George William Smith, Sr.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/173376036/george-william-smith

George William4 Smith (David3, William2, John1) was born Bet. 1750 - 1760 in VA, and died May 13, 1839 in Overton Co., TN.

He married

• (1) Charlotte Lou Cooper 1782. She was born Abt. 1762 in VA.
• (2) Nancy 1784. She was born Abt. 1764 in VA.
• (3) Elizabeth 1810.

Family

From https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jillhicks&id=I00305

George William Sr. Smith (David Smith2, William Smith1) was born ABT 1760 in Virginia, and died BEF 13 MAY 1839 in Overton Co, Tennessee.

He married Nancy Unknown. She was born BET 1750 AND 1760 in Virginia, and died BEF 2 SEP 1839 in Overton Co, Tennessee.

He married Elizabeth Unknown.

	  Children of George William Sr. Smith and Nancy Unknown are:

* + 2 i. Ira George Smith was born ABT 1780, and died 1832 in Jackson Co., MO..

• + 3 ii. William Leggs Smith was born 1785, and died BEF 1850 in Tennessee.
• + 4 iii. David Smith was born 1787 in Guilford Co., N. C., and died 29 APR 1858 in Tennessee.
• + 5 iv. Richard Smith was born ABT 1789 in Virginia, and died BET 1855 AND 1860 in Overton Co, Tennessee.
• + 6 v. John "Honey" Smith was born 10 JAN 1791 in Virginia, and died 1865 in Pickett Co., Tennessee.
• + 7 vi. George Adam Jr. Smith was born 1800 in North Carolina, and died 9 AUG 1844 in Overton Co, Tennessee

Origins

From https://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jillhicks&id=I25022

This Smith family likely migrated northwest into Frederick County, VA, perhaps after the birth of William, since there are no further birth entries for their family in the North Farnham Parish records. David Smith negotiated a lease for lives in 1749 in Frederick County, for the longest of the lives of David himself, his wife Ann and his son Alexander. He subsequently moved back across the Blue Ridge into Loudoun County, Virginia, where he negotiated another lease for lives Sept. 29, 1759, this time for the lives of David, Ann, Alexander and a second son David. Records in Loudoun place him there through 1765, after which he migrated to now, Randolph County; he was on the Rowan County Tax List of William Millikan for about 1768. Both the migration into the back country of Virginia and then to North Carolina was probably in the company of Bryant Kin, which family Jane Beekman describes in an article on that family published in Heritage of Randolph County II.

Biography

George Smith was among the early pioneers to enter the Cumberland Plateau area of Tennessee where he settled on land that was to become Overton County in 1806.

He gave much of his land to his sons, Richard, John and George Jr.(Oma Smith)

July 12, 2002 - Lonnie R. Smith sent me his family file, which list George's full name as George William Smith Sr.

Letter of Charlie White, dated Feb. 11, 2000 to Jane Beekman contained the following information: George was a bit of an anomaly, for I havent found any records for him in Randolph County, hence I dont know whether he ever lived there. He was living in Overton County Tennessee in 1805 when he gave his power of attorney to brother William Smith concerning their Uncle William Smith's Shenandoah County Virginia estate. He was still in Overton County in Sept. 10, 1822 when his wife Elizabeth filed a dismissal of petition for divorce and alimony from George by her next friend David Smith (probably her son). A subsequent wife, as widow, Nancy deeds as gift to 3 of the heirs of George Smith Sr. all my dower and all other of his real and personal property for $250., otherwisse qitclaims her rights to the estate, and gives Richard, John or George C. Smith possession of the house 1st November next in good order. The deed was signed May 13, 1839, acknowledged Sept. 2, 1839 and recorded in Overtn County Deed F:76. A listing of children give by Tennga S. Conner, Dayton, TN., in an unidentifed Heritage Book which appears to have dealt with Overton and Fentress Counties in Tennessee.

Bath Co., VA. Abstracts, pg. 391 Power of Attorney by George Smith of Overton Co., TN., to his brother William Smith of Bath, to handle any inheritance from William Smith of Shenandoah, Oct. 22, 1806. Witness Robert Kincaid, Charles Dressler, Peter Smith. (William Smith is his Uncle, brother of his father, David Smith).

May 13, 1839 - Nancy Smith - Deed of Gift for Land and personal property as dower and legatee of Geo. Smith Sen. to Richard Smith etals: Know all men by these presents that I Nancy Smith wife of George Smith Sen deceas haith this day bargained and sold all my dower in the Estate of George Smith my husband deceaste in the land and all other of his real and personal property to Richard Smith and John Smith and George Smith Jun three of heirs of George Smith Sen for the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars to be paid by the heirs of George Smith Sen Deceas and out of the proceeds of the Estate when sold in cash notes and the said Nancy wife and widow of the said George Smith Sen Deceas do forever hereafter give and disclaim any right Title or demand any further intrus in said Estate: and I Nancy Smith for myself haive this day and will forever disclaim any further intres in and in said Estate and I am to give to the said Richard Smith or John Smith or George Smith persission of the hous and in as good repair as hit is at this time and the land I am to take good care of and to give them peaceble possession of hite on the first day of Nov. nexte in as good order as hite is at this...as witness whereunto I hereunto Site my hand and Seal the 13th day of May 1839

Nancy X Smith

her mark

Attest. A Winningham

Howel H. Bryant

The above document was published in the book by Oma Smith, page 16, "Smith and Allied Families".

Oma's book also tells of a legend that surfaced that might explain the above document, this legend according to Oma was told by Marion Hinds to Ella Lilly Horak, Willow Springs, Missouri:

"A wife of George Smith, Sr., great grandmother of Marion Hinds was catured by Indians and with her baby was taken away from the Smith home in Tenn. She was held captive for a number of years during which time she saw the baby only once and never knew what happened to it. The baby was sitting on a bear skin rug eating a roasted frog leg. As the years passed she learned Indian ways and when they began to dance around a campfire one evening their actions convinced her she was to be the sacrifice that night. Making up her mind to escape she quickly shoved an Indian into the fire. In the confusion she got away and ran all night. When daylight came with the sounds of the Indians in pursuit she crawled into hollow log. She remained there what seemed like days while the Indians were still near and searching. At one time they actually sat on the log. When they finally left she came out starved and tattered. She had eaten only a part of a raw rabbit that came into the log. Eventually she found her way to the home of some white settlers who took her in, fed and clothed her, and took her back to her former home. George Smith Sr. in the meantime, thinking his wife was surely dead, had married another woman. Upon the return of the first wife, the second wife left immediately."

In a letter that was sent to Oma Smith dated Dec. 25, 1972, Mrs. Horak added that she omitted from publication the information that George Sr. was never as nice again to the captured wife after her return, as he probably had been happy with the interim wife.

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jillhicks...

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=daddsr&id... says born in North Carolina, and also notes:

A slave owner and early large landowner in Overton County. He was in Randolph County, NC at about 1801-1807.

His sons, Richard, John, and George, Jr were deeded property by his widow, Nancy, in 1839.

Family lore says that George's second wife Nancy was taken captive by Indians for about 6 years. Her husband, giving her up for dead, remarried. Nancy is supposed to have escaped from the Cherokee by hiding in a hollow long. At one point the Indians that were searching for her came and sat on the log she was hiding in. To survive she ate on a rabbit that had ventured into her log. Escaping from the log she went to a farmhouse where she was seen safely home. Nancy was welcomed back into the home, George grateful for her safe return. According to the family story his latest wife Elizabeth moved out and left her children for Nancy to rear. Elizabeth has been referred to as the "interim" wife. It is also rumored that William later became ill-mannered toward Nancy.

References

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54038927/george-william-smith