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Our Family
Genealogy Pages
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 1766 - 1850 (84 years)
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| Name |
James SMITH [1, 2] |
| Birth |
06 Jan 1766 |
Delaware  [3, 4] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
Apr 1850 |
Wilkes Co., NC [5] |
| Burial |
Family Cemetery, Wilkes Co., NC |
| Person ID |
I1184 |
Rootballs |
| Last Modified |
10 Jan 2015 |
| Family |
Elizabeth HUTCHENS, b. Abt 1776, Henrico Co., VA d. 25 Aug 1841, Wilkes Co., NC (Age ~ 65 years) |
| Marriage |
1795 |
Surry Co., NC |
| Children |
| | 1. Robert SMITH, b. 15 Jun 1796, Surry Co., NC [Natural] |
| | 2. Nancy Jane SMITH, b. 23 Dec 1798, Surry Co., NC d. Aft 18 Jun 1880 (Age > 82 years) [Natural] |
| | 3. Hannah SMITH, b. 28 Dec 1799, Surry Co., NC [Natural] |
| | 4. John SMITH, b. 24 Aug 1802, Surry Co., NC [Natural] |
| | 5. Patty SMITH, b. 24 Nov 1804, Surry Co., NC [Natural] |
| | 6. Lavisa SMITH, b. 04 Dec 1807, Stokes Co., NC d. Aft 21 Aug 1880, Wilkes Co., NC (Age > 73 years) [Natural] |
| | 7. James Anderson SMITH, b. 07 Mar 1810, Surry Co., NC d. 28 Jul 1882, Wilkes Co., NC (Age 72 years) [Natural] |
| | 8. Zadoch Thomas SMITH, b. 27 Jul 1812, Wilkes Co., NC d. 1879, Howell Co., MO (Age 66 years) [Natural] |
| | 9. William I. SMITH, b. 30 Jun 1814, Wilkes Co., NC [Natural] |
| | 10. Elizabeth SMITH, b. 04 Apr 1818, Wilkes Co., NC [Natural] |
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| Family ID |
F210 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
10 Jan 2015 |
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| Notes |
- 1. According to Mr. Ray Parker, James Smith and Elizabeth Hutchens lived perhaps two miles southeast of Boonville and the intersection of Hwy. 67 and Hwy. 601. According to Mr. Parker, they owned land on or near what is now known as Reese Road. The deed description below references Deep Creek which intersects Hwy. 601 just south of this location. Elizabeth Hutchens grew up near what is now known as Forbush on Forbush Road, about five miles east of the location afore described.
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2. 1880 Census, Wilkes County NC, Traphill District, ED205, p.4. James Smith and Levica Smith Caudill both report their father being born in Delaware during this enumeration.
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3. The following is from Out on a Limb, Babara Johns Groeger, pp. 23~25.
"He spent his early years in England, but while still very young, his parents died and an older brother inherited all of his parents' possessions according to English law. Apparently with his parents dead and his brother holding their little possessions, James had no ties left with England and so he emigrated to America. Tradition goes that he landed in Delaware and lived there a short time. Then around 1790~1794, he arrived in Surry (now Yadkin) Co., North Carolina where he met a girl by the name of Elizabeth Hutchins, who was a Quaker by birth.
In 1795, James and Elizabeth were married, against the wishes of the Quaker Church since James was a member of the Methodist Church (perhaps having been baptized by Bishop Asbury as tradition states). And so on March 6, 1797, Elizabeth was disowned from the Quaker Church for marrying out of unity (which means she married someone who was not a member of the Quaker Church) and lived the rest of her days as a Methodist. Apparently even though the church disowned Elizabeth, her family still accepted James as her husband, because in 1799 Elizabeth's father, Thomas Hutchins, sold James some land. The receipt was written as follows:
"October the 21, 1799
I rec'd. of James Smith the Sum of Seventy Dollars in part pay for the Land that I sold him lying on Deep Creek. I Say Rec'd. By Me Thomas Hutchins."
A record of land being purchased in 1799 in Surry Co. from Thomas Hutchins is recorded in the Surry Deed Book with 40 acres in the first tract and 119 acres in the second tract. However, on 23 September 1802 James Smith sold 119 acres to William Johnson for 175 pounds.
James bought a third tract in Surry on November 14 1805 for 150 pounds and which consisted of 100 acres on the north fork of Deep Creek. Sometime between these transactions and 1812, James sold the 40 acres which he had purchased from Thomas Hutchins in 1800, but there is no record and apparently the buyer failed to have the deed recorded.
On 27 November 1812, James apparently sold out his 100 acres in Surry Co. for two hundred dollars and moved over into adjoining Wilkes Co. where he bought 200 acres for $400 at the head of the Big Elkin on 20 January 1814. James Smith lived on this 200 acres from 1814 until his death in 1849.
James Smith and his wife Elizabeth Hutchins had ten children born to them:
Robert15 June 1796 unknown
Nancy23 Dec. 1798 married James McCann
Hannah28 Dec. 1799 Lewis Harris
John 24 Aug. 1802 yes
Patty24 Nov. 1804 Mr. Dunn
Levisa4 Dec. 1807 John Caudill
James Anderson7 Mar. 1810 Mary M. Smith
Zadoch Thomas27 July 1812 Candace Snow
William I.30 June 1814 unknown
Elizabeth Hutchins4 April 1818 Jerimiah Richardson
These children grew up and went their different ways in life during the pioneer days of our great country. Robert Smith, the oldest son, left North Carolina and the folks never knew where he went, but some thought he might have gone to Alabama. Nancy, Hannah and Levisa all lived and died in North Carolina. there are still numerous descendants in North Carolina of the Harris, McCann and the Caudill families.
Patty and Mr. Dunn married and left for parts unknown and there's no further record of them. James Anderson Smith lived and died in North Carolina and eventually owned the land of his father.
Zadoch Thomas and his sister Elizabeth (Smith) Richardson eventually ended up in Missouri with their families. Zadoch had lived in North Carolina until 1860 before moving and Elizabeth had lived for 21 years in Indiana before moving.
John and William left North Carolina. John lived in Virginia for a time and 'went west', but the direction that William went is unknown.
James Smith, of course, remained on his land in Wilkes Co. and watched his children grow, marry and move away. He was a carpenter, cabinet maker and farmer by trade. (it is said he brought his carpenter tools with him from England). He worked hard and lived the life of a true pioneer. On the 25th of August 1841, his wife Elizabeth, died at the age of 65 and since he was 75 years old and had been rather sick recently, he sat down a few days later a wrote his will. At the time he wrote it, all of his children were either married or had moved away except for the youngest daughter, Elizabeth Hutchins Smith, who was at the time 23 years old and unmarried. Here is a copy of the will he wrote:
"In the name of God, Amen.
I, James Smith, of Wilkes Co. in the state of North Carolina being at the present time sound in mind although very weak in body do declare this to be my last will and testament. I hereby bequeath and devise to my beloved daughter Elizabeth Hutchins Smith all my household & kitchen furniture, also all the stock I possess of all kinds with my shop tools of all descriptions and my family utensils for her own separate use and maintenance. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 29th day of August 1841.
His X mark
James Smith
In presence of ... David Hanks
Charles Harris
Wilkes Co., North Carolina Was duly proven February term 1842"
It is important to note that in those early colonial days, if a woman was not specifically in a will, then she had no claim (or very little) on any property or possessions regardless of her relationship to the deceased. So, James made a point to write a will that would insure a future for his daughter since she was still unmarried. He left her all his earthly possessions except his land (which is not mentioned in his will, but which James deeded to his son, James Anderson Smith in 1847).
James wrote his will in August 1841, but lived for seven more years. However just a few months after he wrote his will, Elizabeth, apparently in order to secure for her own possession the things her father had willed her, simply went into Wilkes Co. court and asked that the will be probated. Naturally the court officials took it for granted that James Smith was dead and so went ahead and probated the will. This is an unusual case, but it could, and evidently did happen because his will was actually probated in 1842, but he was still alive in 1847 when he deeded his land to his son.
Two years after the will was probated, and interesting event occurred. Elizabeth had met a man named Jerimiah Richardson who she wanted to marry but the family disapproved. So she eloped and the family followed her a considerable distance in order to have the marriage set aside, but Elizabeth and Jerry went all the way to Indiana (a very long distance in those days).
James lived until 1849 when he passed away at the age of 83 years and 3 months. The old James Smith homeplace is now owned by the Chatham family and lies 1/4 to 1/2 mile west of Doughton, North Carolina. The family cemetery is enclosed with an iron fence. Just five persons are buried there and their graves are marked with field stones. The five are James Smith, his wife Elizabeth (Hutchins) Smith, their son, James Anderson Smith and his first wife, Mary, and also Jones Smith (son of James Anderson Smith)
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4. JAMES SMITH
Year: 1850
County: WILKES CO.
State: NC
Age: 84
Gender: M
Month of Death: APR
State of Birth: DE
ID#: MRT51_4776
Occupation: NONE LISTED
Cause of Death: RHEUMATISM
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| Sources |
- [S265] Barbara Johns Groeger, Out on a Limb, (Name: c.1960 Photo Arts Inc. 666 Steel Street El Cajon, Ca.;).
- [S18] 1830 Wilkes Co., NC Census, p.336.
- [S67] 1880 Wilkes Co., NC Census, Traphill Dist. #205, p.4.
James Smith and Levica Smith Caudill both report their father being born in Delaware during this enumeration.
- [S211] Grave Marker.
- [S203] Federal Census Mortality Schedules Index, 1850.
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