William Wigginton Smith, son of Peter Smith of Caswell County, North Carolina

William W[igginton] Smith (son of Peter and Jemima Smith), born before 1776 (it is believed in Virginia); died 1847, probably in May of that year.  He is said to have married Patsey (Martha ?) Glenn.  His wife also was a native of Virginia.  (The 1880 census shows the state of birth of each person, and of each person's parents.  Thompson B. Smith, son of William W. Smith, states that both his father and mother were born in Virginia.)

William W. Smith received 250 acres of land on Plumb Creek in Muhlenberg County on September __5, 1805 (Jillson, Book 19, page 324).  In his lifetime he seems to have acquired a good deal more.

Eight children were indicated in the 1810 census, but only six were named in William W. Smith's will.  They follow:  

           

Sons:              William Bradford

                        Thompson Bailey

                        James G.   

Daughters:    Susan Strom

                        Lucy Bell

                        Elizabeth Jones

           

Granddaughter: Margaret Cundiff  

William Wigginton Smith's will is recorded in Will Book 3, page 80, in Muhlenberg County. He gave the Penrod tract of 250 acres and one Negro boy named Wesley to his son William [Bradford].  He had already conveyed to his son Thompson [Bailey]. "certain lands” but bequeathed one Negro boy named Bailey to him.  He stated that he had already made advances to his other children in land, Negroes, and money.  The will was dated March 18, 1846, and was probated in May Court 1847 in Muhlenberg County.  (See Appendix E.)

It is interesting to note that Edward Rumsey witnessed William Wigginton Smith's will, for one of the sons of Aaron F. Smith (William's brother) was given the name Edward Rumsey Smith.  Edward Rumsey was in 1860 "president of college."  He was 62; his birthplace was Virginia.  His wife's name was Jane M. Rumsey. 

Elias Guess Smith, son of Peter Smith of Caswell County, North Carolina

Elias Guess Smith (son of Peter and Jemima Smith) was born March 21, 1775, in Virginia it is thought; died March 3, 1830, in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky; married Hannah Vaught in January 1801.

Hannah was a daughter of Christian and Hanna (Crum) Vaught; born April 30, 1781; died in 1842.  She was a sister to John Vaught (m. Elizabeth Martin), Simon Vaught (m. Elizabeth Zimmerman, 1799), Gilbert Vaught, and probably others.  Simon must have been a minister for he is shown as the person who performed many marriages in Muhlenberg County.  It is said that some of the Vaught family came from Prussia and that John came to Kentucky from Pennsylvania.  John was a Revolutionary soldier.  Some people by the name of Vaught lived in White County, Illinois.

Elias G. Smith received 120 acres of land in Muhlenberg County, on Pond River, on September 5, 1823 (Jillson, Book 27, page 142).

Elias Guess Smith was appointed on May 25, 1807, “to survey a road from Fugates sugar camp branch to Littlepage's ferry” and to "keep the same in repair...”  On February 12, 1815, he sold 200 acres of land on Pond River to Elias Smith (son of John Smith who died in 1803, said to be a relative of Elias G.) of Hopkins County for the sum of $1,000. Hannah relinquished her right of dower.

Of Elias G. and Hannah Smith's twelve children, evidently only seven reached adulthood:

Rachel S. Smith, born September 17, 1801; died 1801

Jesse W. Smith, born February 15, 1803

Martha V. Smith, born May 10, 1805

William B. Smith, born March 7, 1807; died February 1882

George L. Smith, born January 23, 1809

Willis S. Smith, born February 3, 1811; died in infancy

John Everett Vaught Smith, born September 27, 1812

Louisa S. Smith, born July 27, 1815; died January 1832

Sisera B. Smith, born May 21, 1817

Elias G. Smith, Jr., born June 27, 1820

Elijah F. Smith, born August 28, 1822; died 1823

Mary E. Smith, born March 8, 1827

Hannah Smith and Simon Vaught appeared before the Justice of the Peace for Muhlenberg County on March 3, 1830, and made oath that on the same date Elias G. Smith “voluntarily gave and delivered into the actual possession of his son William B. Smith, in their presence, all his personal estate without exception, he, the said Elias G. Smith, being in his perfect mind...”  This oath was, in March County Court 1830, declared to be the “nuncupative will of Elias G. Smith, deceased...”  It can only be concluded that Elias G. Smith died on March 3, 1830, and that his widow gave oath the same day. (Appendix F)

I have wondered why everything was given to son William B. Smith, who was then 23 years of age.  The reason, if one may speculate a bit, may be that William B. was the oldest child at home.  His older brother, Jesse W., would have been 27 and probably was married.  Martha V. was already married and all the other living children would have been younger than William B.  It must have been that, with “all his personal estate without exception," Elias G. gave him, too, the responsibility of looking after the family.

The activities of this family of children have proved to be somewhat elusive, in that they are not as well documented as the affairs of some of their cousins. From the "old Smith Bible” now in possession of Mrs. Hattie Brown, of Island, Kentucky (one of the great granddaughters of Elias and Hannah), have been obtained the birth and death dates of this couple’s children.  

John Bailey Smith, son of Peter Smith of Caswell County, North Carolina

John Bailey Smith (son of Peter and Jemima Smith) born October 12, 1773, probably in Virginia; died May 5, 1856; said to have married Betsey Armstrong.

One John B. Smith married Elizabeth Anthony in Muhlenberg County in December 1799.  (The Betsey Armstrong may be a mistake by some copyist.)

He received 200 acres of land in Muhlenberg County on Beech Creek March 19, 1803.  (Jillson, Book 3, page 417.)

In the Muhlenberg County census of 1820, John B. Smith's age was given as "45 upward”; his wife's age as “to 45."  In 1820 there were two sons under 10; two daughters under 10, and two daughters between 10 and 16.  He was not in the 1850 census of Muhlenberg County or of Ohio County and I have not learned where he resided. He is buried in Hazel Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, in Muhlenberg County, and the inscription on his tombstone reads “10-12-1773  -  5-5-1856.”  He would have been 82 at the time of his death. 

Jemima Smith, daughter of James Simpson Smith

Jemima Smith, named for her father's mother, Jemima (Simpson) Smith, married Giles W. Price in Muhlenberg County in April 1835.  Her father's will states "having heretofore given to my daughter Jemima Price, wife of Giles Price, her full share and portion of my estate, I give her one additional dollar." 

Aaron A. Smith, son of James Simpson Smith

Aaron A. Smith, son of James Simpson Smith, was deceased when his father made his will in 1851.  The will bequeaths “to the children of my deceased son Aaron A. Smith $500 to be equally divided between them when they arrive at age or marry."

One Aaron F. Smith married Eliza Pool on December 16, 1838, in Muhlenberg County.  In 1850 (one year before James S. Smith made his will) Eliza J. Smith, age 33 (born 1816 or 1817) lived in the home of Elizabeth Pool (her mother?) with these children:

James S. Smith,                   age 9 (b. 1840 or 1841)

Aaron A. Smith,                    age 6 (b. 1843 or 1844)

In the Muhlenberg County records is the marriage on April 11, 1852, of Eliza Jane Smith to William Bell.  I believe this to be the widow of Aaron Smith, son of James Simpson Smith, for the 1860 census shows neither Eliza Smith nor Elizabeth Pool.

In that year James and Aaron Smith were living in the household of Fernando Pool. In 1870 James S. Smith was married and was the father of a daughter one month old.  Aaron lived with his brother in 1880, in the Paradise district, Aaron A. Smith was with John H. Pool and his family.  He is shown as a "nephew" of Pool.  James S. Smith maintained a separate residence, but he also is shown as "nephew" to John H. Pool.  No doubt John H.

Pool was a brother of Eliza Pool, who married Aaron A. Smith.  James S. Smith was in 1880 age 37 and his family consisted of:

Lucinda C. Smith,                44, wife (b. 1836 or 1837 in Kentucky)

Minnie A. Smith,                  9, daughter (b. 1870 in Kentucky)

Rosa L. Smith,                      7, daughter (b. 1872 or 1873),

                                                m. Samuel Jackson, July 25,1894

Ollie P. Smith,                       5, son (b. 1874 or 1875)

Viola Smith,                          2, daughter (b. 1887 or 1888)

I am convinced that James S. and Aaron A. Smith are the sons of Aaron A. Smith, the husband of Eliza Pool.  The first of the two boys was named for his grandfather; the second, for his father.  I believe the middle initial "F" in the marriage record is either an error in recording the marriage or in copying the record. 

Moses F. Smith, son of James Simpson Smith

Moses F. Smith (son of James Simpson Smith) was born January 28, 1811, and died October 25,1840.  He is buried in the Hazel Creek Baptist Church Cemetery, Muhlenberg County.

Two marriages are recorded for Moses Smith in Muhlenberg County.  Whether they were of two men or whether they were of one man who married twice, I have been unable to determine.  Perhaps some descendant of Moses F. Smith, son of James Simpson Smith, will be able to tell me.  For the sake of accuracy, I will detail as much information as I have found concerning both marriages.

Moses F. Smith, having been born January 28, 1811, would have been 20 years of age in 1831. The first marriage of a man named Moses Smith was to Elizabeth Ewing on May 19, 1831.  Moses F. Smith, son of James S., died October 25, 1840.  That would have allowed nine years and approximately five months for him to become the father of "three natural heirs" mentioned in his father's will.

I have searched the 1850 census for an Elizabeth Smith who would have been a widow, with three children, but without success. If Elizabeth Ewing was the wife of Moses F. Smith and became his widow, she could have married again by 1850.

The second marriage, referred to above, of a man named Moses Smith took place on July 27,1837, to Jane Wright (daughter of Pioneers John and Elizabeth Grigsby Wright--see Rothert, page 188).  On September 20,1842, one Jane Smith married Peter M. Smith. (You will recall that Moses F. Smith, son of James S., died October 20, 1840.)  The marriage index lists this man as Peter M. Smith, but the census reports beginning in 1850 show him as Peter W. Smith.  As I know how hard it is to read some of the old handwriting, I believe the man to be the same as Peter M. Smith for his is the only marriage to a Jane Smith around that time.

The 1850 census gives the family of Peter W. Smith in this manner:

Peter W. Smith                     32, farmer, real estate, $400

Jane Smith                            35

Cassandra                            11   (b. 1839)

Margaret E.                            9     (b. 1840 or 1841)

Jesse William                       6     (b. 1844)

John W.                                 4

Jerome B.                              2

Cassandra, age 11, and Margaret, age 9 in 1850, could hardly have been the children of Peter W. Smith.  They could have been the children of Moses F. Smith, with Margaret's birth taking place after his death.  But the third child is not accounted for.

Note that there is a period of three years between the birth of Margaret and Jesse William.  By the year 1860 there were these additional children:

           

George W.,                            age 8 (in 1860)

Emanuel J.,                           age 6

Alexander H(enry),              age 2

Peter Smith, son of James Simpson Smith

Peter Smith, son of James Simpson Smith, born 1812 or 1813.  In 1850 he lived with his father and his brother, John B.; his occupation was that of blacksmith.  In 1860 he was a farmer whose real estate was valued at $800 and personal property at $300.  He probably married after his father's death.  Ellen was his wife's name, and their children were:

Sarah E.,                   b. 1855 or 1856         

James M.,                  b. 1857 or 1858         

Samuel R.,                b. 1859 or 1860       

Anna,                        b. 1862 or 1863

John,                          b. 1866 or 1867

Leonard,                    b. 1868 or 1869

Josephine,                b. 1872 or 1873

Evidently Peter Smith died between 1873 and 1880, for the 1880 Muhlenberg County census shows Ellen Smith to be a widow.  She, Peter, and all their children were native Kentuckians.