Family:Edward Smith and Catherine Stumph (1)

http://www.martygrant.com/gen/smith/smith-edward-carter.htm#jacob

I don’t know when Edward Smith was born. In her book, Mrs. Reeves stated that by tradition, Edward was 87 years old when he died in 1807, so using that age, that gives "1720" as an approximate birth date. This seems to be a good date to use, but I’d like to find some actual evidence to support it. I’d say it is probably accurate to within 10 to 20 years, just as a guess based on the known ages of some of his children.

I don’t know where Edward Smith was born. An old DAR application lists his birth place as Maryland, but I have no proof to go with that. He could have been born there, or just about anywhere else, such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina or even in Europe.

I have no record of Edward Smith’s parents, nor any clues as to who they might have been.

I have practically no early records on Edward Smith before his arrival in what is now Carter County, Tennessee. Some information has been gleaned from some early DAR applications, but I always consider that source as highly suspect, though worth noting here in case it is accurate, or partly so.

According to those DAR applications Mrs. Reeves information, Edward Smith married Catherine Stumph in 1739. I have been told by Robert T. Nave that this is not correct, or at least that "Stumph" wasn’t her surname. I don’t have any hard facts to go with this so I’ll just mention it and say it needs further study. I’m leaving her name this way in my files until I find some other evidence one way or the other.

Apparently Edward’s first wife died before 1757, for in that year he supposedly married Catherine Stonecypher in Culpeper County, Virginia.

By 1761, Edward and family had moved in the western regions of North Carolina, in the area encompassed within Rowan County (which had no western border at the time). They were still in North Carolina in the 1770's for sure, based on the birth places of several members of the family. ** I have not yet checked the early Rowan County records for evidence of Edward Smith living there.

In 1776 the District of Washington was created as a new western division (not quite a county yet) which encompassed some of north west North Carolina and much of present day Tennessee (if not all of it). I don’t think the Edward Smith family was already living there at the time.

In 1777, Burke, Wilkes and Washington Counties were formed. Burke was formed from western Rowan County, Wilkes from western Surry and part of old Washington District, and Washington County was formed from Washington District, (now Tennessee). Apparently, Edward Smith was living within the bounds of the new Burke County when it was formed. * More research is needed in Burke County records.

There was an Edward Smith in Wilkes Co, NC records in the mid 1780's. I don’t know if it is this same Edward or another, but keep in mind that Wilkes County at that time bordered what is now Carter Co, TN. He was listed there in Court records in 1785, and sold land in 1787 on Kings Creek.

Our Edward Smith was in present day Carter Co, TN by 1783 when he began receiving North Carolina land grants in Washington County, Tennessee on the Watauga River and Iron Mountain.

Edward Smith was listed in Washington County Court many times in the 1780's as a juror, on road juries, etc.

In 1790, all of present Tennessee was ceded by North Carolina to the Federal Government and was organized as the "Territory South of the Ohio River".

The 1790 census is lost for this area (if it was taken at all there).

In 1796, Tennessee was admitted to the union as a State. That same year Carter County was formed from the part of Washington County where the Smiths resided.

Edward Smith was listed on the 1796 Carter County tax list.

Edward Smith was listed on the 1798 Carter County tax list.

Apparently Catherine Stonecypher Smith died sometime before 1798, for in that year, he married another Catherine Stonecypher, niece of the first one. I’ve not seen a marriage record for them, so I’m not sure what it is based on other than Family Tradition. Her Will (in 1832) named only one child, who happened to be the youngest child of Edward Smith, born ca 1799, so that would support this Catherine being a 3rd wife, marrying ca 1798.

The 1800 census in lost for Tennessee.

On 11 Feb 1807, Edward Smith made his Will in Carter County, Tennessee. Mrs. Reeves provided a transcript in her book, and I also have a copy of an original hand-made copy made by Edward’s grandson-in-law Charles Noden George in the early 1800's, and was shared with me by Jeff George who has the original copy.

In his will he named "my four sons, Nicholas, Jacob, William, and Daniel". He named wife "Catherine". "my youngest daughter Nancy", "the heirs of John Smith, deceased", and daughters: Catherine Peeveyhouse, Sarah Bowman, Margaret Gabert, Susannah Campbell, heirs of my daughter Mary Smith, heirs of my daughter Elizabeth Dunkin. Wife Catherine and son Daniel Smith and Julius Dugger, Esquire as Executors. Signed: Edward Smith. Witnessed by Matthias Wagoner and John Heaton.

The Will was acknowledged in court on 15 Apr 1807 by Nathaniel Taylor, Godfrey Carringer and William Boyd, so that means Edward had died by that date.

The 1810 census is lost for Tennessee.

The 1820 census is lost for Eastern Tennessee, including Carter County.

In 1830, widow Catherine Stonecypher Smith was not listed on the census, so probably was living with her daughter Nancy Smith Heaton. There was a female with Vaught Heaton (her son-in-law) aged 70-79 (born ca 1750/60). This is probably Catherine.

Catherine Smith made her Will on 14 Apr 1832 in Carter Co, TN and named her daughter Nancy Heaton. She signed with a mark, and the will was witnessed by Nelson Ball and David Brumitt. This Will was included in Mrs. Reeves book and she noted that it was shared with her by Robert Nave.

1.   Yates Publishing. U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900: [database online] (not considered a reliable primary source). (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004).

   Name: Edward Smith
   Gender: Male
   Birth Year: 1720
   Spouse Name: Catherine Stumph
   Spouse Birth Place: of TN
   Marriage Year: 1739
   Number Pages: 1