I’m reassessing the Smith La Grange connection. I’ve got a hypothesis…not really a theory since I can’t prove any of it.
Yesterday, it dawned on me that John La Grange’s wife, Miss Unknown Smith, could not possibly Henry J. (or Henry I.) Smith’s daughter. They would be almost the same age!
So, I am working on another angle. I believe they are siblings.
Henry’s family is as follows (taken from the 1850-1910 Census Records)
Henry I. (or Henry J.) Smith
wife Catherine
1. Zacharia
m. Cornelia ???
…..1. Bede
…..2. Annah
2. Mary C.
3. Sables aka Barney
4. Emma
5. Nicholas
7. Eli
8. Amelia
In 1850, a farmer William V. Smith lives with them. I do not know if there is a connection.
Noted right under Henry in the 1850 Census is this Smith family:
John
m. Helen ???
(John and Helen are 78, so a good 20 years older than Henry. Could they be his parents?)
1. Nicholas
m. Jane ???
…..1. John
…..2. Marcus
…..m. ??? ??? (died before 1900 census)
……….1. Arthur
……….2. Norman
……….3. Carie
2. Margaret
Zacharia’s wife, Cornelia, is connected to an Abbe family. She is listed in 1920 as the Aunt of Clarence Abbe. Clarence’s mother, Martha, is also listed.
If John Smith is the father of Henry and Miss Unknown, could Nicholas and Margaret be their other siblings?
One of the reasons I believe Henry is the brother of my Smith La Grange is the use of certain names. John’s son was John S. La Grange. John S. named his first son, John Henry La Grange.
I am willing to overlook John Henry as a coincidence. But, the next son was named Barney Sables La Grange. Henry had a son known as Sable and Barney. How coincidental could that be? Barney maybe…but Sables…and the combination of both?
So, off I take my circumstantial “evidence”. And, I use that term loosely! The key may be finding the La Grange children after their parent’s died. That would be sometime between 1840 and 1850. If they were with the Smith’s, then I’d have my connection.
So far, that’s not going so good. Any ideas on this one? Anyone researching this Smith family?
Just a note. I found out who posted the cemetery photos for Mariaville. They are related to one of the Smith’s listed. Let’s see if this leads to anything. Keep your fingers crossed!
I am the 3rd Great granddaughter of Henry and Catherine Smith of Duanesburg ,NY.I have quite a bit of information if I can just get through to you.I have been trying for a couple of years.
My third great grandfather is Henry J Smith.His wife was Catherine(?) Henry’s sister Sara Smythe married John La Grange. They had a son John Smythe La Grange. At the age of 14, after the death of his father and mother John slg went to live with a Patterson family in Duanesburg..James H. Patterson(1850 census) John’s sister Cathain(Catherine)went to live with the Charles Dennison(Denniston) family.The Patterson and the Denniston family were related through Oliver Patterson and Jemima(Denniston)Patterson..Also HenryJ. Smith’ daughter Mary Catherine Smith Married Jacob Denniston Patterson.My 3rd Great Grandmother was referred to as the aunt of John S.La Grange so at first I thought she was a La Grange. I found later that Henry’s sister married John la Grange so I really don’t know what Catherine Smith’s maiden name was..Catherine Smith was born in Jefferson County , NY as stated in one of the NY censuses,I think.If you have any questions or more information please let me know.My 2nd Great Grand father was William Van Rensselaer Smith.He was married to Roxy Marie Brainerd(Brainard) hence the name appearing in other lines. Henry and Catherine also had a son Eli la Grange Smith. O course Barney Sables Smith is a great clue. I believe John and Helen were cousins to Henry as they came from Montgomery ,NY. I found a probable cousin in Cornelius Smith in Montgomery County as well.His picture looked so like my father at a similar age. Hope this helps. Bonnie Jean Nugent Mosbrook
co NY
I am on ancestry.com under the trees of Smith and Darrow, The overlap quite a bit. A good deal has to be corrected as well.
smith
Sara’s name I believe is Sara Brandt Smyth.The spellings so often change. .Lana Smith was living with Catherine and Henry in 1855 and listed as mother. She was born in Columbia Co NY in1775 listed as 80yrs.. Henry died soon after and in 1860 Catherine was living with Zachariah ,her son and Cornelia Abbe his wife. When I first saw John and Helen I thought they might be parents but the age of Helen and Lana do not match, John and Helen I suspect are cousins but as they are also from montgomery Co. Ny but I really don’t know for sure’In the 1840 census I believe Henry J Smith to be the same.John La Grange and Sara Brandt Smyth were both born in 1810 and died in 1848.I hope this helps. I have been going through cemetery records in hopes of finding Catherine’s grave. So far no luck. I have been unable to find out her maiden name. In one of her sons census later on he listed her as French but she listed herself as being born ib Jefferson Co. NY. I thought she might have a French name and tried Sables. No luck. Anyway, I will keep trying. Let me know i you have any more questions or information.Thank you so much for your quick reply. And now to bed!
Thank you so much for all this information! We definitely have a connection. I am glad that you contacted me and I’ve finally learned which Smith/Smyth family fits in.