THE SMITH FAMILY OF SMITHVILLE, GA….arrived in Lee County in 1923.…however, their legacy begins many, many moons before then. JOHN SMITH was born about 1690 in Ballymenia, Antrim Ireland. He married Nancy Farris of the same town. She was born about 1700. They were the parents of at least one child, Huey Smith. HUEY SMITH was born 1737 in Ballymenia, Antrim Ireland. Huey came to America in 1786 and he shows up on the Fairfield County, SC census in 1790 with three sons and 3 females (probably a wife and 2 daughters). Huey purchased 545 acres of land for which he paid 12 pounds and 14 shillings. Huey’s sons were: William Smith, Robert Smith, and David A Smith. As adults, William moved to Chambers County, AL; Robert relocated to Butts County, GA and David remained in Fairfield County, SC. Huey died in Fairfield County, SC on 19 Feb 1822. ROBERT SMITH, born 20 Feb 1760 in Ballymena, Antrim Ireland , was 25 years old when he married Ferguson Wilson, who had also immigrated to SC from Ireland with her parents in 1767. Robert was awarded a land grant in Butts County, GA for his service in the Revolutionary War. In 1828, he and Ferguson, along with their brood of 12 children, settled in Cork, GA in Butts County, near the Monroe County line. Robert died on 19 June 1853 and is buried on the grounds of his old home place at 149 Cork Road, Butts County, GA. Robert’s wife, Ferguson Wilson was born 2 November 1767 while in passage from Belfast Ireland to South Carolina. She was born on the “Earl of Donegal” ship which left Belfast on 2 October 1767 and arrived in Charlestown, SC 22 Dec 1767. This was a Royal Ship (bounty ship). Every person aboard ship who was over 15 years of age was given 100 acres of land in SC. Ferguson was named for the ship’s captain, Duncan Ferguson. Ferguson died in 1867 at age 100. She was still living at the old home place in Cork, GA, at the time of her death. She, too, is buried at 149 Cork Road, Butts County, GA. DAVID SMITH, seventh child of Robert and Ferguson Smith was born 16 Sept 1801 in South Carolina. On 18 Feb 1836, David married Eliza Lovvorn in Butts County, GA. Shortly after their marriage, David joined forces with the Butts County Attachment to the 59th Regiment , led by Captain Benjamin Ward, and left for Hawkinsville, GA for orders to fight in the 1836 Battle of Black Creek-Seminole Indian War in Florida. David and Eliza were the parents of five children. David died on 25 Nov 1853 in Butts County, GA. THOMAS VAN SMITH, eldest child of David and Eliza Smith was born on Christmas Day in 1836 in Butts County, GA. He most often was called “Van”. Van married Fannie McClendon of Monroe County, GA. Fannie was born 28 Sept 1837 to James W. Simpson McClendon and Susannah Winn, whose home place was called “the Rough” and it was situated just outside the Butts County line. There have always been rumors that there was “buried treasure” in the gravesite on the property. I believe this rumor goes back to the Civil War, when Sherman came through Butts and Monroe Counties. On 9 July 1861, Van joined the Confederate militia as a private. He belonged to the “Confederate Volunteers of Monroe County” sometimes known as the “Golden Dragons”. This was Company A of the 14 Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry. Van’s regiment fought in a great many skirmishes and surrendered at Appomattox, Virginia on 9 April 1865, along with General Robert E. Lee. Fannie was a small lady with dark hair. She wore her hair pulled back tightly on the back of her head. She was very hot-tempered. Van and Fannie were the parents of 6 children. Van died on 23 Jan 1923 in Haynesville (Houston County), GA. Fannie died on 27 April 1917in Haynesville, GA, after a deadly bout with the measles. They are both buried at Haynesville Baptist Church Cemetery, Haynesville, GA. JAMES MINOR SMITH, the only son of Thomas Van and Fannie Smith, was born 19 Aug 1866 in Monroe County, GA. On Christmas Day in 1896, Minor married Roxie Eugenia Plymale in Butts County, GA. Roxie was the daughter of William Andrew Plymale and Mary Jackson Kelly. The Plymales had come to Butts County, GA in 1838. Shortly after the death of his father, Van, in Houston County, GA in 1923…..James Minor, Roxie, and their offspring (one of whom was married and had a small child), packed up and moved to Lee County, GA to sharecrop with a man named John Williams. They settled in Smithville and, apparently, liked it so much that they spent their lifetimes here, as did some of their children and grandchildren. Minor and Roxie’s children: 1) Sidney Franklin Smith b.12-9-1897 in Butts Co d. 1907 in Butts County, GA 2) Pink Martin Smith b. 2-7-1900 in Butts Co. d. 7-14-1968 in Lee Co buried at Smithville Cemetery 3) Robert Fields Smith b. 8-15-1901 in Butts Co d. 1970 in Lee Co, buried at Smithville Cemetery 4)Senia Ora Smith b.5-7-1904 in Butts Co d. 6-10-1904 in Butts Co 5) Coley Smith died at 3 yrs of age 6) Ethel Vann Smith b. 1-8-1912 in Houston Co d. 5-12-1996 in Butts Co, buried at Macedonia Church, Stark, GA 7)David Berner Smith b. 10-27-1913 d. 1-17-1989 in Cleveland, Ohio 8) infant - died - no name 9)Willie Minor Smith b. 1-30-1919 d. 12-13-1970 in VA Hospital, buried at Smithville Five of PINK MARTIN SMITH and Estelle Lane Smith’s children lived their entire lives in Smithville: Margaret Inez Smith Gosa Maynard Juanita Smith Montgomery Edith Elnora Smith Hogg Anna Ruth Smith Young Jack Phelix Smith To quote Margaret Smith Gosa: “Our family has never done anything great - just worked hard and paid taxes, but you will have to search far and wide to find a family that has more love for Lee County, and especially Smithville, as the number of us who chose to make Smithville our home, will attest.
