Person:Charles Smith (140)

birth parents: Unknown and Sarah Wyyougs (1)

CHARLES JAMES SMITH, A REGISTERED BROOKLYN VOTER IN 1895, GAVE AGE, HEIGHT/WEIGHT AND HAIR COLOR INFO ON THE 1895 VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD. CHARLES JAMES SMITH GAVE HIS AGE AS 55, HEIGHT 5 FEET 8 INCHES, WEIGHT 150 LBS AND HAIR COLOR LIGHT (GRAY) AND THAT HE HAD LIVED IN BROOKLYN 30 YEARS. CHARLES J SMITH,A SHOEMAKER, WAS SAID BY HIS GRANDDAUGHTER, CATHERINE SMITH, TO BE 1/2 OR MORE Native American (American Indian). HE IS FOUND ON THE NYS 1865 BROOKLYN NY CENSUS IN THE 11 WARD 4 DISTRICT. He is located on the 1870 AND 1880 Brooklyn NY Federal census in Ward 21 at 109 Nostrand Ave Brooklyn NY. He stops being listed in the business directories at that address about 1883. HE IS FOUND ON THE 1892 NYS BROOKLYN NY CENSUS WARD 24, 9TH ELECTION DISTRICT. His widow is next seen on the census for June 1 1900 in Ridgewood Queens NY as a Dairy Woman-It was then known as Metropolitian Queens. She lived on Gates Ave between Forrest Ave and 60 PL. (Gates Ave was once Magnolia St/60 PL was once Prospect Ave) Besides Metropolitian, Ridgewood was also known as East Williamsburg, Newtown and Evergreen. The Queens business directories indicate that Charles J Smith was living in the metropolitian/evergreen/ Ridgewood/Newtown area from about 1897 or earlier and was a grocer/milk dealer possibly with his son George W Smith who is also listed in the area. Charles J Smith died at Saint Mary's Hospital Brooklyn NY. THE 1892 NYS CENSUS PUTS HIM AT 1732 PARK PL BROOKLYN,OCCUPATION REALESTATE. HE IS FOUND IN THE BROOKLYN VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS 1872-1899. THE 1873 BROOKLYN NY VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD STATES CHARLES JAMES SMITH CAME TO NYS IN 1859 AND IN THE 1874 RECORD IT STATES HE CAME TO NYS IN 1858. IN EACH INSTANCE HE CAME TO BROOKLYN NY ABOUT 2 YEARS AFTER ARRIVING IN NYS.

 HE WAS A GROCER SELLING NEWSPAPERS/VARIETIES IN 1883, AND MILK DEALER FROM 1891 ON, AS WELL AS REAL ESTATE. HIS BROOKLYN DEATH CERTIFICATE IS #3261.  AT CYPRESS HILLS CEMETERY CHARLES IS IN THE SECTION LOCUST GROVE-DIVISION 2-BLOCK 40-GRAVE 11535.  ELIZABETH MCGRATH, HIS WIFE,IS IN GRAVE 11536. CHARLES J SMITH CAME TO BROOKLYN NY ABOUT 1860/1861.  HIS GRANDDAUGHTER CATHERINE EUNICE SMITH STATED THAT THE ORAL FAMILY HISTORY SAID CHARLES J SMITH'S MOTHER WAS INDIAN AND HIS FATHER WAS WHITE OR PART WHITE.  SARAH WYYOUGS, OF MONTEVILLE CONNECTICUT, WAS A FULL BLOODED INDIAN. SARAH WAS PROBABLY MOSTLY PEQUOT INDIAN, THOUGH HER FAMILY HAD LIVED AT MOHEGAN AMONG THE MOHEGAN INDIANS SINCE THE MID 1700'S. SARAH'S HUSBAND, BARTHOLOMEW T SMITH, MAY HAVE HAD A WHITE FATHER AND AN MOHEGAN INDIAN MOTHER. SARAH WYYOUGS HAD A BROTHER, CHARLES H WYYOUGS, AND NAMED HER SON, CHARLES SMITH, AFTER HIM. BOTH OF SARAH'S GRANDFATHERS JOSEPH SHANTUP AND JOSEPH WYYOUGS SHARED THE NAME CHARLES SMITH GAVE AS A MIDDLE NAME TO HIS FIRST BORN SON CHARLES JOSEPH SMITH. SARAH ALSO HAD AN UNCLE NAMED JOSEPH SHANTUP. IN CYPRESS HILLS CEMETERY CHARLES JAMES SMITH IS BURIED NEXT TO THE COLORED SECTION BUT NOT IN IT.  HIS DEATH CERT LISTED HIM AS WHITE. HOWEVER, SINCE EVERYONE IN BROOKLYN WAS EITHER WHITE OR BLACK I BELIEVE HIS IRISH DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL AND HIS IRISH UNDERTAKER LISTED HIM AS WHITE ON THE DEATH CERT AS HE DID NOT LOOK BLACK OR PART BLACK.  GILBERT APES, A PEQUOT INDIAN WITH SOME BLACK ANCESTRY, IS FOUND IN BROOKLYN WARD 4 ON THE 1850 CENSUS.  IN THE 1860'S LIVINGSTON W SMITH, OF NORWICH CT, COMES TO LIVE IN WARD 21 BROOKLYN NY-POSSIBLY CONNECTED TO CHARLES SMITH.  THERE IS A 10 YR OLD CHARLES SMITH LIVING IN NORWICH ON THE 1850 CENSUS WITH A ROATH FAMILY.  HE MAY HAVE BEEN BOUND OUT AS A SERVANT IN EXCHANGE FOR LEARNING A TRADE. OF INTEREST IS THAT SARAH WYYOUGS-SMITH'S DAUGHTER, FIDELIA SMITH-FIELDING, CLAIMED SHE WAS RAISED BY HER GRANDMOTHER MARTHA SHANTUP-UNCAS. SARAH WYYOUGS-SMITH MAY HAVE BEEN INCAPABLE OF RAISING HER CHILDREN FOR SOME REASON. POVERTY AND ALCHOLISM WERE PROBLEMS FOR SOME TRIBAL MEMBERS AT THE TIME. One of the Roaths in that household was a Doctor Benjamin T Roath who must have been a professional collegue of THE MOHEGAN TRIBAL OVERSEERER AT THAT TIME, A Doctor SAMUEL E MAYNARD. ALSO IN THE ROATH HOUSEHOLD WITH CHARLES SMITH IS A CHARLOTTE MAYNARD-PROBABLY RELATED TO SAMUEL E MAYNARD THE OVERSEERER. THE AGE RANGES ON THE BROOKLYN CENSUS RECORDS PLACE CHARLES' DATE OF BIRTH 1835-1840, AS DO THE VOTER REG RECORDS 1872-1895.  THE DEATH CERT INDICATED A BIRTH DATE OF 1840.  THE CONNECTICUT MOHEGAN INDIANS DID NOT BECOME CITIZENS UNTIL OCTOBER 1872 AND WERE NOT COUNTED ON THE CENSUS UNTIL 1870. BEFORE THAT THEY WERE ONLY COUNTED ON THE CENSUS IF THEY WERE NOT IDENTIFIABLE AS INDIANS AND NOT TRIBALLY CONNECTED.  THAT IS WHY SARAH AND BARTHOLOMEW SMITH'S FAMILY IS NOT FOUND ON THE CONNECTICUT CENSUS RECORDS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1870, WHEN THEIR DAUGHTER FIDELIA SMITH IS THERE AS THE WIFE OF WILLIAM FIELDING, THAT ANYONE FROM THAT FAMILY IS COUNTED AND IDENTIFIED AS INDIAN ON A CENSUS RECORD. CHARLES SMITH WAS NEVER COUNTED ON A CENSUS RECORD IN CONNECTICUT, AS AN ADULT, AS HE WENT TO MANHATTEN NY ABOUT 1858.

CHARLES SMITH'S INDIAN IDENITY COULD ALSO BE WHY HE DID NOT SERVE IN THE CIVIL WAR. CHARLES SMITH'S OTHER GRAND DAUGHTER ELIZABETH SMITH, THE OLDER SISTER OF CATHERINE SMITH, ALSO STATED IN A 1963 FAMILY CONVERSATION, THAT HER GRANDFATHER WAS AN INDIAN FROM CONNECTICUT. THE 1880 MARRIAGE RECORD OF CHARLES SMITH'S DAUGHTER, MARY EMMA AGUSTA SMITH, STATED HER FATHER'S NAME TO BE CHARLES JAMES SMITH. SINCE THE INDIAN COMMUNITY IN MONTVILLE HAD BEEN INTERMARRYING OVER MANY YEARS I ESTIMATE CHARLES J SMITH WAS HIMSELF BETWEEN HALF AND THREE QUARTERS INDIAN. THERE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN A CONNECTION BETWEEN PHILINDA (SMITH) RAYMOND OF NORWALK CT (PHILINDA'S FATHER WAS WILLIAM SMITH AND HER MOTHER WAS ALBA) AND CHARLES SMITH. JOSIAH RAYMOND WAS PHILINDA'S SPOUSE). SEE THE 1860 NORWALK CT AND 1850 DANBURY CT CENSUS. PHILINDA RAYMOND IS FOUND ON THE 1870 CENSUS LIVING IN WARD 21 BROOKLYN NY WITH HER SON INLAW MOSES SELLICK. MOSES SELLICK WAS ALSO LIVING IN BROOKLYN WARD 11 DIST 4 ON THE 1865 NYS CENSIS. A MISS RAYMOND OF MONTVILLE CT WAS A TEACHER OF THE MOHEGAN CHILDREN DURING THE 1830'S. CHARLES SMITH'S SON, JAMES H SMITH, HAD A SON NAMED CHARLES JOSEPH SMITH BORN IN BROOKLYN NY 1887; ON THE BIRTH CERT THERE WERE 2 OPTIONS FOR RACE-WHITE OR COLORED. THE MIDWIFE LINED OUT WHITE LEAVING THE COLORED DESIGNATION. THIS GRANDSON MUST HAVE BEEN A THROWBACK WITH ENOUGH INDIAN TRAITS FOR THE MIDWIFE TO LIST HIM AS COLORED. THE CHILD'S MOTHER WAS AN IRISH IMMIGRANT NAMED MARY ROBINSON. IN THE 1878 BROOKLYN DIRECTORY CHARLES JAMES SMITH IS LISTED AS JAMES SMITH NOT CHARLES SMITH. THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR OF THE 30 YRS LISTED IN THE DIRECTORY HE IS LISTED AS JAMES SMITH. THE PASTOR OF THE MOHEGAN CHURCH IN MONTVILLE CONNECTICUT DURING THE MID 1840'S WAS REV ANSON GLEASON. HE MOVED TO BROOKLYN NY ABOUT 1864 AND IS FOUND ABOUT 10 BLOCKS FROM WHERE CHARLES J SMITH IS LIVING. AT THE TIME OF REV GLEASON'S DEATH IN BROOKLYN, IN 1885, HE WAS LIVING ABOUT 3 BLOCKS FROM WHERE CHARLES J SMITH LIVED ON GATES AVE. CHARLES JAMES SMITH'S WIFE, ELIZABETH MCGRATH, DID NOT BECOME A CITIZEN UNTIL AROUND 1875 (SEE THE 1925 NYS CENSUS-585 LEXINGTON AVE BROOKLYN NY). ELIZABETH MCGRATH IS LISTED AS ELIZABETH RIVERS (THIRD MARRIAGE NAME) AND COUNTED WITH HER MARRIED DAUGHTER EMMA PRICE. ELIZABETH MCGRATH'S 1875 CITIZENSHIP DATE IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT CHARLES SMITH, AN INDIAN, WAS NOT A CITIZEN. THE CONNECICUT LEGISLATURE CONFERRED CITIZENSHIP ON THE MOHEGANS IN OCTOBER 1872. SO ELIZABETH MCGRATH'S 1860 MARRIAGE TO CHARLES SMITH DID NOT GIVE ELIZABETH CITIZENSHIP. THE LAW IN 1860 WAS THAT A WOMAN WHO MARRIED AN AMERICAN CITIZEN AUTOMATICALLY BECAME A CITIZEN. THERE IS A CROW HILL IN MOHEGAN CONNECTICUT AND MAY HAVE INFLUENCED CHARLES SMITH'S MOVE TO CROW HILL BROOKLYN NY(NOW KNOWN AS CROWN HEIGHTS). THE MOHEGAN CONNECTICUT CROW HILL MAY ALSO BE WHAT IRENE REAVES HEARD HER GRANDFATHER, FREDERICK SMITH, AND HIS SISTER, EMMA SMITH/PRICE, TALKING ABOUT WHEN IRENE REAVES WAS LITTLE. THEY SPOKE OF A CROW HILL AND THE FAMILY. IN THE FAMILY THOSE WHO INHERITED BLACK STRAIGHT HAIR, DARK EYES AND REDDISH BROWN SKIN WERE SAID TO LOOK LIKE "THE SMITHS". MEANING THEY WERE INDIAN LOOKING. CHARLES SMITH'S DAUGHTER, MARY EMMA SMITH, WAS ONE SUCH FAMILY MEMBER. SHE WAS A SHORT STOUT WOMEN WITH EACH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED TRAITS. ANOTHER TRAIT THAT SURVIVED DOWN TO IRENE REAVES WAS ABSENCE OF BODY HAIR. ON THE BROOKLYN VOTER REGISTREATION RECORD FOR 1872, FOUND AT THE BROOKLYN NY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THERE IS A JOHN BERWICK LIVING WITH CHARLES SMITH'S FAMILY. IT STATES HE WAS IN BROOKLYN NY 9 MONTHS AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION.

IN 1850 THERE WAS A JOHN BERWICK IN NORWICH WITH A SON JOHN BERWICK. THEY ARE GONE ON THE 1860 CENSUS. A JOHN BERWICK BEGINS TO APPEAR ON THE BROOKLYN NY DIRECTORY 1857/1858 AND THERE ARE 2 JOHN BERWICKS 1859 AND NONE 1860. THE NORWICH JOHN BERWICK IS A MASON AS WAS THE BROOKLYN JOHN BERWICK. BOTH JOHN BERWICKS ARE BACK IN NORWICH ON THE 1870 CENSUS. I BELIEVE THE YOUNGER BERWICK WAS THE JOHN BERWICK IN THE SMITH HOUSEHOLD IN 1872. ALSO IN NORWICH IN 1870 IN THE ROATH HOUSEHOLD IS A MARY BERRY, POSSIBLY RELATED TO CHARLES SMITH'S WIFE ELIZABETH MCGRATH-BERRY. ON THE 1865 BROOKLYN NY NYS CENSUS WARD 11 DIST 4 FAMILY 173 THE ENUMERATER PUT A DITTO FOR CHARLES J SMITH'S PLACE OF BIRTH MAKING IT NYS. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE AN ERROR OF THE ENUMERATOR AND NOT INFORMATION GIVEN. IF YOU LOOK AT FAMILY 231 MOSES SELLICK, HIS WIFE SARAH IS A SARAH RAYMOND FROM NORWALK CONNECTICUT AND WHO WAS BORN IN CONNECTICUT. SHE ALSO HAS A DITTO FOR PLACE OF BIRTH MAKING HER A NYS BIRTH IN ERROR. SARAH RAYMOND'S MOTHER WAS A PHILINDA SMITH WHO WAS MARRIED TO JOSIAH RAYMOND. ON THE 1861 LIST OF MOHEGANS, CREATED BY EMMA BAKER FOR LAND ALOTMENT PURPOSES, CHARLES J SMITH IS NOT MENTIONED. I BELIEVE THIS IS BECAUSE CHARLES SMITH WAS NOT CONSIDERED A "PROPER" MOHEGAN. CHARLES SMITH WAS PROBABLY CONSIDERED, BY EMMA BAKER, TO BE A PEQUOT. HOWEVER, CHARLES SMITH'S SISTER, FIDELIA SMITH, WAS ABLE TO GAIN MOHEGAN STATUS, IN EMMA BAKER'S EYES, BECAUSE FIDELIA SMITH WAS MARRIED IN 1853 TO WILLIAM FIELDING, A MOHEGAN. THIS WAS ALSO TRUE OF CHARLES' AND FIDELIA'S MOTHER, SARAH WYYOUGS. SARAH WYYOUGS' FATHER AND MOTHER WERE EACH MIXED PEQUOT AND MOHEGAN AND WERE BOTH CONSIDERED PEQUOT INDIANS, BY SOME, IN THE MOHEGAN TRIBE. HOWEVER, SARAH WYYOUGS MARRIED BARTHOLOMEW T SMITH, A MOHEGAN, GIVING HER MOHEGAN STATUS BY MARRIAGE. THE FAMILIES SHANTUP/WYYOUG/ASHBOW WERE CONSIDERED PEQUOTS BY SOME MOHEGANS-SEE "LIST OF HEADS OF FAMILIES LIVING IN MOHEGAN WHO ARE NOT PROPERLY MOHEGANS SEPT 1 1778" MARTHA SHANTUP, SARAH WYYOUGS-SMITH'S MOTHER, MARRIED JOHN UNCAS A MOHEGAN GIVING HER MOHEGAN STATUS BY MARRIAGE. FIDELIA SMITH-FIELDING WAS RECORDED IN 1902, BY RESEARCHER FRANK SPECK, TO BE STILL RAILING AGAINST THOSE WHO CLAIMED SHE WAS A PEQUOT. SHE CONTINUED TO INSIST THAT SHE WAS MOHEGAN AND NOT A PEQUOT INDIAN.-SEE FRANK SPECK'S RECORDS. IN 1861, FOR LAND ALOTMENT PURPOSES, EMMA BAKER WOULD NOT HAVE CONSIDERED CHARLES JAMES SMITH PROPERLY MOHEGAN. EVEN THOUGH HE HAD SOME MOHEGAN ANCESTRY AND EVEN THOUGH HIS FAMILY HAD BEEN CONNECTED TO THE MOHEGANS FOR 2-3 GENERATIONS. HE STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN CONSIDERED, BY SOME MOHEGANS, TO BE A PEQUOT INDIAN. ONE COULD ONLY AQUIRE MOHEGAN STATUS BY BEING BORN OF A MOHEGAN MOTHER OR MARRYING A MOHEGAN. CHARLES SMITH LEFT MOHEGAN CONNECTICUT, TO BE PLACED WITH THE ROATH FAMILY IN NORWICH, BEFORE THE AGE OF 10. CHARLES SMITH, AT ABOUT AGE 18, MOVED TO MANHATTEN NY IN 1858. IN 1860, WHILE LIVING IN MANHATTEN NY, CHARLES SMITH MARRIED AN IRISH IMMIGRANT WOMEN, ELIZABETH MCGRATH-BERRY. THEREFORE, CHARLES JAMES SMITH NEVER GAINED "PROPER" MOHEGAN STATUS IN THE EYES OF SOME IN THE TRIBE. ESPECIALLY FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE 1861 LAND ALOTMENT LIST OF MOHEGAN INDIANS. CHARLES SMITHS' MOTHER SARAH WYYOUGS-SMITH WAS REGARDED BY MANY MOHEGANS AS NOT MOHEGAN BY BIRTH BUT RATHER A PEQUOT INDIAN. SINCE CHARLES SMITH NEVER MARRIED INTO THE MOHEGAN TRIBE AND, ACCORDING TO SOME MOHEGANS, WAS NOT BORN TO A MOHEGAN MOTHER, HE WAS NOT CONSIDERED A PROPER MOHEGAN AND IS NOT ON THE 1861 TRIBAL LIST CREATED BY EMMA BAKER FOR LAND ALOTMENT PURPOSES. OF THE OVER 125 INDIAN PERSONS CONNECTED TO MOHEGAN, IN 1861, ONLY 40 WERE COUNTED ON THE LIST AND CONSIDERED PROPER MOHEGANS. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT CHARLES SMITH WAS NOT THE SON OF BARTHOLOMEW T SMITH, BUT FATHERED BY A NON MOHEGAN, POSSIBLY A PEQUOT INDIAN MAN. THAT COULD EXPLAIN WHY THE MOTHER AND FATHER INFORMATION IS MISSING ON CHARLES SMITH'S DEATH CERTIFICATE. THE FAMILY MAY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HIDE WHAT WAS CONSIDERED BY THE FAMILY, IN 1900, AN EMBARRESSING SITUATION. ALSO ON CHARLES SMITH'S DEATH CERT I BELIEVE THE FAMILY REQUESTED CHARLES SMITH BE LISTED AS WHITE, WHICH IN PART HE WAS. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE HIS FAMILY WANTED TO HIDE HIS INDIAN ANCESTRY. THE DEATH CERTIFICATE INDICATES THE FAMILY CLAIMED NOT TO KNOW WHO HIS MOTHER AND FATHER WERE OR WHERE HE WAS BORN. IN FACT THE RECORDS SHOW THEY AND HE KNEW THAT HE WAS BORN IN CONNECTICUT. FOUR GENERATIONS LATER THE ORAL FAMILY HISTORY EVEN STATED THAT CHARLES SMITH WAS BORN IN CONNECTICUT AND WAS AN INDIAN. I BELIEVE AT THE TIME OF CHARLES SMITH'S DEATH HIS FAMILY FELT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR THE CHILDREN TO GO FORWARD AS WHITES. BY PUTTING WHITE ON THE DEATH CERT AND GIVING NO MOTHER OR FATHER INFORMATION IT WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR ANYONE TO DISPUTE CHARLES SMITH'S ETHNICITY OR QUESTION IT IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, THE TRUTH WAS PASSED DOWN ORALLY BY HIS GRANDDAUGHTERS ELIZABETH AND CATHERINE SMITH AND THOSE WHO TOLD IT TO THEM. THAT THEIR GRANDFATHER, CHARLES JAMES SMITH, WAS AN INDIAN. THE HOME ON 109 NOSTRAND AVE BROOKLYN NY WAS PURCHASED AND OWNED BY ELIZABETH MCGRATH-SMITH, CHARLES SMITH'S WIFE. SEE BROOKLYN PROPERTY AND TAX RECORDS 1868 THROUGH 1881. An affidavit of intent to become a citizen dated May 23,1868 was found in the NYS archives, sworn by Elizabeth Smith, OF BROOKLYN NY, WIFE OF Charles Smith. This is proof that though Charles Smith was Connecticut born he was not a citizen. Alien women who married U.S. citizens automatically became citizens. This affidavit was sworn about 7 years and 3 children after their marriage. Elizabeth Smith needed to swear THAT SHE WOULD become a U.S. citizen to buy the property at 109 Nostrand Ave, which was bought a week or two later. Charles Smith MAY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS buying the property as he could not prove citizenship or swear to become a citizen in 1868. Citizenship for Connecticut Indians was granted years later. Mary T Quigeon, a Mohegan Indian, was living in Manhatten NY on the 1860 census and listed as white. She was the 1/2 sister of Sarah A Wyyougs/Smith. Also Dr Benjamin T Roath, one OF THE persons in the household on the 1850 Norwich Ct census that Charles Smith was living with, was living in Manhatten from about 1852 through early 1860. He is found on the 1855 NYS Manhatten census and in the Manhatten city directories. Mary Quigeon and Benjamin Roath may have aided Charles J Smith's move to NYC. Charles Smith's grandaughter, Elizabeth Smith/Darmstardt, once stated to her neice, Irene Reaves/Degnen when Irene was a child 1925-1930, that Elizabeth's grandfather Charles James Smith was a quiet man. Elizabeth Smith-Darmstardt was 4 yrs old when her grandfather Charles James Smith died. According to Adele Smith Grockerberger, born in 1929 and daughter of Charles Joseph Smith Jr, grandson of Charles James Smith, Adele's father was unusually dark and had straight black hair and dark eyes with an Indian like nose. When she was a girl Adele remembers a time her father had been drinking. Adele's aunt, her mother's sister, had passed the comment about Adele's father that "when he drinks it sure brings out the Indian in him". Adele said that at the time she could not understand why that comment had been made. Adele had never been told anything about her father's parents or grandparents. Since finding out that her great grandfather,Charles James Smith, was an Indian it all makes sense to Adele now. The Indians of Massachusetts became citizens in 1869. Joseph Pettit is the son of Mary E Smith (Weetie), grandson of George W Smith and great grandson of Charles J Smith. Joseph Pettit stated that his mother told him that she had an Indian ancestor and that He was full blooded Delaware Indian. Mohegan tradition teaches that the Delaware Indians are the ancestors of the Mohegans. Joseph Pettit's mother was no doubt referring to her grandfather Charles J Smith. On Sept. 23,1891 Charles James Smith PURCHASED, FROM THE NEW YORK AND BROOKLYN SUBURBAN INVESTMENT COMPANY OF NEW YORK, LAND IN BELLPORT LONG ISLAND NY. HE PURCHASED LOT 12 BLOCK 797. ACCORDING TO CHARLES JAMES SMITH'S GREAT GRANDSON MARTIN SMITH, MARTIN'S MOTHER, MARGARET SMITH, DAUGHTER OF GEORGE W SMITH, OFTEN STATED SHE HAD INDIAN ANCESTRY. THERE IS NO RECORD OF SARAH WYYOUGS-SMITH'S SPOUSE, BARTHOLOMEW T SMITH, AFTER 1841. THE ROATH'S OF NORWICH CONNECTICUT, WERE EPISCOPALIANS, AS I BELIEVE, WAS CHARLES JAMES SMITH. FIDELIA SMITH, CHARLES' SISTER, MARRIED WILLIAM FIELDING, IN THE METHODIST CHURCH. CHARLES J SMITH'S CHILDREN MARRIED IN THE EPISCOPAL,METHODIST AND LATER CATHOLIC CHURCHES. THOSE THAT MARRIED CATHOLIC ARE SAID TO HAVE CONVERTED TO CATHOLICISM. THE ROATH HOUSEHOLD IS CONNECTED TO THE MOHEGAN TRIBE BY WAY OF THE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP OF DR BENJAMIN T ROATH AND THE MOHEGAN OVERSEERER DR SAMUEL E MAYNARD. THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT 10 DOCTORS IN THE NORWICH/MONTEVILLE AREA AT THAT TIME. ALSO, THERE IS A CHARLOTTE MAYNARD IN THE ROATH HOUSEHOLD ON THE 1850 CENSUS AND SHE IS CERTIANLY A COUSIN OR HALF SISTER OF DR SAMUEL E MAYNARD. SAMUEL MAYNARD'S FATHER HAD SEVERAL WIVES AND THE MAYNARD SURNAME WAS NOT A COMMON SURNAME IN THE NORWICH AREA. DR BENJAMIN T ROATH CAME TO MANHATTEN NY IN 1852 AND PRACTICED MEDICINE THERE UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 1860. HE RETURNED TO NORWICH CT IN THE SUMMER OF 1860 AND REMAINED THERE UNTIL HIS DEATH JAN 8,1881. CHARLES JAMES SMITH CAME TO NEW YORK STATE (PROBABLY MANHATTEN) ABOUT 1858/1859, ACCORDING TO A BROOKLYN NY VOTER REGISTRATION RECORD. HE THEN STATED HE CAME TO BROOKLYN ABOUT 1861. I BELIEVE BENJAMIN T ROATH WAS THE CONTACT CHARLES JAMES SMITH HAD WHEN HE CAME TO MANHATTEN NY IN 1858 AND BENJAMIN T ROATH HELPED CHARLES JAMES SMITH GET STARTED IN NEW YORK CITY. CHARLES J SMITH CAME TO BROOKLYN NY, AFTER JUNE 1860. THAT IS ABOUT THE SAME TIME BENJAMIN T ROATH RETURNED TO NORWICH CT, THE SUMMER OF 1860. ALSO, IN THE 1859/1860 MANHATTTEN NY DIRECTORY THERE IS A GEORGE ROATH, SHOEMAKER. GEORGE ROATH, AGE 22, IS FOUND BACK IN NORWICH CT ON THE 1860 CENSUS. HE IS MARRIED TO A WOMAN BORN IN NY. SEE 1860 NY NY CENSUS WARD 11 DIST 8 PAGE 101 ENUMERATED JUNE 21,1860, THE HOUSEHOLD OF "FREDERICK SCHWAGER". RESIDING THERE AS WELL IS A CHARLES SMITH AGE 19 FROM CT, ELIZABETH AGE 13, AND THOMAS AGE 10. IT APPEARS TO BE CHARLES JAMES SMITH AND ELIZABETH MCGRATH, ALREADY MARRIED. ALSO LIVING WITH THEM IS ELIZABETH MCGRATH'S YOUNGER BROTHER A THOMAS MCGRATH. HE IS LISTED AS SMITH ON THE CENSUS. SEE ALSO 1860 NY NY WARD 11 DIST 8 PAGE 28 ENUMERATED JUNE 12,1860, THE HOUSEHOLD OF "ERASTUS LOPER". ALSO RESIDING THERE ON JUNE 12,1860 IS CHARLES SMITH,ELIZABETH AND THOMAS. BETWEEN JUNE 12 AND JUNE 21 THEY SEEM TO HAVE MOVED AND WERE COUNTED TWICE. SCHWAGER RESIDED AT 394 EAST 9 ST NY NY AND LOPER RESIDED AT 270 EAST 7 ST NY NY. THIS IS DIRECTLY ACCROSS THE EAST RIVER FROM THE AREA OF BROOKLYN NY CHARLES SMITH IS FOUND LIVING IN ON THE 1865 BROOKLYN NY NYS CENSUS, ADJACENT TO THE BROOKLYN NAVY YARD . THE ORAL FAMILY HISTORY OF THE MARRIAGE OF CHARLES J SMITH AND ELIZABETH MCGRATH, WAS TOLD BY LILA LOMAX. LILA LOMAX IS THE GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF CHARLES J SMITH AND ELIZABETH MCGRATH, THROUGH THEIR DAUGHTER RUTH M SMITH. LILA LOMAX HEARD THE ORAL FAMILY HISTORY FROM HER MOTHER, HARRIET EMERY, WHO WAS THE DAUGHTER OF RUTH M SMITH-EMERY. HARRIET EMERY'S GREAT GRANDMOTHER WAS MARGARET BERRY, WHO WAS THE MOTHER OF ELIZABETH MCGRATH. THE ORAL FAMILY HISTORY IS AS FOLLOWS: "MARGARET BERRY WAS THE DAUGHTER OF THE LORD AND LADY BERRY, OF BERRY TOWNSHIP IN ENGLAND(PROBABLY WALES). SHE WAS DISINHERITED WHEN SHE MARRIED A COACHMAN (MICHAEL MCGRATH FROM IRELAND). MICHAEL MCGRATH WAS WAYLLAID, ROBBED AND KILLED FOR THE MONEY HE RECEIVED FROM SELLING HORSES (PROBABLY IN IRELAND). WHEN MARGARET BERRY-MCGRATH DIED HER DAUGHTER ELIZABETH, AGE 8, AND A SON AGE 6 (NAME UNKNOWN) WERE SENT TO NEW YORK TO BE MET BY AN AUNT (PROBABLY IN 1851,1852 OR 1853). THIS MEETING IN NEW YORK, WITH THE AUNT, DID NOT HAPPEN. ELIZABETH MCGRATH WAS PUT IN AN ORPHANAGE. AT AGE 13 ELIZABETH MCGRATH MARRIED A MAN NAMED SMITH. ELIZABETH WAS RAISED ILLITERATE". LILA LOMAX KNEW NO MORE ABOUT THE ELIZABETH MCGRATH'S BROTHER. THIS FAMILY HISTORY WAS EMAILED TO ME BY LILA LOMAX ON MARCH 13,2000. THIS STORY IS IN REMARKABLE AGREEMENT WITH THE ABOVE CITED 1860 MANHATTEN NY CENSUS RECORDS, WARD 11, DISTRICT 8. IN BOTH THE SCHWAGER AND LOPER HOUSEHOLDS THERE IS A CHARLES SMITH (AGE 19) AND ELIZABETH SMITH (AGE 13) AND A THOMAS (AGE 10). THEY WERE APPARENTLY COUNTED TWICE PROBABLY DUE TO MOVING. CHARLES J SMITH AND ELIZABETH MCGRATH WERE LIKELY MARRIED BETWEEN APRIL AND JUNE 1860, IN MANHATTEN NY, NEAR WHERE THEY ARE FOUND ON THE THE 1860 CENSUS. ON SEPTEMBER 25,2003 THE GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER OF CHARLES JAMES SMITH, IRENE REAVES DEGNEN, TOOK AN ANCESTRY DNA TEST BY DNAPRINT GENOMICS INC, OF SARASOTA FL. THE RESULTS ARE THAT IRENE REAVES DEGNEN HAS 82% EUROPEAN DNA AND 18% NATIVE AMERICAN DNA. BASED ON THE FAMILY GENEALOGY I ESTIMATE THAT 12 OF THE 18% NATIVE AMERICAN DNA (OR TWO THIRDS) WAS INHERITED FROM CHARLES JAMES SMITH. THE REMAINING 6 OF THE 18% (OR ONE THIRD) COMES FROM IRENE REAVES DEGNEN'S FATHER, BENJAMIN J REAVES. THE TEST RESULTS ALSO INDICATE THAT CHARLES JAMES SMITH WAS MORE THAN 1/2 INDIAN. THIS INDICATES THAT CHARLES SMITH'S MOTHER WAS PROBABLY FULL BLOODED INDIAN AND THAT HIS FATHER WAS ABOUT 1/2 INDIAN. ALTHOUGH CHARLES J SMITH'S FATHER MAY HAVE BEEN BARTHOLOWNEW T SMITH, THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT HIS FATHER WAS ANOTHER INDIAN MAN. PROBABLY A PEQUOT INDIAN. THE BEST ESTIMATE I CAN MAKE FOR CHARLES JAMES SMITH'S DATE OF BIRTH IS SOMETIME BETWEEN JUNE AND DECEMBER OF 1840.

Charles Smith was 1/4 white and 3/4 Mohegan-Pequot Indian.