
Jesse T. Reeves. Again, these are
surnames with ties to the Barrons and Smiths.
Another neighbor of importance was John Caddenhead (sic), who had
married Phoebe Foster in 1807 or 1808.
(See Appendix III for a detailed discussion of
the Fosters). Phoebe was the sister of
Joseph Smith’s wife, Polly. [Sources:
“1813 Tax Roll Putnam County GA,” contributed by Margie Glover-Daniels, found
on the Putnam County GenWeb site; Ancestry.com, Ancestry World Tree reports of lstanton@bellsouth.net,
zacwheeler@aol.com and drselman@prodigy.net (viewed January
2001)].
On 21 June 1811, Joseph Smith and Poly (sic), his wife, joined “by
experience” Crooked Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Putnam County. This church was constituted on 27 June
1807. Charter members included Micajah
and Mary Brooks. The pastor was Elijah
Moseley. Other members with ties to the
Smiths were William and Rebecca Williams, James and Polly Doster, Jane Maddox,
John Cadenhead, and Jess (sic) T. and Martha Reeves. Joseph Smith “and wife” were dismissed by letter on 21 February
1818. [Source: Private Collection of
Mrs. O.E. Lancaster, LDS microfilm 0365214, Church Records, transcription of
minutes of Crooked Creek Primitive Baptist Church, Putnam County, GA]. Note that Crooked Creek is located near
Rooty Creek, where Joseph Smith’s brother-in-law and sister, William and Martha
Smith Barron, lived from about 1806 through 1817.
Also, of interest are the War of 1812 service records for the 4th
Regiment Georgia Militia (Jones in command), formed at nearby Fort Hawkins,
which include Joseph Smith, William Chaffin, and William L. Thompson (possibly
the husband of another of Joseph Smith’s sisters, Sarah). [Source: Index to War of 1812 Service
Records for Volunteer Soldiers from Georgia, by Judy Swaim Kratovil]. (See the section on Rachel Smith, child #8, below for more information).
There was no Joseph Smith in the 1820 Putnam County, GA, census, but
there was one in nearby Jasper County (p. 204). The ages of the family members appear to be reasonable when
compared with the expected age of Joseph and Polly Foster Smith. Joseph was first listed as owning property
in Wilkes County in 1797, making him over 21 at that time. He would have been at least 44 in 1820. The Joseph Smith in Jasper County was 45 or
older. Since Polly married in 1799, she
was likely at least 18, which would make her age 39 in 1820, falling within the
26-45 years age range of the adult female.
The Jasper County couple had six children in the household (1 M 16-26 who
was between the ages of 16 and 18, 2 Fs < 10, 3 Fs < 16) and 10
slaves. Immediate neighbors were
consistent with those found for the Joseph Smith in 1807/1813 Baldwin/Putnam
Counties: Mecago (sic) Brooks, William B. Simmons, and Allen Simmons. In addition there were John Barron, John
Thompson, and William Thompson. Other
names of interest were James Rivers and William Williams. [Source: 1820 Jasper County, GA, census, pp.
202-204]. These surnames were neighbors
of the Barrons and John Smith in Hancock and Putnam Counties in the early
1800s. In addition to possible
brother-in-law, William Thompson, who lived a few doors from Joseph Smith, two
other likely brothers-in-law, William Chafin and William Barron, lived in the
vicinity. [Source: 1820 Jasper County,
GA, census, pp. 228 and 236].
In the 1830 Georgia census index, there were several Joseph Smiths
living in or near Jasper County.
However, these men were too young to be the son of James Smith. It appears that this Joseph Smith moved to
Henry County, GA, together with Micajah Brooks in the mid-1820s. In 1824, Brooks purchased land in Henry
County. The first mention of a Joseph
Smith is as a witness to a land transaction between Thomas and Aaron Brooks,
dated 7 April 1828. [Source: Some
Georgia County Records, Vol. 3, by Rev. Silas Emmett Lucas Jr., 1978, pp.
193 and 198: Henry County Deed Book A, pp. 475 and 519].
There were three Joseph Smiths in Henry County in 1830, two too
young to be the correct man. The third,
listed as “Joseph Smith Senr.” (p. 202) was 50-60 years old, with 1 M aged
20-30, 1 F 5-10, 1 F 10-15, 1 F 15-20, 1 F 50-60, with 13 slaves. On page 216, lived Micajah Brooks and wife,
both aged 60-70. Nearby were men with
familiar surnames such as Strickland, Catching, and White.
On 6 December 1833, Micajah Brooks of Henry County sold to Abel
Tatum of Monroe County the lot he had purchased in 1824. Witnesses included Joseph Smith. [Source: Henry County, Georgia, Land
Records, 1824-1838, Deed Books C/D, F, G, H, by Freda Reid Turner, 1993, p.
188: Deed Book F, p. 503]. Brooks did
not appear on the 1840 Henry County census, but the young family of Hillary
Brooks (p. 324) lived near a Joseph Smith (p. 321), aged 60-70, with household
of 1 M 30-40, 1 M 70-80 (print is lighter than other writing), and 1 F 60-70,
with no slaves. Joseph Smith was
involved in various Henry County land transactions between 1839 and 1849.
A Joseph Smith married Martha Andrews on 30 January 1848 in Henry
County. [Source: 37,000 Early
Georgia Marriages, by Joseph T. Maddox and Mary Carter, 1975, p. 94.] On 29 March 1848, Joseph and Martha G. Smith
relinquished dowry on the land of William Andrews, late of Henry County. [Source: Henry County, Georgia, Land
Records, 1839-1851, Deed Books J, K, L, M, by Freda Reid Turner, p. 339,
Henry County Deed Book L, p. 413]. Page
216 of the 1850 Henry County census, enumerated on 11 September 1850, lists
Joseph Smith, aged 75, farmer, born in Georgia, who could not read or
write. (The age of this Joseph Smith
again correlates to the expected age of James Smith’s son). Joseph’s wife, Martha, was aged 50 and born
in Georgia. A 23-year-old man named
George Cagle, also born in Georgia, lived with them. Nearby lived the families of Andrew and Clarinda (Smith)
Henderson (p. 215), William F. Smith (p. 216), Jacob Smith and Asa and Mary
(Smith) Miles (p. 218), John and Martha (Smith) Whaley (p. 219) and Elijah and
Bettunia (sic) (Smith) Strickland (p. 221). Clarinda, William F., Jacob,
Mary, Martha and Bethena Smith are believed to have been children of Joseph and
Polly Foster. Additional confirmation
of the identity of this Joseph Smith is needed.
In 1851 the portion of Henry County in which this Joseph Smith
lived became a part of newly-formed Spalding County, GA. At about
this time, it appears from the following deed that Joseph Smith was a member of
Kings Hill (Baptist) Church (later called the Regular Baptist Church of Christ
at Tirza):
#322
State of Ga., Cty. of Spalding, Date: 23 July 1853, pg. 300
Preamble
& resolution introduced by Brother E. P. Bolton to the Regular Baptist
Church of Christ at Tirza. Hendley Varner donated to sd. church, then
called Kings Hill Church, 2 acres of land known as Kings Hill Camp Ground,
formerly Henry now Spalding Cty. Deed to Deacons to said property
executed without naming deacons. Joseph Smith, one of deacons at time of
execution of deed, was later excluded from membership. Church resolved
that Parker Eason, Hendley Varner, Jacob Smith & Thomas R. Bishop will be
recognized as true & regular deacons & legal representatives.
Varney
A. Gaskill, moderator, Pro Tem
Wit:Elisha
P. Bolton, Ch. Clk. Rec: 27 July 1853
Henry
B. Holliday, Clk.
[Source:
Abstracts of Deed Book A, Spalding County, GA, by Geraldine Purdy, 1983,
p. 51.]
The deed provides some tantalizing bits of data and unanswered
questions. So far, the location of this
church has not been determined. It is
noteworthy that Joseph Smith was a deacon – and then was later excluded from
church membership. Why he was excluded
is unknown. The most common reasons for
exclusion from Baptist Churches during the nineteenth century were that the
member had joined a church of another denomination, the member was too often
absent from services, or because he was considered guilty of ungodly
conduct. Since Joseph Smith was in his
70s at the time of his exclusion, this last reason seems less likely. It is also interesting that his son, Jacob
continued to be recognized as a “true & regular deacon” after his father’s
exclusion.
Joseph and Martha Smith deeded property in Spalding on 18 March
1854 to William Collins, the husband of Martha's sister Nancy.
[Source: Spalding County, GA, Deed Book A, p. 436]. Joseph and
Martha were recorded living in the Africa District of Spalding County, GA,
in the 1860 census (p. 236). Joseph, age 84, a farmer, owned $3,000 in
personal property and $20,000 in real property. Martha was age 60.
Both were born in Georgia and could not read or write. Nearby lived
the families of Asa and Mary (Smith) Miles (p. 236) and Sarah Smith (widow of
William F. Smith) (p. 238).
Joseph Smith's will was dated 12 March 1864 and named his wife,
Martha, his deceased son, William F., and daughter, Sarah Castleberry.
The document indicates that there were other children, not named. Asa
Miles, husband of Mary Smith, was one of the executors.
The other, James M. Barfield, was married to Miranda Andrews,
daughter of Martha Smith by her first marriage. Joseph died on 10
December 1865. [Source: First
Families of Henry County, Georgia, by the Genealogical Society of Henry and Clayton,
Counties, GA, Inc., 1993, p. 36 (from an article on the James Andrews family by
Doris Curry)]. His
will was proven January 1866 in Spalding County, GA. [Source: Spalding
County, GA, Will Book A]. Martha died
11 July 1873 in Henry County. [Source: First
Families of Henry County, Georgia, by the Genealogical Society of
Henry and Clayton, Counties, GA, Inc., 1993, p. 36 (from an article on the
James Andrews family by Doris Curry)].
Through deed references, census data and other early documents,
the following children are proposed for Joseph and Polly Foster Smith:
a. Jacob Smith, b. c. 1801; m. Linsay
Sisson on 19 September 1841 in Jasper County, GA. She d. bef.
1860. The family lived in Henry County, GA in 1850, but they removed
to Pike County, AL, soon after 1855. In 1858, Jacob and first cousins
Thomas and Smith Barron (sons of Martha Smith, child #1), were charter members
of Hephzibah Baptist Church in Pike County. Jacob served as deacon and
church clerk until 1869.
b. William F. Smith, b. c. 1802, d.
c. 1858 in Spalding County, GA; m. Sarah Nichols on 14 October
1828 in Jasper County, GA.
c. Clarinda Smith, b. 1
September 1803, d. 29 November 1882; m. William Andrew Henderson
on 19 October 1824 in Jasper County, GA. He was b. 2 August 1804, d.
3 May 1863. Both bur. in Henderson-Moore Family Cemetery, Henry
County, GA. (Note: Clarinda Smith Henderson was listed in two
censuses with the birth state of SC, so she may not be a daughter of Joseph
Smith. Further study is needed.)
d. Sarah Smith, b. c.
1805; m. Warren Castleberry on 15 December 1819 in Jasper
County, GA
e. Martha Smith, b. c. 1807, d. 8 March 1879 in
Columbia County, AR; m. John Whaley on 19 December 1822 in
Jasper County, GA. He was b. c. 1800, d. 6 July 1863 in Columbia County,
AR. [Source of death information: www.familysearch.com data entered by Jackie
Weeden, Beloit, WI]. One of their children, William Joseph, did
not accompany his parents to AR, instead moving to Pike County, AL, to
live near the families of Jacob Smith and Ruth Smith Whaley.
f. Ruth Smith, b. c. 1808, d. 22 February
1877; m. Isaac Whaley on 20 October 1825 in Jasper County,
GA. He d. 7 November 1858. Both bur. in Whaley Cemetery, Pike
County, AL. The Whaleys moved from Henry County, GA, first to Chambers
County, AL, in about 1833, then to Pike County, AL, in about 1853.
g. Bethena /Bethany Smith, b. c. 1811, d.
between June and November 1857; m. Elijah Strickland
on 26 September 1832 in Henry County, GA. He was b. c. 1809; d. bef.
November 1857.
h. Mary Smith, b. c. 1815; m. Asa
Miles on 15 January 1833 in Henry County, GA. He was b. c.
1808, d. bef. June 1869.
Note: there may have been one or more additional children. A
female born between 1825 and 1830 was living with the Joseph Smith family in
the 1830 census. And it is interesting that there were two other Joseph
Smiths living near "Joseph Smith senr" in the 1830 Henry County
census. One was age 30-40, the other 20-30. A Joseph Smith married
Elizabeth Ramsey in 1818 in Jasper County and a Joseph married Elizabeth Willis
in Henry County in 1826. In the 1840 Henry County
census an Elizabeth Smith lived next door to Joseph Smith. Was this
the widow of one of these younger Joseph Smiths? Only additional research
will tell.
**************************************
8. Rachel
“Zechie” Smith, b. late 1770s, d. 23 September 1848 in Newton County, GA; m. William Chaffin. He was b. late 1770s in VA, d. after 1860, probably in Newton County, GA.
Rachel Smith was unmarried at the time her father, James Smith,
signed his will in 1797; however, based on the following February 1801 return
on James Smith’s estate (and other evidence given below), apparently
she was the Zechie Smith who married William Chaffin:
“…paid Jos. and Nathaniel [sic] Smith, paid Wm. Barron, paid David
Collum and Wm. Chaffin, in right of his wife Zechie Smith, for their wives in
part of their legacies.”
William Chaffin appeared in the Wilkes County, GA, tax records
from 1799 through 1805. [Source: Wilkes
County, Georgia, Tax Records, 1785 - 1805, Vol. 1 & II, by Frank Parker
Hudson]. In all of these years, he was
shown as owning no property. In the
1803 and 1806 land lotteries, William Chaffin was given two draws, indicating
that he had a wife and one or more children.
These lotteries awarded land in territory that later became Putnam,
Wayne, and Wilkinson Counties. [Source:
Early Records of Georgia, Vol. I, by Grace Gilliam Davidson, pp. 306 and 323].
In 1807, a William Chafin (sic) was listed in Baldwin County, GA,
as paying a poll only. He was living in
the portion of the county that became Putnam County later that year. A Joseph Smith (probably Rachel Smith
Chaffin’s brother) was located in the same area. [Source: “The First Families of Baldwin, Morgan, and Putnam
Counties, 1807,” contributed by Robert S. Davis Jr., Georgia Genealogical
Society Quarterly, Fall 1994, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 167 and 169].
William Chaffin was living in Jasper County, GA, possibly as early
as 1810. The Jasper County deed index
lists a deed dated 1 May 1810 from a Jno. M. McCoy to William Chaffin [Book 2,
p. 230].
On 1 November 1814, during the War of 1812, Chaffin was mustered
into Captain Samuel Lane’s Volunteer Rifle Company of Lt. Col. William Jones’
Battalion of the Georgia Militia at Fort Hawkins, GA. (Note: Fort Hawkins was situated adjacent to present-day Macon,
GA, located about 50 miles south of Jasper County, where William Chaffin lived
in 1814). At the conclusion of his six
months’ enlistment, he was mustered out.
[Source: Scott Chafin, schafin@aol.com].
The 1820 Jasper County census (p. 228) lists the William Chafin
(sic) family with 3 Ms <10, 1 M 10-16, 1 M 16-18, 1 M 26-45, 1 F <10, 1 F
26-45, 1 F > 45. Nearby were the
families of William Barron, a Joseph Smith, a William Thompson, and a William
G. Thompson, some or all of whom were likely related through the Smiths.
Several deeds in 1823 and 1824 identify land purchases by
William Chaffin in Jasper, Newton and Walton Counties. (14 February
1824, Fredrick Tiftsion to William Chafin of Jasper, 40 acres in the 19th
District of Baldwin, now Jasper, part lot 186 for $150: Jasper County Deed Book
A, pp. 272-273. 6 November 1824, James Harrison (Chaffin's
son-in-law) to William Chaffin, both of Walton County, part lot 122 in 1st
District: Walton County Deed Book F, p. 98. 9 November 1824, James Herrin
of Monroe County to William Chaffin of Newton County, 202 1/2 acres in 10th District
of Henry, now Newton County, lot 110 for $200.]
As mentioned in the Martha Smith Barron section (see child #1 above), the name “Rachel Chaffin” appeared as an early
member of the Liberty Baptist Church of Jasper (later Newton) County, GA. She joined by letter on 27 March 1824 and
was dismissed by letter in October 1824. Rachel was the only Chaffin who was a
member of Liberty during the 1820s. It
seems a reasonable assumption that this church reference was
to the wife of William Chaffin, Zechie (i.e., Rachel) Smith.
This assumption is supported by information from the minutes of
Harris Spring Baptist Church, also in Newton County, GA. The church was
founded on 19 June 1822 about one mile from the Walton County line. On 18
February 1825, the church received "Sister Rachael Chaffin" by
letter. The time frame of Rachel Chaffin's dismissal from Liberty
Church fits quite neatly with the date that she joined nearby Harris
Spring Church. Several of Rachel and William Chaffin's children and their
spouses also joined Harris Spring: Martha/Patsy Chaffin (by
experience, 1827; wife of Joel Chaffin), John Chaffin (by experience
in 1837), James Harrison (by experience, 1827; husband of Nancy Chaffin [a
Nancy Harrison joined in 1841, but it seems more likely that she was the wife
of Jerimiah Harrison]), and James Smith Chaffin (by experience, 1847). However,
no record has been found that Rachel Chaffin’s husband, William, joined Harris
Spring Church. Rachel Chaffin's death was recorded in the
church minutes as 23 September 1848. [Source: of Harris Spring
Baptist Church minute book. Note: this
church is now known as Harris Springs Primitive Baptist Church.]
The Chaffins have not been found in the 1830 census. But in 1840 Walton County, GA, (p. 116a)
there is an aging couple recorded: Wm. Chaffin 1 M 60-70, 1 F 60-70, with no
slaves.
William Chaffin has not been located in the 1850 Georgia
census. Perhaps after the death of Rachel in 1848 he moved around, living
with his various children. On 12
December 1850, William Chafin (sic) applied for bounty land, indicating his age
was 81. [Source: Scott Chafin,
“Application for Bounty Land, Newton County, GA, William Chafin, applicant,” 12
December 1850].
On 6 November 1853, William Chaffin “in consideration for the love
good will and affection which I have and bear towards my grandchildren”
gave to the children of his son, James S., “one feather bed, bedstead and be
clothing, one small birch table, one spinning wheel, one pine chest, four split
bottom chairs...” [Source: Newton County, GA, Deed Book K, p. 251].
By the 1860 Newton County, GA, census, William Chafin (sic),
age 83, b. VA, was living with his son, Samuel Chafin (sic) (p. 445). No record of William Chaffin has been found
in the 1870 Georgia census.
Scott Chafin of Houston, TX, schafin@aol.com, provided the following list of descendants of William
Chaffin and wife, Zechie Smith:
a.
Nancy Chaffin, b. c. 1802, d. c. 1908; m. James Harrison
on 1 May 1817 in Jasper County, GA. He
was b. c. 1800 in GA, d. 1860/1870.
b. Joel Chaffin [Sr], b. c. 1804 in GA, d. c. 3
September 1862; m. Martha R. Jones on 31
August 1826 in Walton County, GA. She
was b. 5 December 1805 in GA, d. 10 June 1888 in GA.
c. John H. Chaffin, b. 8 August 1808, d. 26 September 1890 in Milton County, GA; m. Charlotte Harris
on 14 February 1828 in Newton County, GA. She was b. 2 October 1808 in GA, d. 16 April 1889 in Milton
County, GA. Both are buried in Union
Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Milton, now Fulton County, GA.
d. Samuel Chaffin, b. 10 October 1810 in GA, d. 11 September 1894; m. (1) --?--
Setzer. She was b. c. 1811, d. c.
August 1840. He m. (2) Elender M.
Pierce. She was b. 12 July
1826 in GA, d. 7 August 1896.
e. William Chafin Jr. , b.
1811 in GA, d. 12 July 1887 in Fayette Co, AL, bur. Stewart Family Cemetery,
Fayette County, AL; m. (1) Sarah N. Jones on 4 August 1834 in Newton
County, GA. She was b. c. 1808 in GA,
d. c. 1870 in AL. He m. (2) Mary Ann
--?-- in c. 1871 in AL.
f. Edmon B. Chaffin, b. 15 December 1814 in GA,
d. 24 September 1875 in AL; m. Mary H. Farr Jinks
on 27 December 1835. She was b. 17
March 1813, d. 28 June 1898 in Lee County, AL.
g. James Smith Chaffin, b. c. 1821 in GA; m. Malenda Smith on 25 November
1838. She was b. c. 1810.
****************************************
9. Elizabeth Smith, b. early 1780s in Wilkes County, GA,
d. probably after 1837 in Kemper County, MS; m. David
Collum.
He d. probably before 1820.
Elizabeth
Smith, like her sister Rachel, was unmarried at the time of her father James
Smith’s 1797 will. However, in 1801,
the following entry appears in the estate returns of James Smith:
“…paid
Jos. and Nathaniel [sic] Smith, paid Wm. Barron, paid David Collum and Wm. Chaffin, in right of his wife Zechie Smith, for
their wives in part of their legacies.”
There
is no known proof of an extant marriage record for David Collum and Elizabeth
Smith; yet the above-mentioned estate returns indicate that David Collum was
married to a daughter of James Smith.
Thus, this couple would have been married sometime between 2 January 1797, the date of her father’s will, and
24 February 1801, the date of the estate return cited above.
The
Bible of William Barron and wife, Martha Smith (see child #1
above), contains two Collum entries:
Solomon
Collom was born April the 21, 1806
James
Collom was born May the 22th [sic] in the year of our Lord 1808
Although no relationships are stated regarding these two Collum entries, a logical explanation would be that Martha Smith Barron recorded the birthdates of her sister’s sons. It should be noted that these two entries appear to have been recorded in the 1820s based on the dates of the surrounding entries in the Bible. (Note: This Bible was in the possession of Mrs. Newt (Margaret) Etheredge of Georgia when it was microfilmed in the 1960s by the Georgia Archives. It is included in the “Barron Collection”).
David Collum’s first recorded appearance is in the above-mentioned
24 February 1801 estate returns of his wife’s father, James Smith. However, neither he nor any Collum appears
in the published deed and tax records of early Wilkes County, GA. Three months later, on 5 June 1801, David
Collum, along with brothers-in-law, William Barron and John Smith, was a buyer
at the estate sale of Charles Waller in Hancock County, which adjoins Wilkes
County. [Source: Hancock County, GA,
Wills and Estates, Vol. AAAA, pp. 83-86].
Although William Barron and John Smith were residents of Hancock County
by 1795 and 1801, respectively, and appear in various deed and tax records
there, no further references to David Collum have been found in this county’s
records.
David Collum next appears in the 1810 census of the Mississippi
Territory in the combined listing for Claiborne and Warren Counties. His family included 2 Ms < 21 (b. after
1789), 1 M > 21 (b. before 1789), 2 Fs < 21 (b. after 1789) and 1 F >
21 (b. before 1789). Also listed in
Claiborne/Warren Counties in 1810 was Dempsey White, husband of Mary Smith
(sister to Elizabeth Smith Collum).
[Source: Early Inhabitants of the
Natchez District (MS), by Norman E. Gillis, 1963, pp. 37 and 77].
The only other Collum entry in the 1810 Mississippi Territory
census is that of Solomon Collum of nearby Amite County. His family included 2 Ms < 21, 1 M >
21, 1 F < 21 and 1 F > 21.
[Source: Early Inhabitants of the
Natchez District (MS), by Norman E. Gillis, 1963, p. 37].
References to the names David Collum and Smith Collum appear in
the American State Papers in five land records dated 11 & 12 June 1811 for
land on River Dubois, Territory of Missouri.
[Source: Vol. II, p. 718, and Vol. III, pp. 328 and 364]. If indeed this is the same David Collum,
formerly of Georgia and the Mississippi Territory, then he must have received
land grants in the Missouri Territory that he sold or failed to inhabit. No Collum references appear in the 1820
Missouri census
index or other published Missouri records for this time period. The reference to Smith Collum has to refer
to a man who was at least 21 years old in 1811, implying a birth year of 1780
or earlier. This pre-1780 time period
indicates some type of Collum-Smith connection made prior to the 1797/1800
marriage of David Collum and Elizabeth Smith.
The last known appearance of David Collum is in January 1813, at
which time he enlisted as a private in the War of 1812 as part of the 1st Regiment
of Mississippi Volunteers. The period
of service for this regiment was six months and re-enlistment was
possible. This regiment was organized
at Baton Rouge, beginning in January 1813, with the re-enlisting members of the
Mississippi regiment mentioned, as a nucleus, recruited by volunteers from the
Territory. This regiment and a
Louisiana regiment, organized at the same time and place, formed a brigade
which General Ferdinand L. Claiborne of Natchez was assigned to command. [Sources: Mississippi Territory in the
War of 1812, by Mrs. Dunbar Rowland, 1968, p. 28; also Military History
of Mississippi 1803-1898, by Dunbar Rowland, 1998 (reprint), p. 5].
The 1st Regiment of Mississippi Volunteers was
primarily mustered to quell the Creek Indian uprising in the Mississippi
Territory. On 23 December 1813, General
Claiborne led the regiment into the Indian country and destroyed the Creek camp
at Holy Ground. As historian Dunbar
Rowland stated, “This affair ended the record of the regiment, which was marked
by great privation and suffering, with no opportunity for service or
renown.” General Claiborne wrote from
Mt. Vernon: “My volunteers are returning to their homes with eight months’ pay
due them, and almost literally naked.
They have served the last three months of an inclement winter without
shoes or blankets and almost without shirts, but are still devoted to their
country and properly impressed with the justice and necessity of the war.” [Source: Military History of Mississippi
1803-1898, by Dunbar Rowland, 1998 (reprint), p. 6].
It is not known at present if David Collum survived the War of
1812. A review of his military service
records at the Mississippi Statel Archives would likely answer this
question. However, it is known that
neither he nor anyone in his family applied for a pension. Regardless of David Collum’s fate in this
war, it is apparent that no one with the Collum surname (including variant
spellings) is listed in the 1816 or 1820 Mississippi census indexes, although
brother-in-law Dempsey White is listed in each. This would indicate that the David and Solomon Collum listed as
heads of households in the 1810 Mississippi Territory census had either died or
moved from Mississippi by 1816. While
no further known reference to a David Collum appears in the indexed records of
Mississippi, Alabama, or Georgia, there is a Solomon Collum of the right age
range who appears in Hall County, GA, in the 1820 census. The Solomon Collum of Hall County was
evidently deceased by 1827, as the notation “orphans of Solomon Collum,
deceased” appears in land lottery records for that year. [Source: Reprint of Official Register of
Land Lottery of Georgia, 1827, by Martha Lou Houston, 1967, p. 143].
Three counties south of Hall County in Jasper County appears
another interesting Collum reference -- one that could refer to the widow of
David Collum: A “Mrs. Elizabeth Collum” of Hays District, Jasper County, is
shown in the 1821 Georgia land lottery to be a fortunate drawer of Land Lot
#278, Section 7, located in Gwinnett County, GA. To be eligible to draw, Elizabeth Collum would have resided in
Georgia for at least three years.
[Source: The Third and Fourth or 1820 and 1821 Land Lotteries of
Georgia]. A few years later (1823)
in Jasper County, the marriage of Sarah Collum and John Osborn is
recorded. [Source: Laura C. Edwards, jledwards@mindspring.com]. These are to date the only known Collum
references in published Jasper County records.
If indeed Elizabeth Smith Collum was widowed by the 1820s, Jasper
County, GA, would be a logical locale for her new residence. By 1820, a number of Elizabeth’s siblings
and spouses were living there: William and Martha Smith Barron, William and
Rachel/Zechie Smith Chaffin, and possibly Joseph Smith. Elizabeth Smith Collum could have been
living in the household of one of her siblings and thus would not have appeared
as a head of household in the 1820 Georgia census.
However, Elizabeth Smith Collum may not have remained in
Georgia. In the 1837 state census for
Mississippi, three Collums are listed in Kemper County, located on the
Alabama-Mississippi border:
The proposed children for David Collum and wife, Elizabeth Smith,
are as follows:
a. Sarah Collum, b. 1803/1805 in GA (from
1850 and 1860 census records; it is possible that
Sarah was born prior to the move from Georgia to Mississippi), d. 1870s in
Chambers County, AL; m. John Osborn on 15 January 1823 in Jasper County, GA.
He was b. c. 1790, d. 1840s.
This couple resided in Tallapoosa County, AL, by 1840. [Source: Laura Edwards, jledwards@mindspring.com]. Sarah bought land in Chambers County, AL, in
1851 and lived there until her death.
b. Solomon Collum, b. 21 April
1806 (Bible record) in the Mississippi Territory, d. 25 February 1876 in
Montgomery County, AR; m. Mary Cluster on 16 November 1827 in Monroe
Co., GA. (See a listing of known children
in Appendix VII).
c. James A. S. Collum, b. 22 May 1808
(Bible record) in the Mississippi Territory, d. after 1870, presumably in
Choctaw County, MS; m. (1) Pemelia Spain (?) (per the death certificate of
daughter Nancy); m. (2) Patience P. Sessions Solley (widow of Green W.
Solley) on 13
November 1856 in Tallapoosa County, AL.
James Collum (shown as James A. Collum) was a
resident of Paulding County, GA, in 1837 prior to moving to Alabama. He began buying land (40 acres) in
Tallapoosa County on 10 June 1848, and resided in that county for a number of
years. He moved to Choctaw County, MS,
apparently between 1864 and 1870. Some
of his children were found in the 1880 census in this same area of MS, but, to
date, James Collum has not been located.
Perhaps he died between 1870 and 1880.
[Sources: Whites Among the Cherokees, Georgia, 1828-1838, by Mary
B. Warren and Eve B. Weeks, 1987, p. 197; also 1840 and 1860 Tallapoosa County,
AL, censuses (listed as J. S. Collum and James S. Collom, respectively) and
1870 Choctaw County, MS, census (as James S. A. Collum); also http://www.glorecords.blm.gov;
also Robert O. Collum, collum@sprynet.com; also Carla Vowell mrscrv@charter.net]. (See a listing of known children in Appendix VII).
Collum researchers have suggested additional children for David
Collum and wife, Elizabeth Smith. In
particular, Wilkins Collum, Willis Collum, and Smith Collum are frequently
mentioned as being possible children.
However, to date, it cannot be proven that David Collum lived, or at
least made records, after 1813. Solomon,
James, and Sarah Collum, listed above as proposed children, all fit with (1)
the ages and number of children in David Collum’s household in 1810 Mississippi
and (2) the known locales of Elizabeth Smith Collum’s siblings and descendants. In addition, Solomon and James Collum’s
names, general ages, and birth states (according to census records) correspond
with the two Collum Bible entries that appear in the Barron Bible.
However, it should be noted that if the “Mrs. Elizabeth Collum” in
the 1837 Kemper County, MS, state census was indeed the widow of David Collum,
then it would be interesting to know the identity of the young female under the
age of 16 (b. 1821/1837) living in this household.
Further research is warranted on this Collum family.
********************************************
The will and estate returns of James Smith, who d. 1797/1799 in Wilkes
County, GA. Information provided by Art
Seder of Florida, ARSeder@aol.com.
The
Will of James Smith, which was signed on
2 January 1797, and probated 9 July 1799, reads as follows:
“In the name of God amen. I James Smith of the County of Wilkes &
State of Georgia being of perfect mind and memory do make & ordain this my
last Will and Testament in manner and form following, To Wit
“Item I give and bequeath to my Son John Smith and to my Daughter Patty Barron a Tract of land on Long Creek in the
County of Oglethorpe containing two hundred and sixteen acres be[ing] the same
more or less granted to James Hart to be equally divided between them to them
and their heirs forever. Deed made to it.
“Item I give and bequeath to my Son Joseph Smith the Tract of land I now live on in
the County of Wilkes containing two hundred Acres more or less granted to James
Smith to him and his heirs forever.
“Item I give and bequeath to my Daughter Elizabeth one Bedd & furniture to her &
her heirs forever.
“Item it is my Will and Desire that all
the Rest of my Estate of Every kind whatever be sold on twelve months Credit
and the money arising from such sale to be equally divided among my following
Children or their heirs Viz Nathan Smith, John Smith, Joseph Smith,
the children of my Son Jacob Smith, Mary White, Patty Barron, Elizabeth Smith, Rachel Smith, Sarah Thompson to them & their heirs forever.
“Lastly I appoint my sons Nathan Smith, Jno Smith & Joseph Smith Executors to this my last Will
& Testament utterly revoking and annulling all other Wills by me heretofore
made do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament. IN WITNESS whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 2nd day of January in the year of Our Lord 1797 and of the
Sovereignty and independence of America the twenty first year.”
The
Will was attested to by Edward Butler, Nathaniel Rice, and Samuel Rice.
The
returns filed with the probate court by the Executors, Nathan, John, and Joseph
Smith, in February 1801, read as follows:
“…paid Jos. and Nathaniel [sic] Smith, paid Wm. Barron, paid David Collum and Wm. Chaffin, in right of his wife Zechie Smith,
for their wives in part of their legacies.”
The
returns of Jos. Smith, Executor,
February 1802, include the receipt of Abel McIntosh, gdn of the heirs of Jacob Smith. Returns for March 1803 include receipts of David Collum, Nathaniel [sic] Smith, Wm. Chaffin, Abel McIntosh, gdn, Wm Thompson for himself and Demcy [sic] White,
November 1802 in full of their legacies.
[Source: Early Records of Georgia, Vol. II,
by Grace Gilliam Davidson, p. 293].
The
following appears in James Smith’s estate papers on file in the Georgia
Department of Archives and History:
Report
of Appraisers, Cory ___, ___ Junes, Joshua Chafin, Charles Phillips, Joseph
Chafin, and Nath'l Harris, 16 July 1799:
Return of Expenditures:
Paid Edward Butler 3.05
" Wm. Chafin 1
" Nathan Smith 2
" D. Terrell .25
" Able McIntosh, Guardian of the Heirs
of Jacob Smith 27--
_____
34.30
By Cash of Peter Harris 4
" Wm. Pollard 15.50
" Phil (?) 2
" Joshua Chafin .50
" Henry Star
Sworn to by Joseph Smith (his mark), 26
February 1802
D. Terrell - Rec'd of John Smith, Ex of
James Smith, deceased, 25 cents for probate (1801).
Record of Receipts and Payments by John
and Joseph Smith, Executors of James Smith, 24 February 1801 [both by their
marks]
Of Cash received from Sundry Persons from
the sales of the
estate $135.74 1/4 Per Contra
1.
By cash pd Davis Merriwether, his acc’t 4.50
2.
do pd John Smith in part
of his part of estate 28.74
3.
do pd _____ Smith do 28.74
4.
do pd Wm Barron do 27.00
5.
do pd David Collum (for
wife) 27.00
6.
do pd Tipley Gats (?)
his acc’t 2.82
7.
do pd Nathan Smith in part
of his part of estate 25.00
8.
do pd Wm. Chafin for
wife [his mark] 25.00
9.
do pd D. Terrell his
acc't 6.6 1/4
10.
do pd for stamp papers .20
11.
do pd Wm. Hay, his acc’t
for making one coffin 2.00
$177.06 1/4
Return 16 March 1801 by Joseph Smith
Rec'd of Lesley (?) 14.68
" P. J. Stark .37
" Joshua Chafin 4.50
Pd. D. Terrell
.25
" D Collum .16
" Nathan Smith 27.18 3/4
" Wm. Thompson 27.16 1/2
" Demsey White 27.16
" Wm. Chafin 27.16
" A. McIntosh, Guardian 27.16
The will of John Smith, transcribed
from a copy of the original, found in Jones County, GA, Will Book A, pp.
160-161:
“In the name of God Amen, I John Smith, Senr. of the county
of Jones & State of Georgia being in perfect mind and memory but calling to
mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once
to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament in manner following
that is to say, First after my Just debts are paid I give and bequeath unto my
wife Nancy Smith all my property
both real & personal as follows that is to say as my children does arrive
to lawful age or marry that is to say John
Smith Junr.[,] Prudy Smith[,] Nathan Smith[,] Willis
Smith[,] Joseph Smith[,] Asa Smith and any others that may be born my
lawful heirs to have out of my Estate when ever they arrive to lawful age or
marry as before mentioned, one horse[,] bridle & saddle[,] cow & calf
& feather bed and furniture except my son John
Smith who has his horse[,] saddle & bridle already, if he be spared
at the time or times of their arriving of age or marrying without injuring the
property so as to effect the maintainance[sic] of my family & to be judged
of by my executors & I do hereby confirm what I have given my Son Bassel Smith and my Son James
Smith and my Son William [sic] Smith and my daughter Nancy
Cook and my Daughter Sarah Gammon & at the
death of my wife Nancy Smith all my children
except my two Sons Bassel and James Smith to have each of them the value in money
or property of land my said sons Bassel and James Smith has already had and the balance of my
property to be for the maintainance of my Son Henry during his
natural life should he survive the death of his mother to be equally divided
among all my children at his death & if he should not survive the death of
his mother to be equally divided at her death the property to be applied to the
maintainance of my Son Henry in the best way
& manner my executors may --age for his benefit and I do hereby
constitute[,] make and name my wife Nancy Smith[,] my son John Smith Jr. and my friend Abraham S. Wright my sole
Executor of this my last will & testament, and I do hereby utterly
disallow[,] revoke[,] and disannul [sic] all and every other testament[,]
will[,] legacies[,] bequeaths and Executors by me in any wise[sic] before named
ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will &
testament. In witness whereof I have
hereunto set my hand seal this Eighteenth day of March[,] one thousand eight
hundred and twenty six.
Signed and sealed in
the presence of
Test: Joseph Horsley ) his
Moses Gunn } John (X) Smith
James
Satterwhite) mark
Georgia }
Jones County } Court of Ordinary July Term 1827. Then came into open court Joseph Horsley who being duly sworn say [sic] he was present and saw John Smith make his mark sign[,] seal[,] execute and pronounce the above and fore going instrument of writing to be his last will and testament & that he was of sound mind at the execution thereof that he did sign the same as a witness thereto at the same time at the request of the testator & in his freewill & in the presence of each other.
Sworn to & Subsribed in open court this
2nd July 1827.
}
Charles Macarthy C.C.C.
} Joseph
Horsley
Information on some of the families of the children of John Smith, son of James Smith:
a. Basil Smith, b. 1 August 1793,
d. 21 November 1879 in Rapides Parish, LA; m. Melinda Simmons on 8 April
1814 in Putnam County, GA. She was b. 1
January 1796, d. 17 April 1875 in Rapides Parish, LA. She was the daughter of William and Patience Simmons and sister
to the Nancy Simmons who married a John Smith (possibly Basil’s father) in
Putnam County on 11 December 1811.
(Note: Melinda’s grave stone reads: “Malinda Simmions wife of Basil
Smith,” confirming that this is the couple who married in Putnam County,
GA).
The children of Basil Smith and wife, Melinda Simmons, were:
a 1. Basil Smith
a 2. John Smith, b. 1 January
1817, d. 13 July 1899 in Cheneyville, Rapides Parish, LA; m. (1) Sarah Ann
Adams on 2 March 1842; m. (2) Sarah Margaret Smith on 19 November
1860 in LA.
a 3. Patience Smith, b. July 1818 in
GA, d. 2 March 1801 in Rapides Parish, LA; m. Josiah Abner Miller on 31
July 1837 in Avoyelles, LA.
a 4. William Smith, b. c. 1820 in
MS, d. in TX; m. Emily Neal in c. 1840 in LA.
a 5. Sanders Smith, b. c. 1825 in MS;
m. Catherine Merchant.
a 6. Nathaniel Smith, b. 1 July 1829
in MS, d. 12 June 1909 in Gay Hill, Milam County, TX; m. Mary Winegeart.
a 7. Ezekial Smith, b. c. 1831 in
LA, m. Martha --?--.
a 8. Pruda/Prudence Smith, b. c. 1834 in
LA.
a 9. Joseph/Josiah Smith, b. 24
September 1836 in LA (MS?), d. 15 July 1863 in Rapides Parish, LA; m. Vashti
Wells on 15 July 1863 in LA. She
was b. 3 December 1833 in MS, d. 11 March 1920 in Rapides Parish, LA.
The naming of the children and the order of the names given are
significant: the oldest son, Basil, was named for his father. The next son, John, was likely named for his
paternal grandfather; the third son, William, possibly for his maternal
grandfather. The name Sanders is
interesting because of the association of Sanders Walker with the Smiths in
Georgia. And Nathaniel is reminiscent
of “Nathan,” a family name used for several generations in the Smith family.
There are two daughters: the first, Patience, named for her
maternal grandmother. This leaves Prudence,
also known as “Pruda.” Since all three
other grandparents were represented in the children’s names, surely Pruda was
named after her paternal grandmother (assumed to be Prudence Barron, daughter
of William and Prudence Davis Barron).
[Sources: Information provided by e-mail communication from Brian
Smith: bksmith@outdrs.net, and Shari
Simonds: shari@viptx.net
in 2000, and from Sue Meinhart: SUEMEINHRT@aol.com].
b. James Smith, b. 26 March
1797 in GA, d. 30 March 1880 in Lafayette County, MS; m. Martha Sarah Pool
on 30 March 1819 in Jones County, GA.
She was b. 5 Jan 1800 in Columbia County, GA, d. 27 April 1888 in
Lafayette County, MS (daughter of Samuel Pool, Revolutionary War soldier, and
Agnes Bullock Pool). Based on birth and
marriage records below, the Smiths had removed from Jones to Upson County, GA,
by 1828 and were in Tallapoosa County, AL, by 1848.
Their children of James Smith and wife, Martha Sarah Pool, were:
b 1. William Basil Smith, b. 18 December
1819 in Jones County, GA, d. 29 December 1864; m. Uzeba Elliot on 21
December 1837.
b 2. Telitha Smith, b. 11 June
1821 in Jones County, GA, d. 20 July 1888; m. David King Norman on 13
August 1838 in Upson Co, GA.
b 3. Prudence Smith, b. 25 August
1823 in Jones County, GA, d. 22 December 1885 in Lafayette County, MS, bur.
Shiloh Cemetery; m. Matthew Segler on 18 November 1847 in Tallapoosa
County, AL.
b 4. John S. Smith, b. 25 March
1825 in Jones County, GA; m. Angelica Segler on 6 February 1848.
b 5. Sarah Smith, b. 16 January
1827 in Jones County, GA, d. 24 February 1901 in Lafayette County, MS; m. George
Howell Welch on 21 December 1848 in Tallapoosa County, AL.
b 6. Samuel P. Smith, b. 3 October
1828 in Upson County, GA; m. Hannah Caroline Brewster on 19 December
1848.
b 7. Mary Elizabeth Smith, b. 4 November
1830 in Upson County, GA, d. 5 June 1831 in Upson County, GA.
b 8. Ellen Smith, b. 12 March
1832 in Upson County, GA, d. before 1880; m. George W. Poole on 23
September 1852 in Tallapoosa County, AL.
b 9. Phereby Smith, b. 12 August
1834 in Upson County, GA, d. 9 September 1834 in Upson County, GA.
b 10. Kerenhappuch Smith, b. 4 July 1835
in Upson County, GA, d. 16 September 1920; m. Daniel Gardner on 10
September 1854 in Tallapoosa County, AL.
b 11. James Matthew Smith, b. 6 December
1837 in GA, d. 1 January 1859.
b 12. Hiram Barron Smith, b. 3 October 1839
in GA, d. 16 December 1914; m. Frances E Grice on 13 July 1865.
b 13. Martha Anna Rebecca
Smith, b. 18 December 1841, d. in AL.
As in the case of the Basil and Melinda Simmons Smith family, the
James and Martha Pool Smith family gave their children names that indicate
descent from John Smith and a Barron wife.
Their oldest son was named William Basil Smith. John Smith (son of the elder James Smith)
named a son “Bazzel” in his 1826 will.
Their oldest daughter was named Prudence, also a daughter named in John
Smith’s will.
In addition, there were children named Phereby and Hiram Barron
Smith. Hiram Barron (son of John
Barron, grandson of Prudence Davis Barron) married Pheriby Pool on 16 November
1820 in Jones County, GA. Pheriby Pool
Barron was a sister to Martha Sarah Pool.
Both of these women were named as daughters in the Revolutionary War
pension application of Samuel Pool.
Also, Hiram Barron and his family are listed in the 1850 Randolph
County, AL, census. (Note: Randolph
County was located near where the James Smith family lived in Tallapoosa
County). Hiram Barron died in Randolph
County in 1872; his wife Pheriby Pool Barron also died in Randolph County (b.
15 May 1802, d. 24 December 1871).
Hiram Barron’s brother, Henry Barron, migrated from Upson County, GA, to
Tallapoosa County, AL, which were also the residences of James Smith.
[Sources: Sharon Rowan of Adel, GA; also LDS Ancestral Files of
Mary Helen Longfellow Mitchell (89 Lynette Drive, Pickerington, OH 43147) and
Elzyvee S. Judd (Box 1 Springdale, UT, 84767)].
c. William Smith
d. Sarah “Sally” Smith, b. c. 1800 in
GA, d. before 1867 in Smith County, TX; m. Silas Gammon on 12 October
1820 in Jones County, GA.
The Gammons resided in Jones County, GA, until 1824 when they
moved to nearby Monroe County. By 1833,
they had moved to Troup County, GA, then lived briefly in the Arkansas
Territory and Louisiana before arriving in Montgomery County, Republic of
Texas, by 1838. Preceding them to Texas
were Sarah’s sister, Nancy, and her husband, William Alston Cook. Sarah’s brother, Nathan Smith, had also
located in Montgomery County by this time (see Commissioners Court Minutes
under Nathan Smith, child #g, below). Though Nancy and her husband remained in
Montgomery County, the Gammons moved back to Louisiana by 1849. But by 1851, the Gammons returned to Texas,
this time to Smith County, where their son, Smith, had briefly lived. The Gammons remained in Smith County for the
remainder of their lives. In 1857, the
Gammons were charter members of Indian Creek Baptist Church in western Smith
County. The church membership was
composed of extended family, including Sarah’s first cousin (once removed),
John Wood Barron, grandson of Martha Smith Barron. Was it coincidence that family members joined together after so
many years and miles living apart? (For
more information about the history and the members of Indian Creek Baptist
Church, see http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~famlytre/IndianCreek.htm).
(Note: Silas Gammon, b. 1796/1800, d. 1868, was the son of Smith
Gammon and wife, Elizabeth Monk, daughter of Willis and Elizabeth Monk. Smith Gammon married Elizabeth Monk on 7
January 1781 in Wake County, NC; Elizabeth Monk Gammon was last known to be
residing in Jones County, GA, in 1821.
Smith Gammon also had a brother named Willis Gammon, who m. Rebecca
Willis in 1807. It is interesting to
see yet additional Smith-Willis connections).
The children of Silas Gammon and wife, Sarah Smith, were:
d 1. Smith M. Gammon, b. c. 1821 in
Jones County, GA, d. after 1867 in Smith County, TX; m. Elizabeth Splawn
on 13 February 1842 in Montgomery County, Republic of Texas.
d 2. John G. Gammon, b. c. 1823 in
Jones County, GA, d. after 1870 in Hunt County, TX; m. (1) Clarissa Martin on
17 March 1853 in Hot Spring County, AR; m. (2) Catherine Fenter on 26
October 1856 in Hot Spring County, AR; m. (3) unknown after 1860 in AR
(TX); m. (4) Josanna C. “Josie” Ice on 23 November 1865 in Smith County,
TX.
d 3. Wiley Bonaparte
Gammon, b.17 January 1825 in Monroe County, GA, d. 23 February 1904 in
Motz (now Artex), Miller County, AR, bur. In Rock Springs Cemetery, Miller
County, AR; m. Nancy Alice Price in c. 1849 in Claiborne Parish,
LA. She was b. April 1832 in LA.
d 4. Jefferson Jackson
Gammon, b. 1 September 1827 in Monroe County, GA, d. 13 November 1877 in
Van Zandt County, TX; m. Martha Ann Pierce in c. 1848 in LA. She was b. 29 October 1831, d. 31 August
1899 in Van Zandt County, TX.
d 5. (Female) Gammon, b. 1825/1830
in GA.
d 6. Serena Gammon, b. c. 1835 in
Arkansas Territory; m. William Henry Brittain on 18 May 1873 in Van
Zandt County, TX.
d 7. Martha Ann Gammon, b. c. 1837 in
LA, d. January 1870 in Smith County, TX; m. Willis Jarrell Ellis on 27
October 1859 in Smith County, TX. He
was b. 6 August 1841 in Pike County, GA, d. 28 September 1876 in Smith County,
TX.
d 8. Minerva A. Gammon, b. c. 1840 in
Montgomery County, Republic of Texas, d. after December 1879 in the Choctaw
Nation, Indian Territory (now probably Atoka County, OK); m. (1) George J.
Price on 14 January 1858 in Smith County, TX. He d. on 5 February 1863 in Camp Douglas, Chicago, IL, m. (2) John
William Null on 23 April 1864 in Smith County, TX. He was b. 6 February 1846 in Louisville,
Winston County, MS.
[Source: Bobby J. Wadsworth: bobby.jay@verizon.net. For more information on the children of
Silas and Sarah Smith Gammon, see Bobby Wadsworth’s website at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~famlytre/index.htm. His data on the Silas Gammon family begins
at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~famlytre/Gammon~1.htm#Silas~G.
e. Nancy Smith, b. 28 February 1802
in GA; d. 1869 in Walker County, TX; m. William Alston Cook in c. 1819
in GA. He was b. 2 October 1794 in GA,
d. 26 October 1848 in Walker County, TX.
Both are buried at the abandoned Stanley Cemetery on the old home place.
Timeline:
• February 1827 –
Sold land in Monroe County, GA
• 1834 – Arrived in what is now Texas with
four children
• 14 March 1835 – William received title
to 4,428 acres from State of Coahuila and Texas: land located 8 miles NW of
Huntsville in Montgomery (now Walker) County
• 30 September 1836 – William discharged
from the Texas Revolutionary Army; later received 640 acres of bounty land
adjoining his league of land
• 08 August 1840 – William & Nancy
Smith Cook joined Mount Pleasant Baptist Church of Montgomery County (later
members of Rock Springs Baptist Church)
The children of
William Alston Cook and wife, Nancy Smith, were:
e
1. Zion Wilson Cook, b. c. 1820 in GA, d. c.
31 October 1861, bur. in Stanley Cemetery.
e 2. Missouri Cook, b. 4 June
1824 in GA, d. 12 February 1871; m. Peter Petree.
e 3. Nancy Elizabeth Cook,
b. December 1827 in GA, d. 29 January 1879, bur.in Bethel Cemetery, Grimes
County, TX; m. Harrison Wells.
e 4. John William Cook,
b. c. 1830 in GA, d. 27 May 1864 at the Battle of New Hope Church in the
Atlanta (GA) campaign; m. Sisley Ann Wells on 10 April 1851.
e 5. Charles Monroe Cook,
b. 17 December 1835 in Walker County, Republic of Texas, d. 1 March 1863 at
Camp Butler, IL (US military prison); m. Julia Lucindy Flint on 24
December 1857.
e 6. Elmira MARY Cook, b.
c. 1838 in Walker County, Republic of Texas d. 9 July 1856, bur. in Stanley
Cemetery.
e 7. Elvira MARTHA Cook,
b. c. 1838 in Walker County, Republic of Texas, bur. in Madison County, TX, m. John
W. Manning on 22 December 1853.
e 8. Georgia Ann America Cook,
b. c. 1841 in Walker County, TX; m. William W. Brantley on 28 September
1856.
e 9. Phelisa Jiney Cook,
b. 22 November 1844 in Walker County, TX, d. 28 February 1924, bur. in Memorial
Cemetery, Johnson County, TX; m. (1) Lysander E. Stanley on 19 April
1860, m. (2) Jesse J. Cole on 29 December
1886. [Source: article by Lois Cook
Owen on the William A. Cook family in Montgomery County (TX) History,
Montgomery County Genealogical Service, 1981, p. 231].
f. John Smith Jr. Possibly the John Smith who m. Nancy
Bridges on 20 April 1826 in Jones County, GA.
g. Nathan
Smith, b. 1 July
1807, d. 19 May 1885 in Claiborne Parish, LA; m. Levinia --?-- on 13
November 1828 in GA. [Sources:
transcription from grave stone in Old Homer Cemetery, Claiborne Parish, LA, ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/claiborne/cemeteries/oldhomr.txt;
Nathan’s stone states that he was “born in GA.” Same dates given by the Smith Bible (probably belonged to Nathan
Smith), transcribed in Bible Records, Vol. 4, Louisiana Genealogical and
Historical Society: Be It Known and Remembered, 1966, pp. 40- 41]. No marriage record has been found in GA]. Levinia (spelled Loveina on her grave stone
and both Lovina and Levina in the Smith Bible) was b. 7 March 1807, d. 13
November 1884. [Sources: Death date of
“Thursday the 13 of November 1884” listed in the Smith Bible (probably belonged to
Nathan Smith), transcribed in Bible Records, Vol. 4, Louisiana Genealogical
and Historical Society: Be It Known and Remembered, 1966, pp. 40- 41. Transcription from Old Homer Cemetery, ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/claiborne/cemeteries/oldhomr.txt
shows the day as the 14th (as do the Lebanon Church minutes). Her stone identifies her as the wife of
Nathan Smith]. A transcription of the
dates in the Smith Bible follow the list of Nathan Smith’s children.
Nathan was in Monroe County, GA, in 1830 (1830 census, p.
221). By 1831, he may have moved
farther west to Harris County, GA. [His
son, William J., was born in Harris County according to his Confederate pension
application. Copy in possession of
Carol Young of Haughton, LA, lcjyoung@yahoo.com.]
He was living in Montgomery County, Republic of Texas, in 1838 with his
sisters, Sarah and Nancy, and their husbands, Silas Gammon and William Alston
Cook. [Source: “Montgomery County,
Texas, Commissioners Court Minutes,” The Herald, (Montgomery County
Genealogical & Historical Society) 13:3 (Fall 1990), p. 116: March Term
1838; the men assigned to work on the Cincinnati-to-Washington road in Precinct
No. 7 were Benjamine Robinson (overseer), W.A. Cooke (sic), Nathan Smith, Silas
Gammon, Smitt McGammon (sic), T. Housley, ____ Young and I. Housley.] By 1840, Nathan had settled in Claiborne
Parish, LA, (per census records, p. 102), where he remained for the rest of his
life. Though he cannot be located on
the 1850 census, Nathan received many land patents in Claiborne Parish from
1843 through 1860, including some dated 1850.
[Source: www.glorecords.blm.gov]. Also, it should be noted that the Gammon
family is listed in the 1850 Claiborne Parish, LA, census with some of the same
neighbors shown previously for Nathan Smith in the 1840 census. In 1860, N. Smith, age 52, born in GA, is listed
with his wife, Levinia, also 52 (no birth location).
Nathan
and Levinia were members of Lebanon Primitive Baptist Church in Claiborne
Parish. Church records show that Nathan Smith joined on 3 July 1858,
"Luvina" Smith on 4 April 1873. The minutes also record death
dates. [Source: Claiborne Parish,
LA, rootsweb page: ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/claiborne/churches/mtlebanon.txt].
The children of Nathan and Levinia Smith were:
g
1. James L. Smith, b.23 March 1830 in GA; d.
18 November 1864; m. Charlotte Talbert on 2 November 1848.
g 2. William J. Smith, b.12
November 1831 in GA, d.25 Feb.1909, bur. in Lebanon Cemetery, Claiborne Parish,
LA. He m. (1) Sarah Ann Welden
on 11 February 1849; m. (2) Nancy A. Allen Adkins, widow of Zaccheus
Frank Adkins, on 9 April 1854 in Claiborne Parish, LA. She was b. 22 May 1832, d. 7 June 1912. Both William and Nancy are buried in
Lebanon Cemetery, Claiborne Parish, LA.
Note: William J. Smith and John E. Smith both served in Company D, 28th
LA Infantry Regiment, in the Civil War. Company D was raised in Claiborne
Parish and both men enlisted on 11 May 1862.
g 3. Mary Jane Smith, b.15
September 1834 in GA, d. 31 December 1908, b. Old Cemetery Minden, Webster, LA;
m. (1) Columbus Letchworth Welden on 10 August 1848 in Claiborne Parish,
LA. He was b. 10 August 1823 and d.
September 1863. He served in Company D,
19th LA Infantry. She m. (2)
William Life on 1 July 1873 in Webster, LA.
g 4. John E. Smith, b.12
Nov.1836 in GA, d.31 July 1862; m. Nancy Fannie Mann on 15 January 1860
in Claiborne Parish, LA. She m. John H.
Wheeler after John Smith’s death. (See
note under William J. Smith).
g 5. Daughter?, b. 1835-1840
(per 1840 Claiborne Parish, LA, census record though no indication given in
Smith Bible).
[Source: Information on Nathan Smith’s children from Smith Bible
and Robert Rainey Morris, raineymorris@hotmail.com.]
SMITH BIBLE
Bible
printed in 1829 at Cooperstown (N.Y.). Copied by Mrs. Harlon A.Lee of
Shreveport and sent to the Society through Mrs. S. J. Nation.
Family Records
W. J. Smith was borned on the 12 day of November A.D. 1831
Nancy A. Allin was borned on the 22 day of May A.D. 1832
Births
Marthey
Jane Adkins was borned on the 18 day of March A.D. 1849 } Note from V. Kruschwitz: Martha Jane and Sarah Adkins were Nancy
Allen
Sarah ? Adkins was borned on the 22 day of September A.D. 1851 } Adkins children by her
first marriage
Lovina Smith was borned on the 14 day of Oct. A.D. 1854
Mary C. Smith was borned on the 8 day of February A.D. 1857.
Marriages
Nathan Smith
and Lovina was married the 13th. of November in the year of Our Lord 1828
James L. Smith and Charlotta was married the 2 day of November in the year of
Our Lord 1848
Columbus L. Weldin and Mary Jane Smith were married on the 10 day of August
A.D. 1848
James L. Smith and Charlotte Talbert were married on the 2 day of November A.D.
1848
William J. Smith and Sarah Ann Weldin were married on the 11 day of February
A.D. 1849
John E. Smith and Nancy F. ?man was married the 15 of January in the year of
Our Lord 1860.
Births
Nathan Smith was borned the 1 of July in the year of Our Lord 1807
Lovina Smith was borned the 7 of March in the year of Our Lord 1807
James L. Smith was borned on the twenty third day of March in the year of Our
Lord eighteen hundred and thirty
William J. Smith was borned on the twelfth day of November in the year of Our
Lord eighteen hundred and thirty one
Mary Smith was borned on the fifteenth day of September eighteen hundred and
thirty four
John E. Smith was borned the 12 of November in the year of Our Lord 1836
Benjamine McCullough Harrington was born Oct. 13, 1864 in Columbia County Ark.
Thomas J. Pitts was born on the 20 of January in the year of Our Lord 1846.
Departed this life on Friday night fourteen minutes after ten clock Feb. the 8,
1878.
A. Jane was borned on the 27 day of December 1857
Carline was borned on the 4 day of March 1859.
Deaths
John Smith departed this life on the Sixteenth day of June in the year of Our
Lord eighteen hundred and twenty seven.
John E. Smith departed this life on Thursday the 31 day of July 1862.
James L. Smith departed this life on Friday the 18 day of November in the year
of Our Lord A.D. 1864.
Hulda E. McDaniel departed this life 10 o'clock Monday the 7 of March 1868.
Prudenc Kind departed this life Wednesday half past Eleven o'clock July the 29,
1868.
Levina Smith departed this life Thursday the 13 of November 1884.
Nathan Smith departed this life May 19, 1885
William J. Smith departed this life on the early morning of Feb. 25, 1909 age
78 years 3 months and 13 days "Blessed are the dead that die in the
Lord."
Nancy Smith departed this life June 7, 1912.
Note
found in the Smith Bible: B. H. Hart was borned the 26th day of May A.D. 1839. Died the 12th day
of August A.D. 1882.
Part
of a letter found in the Smith Bible:
"letters I recieved was glad to here from you we are all wel the babys
name is Deller Sarah (?lawons) and She is the swetest thing you ever saw well
you say you are not a camelite I am glad you ar not but I do want you to bee a
christian and you cant bee a christan without faith repentence and confession
and baptism the scripure is with the hart and beliveth unto righteousness and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation I have herd the camolite teach
water salvation but the christens dont do that, they teach the hole bible and
nothing else."
[Source:
Bible Records, Vol. 4, Louisiana Genealogical and
Historical Society: Be It Known and Remembered, 1966, pp. 40- 41].
NOTE: Martha Jane and Sarah Prudence Adkins were
daughters of Nancy Allen and her first husband Zaccheus Frank Adkins.
B. H. Hart was Barney C. Hart,
husband of Martha Jane Adkins.
h. Willis Smith, d. 1827/1836
with no descendants.
i. Prudence “Prudy”
Smith, b. c. 1810, d. 29 July 1868 in Claiborne Parish, LA; m.
(1) John B. Manning on 4 December 1827 in Jones County, GA (he d. bef.
October 1836); m. (2) John E. W. King on 23 April 1840 in Troup County,
GA. The John B. Manning family was
listed in the 1830 Jones County census (p. 434) with 1 M < 5 and 1 F <
5. On 26 October 1833, John B. Manning
“of Jones County” purchased lot 217 in District 3 of Henry County from William
Johnson. [Source: Henry County,
Georgia, Land Records, 1824-1838, Deed Books C/D, F, G, H, by Freda Reid
Turner, 1993, p. 168: Deed Book F, p. 410].
Sometime before January 1836, Manning moved to Troup County, GA, where
he died, as estate returns began on that date.
The children of John B. Manning and wife, Prudence Smith,
included:
i 1. Martha E. Manning, b. c. 1828 in
Jones County, GA; m. John M. Johnson on 22 January 1860 in Chambers
County, AL.
i 2. William I. or J.
Manning, b
18 or 28 October 1828, d. 7 Aug 1914; m. Nancy Ann
Elder on 13 September 1848 in Harris County, GA. She was b. 29 December 1832, d. 29 January 1907.
i 3. Mary M. Manning; m. Irvin
Gilleland probably before 1849 in GA
i 4. Sarah Jane Manning, b. 1 April
1834 in GA, d. 21 August 1885 in Clay County, AL; m. Joseph William Elder
on 28 December 1852 in Chambers County, AL.
He was b. 22 March 1831 and d. 8 November 1913. Both are buried in Union-D Cemetery, Clay
County, AL.
i 5. Nancy B. Manning, b. c. 1835 in
GA.
On 23 April 1840 in Troup County, Prudence Smith Manning married
John E. W. King, a man 13 years her junior.
Elijah Satterwhite, whose wife Rebecca was the sister of Prudence’s
deceased husband, performed the ceremony. [Source of Satterwhite/Manning
relationship: www.familysearch.com:
ancestral file submitted by Vera E. Culpepper (P.O. Box 2054, Provo UT,
84603)]. By 1848, John E. King had
received land grants in Chambers County, AL, near Barrons, Satterwhites, and
Smiths. The King family still lived in
the county during the 1850 census (p. 320).
By the 1860 census, the Kings had moved west to nearby Tallapoosa County
(p. 226). Sometime between daughter
Missouria’s marriage in Tallapoosa County in 1863 and 1867, Prudence King moved
near her brother Nathan in Claiborne Parish, LA. To date no record has been found indicating that any of her
family moved to Claiborne Parish with her.
She joined Lebanon
Primitive Baptist Church in Claiborne Parish on 3 August 1867. Her
brother, Nathan, was already a member.
Nathan’s Bible recorded her death date as
“Wednesday half past Eleven o'clock July the 29, 1868.” [Source: Smith Bible (probably belonged to
Nathan Smith), transcribed in Bible Records, Vol. 4, Louisiana Genealogical
and Historical Society: Be It Known and Remembered, 1966, pp. 40- 41]. The church minutes list her death
date as August 1868. [Source:
Claiborne Parish, LA, rootsweb page: ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/claiborne/churches/mtlebanon.txt].
The children of John E. W. King and wife, Prudence Smith,
included:
i 6. Frances A. King, b. c. 1839 in
GA; m. Sheriff A. Brewster on 9 December 1858 in Chambers County, AL.
i 7. Missouria King, b. 1840/1844
in GA; m. James W. Bishop on 27 August 1863 in Tallapoosa County, AL.
i 8. Emily King, b. c. 1843 in
GA.
[Sources: Early Marriages, Troup County, Georgia,
1828-1900, by Merle Massengale Bruce; also Histories of LaGrange and
Troup County, Georgia, Vol. 1 and III (sic), by Forrest Clark Johnson, III;
also Estate Records of Troup County, Georgia 1827-1850, by Randall A. Allen
and Danny Knight; also Chambers County, AL ,Tract Book, by Ruth Royal
Crump, 1984; also Marriage Records
of Chambers Co., Alabama, Book 1, 1833-1859, by Marjorie Andrews,
1974; also Marriage Records of Tallapoosa County, Alabama, Vol. 1, 1834-1863,
by Robert C. and Julia F. Horn, 1989].
j. Joseph Smith. Likely the Joseph Smith who m. (1) unknown;
m. (2) Nancy Glass Cleland (widow of William Cleland) on 24 October 1844
in Jones County, GA. This Joseph Smith
first appeared in the 1840 Jones County census on the same page as Nancy Garner
(p. 122). From the 1850 and 1860 Jones
County censuses (pp. 198 and 521, respectively), he was born 1815/1816. His children included: Ophelia, Nancy J.,
Eliza, Mary, Joanna, John W., Isaac, and Georgia Smith.
k. Henry Smith, d. 1827/1836
with no descendants.
l. Asa Smith. Since he was the last child named in his
father’s will, Asa was probably the one of the youngest children, possibly born
after 1820. He may be the Asa Smith
listed in the 1850 Jasper County, GA, census (p. 95) with a wife named
Martha. This family was later found in
the 1860 and 1870 Stewart County, GA, censuses. From these census records Asa was b. 1822/1824. Named children were Henry, Nancy, Mary,
John, and Syntha Smith.
m. Cynthia Smith, b. c. 1826. in
GA. Born after the writing of her
father’s will, she was identified as a minor child in the Libel for Discovery
filed by the family against John Garner in October 1836.
John Smith’s sons, Basil and James, generally followed a
recognizable naming pattern for their children, incorporating common family
names from past generations. This was
not the case for daughters, Nancy, Sarah, and Prudence. Nancy’s son, John William Cook, may have
been named after her father (William Simmons) and her husband (John Smith), or
less likely after William Barron, believed to be the father of John Smith’s
first wife.
Sarah’s son, Smith M. Gammon, is likely named after his paternal
grandfather, Smith Gammon, and son, John G. Gammon, after his maternal
grandfather, John Smith. It is possible
that Prudence’s son, William J. Manning, could be named for his grandfather
Barron and daughter, Martha E. Manning, for her aunt, Martha Smith Barron. However, the names of the other children in
these families do not appear to be traditional.
Child of Nancy Smith Garner and John Garner:
a. John W. Garner, b. about 1834.
William Foster of "Green" County, GA, wrote his will
on 3 December 1808, listing daughters Sally Smith, Eliza Heath, Polly Smith,
Phebe Catuehead (sic), Rutha Foster, Patsy Foster, Rebecca Foster, and sons
Truett, James, Spencer, and Shadrack Foster.
Executors were William Johnson and John Slaughter. The will was filed 10 February 1812 in
Claiborne County, MS. (See below for a full transcription of the
will).
Just prior to writing his will, William Foster sold property in
Greene County:
William Foster of Greene County sold to Richard Smith of Greene
County on 3 November 1808 for the sum of $750, 182 acres of land in Greene
County. Wit: John Slaughter and Nathan
Atkinson. Recorded 2 March 1809. [Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land
Records: Deeds 1785-1810, by Freda R. Turner, p. 504]. It is noteworthy that a witness to this deed
was John Slaughter, co-executor of William Foster's will.
According to the book Passports issued by Governors of Georgia, by Mary G. Bryan, 1959, passports through the Creek Nation were ordered for
a William Foster on 22 November 1808 and 26 November 1808 (pp. 243 and
247). It seems likely that William Foster sold his property in Greene
County, obtained passports for the hazardous journey through Indian Territory
to Mississippi and then wrote his will before his departure.
The information provided in William Foster's will indicate that
this was the man whose two daughters, Sarah and Polly, married Nathan and
Joseph Smith, sons of James Smith. Art Seder, in his book, A Smith Family
Odyssey, states that Sarah “Sally” Foster married Nathan Smith in c. 1782. Nathan Smith was listed in Wilkes County tax
records as early as the mid-1780s.
Wilkes County records list the marriage of Polly Foster and Joseph Smith
(on 4 December 1799).
Phebe Catuehead (sic), identified as another Foster daughter, was
married to John Cadenhead in Greene County, GA, on 2 December 1808 by William
Johnson, JP. The marriage license was
issued on 27 November 1808 in Greensboro and identified both parties as
residents of Greene County. [Source:
Curt Ledbetter, Montgomery AL, curtl@msn.com. Also, see Southern Cadenheads -
James Cadenhead, Sr. and His Descendants in the Southern United States, by
Kenneth Cadenhead and Bill Germany, 1997.]. If the marriage date is correct, Phoebe
Foster married the day before her father drafted his will. (Note: The Cadenhead family Bible dates the
marriage of Phoebe Foster and John Cadenhead as 2 December 1806. The date
is variously recorded as 27 November 1807, 2 December 1807, and 2 December 1808
in books listing Greene County, GA, marriages). [Sources: Bible Records, volume II, Barbour
County, Alabama, by Helen S. Foley, 1976, p. 29; Colonial Georgia
Marriage Records from 1760-1810, by Frances T. Ingmire; also 40,000 Early Georgia
Marriages, by Mattox; Georgia Genealogist State Records; and DAR
Historical Records].
William and sons, Truett, James, and Spencer Foster left many
records in Wilkes, Greene and Hancock Counties, GA. William Foster, who owned land in Greene
County, appeared in the 1790 Wilkes tax returns living near Truett Foster, who
owned no land or slaves, which likely meant that Truett had just come of
age. (Note: William Foster had been
granted land in Greene County on 3 January 1785. [Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land Records: Deeds 1785-1810,
by Freda R. Turner, p. 392]). Nearby
were living Shipherd (sic) Foster and Kimey (sic) Foster, identified by Art
Seder as the father and brother of William Foster. [Sources: Wilkes County, Georgia, Tax Records, 1785 - 1805,
Vol. 1 & II, by Frank Parker Hudson; also A Smith Family Odyssey,
by Arthur R. Seder Jr., 1999]. By 1796,
William and Truett Foster had moved to nearby Hancock County. Living in the vicinity were Chapel and
Thomas Heath. (Possibly one of these
men married Eliza Foster). [Source: An
Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. I1, 1789-1799, R. J. Taylor Jr.
Foundation, pp. 055 and 053 of the Hancock County Digest]. That same year, Spencer and James Foster
were listed in Wilkes County, with no land or slaves, next to James Smith, the
patriarch of the Smith family outlined in this article. [Source: Wilkes County, Georgia, Tax
Records, 1785 - 1805, Vol. 1 & II, by Frank Parker Hudson]. Spencer Foster also witnessed the 1796 deed
of land located in Oglethorpe County from James Smith to his son-in-law,
William Barron, and son, John Smith.
(See Martha Smith, child #1, above for transcription of deed). And James Foster witnessed the sale of
property in Wilkes by his brother-in-law and sister, Joseph and Polly Foster
Smith, in 1803. (See child #7 above for deed
transcription).
Several Georgia deeds confirm the identity of Truett
and Spencer Foster as sons of William Foster:
I, William Foster of Hancock County for the consideration of the
love and good will and affection which I have and do bear towards my beloved
son Truets (?) [sic] Foster of the same place have granted unto him a tract of
land in Hancock County adjoining on Dread Creek, and containing 211 acres. Wit: Hardy W(illegible) and John Coulter,
J.P. Reg: 19 February
1801. (No date of deed given).
[Source: Land Deed Genealogy of Hancock County, Georgia, by Helen &
Tim Marsh, pp. 242-243].
William Foster of Hancock County on 24 December 1799, for love,
good will, and affection toward my beloved son, Spencer Foster, land in Greene
County bounded by Clemons. Wit: John
Foster and John Coulter. Rec. 1 September
1800. [Source: Greene County, Georgia, Land Records: Deeds 1785-1810,
by Freda R. Turner, p. 220].
Spencer Foster may have sold the land given to him by his father
in the following deed. Though the dates of the gift to Spencer Foster and
his sale of property are not quite in sync, and the purchaser of the property
is identified as Reuben Foster, rather than Reuben Foreman, this may be the
property that is referenced in one item of William Foster's 1808
will:
Spencer
Foster of Greene Co. and Mary, his wife, sold to Reuben Foster of Greene Co. on
10 Dec 1799 for the sum of $276, land in Greene
Co., 100
acres. Wit: John Foster. Rec. 1 Sept 1800. [Source: Greene
County, Georgia, Land Records: Deeds 1785-1810, by Freda R. Turner, p.
324].
William Foster’s sons, Shadrack and James must have preceded him
to Claiborne County, as they are found on the 1807 tax lists, living near
Dempsey White and Sarah Thompson.
William apparently moved from Georgia to Mississippi between
December 1808 and early 1810. He and sons James, Shedrick (sic)
and Spencer, as well as Gibeon Foster (of unknown relationship) were enumerated
in the 1810 Claiborne/Warren Counties, MS, census. These Fosters were also listed in the 1810
Claiborne County tax digest, with neighbors Hezekiah Harmon, Shem, Levi and
Sarah Thompson, Josiah Flowers, George W. Humphreys, Robert Cochran, Waterman
Crane, Noah Blackwell and Reuben and Dempsey White.
In 1811, James, Spencer
and William (also Gibeon) are found.
William is not listed after 1811, but, James is found from 1812-1815 and
1817-1818, Spencer is named from 1812-1818 and Shadrack appears in 1812, 1814,
1817-1820. (Gibeon Foster also appears
through 1820.) [Source: Claiborne County, MS tax returns
through 1817 on microfilm in Clayton Library, Houston, TX. Reviewed by Annette Bowen, Webster, TX, aandbowen@netscape.net. 1818-1820 returns reviewed on AGLL microfilm by
Vicki Kruschwitz].
The Foster family, according to Art Seder, had ties to the Smiths in
Craven County, NC, prior to moving to Wilkes County, GA, in the mid 1770s. These ties were strengthened in Georgia
through marriage of William Foster’s daughters to James Smith’s sons. When William Foster moved to Claiborne
County, MS, he settled near Dempsey White and William Thompson (by then
deceased) and in the general vicinity of David Collum, believed to be the men
of those names who had married daughters of James Smith. Whether the proximity of his new home in
Mississippi to White and Thompson was planned or coincidental is not known at
this time, though it is interesting that Shem Thompson, believed to be a son of
William Thompson, was an appraiser of William Foster’s estate in 1812.
Will of William Foster
"In the name of God amen. I William Foster, of the
County of Green & State of Georgia, being in good health and of a
sound mind, a memory and calling to mind
the uncertainty of this transitory Life do make and ordain this my last Will
and testament, in manner and form following.
It is my will and desire that all my debts should be paid out of my
Estate.
Item. I give my Daughter Salley Smith, one negro girl named Esther.
Item. The Land whereon my son Truett Foster now lives upon I have given
him as his part.
Item. The Land that I gave my son James Foster that he sold to his
uncle Philemon Foster to be his part.
Item. The Land that I gave my son Spencer Foster that he sold to Reuben
Foreman to be his part.
Item. I lend my daughter Eliza Tbeath (Heath?), one negro girl named Eose,
during her natural Life, and after her death I give the said girl to her
children.
Item. I give my Daughter Polly Smith one negro boy named Philip.
Item. I lend my Daughter Phebe Catuehead one negro girl named Nancy, and
after her death I give the said girl to the children of her body.
Item. I give my daughter Rutha Foster one negroe woman named Patience
also one bed & furniture.
Item. I give unto my daughter Patsey Foster one negroe girl named Rachel
also one bed and Furniture.
Item I give my daughter Rebeckah Foster one negroe boy named Fendall
& one negro girl named Linda, also one bed & Furniture.
Item. I give my son Shadrack Foster one negro boy named Sam, and
whatsoever I am possessed of at my death, except what I have already
given.
I do hereby acknowledge this to be my last will &
testament, utterly disannulling all other wills made by me heretofore made
by me. I do appoint William Johnson & John Slaughter Executors to this
my last Will & Testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 3rd day of December in the year of our Lord 1808.
Test
John Slaughter William Foster {seal}
The above is a true record of said last will & testament made per order of
Court, 10th February 1812 - certified.
attest D P [can't read signature]"
[Source: Transcription by Annette Bowen, aandbowen@netscape.net,
from a copy of the will recorded by the clerk in Claiborne County, MS].
Likely children of Dempsey White, of Claiborne and Warren Counties, MS,
and possibly Mary Smith:
a. Elizabeth White, b. 1777/1780;
m. Noah Blackwell on 2 October 1800.
Marriage performed by William Thompson, JP. Noah Blackwell was living next to Reuben White and Dempsey White
on the 1810 census of Claiborne County and next to Reuben White on the 1820
census, with 3 Ms < 10, 1 M 10-16, 1 M 26-45, 2 Fs < 10, 1 F 10-16, 1 F
16-26, 1 F 26-45 (p. 9). An Elizabeth
Blackwell, age 60-70, was enumerated on the 1840 Warren County, MS, census (p.
277); her sister Phoebe Powell was listed on the previous page (p. 276).
b. Reuben White, b. 1777/1780,
d. 1831 in Claiborne County, MS; m. Nancy Tabor (daughter of William and
Lovina Harmon Tabor) in 1799. She was
b. 1 May 1785, d. 25 December 1859 in Hinds County, MS. Lovina’s brother, Hezekiah Harmon, owned
land on Bayou Pierre near Reuben’s father, Dempsey White, as early as
1804. Reuben and Nancy had 13 children,
seven of whom had died before 1860.
Reuben White was found in the 1810 Claiborne County census with 1
M > 21, 2 Ms < 21, 1 F > 21, 1 F < 21 residing next to Demsey (sic)
White and Noah Blackwell. In the 1816
Claiborne County census, his family consisted of 1 M > 21, 4 Ms < 21 and
1 F > 21. In 1820 Claiborne County
census, Reuben White was living adjacent likely brother-in-law, Noah Blackwell,
with 4 Ms < 10, 1 M 10-16, 1 M 26-45, 1 F 16-26 and 1 F 26-45 (p. 9). In 1830 Claiborne County census, Reuben’s
family contained 2 Ms 0-5, 1 M 5-10, 1 M 10-15, 3 Ms 15-20, 1 M 20-30, 1 M
50-60, 1 F 0-5, 1 F 5-10, 1 F 40-50.
Reuben wrote his will on 20 April 1831, and the order to appraise
his estate was given in January 1832.
His wife, Nancy, remarried to Benjamin Miller in c. 1834. The marriage was dissolved after a few
years.
Known children of Reuben White and wife, Nancy Tabor, were:
b 1. William H. White, d. c. 1834 in Claiborne County, MS; m.
Philena Marble on 13 November 1822 in Claiborne County, MS.
b 2. Nathan I. (or S.) White, b. 1811; m. Narcissa Ann
Gayden on 28 March 1833 in Claiborne County, MS. He moved to Hinds County, MS, by 1844.
b 3. Isaac B. White, b. c. 1818, m. Minda ___. In Polk County, TX by 1850, living adjacent
Sidney B. White.
b 4. Sidney B. White, b. 19 January 1819, d. 18 March 1878 in
Polk County, TX. Buried in Peebles
Cemetery, East Goodrich, TX. Married Sarah
J. McNulthy on 26 Jan 1848 in Polk County, TX.
b 5. Josiah F. White, b. c. 1820. He was living in Hinds County, MS, by 1850.
b 6. Ann Eliza White; m. Duncan McDougal.
b 7. Reuben Burch White, b. c. 1827. He was living in Hinds County, MS, by 1850.
b 8. Mary Lavina White, b. c. 1829; m. John McKay.
c. Ann White, b. c. 1780; m.
Samuel Goodwin on 25 June 1800.
Marriage performed by William Thompson, JP. The Samuel Goodwin family appeared on the 1816, 1820, and 1830
Claiborne County, MS, censuses. In
1816, the family was listed on the same page as Dempsey White. In 1820, the family consisted of 2 Ms <
10, 1 M 10-16, 2 Ms 16-26, 1 M 26-45, 3 Fs < 10, 2 Fs 10-16, 1 F 16-26, 2 Fs
26-45 and 1 slave and was listed near the family of Ann’s sister, Elizabeth
White Blackwell [Source: Claiborne County census, pp. 5 and 9]. By 1830 Ann may have died, as the family
contained 1 M 5-10, 3 Ms 10-15, 1 M 15-20, 1 M 50-60, 2 Fs < 5, 1 F 5-10, 1
F 10-15 2 Fs 15-20 and 1 F 20-30 [Source: Claiborne County census, p. 80].
d. Robert White, b. before
1784; m. Phillepina Hamberlin on 6 December 1801. Marriage performed by William Thompson,
JP. A Robert White was enumerated in
Jefferson County, MS, in 1805 with 1 M > 21, 7 Ms < 21, 4 Fs; in 1808
with 7 Ms > 21, 1 M < 21, 1 F > 21, 1 F < 21; and in 1810 with 1 M
> 21, 6 Ms < 21, 1 F > 21 and 2 Fs < 21. A Robert White was in Adams County in 1816 with 1 M > 21 and
no others.
e. Nathan White, b. 26 August
1792, d. 30 May 1835 in Yazoo County, MS; m. Rebecca Harmon, daughter of
Hezekiah Harmon and Mercy Leonard, on 18 January 1814 in Claiborne County,
MS. She was b. 20 October 1790, d. 15
January 1857 in Yazoo County, MS. Both
bur. in White Family Cemetery, near Dover, Yazoo County, MS.
Nathan White was enumerated on the 1816 census of Jefferson
County, MS, with 1 M > 21, 1 F > 21, and 1 F < 21. He was listed (p. 119) a few pages from
Dempsey White (p. 124) on the 1820 Warren County census with 1 M < 10, 1 M
26-45, 2 F < 10 and 1 F 26-45.
Nathan White was mentioned as a deacon in Antioch Baptist Church, Adams
County, MS, in January 1823. [Source:
the journal of Sophia Adams Goodrum from Warren County, MS. The journal is in the possession of Ridgley Goodrum Bayley of
Vicksburg, MS. Information from Cyd Rawls’s CydRawls@aol.com
website: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rawls/diary.html,]. Elisha Flowers,
Levi Thompson and John Lobdell were also mentioned in the journal in relation
to the church. Some sources indicate
that this Elisha Flowers may have been the husband of Margaret White, thought
to be a daughter of Dempsey White. Levi
Thompson was a son of William Thompson, likely brother-in-law to Dempsey White;
he moved to Yazoo County, MS. John
Lobdell must have been related to this family – he was one of the securities
for Dempsey White’s will.
Indenture __ October 1828, Nathan White and Rebecca White, his
wife, to Joseph Harmon sell all their rights to 500 acres on the north side of
Bayou Pierre known as Harmons Donation, given by LW&T to James and Joseph
Harmon and conveyed by Joseph Harmon to the said Nathan White by deed October
1828. Acknowledged in open court 14 May
1831 by Nathan and Rebecca White.
[Source: Claiborne County, MS, Deed Book L, p. 539]. James and Joseph Harmon were twin brothers
of Rebecca Harmon White and sons of Hezekiah Harmon, neighbor to Dempsey White
on Bayou Pierre early in the century.
About the time of the sale of this property, the Whites
moved. By 1830, Nathan White’s family
resided in Yazoo County, recorded in the census as: 1 M < 5, 1 M 10-15, 1 M
20-30, 1 M 30-40, 2 Fs < 5, 1 F 5-10, 1 F 10-15, 1 F 15-20 and 1 F 40-50
(p.297). They lived on Paradise
Plantation, near Dover. [Source: Yazoo, Its Legends and
Legacies,
by Harriet DeCell and JoAnne Prichard, 1976, page 481.]
Nathan White wrote his will on 22 June 1834, naming his wife,
Rebecca, but not his children. He died
on 30 May 1835. In June 1835, letters
of administration were granted to Allen Bridges and Rebecca White on his
estate. [Source: Yazoo County,
Mississippi, Pioneers, by Betty Couch Wiltshire, 1992, p. 17 (Will Book A,
p. 16) and p. 57 (Probate Minute Book A, p. 66)]. The 1840 census of Yazoo County shows Rebecca White with 1 M <
5, 1 M 10-15, 2 M 20-30, 1 F 5-10, 2 Fs 10-15, 1 F 15-20, 1 F 40-50 (p.
320). Interestingly, a William Thompson
lived two doors away. Levi, son of
William and Sarah Thompson, also lived in Yazoo County in the 1830s and his
wife lived there until her death in the 1850s.
[Source: Yazoo County, Mississippi, Pioneers, by Betty Couch
Wiltshire, 1992]. The 1850 census (p.
497) shows Rebecca White, age 60, born MS, and children: Nathan H., b. 1829;
Louisann, b. 1830; and Frances, b. 1832.
She died 15 January 1857.
Nathan and Rebecca had ten children:
e 1. Eliza Bainbridge White, b. 6 October 1814 in Bayou Pierre, Claiborne
County, MS.
e 2. Hezekiah Harmon White, b. 1 June 1817 in Bayou
Pierre, Claiborne County, MS. He m. Miss
Ellison.
e 3. Mercia
Louisa White,
b. 13 April 1819 in Bayou Pierre, Claiborne County, MS, d. 16 February 1881 in Yazoo
County, MS; m. Thomas Castillo Barfield on 1 October 1835. He was b. 30 April 1805 in Duplin County, NC, d. 17
June 1890 in Yazoo County, MS. Both
bur. at Rocky Springs Church, Yazoo County, MS.
e 4. Mary Elizabeth White, b. 2 March 1821 in Bayou Pierre,
Claiborne County, MS, d. in Yazoo County, MS.
She m. Samuel A. Guthrie.
e 5. Joseph Smith White, b. 20 August 1823 in Bayou
Pierre, Claiborne County, MS.
e 6. Rebecca Ann White, b. 12 April 1825 in Bayou Pierre, Claiborne County,
MS.
e 7. Phebe Jane White, b. 1 March 1830 in Yazoo County, MS, d. in Yazoo
County, MS; m. L.P. Collins.
Both bur. in White Family Cemetery, Dover, Yazoo
County, MS.
e 8. Nathan Morris White, b. 1831 in Yazoo County,
MS, d. 28 April 1901 in Yazoo County, MS; m. Elizabeth Belcher on 11
September 1859 in Yazoo County, MS. He
was b. 1842, d. 1925.
e 9. Louisiana Matilda White, b. 5 March 1830 in Yazoo
County, MS, d. 22 September 1914 in Yazoo County, MS; m. Robert Fountain
Johnstone on 26 January 1851 in Yazoo County, MS. He was b. 9 December 1822 in Charlottesville, VA, d. 5 June 1870
in Yazoo County, MS.
e 10. Frances Emily White, b. 7 November 1833 in Yazoo
County, MS, d. 21 December 1912 in Yazoo County, MS; m. Robert Newton Pearce
on November 1857 in Yazoo County, MS.
Both bur. at Shiloh Baptist Church, Yazoo County, MS.
f. Phebe White, b. c. 1797; m.
Joseph Powell on 26 December 1816 in Claiborne County, MS. Marriage performed by Josiah Flowers, bond
by Joseph Powell and Reuben White, both of Claiborne County. The Joseph Powell family was listed next to
Dempsey White in the 1820 Warren County, MS, census (p. 124) with 1 M <10, 1
M 26-45, 1 F 26-45. The family was also
found in 1830 Warren County with 2 Ms < 5, 1 M 5-10, 2 Ms 20-30, 1 F 20-30
(p. 212). Joseph Powell was named the
administrator of the estate of Edward Cook, husband of Phebe’s sister, Celia
White Cook. Later, Phebe Powell became
administrator of her husband’s estate.
No dates were given in the reference book. [Source: Warren County, Mississippi, Probate Index, by
Mary Lois Ragland and Jane J. Williams, 1993, pp. 35 and 147: Probate Nos. 660
and 7655]. Phoebe Powell was on the
1840 Warren County census with 1 M 5-10, 1 M 10-15, 1 M 15-20, 1 F < 5, 1 F
5-10, 1 F 40-50 (p. 276) near her sister, Elizabeth White Blackwell (p.
277). In 1850 Warren County, she was 53
years old, born in MS (p. 227); living with her were three children; Jefferson,
Mary and Concudes(?). She still resided
in Warren (Vicksburg) in 1860 with children Jeff and Clarissa (p. 1047); her
age, 42, was incorrect, her birthplace MS.
g. Celia White, b. 1795/1800;
m. Edward Cook on 9 January 1817 in Claiborne County, MS. Marriage performed by Josiah Flowers, bond
by Edward Cook and Reuben White. Edward
Cook was enumerated in the 1820 Warren County census (p. 122) with 2 Ms <
10, 1 M 16-26. 2 Ms 26-45, 2s F <10, 1 F 26-45. No Edward Cook family has been found in the 1830 Mississippi or
surrounding state censuses. As
mentioned above, Phebe White’s husband, Joseph Powell, was appointed
administrator of Edward Cook’s estate.
Since Powell himself had died by 1840, Cook died likely in the
1830s. No Celia Cook is listed in 1840
or later Mississippi census indexes.
Margaret White (married Elisha Flowers),
Lavina White (married Moses Jones)
and Dempsey White may also be children of Dempsey White
and should be studied further.
[Sources: Nancy Royce of Dickinson, TX, nanc@lsfm.org and Betty White of Flower Mound,
TX, biswhite@verizon.net].
The second theory regarding the family of William and Sarah Smith
Thompson has them remaining in Georgia and migrating in a similar pattern as the
Barron, Chaffin, and Joseph Smith families, settling in the area of
Jasper/Newton/Walton Counties.
It is possible that this is the couple that appeared in the church
minutes of the Bethlehem Baptist Church (org. 1821) in Jasper County. William L. Thompson (also listed as W. L.
Thompson) and Sarah Thompson both joined the church by letter in January 1823;
no dismissal date was indicated for either one. Other Thompsons in this congregation were Littleton and James
(both joined by letter in August 1823), and Elvira and Agnes (both received by
experience in August and October 1823, respectively). There were also several contemporary members with the surname of
White who were members of this congregation (with given names of Cyrus, John,
Arthur D., Malinda, Lester (female?), Elizabeth, Sarah, and Sinthia). The Bethlehem Baptist Church congregation
was apparently closely associated with the Liberty Baptist Church congregation
(this latter church mentioned extensively in the section on Martha Smith Barron
– see child #1 above).
At least two of the Bethlehem Baptist members (Cyrus White and John
Reeves) delivered sermons in 1823 at the Liberty Baptist Church. And Bethlehem member, Lucy Reeves, daughter
of member James Reeves, married Sarah Smith Thompson’s nephew, Smith Barron,
son of William and Martha Smith Barron.
A William L. Thompson was found living near a Robert Thompson as
early as 1801 in Greene County, GA.
[Source: An Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. II, 1800-1802, R.
J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, p. 037 of the Greene County Digest]. In 1805, a William L. Thompson appeared in
Clarke County, GA, with a Joseph Smith nearby.
[Source: An Index to Georgia Tax Digests, Vol. III, 1804-1806, R.
J. Taylor Jr. Foundation, p. 037 of the Clarke County Digest]. The proximity of a Joseph Smith is
intriguing in this last tax record.
However, the information uncovered about Joseph Smith, son of James Smith,
indicates that he lived in Greene County in 1805.
A William L. Thompson appeared in Jasper County, GA, by 1810. [Source: Jasper Deed Book A, p. 52: William
L. Thompson sold property to Miles Harvy on 14 May 1810]. As mentioned in the Joseph Smith section
(see child #7 above), a William L. Thompson served in
the War of 1812 4th Georgia Militia Regiment with Joseph Smith and
William Chafin (husband of Rachel Smith), also of Jasper County, GA. And a William Thompson family is located on
the same page of the 1820 Jasper County census record as Joseph Smith’s family
(p. 204). The family consisted of 1 M
<10 years, 1 M 10-16, 1 M 16-18, 1 M 26-45 and 1 F 26-45.
In the 1830 Jasper County census, there was a William L. Thompson
of the proper age, with neighbor David Montgomery listed on the same census
page. Montgomery was the long-time
pastor of Providence Baptist Church (mentioned in more detail under Martha
Smith Barron – see child #1 above). Also living in the vicinity were Chaffins,
Smiths, and Hammocks. However, there
were more children living in this household than would be expected,
particularly in comparison with the 1820 figures: 2 M <5, 2 M
10-15, 1 M 50-60, 1 F <5, 1 F 5-10, 1 F 10-15, 1 F 15-20, 1 F 20-30, with
four slaves. It is possible, though
strictly conjecture, that the youngest children and the female (age 20-30) were
from a second marriage for William Thompson.
Or possibly a widowed daughter’s family was living at Thompson’s home. In either case, if this was the family of
the William Thompson who married Sarah Smith, Sarah died sometime between 1820
and 1830.
Information on some of the families of the children of Jacob Smith, son of James Smith:
Some of the children of James T. Smith and Frances Brooks:
(from the 1850 Knox County, KY, census, p. 356)
a 1. Mary Smith, b. c. 1815.
a 2. Minervy Smith, b. c. 1817.
a 3. Sarah Smith, b. c. 1824;
probably m. John Rickett on 12 August 1850.
a 4. James L. Smith, b. c. 1832.
Other likely children from marriage records of Knox County, KY:
Susannah Smith m. Richard Price on 18 April 1839.
Frances Smith m. John Chick on 25 May 1841.
Salatha Smith m. Joseph Bennett on 20 October 1845.
Zachariah Smith m. Fanis Ann Vanny on 11
December 1845.
[Source: Knox County, Kentucky, Marriages 1800-1850, Wills
1804-1842, by Joan Colbert Gioe, 1991, p. 11].
Children of Salatha Smith and Holland Watts:
b 1. Sarah “Sally” Watts, b. 24 May 1806
in Greene County, GA; m. Benjamin Gregory on 18 August 1831 in Knox County,
KY.
b 2. Elizabeth Watts, b. 18 October
1807 in Greene County, TN; m. Noah Laws on 1 March 1827 in Knox County
KY.
b 3. William Watts, b. 9 November
1809 in Greene County, TN.
b 4. Susannah Watts, b. 13
September 1811; m. Thomas Rodes/Rhodes (son of William and Keziah
Rhodes) on 21 October 1830 in Knox County, KY.
b 5. Rebecca Watts, b. 26 January
1814 in Knox County, KY, d. February 1861 in Mercer County, MO; m. William
Laws (son of Thomas Laws) on 2 April 1835 in Knox Co., KY.
b 6. Mary “Polly” Watts, b. 2 April
1816 in Knox County, KY, d. after 1880 in KY; m. Elijah (Kesiah)
Rodes/Rhodes (son of William and Keziah Rhodes) on 19 June 1834 in Knox
Co., KY.
b 7. Abel Watts, b. 15 August
1818 in Knox County, KY; m. Seliney Ross on 26 Dec 1839 in Knox Co., KY.
b 8. Frances “Fannie”
Watts, b. 8 July 1821 in Knox County, KY.
b 9. James Watts, b. 24 October
1823 in Knox County, KY, d. 19 May 1863 in Regimental Hospital, Helena, AR, of
“disease,” probably typhoid fever, while serving in 35th Regiment of Missouri
Volunteers, Union Army; m. Louisa Cox (daughter of Noah Cox and Nancy
Lee) on 13 May 1845 in Knox County, KY.
She died 1889 in Marysville, WA.
b 10. Salatha Watts, b. 2 March
1827 in Knox County, KY.
b 11. Holland Smith Watts, b. 8 October
1831 in Knox County, KY, d. 1931 in Mercer County, MO.
[Sources: Claim of service in War of 1812 to obtain bounty land,
filed 30 June 1851 in Mercer County, MO; also January 2001 e-mails from Carla
Reukema, DLReukema@email.msn.com
and Verda Hansberry, verdah@premier1.net; also Knox County,
Kentucky, Marriages, 1800-1850, Wills 1804-1842, by Joan Colbert Gioe,
1991].
Information on the families of some of the children of Elizabeth Smith and David Collum.
Children of Solomon Collum and Mary Cluster:
b 1. Margaret Elizabeth
Collum b. abt. 1828 in GA, d. abt. 1869 in Montgomery Co., AR; m. (1) William
B. Grant, Jr.; m. (2) Joseph Jones on 1 Feb 1857 in Montgomery Co.,
AR.
b 2. David M. Collum, b. 14 May
1829, d. 6 Mar. 1913 in Cleburne Co., AL; m. Lucinda Herndon (Henden) on
30 Mar 1851 in Cherokee Co., GA. Both
buried in Pinetucky Baptist Church Cemetery, Cleburne Co., AL.
b 3. James Asa Collum, b. Mar 1834,
m. Permelia J. ___. In
Tallapoosa County, AL, by 1860. After
the Civil War, he moved to Clark Co., AR, where he lived in the 1870
census. By 1880, he lived in nearby
Montgomery Co., AR. By 1900, resided in
Red River Co., TX. He died in Paris,
Lamar Co., TX, on 10 Feb 1909.
b 4. Sarah Ann Collum, b. abt. 1837,
m. Harden Miller on 2 Apr 1854 in Cass Co., GA.
b 5. Nancy G. Collum b. abt. 1838,
m. Benjamin Fields on 12 Apr 1857 in Montgomery, Co., AR.
b 6. John M. Collum b. abt. 1839; m.
(1) Elizabeth ____; (2) Rebecca J. Solley on 9 July 1865 in
Tallapoosa Co., AL; (3) Nancy Ann Sanley on 20 Jan 1867 in Montgomery
Co., AR. (Note: Was the John M. Collum who m. Rebecca Solley
the son of Solomon Collum, or another John M. Collum? No other likely John M. Collum has been found – and Solomon’s
son, James Asa, resided in Tallapoosa Co. at this time. Even though John M. resided in AR before the
war and fought with AR troops in the Civil War, he may have visited his brother
James Asa while returning home from the war and married Rebecca Solley.)
b 7. Mary Emily Melissa Collum, b. abt. 1841,
m. John H. Bradshaw on 5 July 1874 in Montgomery Co., AR.
b 8. George Willis Collum, b. abt. 1844,
d. 24 Oct. 1912 in AR; m. (1) Nancy Jane Short; (2) Nancy Childress;
(3) Martha A. Nelson Jester on 26 Oct 1892 in Clark Co., AR.
b 9. William Callaway Collum, b. abt. 1847,
d. 1946; m. Susan A. (or Susanna) Forester on 1 Jan 1874 in Montgomery
Co., AR.
b 10. Rebecca Louisa Collum, b. abt. 1850;
m. James N. Golden on 30 Jan 1871 (or 25 Dec 1870) in Montgomery Co.,
AR.
Children of James A. S.
Collum and his first wife, Pemelia Spain (?):
Note: the 1840
census listing for J. S. Collum showed three sons, who are likely those named
as c 1., c 3 and c. 4 below:
c 1. male, born 1830-1835 (possibly John David Collum
b. 2 Aug 1832 in GA, who married (1) Araminta (or Aramitia) Whaley on 31 Dec 1854 in Tallapoosa Co., AL. She was b. 22 Aug 1838, d. 22 Feb 1892. He m. (2) Martha E. ___ about 1892 in
MS; she was b. 15 Jul 1857, d. 1 Jan 1934.
John died 24 Nov 1918 in Choctaw Co., MS. He and his wives are buried in McCurtain’s Creek Baptist Church
Cemetery).
c 2. Phronissia J. Collum b. Dec 1834, married (1) Perry
G. Wooten on 5 Aug 1858 in Tallapoosa Co.,
AL. After the Civil War, the family
left Tallapoosa Co. for Choctaw Co., MS.
By 1880, they had moved again, to Red River Co., TX. Married (2) A. Anderson on 10 Apr
1886 in Red River Co., TX. She was
listed as a widow, using the surname Wooten, in the 1900 Red River Co., TX,
census.
c 3. male, born 1835-1840 (possibly Solomon
B. Collum b. 1835-1840 who married (1) Cynthia M. Whaley on 2 Sep
1860 in Tallapoosa Co., AL; (2) Emma F. ____; (3) Martha J. Morris
on 9 Apr 1884).
c 4. male, born 1835-1840 (possibly Littleberry
Collum b. 18 Feb 1839, who married Amanda Malvina Spain Morris on 10
Aug 1865 in Tallapoosa Co., AL; Littleberry d. 9 Apr 1907, buried at Red Ridge
Cemetery in Tallapoosa Co., AL).
c 5. Julia A. Collum, b.
1842/1843. In the 1880 Red River Co.,
TX, census, Julia was unmarried and lived in the home of her brother-in-law,
Perry Wooten.
c 6. Amanda L. Collum, b. 1844/1845
c 7. James Collum, b. ca. 1847
c 8. Nancy Taylor Collum, b. Jul 1849,
m. (1) ___ Hutto; (2) T. F. Layhe on 12 Aug 1885 in Red River
Co., TX. In the 1880 Red River Co., TX,
census, Nancy Hutto was widowed; she and her son, O. E., lived in the home of
brother-in-law, Perry Wooten. In 1900,
Nancy Layhe, widow, lived with her sister, P. J. Wooten, in Red River Co.,
TX. In 1920 and 1930, she resided with
her son, Oscar Emmit Hutto, in Lamar Co., TX.
She died in Lamar Co. on 24 Jul 1934 and was buried in Evergreen
Cemetery, Paris, Lamar Co., TX.
c 9. William Henry Collum, b. abt. 1851,
m. Martha Elizabeth Green on 27 Aug 1874 in Sumner Co., MS. Lived in Montgomery Co., MS, in 1880 and in
Lonoke Co., AR, in 1900.
Children of James A. S.
Collum and his second wife, Patience P. Sessions Solley:
c 10. Sarah L. Collum, b.
1856/1857. May be the 22-year-old sister-in-law,
Eugenia, living in the household of Perry Wooten in the 1880 Red River Co., TX,
census.
c 11. Wiley Collum, b. ca. 1859
c 12. Ardela W. Collum, b.
1861/1862. May be the 18-year-old
sister-in-law, A. S., living in the household of Perry Wooten in the 1880 Red
River Co., TX, census. Della Colloms m.
John Golson on 26 Sep 1880 in Red River Co., TX.
c 13. Alonzo Collum, b.
1864/1865. Worked on the farm of Jesse
Cummings in the 1880 Oktibbeha Co., MS census.