Lineage of Leonard Kirby Smith b. 1800 New York, New York

Question

I'm looking for the parents of Leonard Kirby Smith b. 1800 in New York, New York.  He appears in public records as well as his children.  Note he has a son by the same same that may come in research.

Notes from my great-great grandmother say its a branch of Cotton Smith but I don't know if it is true or which branch. Has anyone come across his name in researching Cotton Smith?  It could be a branch of http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smith-72550 but I am not sure.

Answer 1

Dear Elizabeth,  Cotton Mather Smith is a descendant in our SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project group NE07 (on page two).  I haven't found Leonard's parents yet, but I have been working on his family and descendants.  We need to find a living Smith man that is a direct descendant of Leonard Kirby Smith that will do a yDNA test.  That will tell us if we should keep looking in group NE07 for his father or perhaps a different Smith paternal line.  A yDNA test would be a huge help for the Leonard Kirby Smith ancestors.  

Comments

Thank you for your reply. I'm afraid there are not any direct male Smith descendants.  Leonard Kirby Smith had two sons, Leonard K Smith, Jr and Henry Albro Smith.  From what I have confirmed, Leonard had two daughters and Henry had three daughters and one son.  Unfortunately I believe his son Leonard R Smith passed away young without any issue.  Henry's daughter Elizabeth is my gg-grandmother.

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Hi Elizabeth,  This is such an interesting family.  On looking at the descendants of Cotton Mather Smith, I saw that his dau Mary, married a Daniel Smith.  Daniel Smith, I believe, is a descendant of the group NE15 line on SmithConnections Northeastern.  Cotton Mather Smith and his dau Mary are descendants of group NE07 on our DNA Project. We don't often have genetically unrelated Smith ancestors that connect different lines like this.  It does happen, but not as often as you might expect.  

What this means is your Leonard Kirby Smith could be a group NE07 (Cotton Mather Smith) genetic descendant, or he could be a group NE15 (Daniel Smith) genetic descendant if Mary was his ancestor.  I am still trying to find the parents of Leonard Kirby Smith.  I am in the right generation, but having trouble making the connection.  

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I am exploring the theory that Leonard Kirby Smith may be the child of one of Daniel Smith's brothers.  Matthew Smith married Theodosia Mead and I found an old newspaper clipping (death announcement) that included Leonard K Smith along with other members of the family.  This would make him 1st cousins with descendants of Daniel & Mary Smith but not related directly to Cotton Mather Smith from what I've found so far. I posted the article on LK Smith's profile page.