Blessing Smith

Biography

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/229671570/blessing-smith

Blessing Stephens of William Stephens and Sarah Sanders Stephens, born about 1735. She was the mother of Benjamin Stephens. The identity of her little son's father has been lost in time.

On 4 July 1773 Blessing married a neighbor, Stephen Smith who was more than 20 years her senior. With him she had Paris Smith and Frances Smith. After Stephen Smith died she went to live in Kenton County, KY with her son, Benjamin.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=96467884

Birth: Apr. 15, 1754 Orange Orange County Virginia, USA Death: Sep. 7, 1839 Kenton County Kentucky, USA

The lineage of Benjamin Stephens is shrouded in mystery. His mother was Blessing Stephens, daughter of William & Sarah Stephens of Orange county, Virginia. Her father died there in 1767. Blessing became the second wife of Stephen Smith on July 4, 1773 when Benjamin was 19. Court documents show that Smith & his two brothers were also known by the last name of Noblet. The day before their marriage Blessing & Stephen entered into a more or less equal contract where in each agreed to respect one another's property and to manage and dispose of it as each saw fit. Stephen Smith was 58 and Blessing was about 20 years younger than he. Many efforts have been made to determine Smith's exact relation to Benjamin Stephens. None have been successful. Speculation is not helpful.