Parents and ancestry of James Smith 1802 VA to 1872 OR - Smith DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA Discussion Forum at Smithsworldwide.org

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Joanna

Parents and ancestry of James Smith 1802 VA to 1872 OR

Posted by Joanna in Smith DNA Group Discussion GRP-R-M269-106 on December 22, 2024 Views:(1867) Replies (0)
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James Smith was born 1802 in Washington County Virginia; he traveled as a child with his parents and silbinges to Missouri; and as an adult in 1846 on the Applegate branch of the Oregon Trail with his wife and children, to settle on the LIttle Luckiamute River in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. He also participated in California gold rush. His father, John Smith of Abraham's Creek, Washington County, Virginia was married 15 June 1797 Elizabeth Thomas daughter of Ben Thomas, by Rev. Jacob Zink. The marriage information is found in Gordon Aronhime Papers, South West Virginia Card File, card 67 of 120. John Smith's ancestry is unknown. The family tree that connects this branch of the Smiths (R-M269-106) to William Smith and Elijah Smith is full of errors. There were many men named John Smith in Virginia in the late 18th century. Some were William Smith's descendants but they could NOT have been this one who married Elizabeth Thomas in 1797 in Washington County, Virginia. John Smith and Elizabeth Thomas lived among German as well as Scots-Irish immigrants who traveled down the great road and the Shenandoah Valley from Pennsylvania. Since they were married by a German preacher, despite also living close to Scots-Irish preachers, there is a good chance they were of German descent. The few English families who lived in Washington County came mainly from across the mountains from tidewater or coastal Virginia and have better documented histories. I have not been able to find a connection of "our" John Smith to any of these English families, despite a belief that he was of English descent.

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