Frances (Cochran) Smith (1814 - 1895)

Born 15 Jul 1814 in Bath, Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Wife of John Y. Smith Jr — married 12 Nov 1835 in Pocahontas, Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 20 Apr 1895 at age 80 in Newton, Roane, West Virginia, United States

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Biography

She married John Smith on 12 Nov 1835 in Pocahontas County, Virginia (later West Virginia).^[1]

In 1850 at age 40, she lived in Kanawha County, Virginia (later West Virginia) with her husband John (40, a farmer) and children (James, 12; Margaret, 17; William, 9; Newton, 7; Mary, 6; Martin, 4; Alicta, 2).^[2]

In 1860 at age 45, she lived in Roane County, Virginia (later West Virginia) with her husband John (age 45, a farmer), their children (James, 23; Margaret, 22; William, 20; Newton, 18; Mary, 14; Martha, 13; Leeta, 11; Lydia, 9; Joseph, 6; Eliza, 4; Franklin, 2), her sister Elizabeth Cochran (age 57, listed as "idiot"), and Clerissa Drake (age 70, pauper, born in North Carolina).^[3]

Her husband died in 1862.

In 1880 at age 50 (likely incorrect), she was a widow and lived in Roane County with her granddaughter Frances Drake, age 15.^[4]

She died in 1895 and was buried in Newton Cemetery, Roane County, West Virginia.^[5]

Research Notes

Need 1870 census record.

Need birth record; age is inconsistent in census and other records. She married in 1835 and was thus presumably born before about 1820.

Need Civil War pension file.

From FamilySearch notes:^[6] "According to Eric D. King: "She was born 15 July 1814 in Bath Co., Virginia, and died 20 April 1895 in Newton, Roane Co., West Virginia." [This birth date doesn't seem plausible to me. Her mother would have been only 11-years-old. sk]

Thomas Wooddell, in the history of Captain David James, stated she was married in 1835 at the age of fifteen. That would make her birth year 1820. That makes more sense. Her mother would have been 17. We know her mother, Elizabeth James, was born in 1803 because it is on her tombstone at Droop Church Cemetery, Pocahontas County, WV.

From James Lewis Ball: Research from his sister, Rosamund Ball: "Fannie was a cousin to Jesse and Frank James. They came to W. Va. once to visit their kin (and rob a few banks). Someone in the family has a picture of them taken when they were in W. Va. Uncle Lon has a copy of it (Lionel Smith). Records of Fannie's determined quest for a pension after Grandpa John's death are in the National Archives in Washington. To prove that she had dependent children, she tore the page out of her family Bible and sent it to the War Department.""

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_mcresults.aspx?GroomsLastName=Smith&GroomsFirstName=John&BridesLastName=Cochran&BridesFirstName=Frances&County=All&Year=All&PlusMinus=Exact&Search=Exact&NumRec=25
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8DH-H9Y : 12 April 2016), Fanny Smith in household of John Smith, Kanawha county, part of, Kanawha, Virginia, United States; citing family 1375, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHM9-1DY : 11 November 2020), Francis Smith in entry for John Smith, 1860.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6T4-9BD : 14 November 2020), Francis Smith, Roane, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 120, sheet 16B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,413.
5. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 28 October 2019), memorial page for Frances “Fannie” Cochran Smith (15 Jul 1814–20 Apr 1895), Find A Grave: Memorial #116543070, citing Newton Cemetery, Newton, Roane County, West Virginia, USA ; Maintained by WCHS (contributor 47800568) .
6. ↑ "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 25 July 2018, 16:06), entry for Frances Cochran(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:MQZ2-J3C); contributed by various users.

• See also: "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 25 July 2018, 16:06), entry for Frances Cochran(PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:MQZ2-J3C); contributed by various users.