Zachariah Smith (1734 - 1812)

Born 19 Aug 1734 in Louisa, Louisa, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Francis Elizabeth (Prestwood) Smith — married 1 Sep 1756 in Anson, North Carolina

Descendants

Died 1812 at about age 77 in Woodville (Smith's Creek), Wilkinson, Mississippi, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Lamar Ross [send private message], Yvonne McNaughton [send private message], and Bruce Doxey [send private message]

Biography

Zachariah Smith Born 1734 and Frances Prestwood born March 27, 1741 South Carolina. Zachariah served in the Revolutionary War in North Carolina. Zachariah and Frances were married September 10, 1756 and had 13 Children. They settled in Wilkinson Co, Miss about 1790 where he received a Spanish Land Grants. They moved from Adams Co. to Wilkinson Co. in the late 1780 to early 1790's with most of his 12 living children

Children

1. William Smith, b. 16 Sep 1757
2. John Smith, b. 30 Nov 1759
3. James Smith, b. 16 Feb 1764, d. 1820 (Age 55 years)
4. Peter Smith, b. 18 Sep 1766, d. 1838 (Age 71 years)
5. Sarah Smith, b. 22 Jun 1768
6. Mary Smith, b. 10 Oct 1722
7. Barbara Smith, b. 20 Mar 1774
8. Martha Smith, b. 11 Mar 1776
9. Frances Smith, b. 5 Jun 1779
10. Nancy Smith, b. 17 Dec 1781
11. Elizabeth Smith, b. 25 Dec 1761
12. Zachariah Smith, b. 1770, d. 1831 (Age 61 years)^[1]

According to the book THE ORDER OF THE FIRST FAMILIES OF MISSISSIPPI 1699-1817. ed. Pg. 72. Zachariah Smith died in 1812

The Conveyance records show a group of bequests to his grand children

and great grand children that began to be recorded in starting the 4 November 1812. They had been written at various dates in the preceding months of that year with the last being done the 1 November 1812.

Conveyance records

Book A pg. 295. Recorded 4 November 1812. Zacariah Smith to Francis Ann Lovelace his grand daughter a Negro girl Phebe. Done 29 Aug. 1812. Signed Zachariah Smith. Witnessed Jno Wall, W. Hunter.

Book A pg. 296. Recorded 4 November 1812. Zachariah Smith to Nancy D. Foster a Negro girl Sary with yellowish complexion, 13 years old. Done 9 October 1812. Signed Zachariah Smith. Witnesses Jno Wall, W. H. Hunter.

Book A. pg. 300. recorded 20 November 1812. Zachariah Smith to granddaughter Barsheba Hetty Foster, a Negro girl Louisa. Done 28 Aug. 1812. Signed Zachariah Smith. Witnesses Randolph Foster and Moses A Foster.

Recorded 20 November 1812. Zachariah Smith to Polly Eleanor Foster, his granddaughter, a Negro girl Nancy. Done 28 Aug. 1812. Signed Zachariah Smith. Witnesses Randolph Foster and Moses Foster.

Book A, pg. 301. recorded 20 November 1812 Zachariah Smith to his grandson Thomas Kelsey 2 plow horses with all utensils for husbandry, Smith and Working tools, all household and kitchen furniture, clock and yoke of oxen, a sorrell horse, 1/4 of present crop, all stock of hogs, and all whiskey in storage. Done 28 August 1812. signed Zachariah Smith. Witness Randolph Foster.

Book A, pg. 307. recorded 5 Jan. 1813 Zachariah Smith to Adolphus Fredrick Smith in Parish of Attakapas for $500 land on Thompsons Creek in New Felicianna. Spanish Grant to Felix Barnard. When granted bounded on north by Philip Alston, on south by Dr. Joga Raouel, bought from Edward Gibbens by Zachariah Smith. 236 1/2 arpents. Done 28 July 1812. Signed Zachariah Smith. Witnesses: John Wall and Peter Smith. Book A, pg. 309. recorded 5 Jan. 1813. Zachariah Smith to Eliza Ann Wilkinson his great grand daughter 4 cows and a chestnut sorrell mare. Done 1 Nov. 1812. signed Zachariah Smith. Witnesses: John Wall, Peter Smith.

Book A, pg. 310. recorded 5 Jan. 1813. Zachariah Smith to William Henry Smith his grandson a Negro boy Jerry. Done 28 July 1812. Signed Zachariah Smith (his mark this time, the rest have been signatures). Witnesses: John Wall and Peter Smith.

His son Peter Smith is made administrator of his estate in January of 1813 as he died intestate. He had already taken care of his bequests by deed in the preceding months so there was only a small amount of last details for Peter to settle.

INVENTORY AND ACCOUNTS BOOKS (These are housed in the Courthouse basement)

Vol. 1, pg. 262. Jan. 1813. Peter Smith made administrator of Zachariah Smith Sen. estate as he died intestate.

Vol. 2 pg. 376. July 1821. Peter Smith, administrator of Zacheriah Smith Sen. dec. states he has only $186 belonging to the estate and bills amounting to $193.

Vol. 3 pg. 113. Debts of Zachariah Smith estate as of 13 Feb. 1813. North Evans $85.91, $5.50,$51.41; Arron Kirkland $18; E.H. Marselis $20.24; Jas. Wilson $4.86; John Threkeld $28.00. Total $193.70

Property of Estate available to Peter Smith Administrator. 1 horse $76. Neat processed 4 bales of cotton $189.22 cotton $20.46. Property brought $186.28

pg. 261. Bond of Peter Smith as administrator with Zachariah Smith and Thomas Lovelace as securities. The dates and information in not filled in on the bond. But it is obviously the bond for Peter to be administrator of his fathers estate. (This appears to be the final accounting of Zachariahs estate.)

I believe Francis Prestwood Smith had already died in 1809, though First Families says she died 1820-24. In the first place if she had still been alive at the time of Zachariah's death (1812) she would have been provided for in his estate or the deeds prior to his death. She was not. From the research of Sherry W. Manuel

The last record on which she signed was Conveyance Book A, pg. 90. recorded 10 October 1808. Made 2 March 1808. Zachariah Smith Sr. and Francis his wife to John Foster and Mary his wife and Claiborne and William Zachariah Foster, their sons for $3,500 a tract of land on Blumart Creek 500 acres. Adjacent Zachariah Smith Jr. on north, David Ogden on south, William Ogden on east. signed Zachariah Smith Sr. and Frances Smith. Wit. Thomas Foster and William Hunter.

Book A, pg. 135. Recorded 4 January 1810 made 16 September 1809 Zachariah Smith Sr. and Frances his wife to Thomas Kelsey for $1000 a tract of land on Buffalo Creek 174 acres. A Spanish grant of 1788. Signed Zachariah Smith. Frances did not sign. Wit. Joshua Buchammer Bateman, John Foster.

Though the last record says Zachariah and wife and was actually done September 1809 no signature is shown on the record at the courthouse. While most of the of the other property he deeded to his grandchildren were not real estate and did not require her signature the property in Feliciana Parish that he deeded to his grandson Adolphus Fredrick Smith would probably have carried her signature had she been living. As to where they are buried I expect both are buried on the family plantation as was the custom of the time. From the research of Sherry W. Manuel

^[2]

Secondary Re-Sources

Ancestors and Descendants of Smiths by Linda G. Cheek, 1987. ISBN 0-89308-622-3. Page 151 (I will do look-ups in this book by request. It does not have many sources, and no photographs. Kitty Smith)

• 1805 Wilkinson co. MS territorial census: Zachariah Smith, 2 white males 21+, 1 white male under 21, 1 white female, 13 slaves.

• Rowland, Dunbar. 'The Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, Centennial Edition, 1917', List of Inhabitants of Wilkinson county, Mississippi, in 1816.

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.smithsworldwide.org/tng/getperson.php?personID=I19621
2. ↑ http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/MSWILKIN/2007-03/1175381863 MSWILKIN-L Archives

• Source: S19 Title: Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.; Repository: #R2

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Smith-28231 created through the import of Laura's Family Tree_2012-04-21.ged on May 4, 2012 by Laura Mittler. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Laura and others. Repository: R1

• Smith-57103 was created by Bruce Doxey through the import of Doxey Family Tree 9 gen_2014-01-14.ged on Jan 14, 2014.

• Thank You to Yvonne (Rubin) McNaughton by 7 Apr 2019.

• Thank you to Laura Mittler, Lamar Ross and Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile.