Person:Green Smith (1)

Green Lafayette Smith was a circuit riding minister of the Methodist Episcopol Church South at the time of his death. He and Eliza are buried in the Oakwood Cemetary in Cisco Eastland County, Texas. Info from Helen K. Price GGranddaughter of Green and Eliza.

Stephens County, Texas 1880 US census Greene L. SMITH Self M Male W 39 TX Farmer-Stock Raiser TN TN Eliza M. SMITH Wife M Female W 39 KY Keeping House VA KY Josephine SMITH Dau S Female W 13 TX At Home TX KY Mary S. SMITH Dau S Female W 10 TX At Home TX KY Robert W. SMITH Son S Male W 8 TX TX KY Jessie S. SMITH Son S Male W 6 TX TX KY Henry M. SMITH Son S Male W 5 TX TX KY Lula B. SMITH Son S Male W 1 TX TX KY SMITH Son S Male W 1M --- --- --- [William]

Source Information: Census Place District 172, Precinct 7, Stephens, Texas Family History Library Film 1255327 NA Film Number T9-1327 Page Number 495A 1880 US Census

Back in 1991, there was correspondence back and forth between Jean Traster (the archivist here at the time) and Homer O. Smith, the grandson of G.L. Smith. He sent some information here to the archives. Here it is:

Green Lafayette Smith, the grandfather of Homer O. Smith, was born February 5, 1841. He was married to Eliza M. Karnes March 28, 1866. She was born September 29, 1840. They were the parents of Robert Walter Smith, Sr., Homer's father.

Green Lafayette Smith was the son of Capt. Henry Madison Smith and Sarah Hall Smith of Tennessee, and the grandson of General James Smith and Hanna [Hannah] Parker Smith. A very large monument marks the graves of Gen. James Smith and his wife Hanna Parker, in the city of Henderson, Texas, one mile south of the courthouse. General James Smith gave the land on which the courthouse of Tyler, Texas, Smith County is located. There is a building in the Tyler Rose Garden named for him. Green Lafayette Smith moved to Eastland County from Coryell County in 1877. He died January 29, 1886. He and his wife are buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Cisco, Texas. All four grandparents of R.W. Smith, Sr. are buried in the Post Oak Cemetery near Gatesville, Coryell County, Texas.

When it became known that the Rev. G.L. Smith was moving from Coryell County, the following certificate was issued by a local congregation.

The State of Texas Coryell County:

The Primitive Baptist Church of Christ at Salem holding to the doctrine of Election Predestination effectual calling and the final preservation of the Saints through grace, do hereby certify that our dear beloved Brother G.L. Smith is a member in full fellowship with us and is dismissed from us when joined to another church of the same faith and order. Done by order of The Church in Conference Saturday before the fourth Sabbath in March 1877. - Wm Thomas Mod. H.M. Smith c.c.

Notwithstanding the above, Rev. Smith was licensed by "the Gatesville Circuit- Granbury District N.W. Texas Conference, M.E. Church South, E.R. Barcus P.E. July 16, 1877. Thereafter, on September 8, 1877 the same license was renewed, on the back, by the following certificate:

This is to certify that the license of G.L. Smith, an exhorter, is renewed by order of the 4th Quarterly Conference of Eastland Mission, September 8, 1877- Granbury District of the N.W. Texas Conference. J.L. Calhoun Sec. L.P. Russett P.E. Pres. N.B. Johnston P.C.

In 1879, Rev. Smith's license was issued after "having been examined as the Discipline directs by the Quarterly Conference of Eastland Circuit of Breckenridge District of the N.W. Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. J.H. Calhoun Sec. I.G. Warren Presiding Elder, Breckenridge District. In 1884, his license was renewed by order of the 4th Quarterly Conference of Eastland Circuit of Eastland District Aug., 30, 1884. A.K. Miller, Presiding Elder.

This is all the information I have on Rev. Smith. If there is anything you need clarification on, please feel free to contact me and I will be happy to help you.

Blessings,

Carol Roszell Archivist Central Texas Conference

[More notes from Carol Roszell: He [Green Lafayette Smith] was a Licensed Local Pastor. This meant that he had not gone through "seminary" and was not ordained an Elder. He could not be appointed to serve a church by the Bishop but he was determined to have a gift for preaching and was thusly licensed to do so in the absence of his church's appointed pastor.

The area Rev. Smith served was initially part of the Northwest TX Conf. which still exists but when the Ft. Worth and surrounding are became so populated, that chunk was broken off in 1910 and became the Central Texas Conference.

When Rev. Smith's licensed was renewed, it was signed by the P.E. (today's District Supt.) the Conference Secretary, and the P.C. (Preacher in Charge- the ordained appointed pastor of the local church Rev. Smith was licensed to preach at.)

In 1841 the Methodist Episcopal Church divided over slavery and there became two branches Methodist Episcopal Church South, and just the Methodist Episcopal Church which was northern affiliated. In 1939 the two merged back together along with the Methodist Protestant Church to become just The Methodist Church. In 1968 it merged with the Evangelical United Brethren to become the United Methodist Church.

1. ↑ Census: 1860 Federal Census USA
   14 Jun 1860.

   1860 Rusk, Texas, Federal Census
   Henderson Post Office, enumerated 14 Jun 1860
   
   Page 202B 139 - 145
   Henry M. Smith 42 M SC [Henry Madison 17 Nov 1817, son of James and Hannah Parker Smith]
   Sarah S. 38 F TN [Sarah Susannah Hall Smith, born 29 Jul 1821, daughter of John & Susanna Hall]
   Green S. Smith 18 M TX [Green Lafayette 5 Feb 1841]
   James D. Smith 17 M TX [James Dekalb 7 Aug 1842]
   Susan M. Smith 15 F TX [Susan Melvina 17 Dec 1844]
   John P. Smith 13 M TX [John P. born about 1847]
   Joseph M. Smith 12 M TX [Joseph Marion 17 Jan 1848]
   H. M. Smith 6 M TX [Henry Mattison 16 Mar 1854]
   Thomas I. Smith 4 M TX [Thomas J. born about 1856]
   Helen M. Smith 3 F TX [Helen M. born about 1857]

   1860 Rusk, Texas, Federal Census
   Henderson Post Office, enumerated 14 Jun 1860

2. ↑ Census: 1850 USA Federal Census
   14 Jun 1860.

   1850 Rusk County, Texas Census
   Henry Madison & Sarah Susannah Hall Smith
   397 397 HM Smith 32 M Farmer 12,600 SC 2
   397 397 Sarah " 26 F TN
   397 397 Green Lafayette " 9 M TX
   397 397 James DeKalb 7 M Do [ditto]
   397 397 Susan 5 F Do
   397 397 John 4 M Do
   397 397 Joseph 3 Do
   397 397 Alfred Morison 35 M Farmer Georgia

   1850 Rusk County, Texas Census
   Henry Madison & Sarah Susannah Hall Smith see text and image

3. ↑ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Census: 1880 United States Census. (Copyright (c) 2000, 2002 FamilySearch (TM) Internet Genealogy Service, January 20, 2004).

   1880 Stephens County, Texas Federal Census
   
   Greene L. SMITH Self M Male W 39 TX Farmer-Stock Raiser TN TN
   Eliza M. SMITH Wife M Female W 39 KY Keeping House VA KY
   Josephine SMITH Dau S Female W 13 TX At Home TX KY
   Mary S. SMITH Dau S Female W 10 TX At Home TX KY
   Robert W. SMITH Son S Male W 8 TX TX KY
   Jessie S. SMITH Son S Male W 6 TX TX KY
   Henry M. SMITH Son S Male W 5 TX TX KY
   Lula B. SMITH Son S Male W 1 TX TX KY
   SMITH Son S Male W 1M --- --- ---
   
   Source Information:
   Census Place District 172, Precinct 7, Stephens, Texas
   Family History Library Film 1255327 <
   NA Film Number T9-1327
   Page Number 495A 1880 USCensus
   
   Information from familysearch.org

   District 172, Precinct 7, Stephens, Texas
   Family History Library Film 1255327
   Page Number 495A 1880 US Census

4. ↑ Family records.

   Green Lafayette Smith was a circuit riding minister of the Methodist
   Episcopol Church South at the time of his death. He and Eliza are buried in the Oakwood Cemetary in Cisco Eastland County, Texas. Info from Helen K. Price GGranddaughter of Green and Eliza.

   Info from Helen K. Price GGranddaughter of Green and Eliza--see text

5. ↑ Cemetery records.

   Reverend G. L. Smith Feb. 5, 1841 - Jan 29, 1886

   Cemetery Inscriptions Eastland County, Texas Volume III Cisco, Texas