collecting the seeds of a Smith tree
They only knew her as Bena. To a tight-knit bunch of Rainey brothers raised under wide Texas skies, Bena was their no-nonsense grandmother—the kind of woman who could silence a room with a look and spit a stream of tobacco into a spittoon twenty feet away without missing. She didn’t talk much about the past,... Continue Reading →
Tracing our ancestors is often like following a trail of breadcrumbs, each clue leading us deeper into the past. My journey to uncover my Smith lineage has led me time and again to one pivotal figure—William Smith of Surry County, Virginia. As the likely progenitor of my Smith line in America, understanding his origins is... Continue Reading →
A look at how generations of Lincolnshire farming families remained in close proximity, driven by land inheritance, marriage customs, and work opportunities.
In the spring of 1741, a young man named John Spreadbarrow—about 19 years old—found himself confined aboard a convict transport ship, bound for the British colony of Maryland. Sentenced in Kent, England, John was just one of thousands of convicts forcibly removed from Britain and shipped across the Atlantic to serve out a period of... Continue Reading →
A look at how convicts were processed through the port, including public auctions, indenture contracts, and the economic forces behind their labor distribution.
A look at English convicts who were sentenced to transportation for minor crimes and how it shaped their future.
Born around 1772, Mark Cole was the son of William Cole, though little else is known about his early family life, including the identity of his mother. Circumstantial evidence hints that William may have been residing in Halifax County, Virginia, or Rowan County, North Carolina, when Mark entered the world. By 1779, when Mark was... Continue Reading →
Middle names can serve as a treasure trove of clues for genealogists, often acting as subtle breadcrumbs that link generations and reveal familial connections. In the case of John Cole and William Cole, two men who migrated to Virginia and North Carolina in the 18th century, the use of middle names among their descendants provides... Continue Reading →
In an age when literacy rates varied widely, the ability to sign one’s name carried immense significance. For many, a signature was more than just a name on paper—it was a declaration of identity, status, and intent. In legal agreements, from land deeds to estate settlements, signing one’s name or marking with an “X” determined... Continue Reading →
Emerging from the Chester-New Castle Cooridor in the early 1700's, the Cole family’s legacy is stitched together through scattered historical documents, that tell the story of a family that were early pioneers along the developing Great Wagon Road, becoming early settlers and planting seeds of growth across the vast expanse of colonial America. Circuit Court... Continue Reading →
Stephen Cole presumably arrived in Pennsylvania sometime between 1716 and 1718. While the exact details of his journey remain elusive, traces of his family begin to appear in the Chester County, Pennsylvania and New Castle County, Delaware areas during this time. It is possible that Stephen, alongside his presumed siblings Mark, James, John, William, and... Continue Reading →
In 1692 John Parsons was granted 650 acres of land in the New Poquoson parish of York County, Virginia. Virginia Patent Book 8, pg. 230To all ye Whereas ye now know ye that I ye said Francis Nicholson Esq., Lt and said Governer ye give and grant unto the John Persons six hundred and fifty... Continue Reading →
In the second decade of the 18th century, Robert Carter, whose beginnings trace back to New Poquoson Parish in York County, was living near the confluence of Beaverdam Creek and the James River in Henrico County on land he purchased from Tarlton Woodson. Around 1722, Robert identified a promising tract of land for a future... Continue Reading →
Life often deals its share of challenges, but for Charlie Carter, it seemed as though misfortune had taken a special interest in him. From a murder conviction that left an indelible mark on his past to the untimely loss of his first wife after 16 years of marriage, and finally, the tragic suicide of his... Continue Reading →
The first documented appearance of Annie Garmon in historical records is in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census, which covers the Borden Springs area of Cleburne County, Alabama. In this record, she is listed as "Ann Gormon", aged 6 years old, with a birthdate of June 1874 and born in Alabama. The census further notes that... Continue Reading →
Joseph Thomas Carter was born around 1844, likely about 5 miles west of what would become Cedartown, Paulding County, Georgia (established in 1854). His father owned 80 acres of land on the east side of Dry Creek. Joseph was the second son of James Carter and Margaret Jane Hopkins. On 20 December 1851, the area... Continue Reading →
Abraham Mott Jr (the Third) was born circa 1806 (btw 2 Jun 1805 - 31 May 1806) likely in Screven County, Georgia. It is presumed that his parents were residing in Screven County at the time of his birth (derived from Screven County DB A:402). He was the second son of Abraham Mott Sr (the... Continue Reading →
Was Job Smith connected to the Smith Clan by blood, through close neighborly ties, or simply by coincidence? Could his origins or lineage differ from the commonly understood branches of the Smith family tree, raising questions about how he fits into the broader family history? Job Smith was born on 12 October 1750, near Smith's... Continue Reading →
Charles Carter (Charlie) was born on 2 March 1868, either in or about 4 miles west of Cedartown in Polk County, Georgia. He was the second son of Joseph Thomas Carter and Adaline Alred. Around 1874, Charlie Carter moved with his parents to Borden Springs, Cleburne County, Alabama, situated approximately ten miles west across the... Continue Reading →
In Cumberland County, North Carolina, during the Revolutionary War, the organization of militias followed a structured yet community-driven approach. At the county level, these militias were composed of local men who either volunteered or were conscripted to serve. Recruitment efforts were often spearheaded by prominent community members, including local leaders, landowners, and respected veterans. These... Continue Reading →
The "name’s the same fallacy" is a common pitfall in genealogical research where a family genealogist assumes that two individuals with the same name are the same person. This fallacy arises from the mistaken belief that identical names across different records indicate the same individual, neglecting the broader context and additional corroborative details needed for... Continue Reading →
Isaiah Smith Jr was born circa 1816 in Georgia and was the presumed son of Isaiah Smith Sr. Based upon my research, the possibility exist that Isaiah Smith Jr was born in Wilkinson County, Georgia. In 1827, his father Isaiah Smith Sr moved to Houston County, Georgia and lived on the adjoining property of Needham... Continue Reading →
In the mysteries of family lore, the figure of Charlotte Mott Smith looms large, shrouded in mystery and intrigue. According to legend, she was believed to be of Native American descent, with her son, Richard Isaiah Smith, purportedly born on a reservation in Florida. The narrative is further embellished by documents from a grandmother's bible,... Continue Reading →
In the mid 1800s, the United States was experiencing an era of tremendous growth, marked by a fundamental economic difference that existed between the country's northern and southern territories. In the North, a robust manufacturing and industrial sector flourished, while agriculture predominantly consisted of small-scale farming operations. In contrast, the South's economy revolved around large-scale... Continue Reading →
In a prior post about Elizabeth Smith Crozier, I established her as the daughter of Isaiah Smith. This revelation led to the discovery that in 1880, Mary Ann Crozier, Isaiah Smith's granddaughter, was living with Elizabeth J Johnson Grace Smith, Needham Smith's granddaughter. They were listed as cousins in the 1880 census records. This article... Continue Reading →
By April 1783, the skirmishes stemming from the Revolutionary War reached their conclusion, marking an end to the hostilities of the war. The Smith clan resided primarily in the northern region of Cumberland County, North Carolina, establishing their homes along Black River, Niells Creek, and Buies Creek. In the days leading up to the war's... Continue Reading →
Benjamin Harrison stood as the progenitor of a renowned lineage known as the James River Harrisons. His notable appointments include being appointed Clerk of the Virginia Council in 1632, tobacco viewer for the Upper Chippoakes district (Jamestown) in 1639, and holding a position as a representative in the House of Burgess for James City County... Continue Reading →
In 17th-century Virginia, the primary purpose of the tithable list was tax assessment and collection. These lists identified individuals subject to taxation, known as 'tithables,' serving as crucial administrative tools for tax assessment, maintaining order, and gathering information about the colony's population and resources. During the 1650s and 1660s, colony law stipulated, "Bee itt enacted... Continue Reading →
Floyd Benjamin Smith entered this world on the 22nd of June, 1919, in Sampson, Geneva County, Alabama. His parents, Richard Isaiah Smith and Dora Carl Bradley, welcomed him as their eighth child among twelve siblings. In the early stages of his life, Floyd Smith found himself growing up in the northwest section of Samson, situated... Continue Reading →
John Smith's probable birth year is circa 1731, placing his origins in Bertie County, North Carolina, specifically in Occoneechee Neck. The estimation of his birth year is based on historical records, taking into account the apparent age of his son Benjamin Smith Sr. Furthermore, extensive research into his father, William Smith Sr, has contributed to... Continue Reading →
William Smith was likely born in either Surry or Isle of Wight County, Virginia in about 1709. William Smith moved with his parents George Smith and Elizabeth Smith to Occoneechee Neck, Chowan Precinct, North Carolina in about 1719. William Smith appears in historical records for the first time when he purchases land in 1738 from... Continue Reading →
Around the time that George Smith was born, the Cheroenhaka Indian Tribe, or commonly called the Nottoway Indians, due to encroachment by the Colonials of Virginia moved from the Nottoway town of Tonnatorah in Sussex County, Virginia to the Assamoosick Swamp in what was then Isle of Wight County, Virginia. In 1705 the Virginia House... Continue Reading →
During the 1600s, in the Colony of Virginia, the laws allowed any person who settled in Virginia (personal right) or paid for the transportation expenses of another person who settled in Virginia (transportation right), to be entitled to receive fifty acres of land for each immigrant. This provision was known as a headright system. On... Continue Reading →
Edward Smith was born ca 1798 presumably in Warren County, Georgia. This is based on where his father Benjamin Smith Sr was living in 1798. Edward Smith married Nancy Banister on 23 May 1819 in Pulaski County, Georgia. Source: Georgia County Marriage Records , 1828-1978. The Georgia Archives. Interestingly, Edward Smith's father Benjamin Smith Sr's... Continue Reading →
digging our roots 