Amanuensis Monday~Probate of the James Smith Estate, 1890

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.

His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today’s subject is Probate of the Estate of James Smith, 1890.¹

James Smith was born 4 March 1826, a son of Duncan Smith. He married Catherine McLaurin about 1855/56 and they had 6 children; 3 sons and 3 daughters. James died on 23 January 1890. His wife died approximately 3 years later in September 1893.  

The Widow and six children are shown here in this distribution of assets:













By amt paid Widow, one third – $98.05
D. A. Smith [Daniel A.] – $32.68
I. J. Smith [Isabel Jane] – $32.68
M. C. Smith [Mary Cornelia] – $32.68
F. J. Smith [Franklin James] – $32.68
M. D. Smith [Milton Duncan] – $32.68
N. A. Smith [Nancy A.] – $32.68



State of South Carolina}
Chesterfield County}
To Hon. H. D. Tiller Judge of Probate for Chesterfield County
The petition of the undersigned respectfully represents to the court
1st. That James Smith late of Chesterfield County died intestate on the 23^rd day of July 1890 leaving a personal Estate amounting to about one thousand dollars.
2^nd. That Letters of Administration has not [been] issued to any one and that the heirs of Said Estate have mutually agreed for letters of Administration to be granted to the undersigned.
Wherefore your petitioner prays that Letters of Administration be granted unto him in order that the said Estate may be managed and Settled according to law and your petitioner will ever pray &.
August 18^th 1890                                                     F. J. Smith
 
 
 
 
 
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[1] "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19384-30467-45?cc=1911928 : accessed 12 June 2016), Chesterfield > Probate Court, Estate records > 1865-1927 > Cases 0153-0227 > image 695 of 1550; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.

Tombstone Tuesday~James and Mary "Polly" Smith

James Smith
b. 19 October 1777
d. 22 May 1852
Aged 74 years 7 months 8 days

Mary "Polly" Gathings Smith
b. 6 December 1787
d. 17 Jan 1859

 

MARY SMITH, relict of James Smith, was born Dec. 6, 1787, and died in Anson County, North Carolina, (near Olivet Church) January 17, 1859, aged 71 years,  one month and eleven days. 

For sixteen years she was an acceptable member of the Methodist Church. Strongly adverse to affection in any form, especially in religion, her profession was far short of the possessed reality. Social conversation with her on personal religion , evinced more and more her modest aversion to pretence, and her possession of reality.  On her own confession the fear of claiming the title subtracted at times from the legitimate joy and peace of the blessedness of a hope of Heaven. Her practical knowledge, industrious an economical habits, tons of morals, sense of propriety, her freedom from affection, all underlaid with an excellent judgment , well fitted her for the several relations of life which she sustained, especially that which she so well performed, the training of her children,  She had the satisfaction to see the living nine, of her twelve children, grown to adult age, respectable and useful and nearly all members of the church. In sorrowing over their loss, which is her gain, they "raise up and call her blessed." From the first of her illness, which was only of five days' continuance, she said she would nor survive, With her usual discretion and calmness she gave directions concerning a few items of business, then dismissing all thought about the cares of the world, she committed her soul to her Saviour, and rational to the last, she suffered in patience and died in peace. 

[Book "Type Talk of Lilesville Township, Anson County, N. C.", by Emma Goodwin, page 13] [3]

James and Polly Gathings were marrried about 1801, James Smith was the son of John Smith and Mary Flake. Mary "Polly" Gathings was a daughter of Phillip Gathings and his wife Haney [LNU].

James and Polly had 12 children; 6 sons and 6 daughters.  

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[1] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed January 2008); Memorial page for James Smith; (19 October 1777–22 May 1852); Find a Grave memorial # 89150262, Citing Smith Cemetery; Lilesvile, Anson County, North Carolina.

[2] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed January 2008); Memorial page for Mary Gathings Smith; (6 December 1787–7 January 1859); Find a Grave memorial # 89150348, Citing Smith Cemetery; Lilesvile, Anson County, North Carolina.

[3] Emma Goodwin, Type Talk [I] of Lilesville Township: Anson County, North Carolina (Charlotte, North Carolina: Herb Eaton Historical Publication, 1990), page 13.

[4] William Thomas Smith William Alexander Smith, Osmer D. Flake, W. T. Smith, Family Tree Book: genealogical and biographical, listing the relatives of General William Alexander Smith and of W. Thomas Smith (Anson County, North Carolina: Published by the authors, 1922), page 80.