| For the love of words unspoken
For the lust of thoughts written down For all the memories cherished Not forgotten, but passed down 
I thank God for the wisdom To use this gift well Allowing an outlet of feelings And emotions that dwell J.A.S.
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A Compilation of Short Stories, Memories,
Histories
LIFE: One of the most precious words one could ever hear. There are only two other words greater, in my humble opinion, than Life: Christ and Family. Christ is and should be to every life, number one. Without him, life would not be possible; therefore, Family would not exist. The following may seem lengthy, but in actuality it is only a brief summary of my life, my family, and testament to my Lord. I owe all that I am to Christ as well as all that I have [my family] to him. I am thankful to be a part of this history and have the ability to pass it on to you. I have endeavoured to the best of my ability to gather, collect, document, and record all that my family is or was. Not only from my perspective, but through the eyes and hearts of those that also belong to my family. I have found out that our family for the past 300 yrs. has done little in the way of preserving posterity. I have also seemed to discover the answer why: They were too busy filling their lives with Zest and Joy that somewhere down the line we forgot to record it. They also forgot to make us lots of money, but as a result they gave us something more valuable, Life. Now this may seem that I have stopped the zest for life to document and record, but nothing could be further from the truth. Through my family (especially my wife) life is full and beautiful, for I am living it, experiencing it, and thanks to the mercy of God I am allowed to document it to share with everyone. I am excited to learn my history; to understand why I am who I am. I pray my children can read and learn as I have to obtain a better understanding of where they came from in order to help them understand where they are going by building on the past, our foundation for LIFE. At first I decided to attempt to document stories of our lives; by this I mean the Smith’s, from those who are living gathering their memories of not only their lives but of those who have passed on. Some stories are whimsical while others bring tears to your eyes. Yet each story is about Life, real life, our life. The details of each are to the best of our knowledge and hearts, so please forgive any detail that may not be completely accurate to your point of view (but please contact me and let me know, I want to be as accurate as possible), and if I have offended any one with the details, I apologise, for I have endeavoured to have you or others look at them before to make sure they are accurate and not offensive. At this stage in the documentation, it appears that the Smith’s (our Smith’s) came from England, mostly around Lancashire Co. England and Wiltshire Co. England. There are theories that date back from the 1100s and one back to biblical times, but this isn’t the time to get into that. Our Smith's were hard workers and great thinkers. We never became royalty, yet remained close and friendly to the royals in order to survive and progress during hard times. Part of our family were even granted the title of Viscount which is like a Barron of sorts. We ventured and made our mark in the business world of trade and merchants. Some short time after the Spanish Armada was defeated in 1588 by Queen Elizabeth I; the Spaniards were still thirsty for revenge and conquest. Being such close neighbours to Spain, England was subject to many raids. With the current situation being under constant threat of invasion, the political unrest in England, and with the word spreading of the bounty and beauty in the Americas, many began to immigrate to America. Many came to the New England area, but there were an equal amount that came to the Virginias. It is believed that our ancestors boarded one of these ships bound for the Virginias during or around the 1650s and 1660s. From here in the Virginias, the Smith’s migrated southwest to the Carolina’s in the early 1700s, first around the old Bertie Co. Area and then over to the Edgecombe and Moore Co. areas, of North Carolina to be more specific, just before the American Revolution. 
Let’s pause for a brief history lesson in order to get a feel for what was going on during their travels. As I said earlier about the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the seas were fair game for all again with the British in control. With knowledge of the vast resources found in the Americas, the English began to sponsor expeditions to colonize the new land. This began around 1606. By the early 1620’s, King Charles I dissolved parliament and attempted to rule England as a monarch. This helped spur the emigration from England toward America as well as all other contributing factors mentioned earlier. By the 1700’s, there were about 275,000 people in colonies all along the eastern coast and moving west. This moving west caused many problems with the native Indians and cause much unrest to say it mildly. It was also here, when the Spanish and the French began to really notice the potential of the Americas and started their own expeditions there. The Spanish began with the Florida’s and the French hit from the north around New England as well as down south close to New Orleans. King George III assumes the throne around 1727 and caused much trouble in the world. His thirst for conquest and control began fights everywhere. Eventually, he declared war with Spain because they were in his way everywhere. Many uprising were a result of this in America, including Slave revolts. The French made allies with the native Indians and began chipping away at the British-American Empire. The French and Indians wars began in 1755 as the British fought back. By 1763, the French and Indian war (otherwise known as the Seven Years War) ended but not completely until the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1784. But to pay for all the English fighting around the world, King George was taxing all the colonies heavily. The opposition to these taxes built up over the next 12 years (for example: the Boston Tea Party) spurring the American Revolution in 1775. The colonists were so fed up with England that on July 4, 1776, they declared their independence from English rule and fought for freedom until 1784. By 1787, the colonist officially became the United States of America with an established government and constitution. In 1790, the first official Federal Census was done through the Census Act and it shown that there was nearly 4 million inhabitants with 20% being of African American Slaves and not counting the native Indians. The average white American was under the age of 16 with large families averaging about 8 children per family. This average is close when we look at the Smith Family. For Nathan Smith has 6 confirmed children (a seventh I am still researching) as you will see later. Now back the, our, Smith’s in North Carolina. It is assumed that the Smith’s remained here in NC as it is estimated through census data that Nathan was born in NC about 1731 (+/- 5 years). I must assume that they were in NC through out the American Revolution. I will have to check military records to verify if any of the Smith’s were listed in any regiments. I do know that an ancestor through marriage (Thomas Owen Carpenter)was shot and killed holding his baby son by a British soldier during the revolution in 1780 in NC. But here the Smith’s lived for a few years around Moore Co., Montgomery Co. and Cumberland Co., NC. Until around the late 1790s because in the 1790 US Federal Census of Moore Co. NC I found our Nathan Smith, my first proof of his existence. Between 1790 and 1796, it is estimated that the Smith’s once again move but this time further south west towards Georgia (Franklin Co.). It was here that the Smith’s began to make a name for them selves (or at least discover that they would have to fight for everything they ever had or wanted — and has been our plight from hence forth). The story begins with Nathan Smith establishing a settlement on land granted or purchased from the state of Georgia. This land was in the now Habersham Co. or then Franklin Co.. After the French and Indian war, land or reservations were established for the natives to live on. One such reservation was in Georgia near Fort Hollingsworth-White House . These forts were built for just what you would imagine; to help maintain control and provide a haven against attacks of any sort. These reservations were established through treaties with the local Indians and help establish boundaries for states lines. When Nathan and several other settlers, such as William Wofford and Jacob Hollingsworth, obtained land grants from the state of Georgia, they were given lands thought to be surveyed just south of the reservation’s boundary lines. In actuality, unaware by the settlers, the land surveyed was north of the south reservation boundary (it was in the reservation). More research suggests that there was some corrupt government officials of GA at this time (see Yazoo Land Fraud and Pine Barrens Scandal). If Nathan left NC around 1796 and settled the land in GA, he and other settlers were there for about 2 or 3 years when the Indians realized the settlers were on their land. The Indians (Cherokee and Creek, I believe) demanded they move. Who or how, I don’t know, but a petition was gathered and signed in 1798 by all those settlers involved and given to the then Governor James Jackson to have the lines re-run to match their claims or come and protect them. The Cherokee Indians were still just trying to protect their way of life and living the hand dealt to them. But on the other hand, the settlers believed they had just claims as we all would. An Indian agent named Benjamin Hawkins (who happened to be a Brigadier General in the Revolution) from Washington (the new capital) was sent to resolve the issue. Mr. Hawkins after review decided in favour of the Indians, but compromised by purchasing from the Indians a strip of land (the land the settlers had been granted) that was 4 miles wide and 23 miles long for an annual sum paid by the US Government. This land as a result became part of Franklin Co. GA under what is called the “Four Mile Purchase of 1804”. Now the original petition was signed by the settlers. On this petition was the signatures of Nathan Smith and his children Nicolas Smith and Stephen Smith as well as Owen Carpenter (all four of these individuals are part of our family tree). In the Georgia Genealogist, under the subtitle Franklin Co., there also was a record of the settlers in and around the local forts. This record included the names Isham Smith, John Smith, William Smith, Averitt (or Everett) Smith Temple Carpenter, and William Newton — all of which are in our family. The dispute had lasted for years and apparently kept going even after the compromise. This frustration and probably constant threat of Indian attacks is what caused many settlers to sell their land and move further west. This is what the Nathan Smith family did. Now Nathan is said to have died in GA and I tend to believe it is here that he would be buried and would have had to have died after the petition in 1798 and before the migration again. The Marion Co, MS tax list of 1813 showed that our Smith were already there in the area as well as the 1820 US Federal Census of Lawrence Co. MS shows most of Nathan’s children there with a few of their children already born there around the ages 10. Therefore, I deduct that Nathan had to have died between 1798 and 1810. A few of our Smith’s stayed in Georgia, but the rest kept moving till they reached Mississippi (a rich, fertile, and cheap land) via the Mississippi River around what is now the counties of Newton, Lawrence, Franklin, Copiah, Smith, and Scott in the early 1800’s. Here, there is ample proof of their existence from census data to the sale and transfer of slaves. Yes, out ancestors were slave owners. Isham, Stephen, and William Smith all have records of having and selling. There is even a small story with this issue, but we will get to that later. For the past 200 years, our Smiths have dug roots in Mississippi that have gone so deep their descendants have had solid ground to venture out to other places such as Louisiana, Texas, California, and even other countries such as Australia. I also have reports and a written lineage from another’s research that one of our ancestors married into a line that traces back to the royal families of France and to the mighty Frankish Kings (between 448 A.D. and 700 A.D.). Now I have not had the time to stop and verify this researcher’s findings, so I will treat them as stories until due time. On the Taylor side I have yet to discover their roots yet through them or more accurately the Gates side there are traces leading back to Scotland. There migration basically was the same as the Smith’s. On the Marsh side I have had trouble getting out of the California area in the late 1800s. However, in the Sutton Family I have managed to trace the lineage back through Pennsylvania to Welsh and German Ancestry. Through the Suttons' I have found that we are actually kin to a real Revolutionary War hero. With the Jones’, I have done a good bit yet all within the states; meaning Iowa and Ohio. I have noticed that many of the families have intermarried, meaning many cousins (mostly by marriage and all mostly legal) married each other. Many families lived close together and some travelled together. I must assume that there was not many people to choose from during the early stages of our ancestors in the States. With this in mind, it is necessary to tell the story of these families as well for they too helped shape and give life to us today. There are many fascinating stories and quite intriguing facts in our history and I will try to let everyone in on it. Now when you start your research for the Smith Family, the farthest I can go back undisputed at this stage is with Nathan Smith (b. 1730’s in NC / d. in GA). It is thought that he married a lady named Ann and together they had at least six children that I am aware of: Everett Smith, Nicholas Smith, Isham Smith, Stephen Smith, William Smith, and Sarah Rachel Smith, . Details are sketchy but are verified through census lists and tax payments. Most of his children are also verified. Through his children our family has multiplied so, that I have had to keep each child separate in order to make sense of it all as you will see below. Just for information’s sake, my direct line is through Isham Smith. There is a debate as to ancestors beyond Nathan as you will discover in the following pages. But if you read and believe, there is a whole other history out there that fits into our history like a glove which allows us to reach back in the Smith linage to about the 1430s. It has taken years to get here and it will take years to get further. Have fun and enjoy. I hope you find a match for who you are looking for and if you ever have any questions or can add to this, information to any one here or can add people to our list that we did not know about, please email me at [email protected] . Thank You. Jerry A. Smith |
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Beginning from bottom row – Left to right:
1st Row: Curtis McNeil (hands in pocket), Ambrose Harris, Slonnie McNeil, Son McNeil, Clint Smith, Edgar Harris, Iris Smith, Ruth Smith, Wilma Harris, Erma Smith 2nd Row: Myrtis McNeil (with the black hat), Lola Harris (white hat), Missouri (Zura) Smith, Onie Smith, Marion Smith, Homer Harris 3rd Row: Mattie Mosley (holding Vera Smith-her daughter), Jeremiah Benton Smith, Jr. (Patriarch of the family), Rosa Wedgeworth (wife of Jeremiah), Mary Smith, Maggie Smith (never married), Mittie Smith (holding twin son Dewey Harris) 4th Row: Carrie Smith (holding Floyd McNeil – her son), Dollie Smith (holding her son Henry McNeil), Julia Harris (holding daughter Ola Smith), Rollie Harris (holding twin son Huey Harris), 5th Row: Chester McNeil (barely see his face-Holding Myrtle McNeil), Hance Smith, Closier McNeil (Holding Copper McNeil), Vander Bill Smith, Gay Smith, Wallace Smith ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jeremiah B. Smith (b. 4 Dec 1858 / d. 31 Jul
1935) married Rosa Wedgeworth (b. 24 May 1855 / d. 31 Dec 1934)
Children of Jeremiah and Rosa:
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Source: Picture obtained from Ruth Smith
(1st row) as she was about 2 in this picture. She was born in 1913,
daughter of Vander and Mattie Smith. She is still alive in 2005.
This dates the Picture as 1915 in Smith Co. MS.
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| Generation I |
Generation II |
Generation III |
Generation IV |
Generation V |
Generation IV |
| Jeremiah Benton Smith |
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| Jeremiah Benton Smith |
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| Sarah Young |
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| Vander Bill Smith |
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| Reuben Wedgeworth |
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| Rosie Wedgeworth |
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| Minerva Myers Harrison |
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| Eulon John Smith |
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| William Mosely |
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| John Mosley |
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| Linne Morgan |
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| Mattie Olivia Mosley |
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| Dewitt Thompson |
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| Mollie Thompson |
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| ? (Thompson) |
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| Carey Taylor Smith |
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| ? Taylor |
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| Henry Taylor |
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| ? (Taylor) |
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| Robert William Taylor |
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| William Layton |
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| Louisa Layton |
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| Sarah (Layton) |
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| Velma Earline Taylor |
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| John B. Butler |
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| John H. Butler |
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| Eliza Catherine (Butler) |
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| Virginia Belle Butler |
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| Asa M. Boleware |
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| Melinda Boleware |
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| Frances Fortenberry |
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| Jerry A. Smith |
Parents |
Grandparents |
Great Grandparents |
Great Great Grandparents |
Gr-Gr-Great Grandparents |
| Frank Marsh |
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| Philip Laverne Marsh |
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| ? (Marsh) |
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| Philip Maxwell Marsh |
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| ? Maxwell |
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| Louisa Maxwell |
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| ? (Maxwell) |
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| Richard Sutton Marsh |
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| Stephen Justice Sutton |
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| Horation Seymour Sutton |
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| Bridgett C. Mitchell |
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| Helen Beryl Sutton |
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| James Irvin Worth (Wertz) |
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| Mary Ethel Worth |
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| Eldesta Idella Cessna |
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| Karen Lea Marsh |
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| William Jones |
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| John Jones |
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| Eliza Joyce |
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| Carl Noah Jones |
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| Zachariah Buckingham |
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| Nancy Buckingham |
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| Susan Berryman |
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| Orlea Shirley Jones |
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| William James Cook |
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| David Cook |
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| Ann Ward |
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| Edna Cook |
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| Louis O. Jones |
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| Margaret Jones |
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| Elizabeth Truman |
