George Washington Smyth
Birth: May 16, 1803
Death: Feb. 21, 1866
Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, United States Congressman. George Smyth was born in North Carolina to a family of millwrights. They moved quite a bit when he was a child, and in 1828 he left for Nacogdoches, Texas to teach school. In 1830, he got a job as a surveyor in the Bevil's Settlement region, quickly promoted to surveyor over Zavala, Vehlein and Burnet Colonies in 1834, and also worked as the Land Commissioner at Nacogdoches and as a judge of Bevil Municipality. Elected to represent Jasper Municipality for the Convention of 1836 to discuss the coming secession and war with Mexico, George Smyth became one of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence at Washington-on-the-Brazos. He traveled back home to raise troops, but they arrived at the final Battle of San Jacinto to late to participate. He began a long term of service to the new Republic: in 1839 he was selected by then-President Mirabeau Lamar to set the Texas/United States borders on the Boundary Commission; in 1844 he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives; he participated in the drawing up of the Texas Constitution in 1845; and he became Commissioner of the General Land Office in 1848. In 1852, George was elected to the United States Congress and served for three years before returning home to his farm in Jasper County. Traveling to Austin in 1866 for the Constitutional Convention, he died there on February 21, 1866 and was laid to rest in the Texas State Cemetery with full honors for his service. (bio by: Screwtape)
Family links:
Spouse:
Frances Mitchell Grigsby Smyth (1809 - 1888)*
Children:
Sarah Ann Smyth Armstrong (1836 - 1879)*
Susan Smyth Adams (1838 - 1855)*
Susan Smyth Adams (1838 - 1855)*
Matilda M. Armstrong (1840 - 1920)*
George W. Smyth (1842 - 1910)*
Emily "Tabby" Smyth Smith (1845 - 1894)*
Joseph Grigsby Smyth (1847 - 1915)*
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6638587&ref=acom
