Unraveling the story

Source: Fold3. Revolutionary War pension file of James Smith.

The next generation from Isaac Smith takes us to his parents, James Smith and Margaret Truax. There are many descendants of this couple, my 5th-great-grandparents, so I am not alone in trying to uncover their story. We are lucky to have the Revolutionary War pension file of James and Margaret. There are over 50 pages in the file, captured digitally on Fold3. I will start to go through the file with this post. There may be other researchers and descendants of James and Margaret who may find this page. In no way is my research exhaustive or definitive, I am only scratching the surface of available data here.

According to the file, James was born about September 1755. Some researchers attribute his birth place to be Fairfax (now Loudoun) County, Virginia. He moved to Frederick County, Maryland before 1776. He enlisted in the Flying Camp of Captain Valentine Creager in 1776. I will write more about the description of James' service in the war shortly.

After the War

The file notes that after the war, James married Alice Margaret Truax in Loudoun County, Virginia on 25 January 1783. The file includes a certification from the Clerk of Court of Loudoun County, dated 2 February 1841, attesting to the marriage. Margaret is noted as a "spinster of Shelburne Parish" in Loudoun County. She is supposedly born on 19 February 1757, so she would have been 26, almost 27 on the date of her marriage.

Source: Fold3. Pension file page 46.

James and Margaret later moved to Fayette and then Adair County, Kentucky, where many of their children were born. James applied for his Revolutionary War pension from Adair County, Kentucky in 1832. By 1835, he and Margaret had moved to Gibson County, Indiana to be close to their children. That same year, James requested the transfer of his pension file to Indiana from Kentucky. James died on 29 January 1838 in Gibson County. After his death, Margaret applied for and received a widow's pension for James' service in Maryland.

Source: Fold3.

The children of James and Margaret are not mentioned by name in the pension file. James and Margaret had at least the following children after their marriage in 1783:
- John Smith, 1784 in Virginia
- Mary Polly Smith, 1785-1873
- Elizabeth Smith, 1788-1869
- Andrew Smith, 1790-1862
- Lydia Katherine Smith, 1794-1857
- Anna Smith, 1797-1868
- Isaac Smith, 1799-1858
- Jane Smith, 1800-1862
- David Smith, 1801-1881/1882

Some researchers attribute James Smith Jr (1774-1855) to James and Margaret. I am keeping him separate for now, as I do not think he was a son of Margaret.

Isaac Smith

Source: Ingenweb.org, map of Gibson County, Indiana.

In my earlier post on the Smith family, I included a map showing land owned by Isaac Smith in Johnson Township, Gibson County. Isaac acquired 80 acres of land on the west half of the northeast quarter of Section 32 as part of a land patent issued on 15 November 1830. He entered another land patent on 6 June 1832 for the adjoining 80 acres covering the east half of the northeast quarter of Section 32.

Isaac Smith was born on 7 June 1799 in Fayette or Adair County, Kentucky. Isaac married Susan Ann Martin around 1825, although I have not been able to find a marriage record for them in Kentucky or Indiana before Isaac appears in Gibson County in 1830. They had at least 12 children:
- Naomi Jane Smith, 1826-1890
- Priscilla Smith, 1830-1869
- Jesse Asbury Smith, 1832-1920
- Margaret E. Smith, 1834-
- Rebecca C. Smith, 1836-
- Mary A. Smith, 1838-
- Marticia Smith, 1840-
- Elizabeth E. Smith, 1842-
- Helena F. Smith, 1848-
- Isaac H. Smith, 1848-
- William F. Smith, 1849-
- John Smith, 1853-

Isaac died on 10 October 1858. His will was entered into probate in Gibson County on 25 October 1858.

Isaac's will was executed on 30 November 1857. He left a life estate for his wife, listed here as Sucky Ann Smith. His first son Jesse A. Smith was given 60 acres of land in the southeast quarter of Section 32. The remaining quarter of land was given to his sons Isaac H. Smith and John Smith. He gave the remaining 100 acres of his original land patent in the northeast quarter of section 32 to be equally divided among them.

The remainder of Isaac's personal estate was to be equally divided by his daughters after the death of his wife Susan Ann. His daughters were listed as Naomi J. Epperson, Priscilla Smith, Margaret E. Smith, Rebecca C. Brownfield, Mary A. Smith, Martitia C. Smith, Eliza E. Smith, Helena F. Smith. Jesse A. Smith and Charles Epperson were appointed as executors.

Source: Findagrave. Headstone of Isaac and Susan Ann Smith.

Christmas Memories

Photo source: Patty Marple. Christmas in Indy, mid 1950s.

The photo above shows my Mom on the right, with her sisters Linda (middle) and Patty (left). This is from the mid 1950s in Indianapolis. Thanks to my Aunt Patty for sharing this photo.

Probate file of Jesse Smith

Ancestry. Indiana Probate Records, Image 1546.

As noted in the last post, Jesse A. Smith died on 1 July 1920 in Gibson County, Indiana. His probate file shows my 2nd-great-grandmother Anna signed a bond in settlement of his estate.

The probate file includes a receipt showing Anna's signature for the final settlement of $98.80 on 3 January 1922.

The settlement also covered taxes on four acres of land in Fort Branch, Gibson County, Indiana located in Section 13, Township 3, Range 11. Jesse also had 17 acres in Union Township worth $3420.

It appears Anna Smith Lamon had to file an action against the estate in 1921 to quiet title to land inherited and to determine the rights of the heirs. Anna and her brother William were the sole heirs of Jesse Smith. As seen in the papers above, the court resolved the matter as petitioned by Anna.

Anna died five years later, on 28 May 1927 in Indianapolis.

The next probate file contains information on Jesse Smith's father, my 4th-great-grandfather, Isaac Smith. I will cover this in my next post.

Shifting locations and stories

Summer at Shinnecock Hills by William Merritt Chase, 1891. 

I am taking a break from writing about AncestryDNA connections on my Mom's Mexican side of the tree to wait on the arrival of some research. I think one connection is to the family of Ignacio Terrazas and Brigida Herrera. In the meantime, there is a line on my Dad's side of the tree that I have not spent much time writing about here. For the next few days I will follow the Smith family of my 2nd-great-grandmother, Anna Smith Lamon.

I previously posted a copy of the marriage record for Anna Luiza Smith and Uriah Lamon back in August 2013. They were married in Gibson County, Indiana on 9 November 1884. The same post included a copy of the marriage record for Anna's parents, Jesse A. Smith and Rebecca Muck. Jesse and Rebecca were married in Gibson County on 27 May 1856.

According to Jesse's death certificate, he passed away on 1 July 1920 in Fort Branch, Gibson County. This document lists his birth date as 7 February 1832 and the name of his father, Isaac Smith.

The lands of Jesse A. Smith and his father Isaac Smith Sr. appear in the Gibson County land ownership map from 1881 in Sections 29 and 32, Johnson Township.

Johnson Township, Gibson County, 1881.

In the 1920 US Census, taken 6 January 1920, Jesse was living in the household of his son, William L. Smith and his wife Lisa. Ten years previous, Jesse appears in the 1910 US Census as head of household, with his daughter Anna Luiza Smith Lamon and her husband, my 2nd-great-grandfather, Uriah Lamon.

1910 US Census, Gibson County, Indiana.

Jesse and Rebecca appear together in the 1900 US Census. She passed away the next year, on 3 February 1901.

1900 US Census, Gibson County, Indiana.

In the 1880 US Census, the family appears in Johnson Township, Gibson County. Jesse and Rebecca had two children, William L. Smith, and my 2nd-great-grandmother Anna Luiza. William was born on 14 April 1857, Anna was born in June 1861.

1880 US Census, Gibson County, Indiana.

Looking back another ten years, in the 1870 US Census, Jesse and Rebecca had a small farm with their two children. Jesse's mother, Susan, also appears three houses away, with several of Jesse's siblings still living at home.

1870 US Census, Gibson County, Indiana.

Susan died on 9 October 1875, she is buried in Blythe Chapel Cemetery in Owensville, Gibson County with her husband Isaac Smith. Her headstone says she was born on 15 August 1808.

Jesse and Rebecca were living next door to Susan and Jesse's siblings in the 1860 US Census.

1860 US Census, Gibson County, Indiana.

Jesse's father, Isaac Smith, last appears in the 1850 US Census. He died on 10 October 1858 in Gibson County.

1850 US Census, Gibson County, Indiana.

Isaac Smith appears in the 1840 US Census in Gibson County, living next to John Smith. Isaac was also in the 1830 US Census in the same place.

1840 US Census, Gibson County, Indiana.

Isaac and Susan had at least the following children:
- Naomi Jane Smith, 1826-1890
- Priscilla Smith, 1830-1869
- Jesse Asbury Smith, 1832-1920
- Margaret E. Smith, 1834-
- Rebecca C. Smith, 1836-
- Mary A. Smith, 1838-
- Marticia Smith, 1840-
- Elizabeth Smith, 1842-
- Helena F. Smith, 1848-
- William F. Smith, 1849-
- Isaac Smith, 1850-
- John Smith, 1851-

We are lucky that the Indiana Probate records contain the will and probate files for Jesse Smith and his father Isaac. I will have more from these records in the next post.