Nancy (Cooley) Smothers (abt. 1811 - aft. 1860)

Born about 1811 in Bradfordsville, Washington County, Kentucky, USA

Ancestors

Wife of James L. Smothers Jr. — married 16 Feb 1830 (to 7 Mar 1840) in Washington County, Kentucky

Died after 4 Jul 1860 after about age 49 in Marion County, Kentucky, USA [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Michael Cooley [send private message] and Earl Smothers [send private message]

Biography

Nancy was born about 1811 to Rueben Cooley.

She married on 16 Feb 1830 in Washington County, Kentucky to James Smothers, Jr., but they divorced on 7 Mar 1840 in Marion County, Kentucky.^[1]

On 14 Oct 1850 Marion Co, KY, the Cooley household consisted of Reuben (Cooly) Cooley (inferred father), 81 yo (est. b. 1769), NC male, farmer, $2500 in real estate, b. NC, couldn't read or write; Elizabeth Cooley (inferred mother), 45 yo (est. b. 1805), b. KY, couldn't read or write; Stephen L. Cooley (inferred son), 8 yo (est. b. 1842), b. KY; Cornelius Cooley (inferred son), 6 yo (est. b. 1844), b. KY; Lucretia J. Cooley (inferred daughter), 4 yo (est. b. 1846), b. KY; Elizabeth Cooley (inferred granddaughter?), 18 yo (est. b. 1832), b. KY, couldn't read or write; Nancy Cooley Smothers (inferred married daughter), 39 yo (est. b. 1811), b. KY, couldn't read or write; Joseph Smothers (inferred Nancy's son), 10 yo (est. b. 1840), b. KY; James Smothers (inferred Nancy's son), 5 yo (est. b. 1845), b. KY.^[2][3]

On 4 Jul 1860 Bradfordsville PO, Marion Co., KY Rueben's widow Elizabeth Cooley's household consisted of Elizabeth Cooley (inferred mother), 35 yo, farming, $300 in real estate, $150 in personal estate, b. KY, couldn't read and write; William Followell (inferred brother), 28 yo, laborer, b. KY, couldn't read and write; Sallie Followell (inferred sister-in-law), 30 yo, b. KY, couldn't read and write; John Followell (inferred nephew), 8 yo, b. KY; Nathan Followell (inferred nephew), 6 yo, b. KY; George Followell (inferred nephew), 4 yo, b. KY; Harlin Followell (inferred nephew), 15 yo, b. KY, laborer; Samuel Followell (inferred nephew), 5 yo, b. KY; William Clarkston, schoolteacher, 25 yo, b. KY; Stephen Cooley (inferred son), 18 yo, laborer, b. KY, attended school; Cornelius Cooley (inferred son), 16 yo, laborer, b. KY, attended school; Lucretia Cooley (inferred son), 14 yo, laborer, b. KY, attended school. Living nearby was Nancy Smothers (inferred step-daughter) and family and Elizabeth's brothers Abraham Followell and Marcus Followell and their families.^[4]

Children

In the 1850 Census, Nancy is shown living with her father and two young sons that were likely born to she and ex husband James:

1. Joseph Smothers b. abt 1840 (10 yo)
2. J ames Smothers b. abt. 1845 (5 yo)

Sources

1. ↑ Marion County Court Records.
2. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch : accessed 09 Jun 2018 at [1]
3. ↑ Census Year: 1850. State: KY. County: Marion. Page: 428a; Reel: M432-212; Reference: District # 2, enumerated by Walter Gartin on 14 Sep 1850
4. ↑ 1860 US Census: Marion County, Kentucky; Nancy Smothers in household of Reuben Cooly]

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Michael Cooley for creating Cooley-1253 on 9 Nov 13.

• "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKJS-2T9W : 9 March 2021), James Smothers and Nancy Cooley, 16 Feb 1830; citing Marriage, Washington, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 551,244.