No Luck!

Did Not find Robert Cade Smith and Jane in 1860 Census!  Searched using R C Smith, R Smith, Robt C Smith, Robt Smith.  Switched to Jane Smith, used J A, J, Jane A, Jane Ann, and Jane.
Maybe websites other than Ancestry.com...???

Places and Timeframes...Success!

Now, I have Places and Timeframes to search for my Smith Family in other Census records  derived from their Birth Dates and Birth Places which they provided in the 1880 Census.

What do we have?  Where to Look?

The information we have in the 1880 Census:

1.  Robert C 59 (1821), Ohio

2.  Jane 44 (1836), Virginia

3.  Susan M 19 (1861) Illinois

4.  Ira N 17 (1863) Illinois

5.  Uriah 11 (1869) Ohio

6.  Perry 9 (1871) Kentucky

7.  Flora 6 (1874) Virginia

8.  Archibald 2 (1878) Arkansas

In the 1870 Census there are two possibilities:  Ohio and Kentucky.

In the 1860 Census perhaps Illinois.

In the 1850, 1840, and 1830 Census records I don't have a clue, because, according to my scrap of paper, Robert Cade Smith was not married until 1855.  My guess would be either Ohio or Virginia or both (or neither).

Found them!  It looks as if this is the correct Census record for the Smith Family, since it included Robert Smith, Jane, Dora (Susan Madora), Ira, and UriahThe 1870 Census for Union, Lawrence County, Ohio lists Robert Smith 40, Steamboat Carpenter (how exciting!), born in Virginia [?], Jane 33, born in Ohio [?], Dora 9, born in Illinois, Ira 7 born in Illinois, Uriah 1, born in Ohio and Anne Porter 57, born in Ohio Living with Son.

I believe there may have been some inconsistencies with this Census!  Robert should have been 49 instead of 40.  Robert and Jane's Birth Places are reversed.  Anne Porter, if she was Robert's mother, would have been either 17 when she gave birth to Robert if he was indeed 40...or 8, if he was actually 49.  Perhaps her age was slightly off, or...?

"Owl Holler" What Now??

What to do now?  Who were these people in the scrap of paper? Were they "my" people?  I thought I recognized my Grandfather's name, it was pretty close (Archa instead of Archie), but for the rest, I admit, I did not know who they were.  They all had the last name "Smith",  and their birth dates are all from 1800's.  I made the assumption (I know, I know) that they are related (to each other? to me?), but how to find out more information?  I contacted a friend who used to work with me.  His wife does genealogy (at the time, I did not even know how to spell the word).  What luck, she volunteers at our local Family History Center.  We met at the FHC and she gave me advice on how to proceed. So, I began a research journey that has not ended.

The first thing that she suggested was, starting with me, write down the information (names, birth dates, and places) for the people in my family that I knew, or thought I knew.  This is where to begin searching for ancestors?  Being the stubborn person that I am, I decided to do both...I wanted to find out who the people were on my scrap of paper...okay, so off I went...

I think the first document that was found is the 1880 Census for Arkansas, Washington County, Marrs Hill Township.  Success!??

What information is in this Census?  The date on the page was Jun 19, 1880...Where is Marrs Hill?  Where is Washington County?  Arkansas?  ...Okay, I had a pretty good idea where Arkansas is located....  I had only heard stories about "Owl Hollow (Holler?)" and I didn't know where that was, either.

Found nearly all the names on the paper.  Henrietta was born and died in 1857 (so sad to lose an infant), so she wasn't included, but everyone else was there and a new member of their family. 

 R C Smith became Robert C, Jane, Ira N, Uriah, Perry, Flora E, Archibald G, George Ferrel (who was this?  Oh, son-in-law), Susan M and Robert S.  Names seem to match pretty well, now we have approximate birth dates (which match the dates on my scrap of paper), occupations and places.  Cool, Birth Places, now we are getting somewhere...

Occupations, Robert - Farm Laborer, Jane - Keeping House, Ira - Works on Farm, and George Ferrel - Farmer.  What's the distinction between Farm Laborer, Works on Farm and Farmer?

Birth places...sticking with immediate family...let's see... Robert in Ohio, Jane in Virginia, Ira in Illinois, Uriah in Ohio, Perry in Kentucky, Flora in Virginia, Archibald in Arkansas, Susan in Illinois.  Oh, somebody has been moving around... a lot! 

But wait, there's more...Birth places of their parents (Father/Mother).  Robert's - Ohio/Ohio, Jane's - Virginia/Virginia

Whoever gave the information to the Census taker (Enumerator), of course reflected Ohio/Virginia for their children.  George Ferrel was born in Tennessee and his parents Virginia/Virginia.

Smith Family Record Transciption

After examining the paper, with the help of magnification and light, the following represents my best efforts as to deciphering what it contains:

“Family Record

                                                      1826

R C Smith Was Born Febuary 1, 1821

Jane Newman Was Born Aprile 12, 1836

R C Smith Was Meriid to Jane Newman September 18, 1855

___reta Smith Was Born March 30, 1857

Susan M Smith Was Born March 13, 1861

_vey N Smith Was Born Aprile 10, 1863

Uriah Smith Was Born Febuary 26, 1869

Andrew Pery Smith Was Born May 17, 1871

Flora F Smith Was Born October 20, 1873

Archa G Smith Was Born July 20, 1877

Deaths Henneta Smith Departed this Life November 16, 1857

Death R C Smith Departed this life April 11, 1888

Death Madora Ferrel Died March 19, 1900

Uriah Smith died July 4, 1934"

Here is what I think the information means:

Robert Cade Smith was born February 1, 1821

Jane Ann Newman was born April 12, 1836

Robert Cade Smith was married to Jane Ann Newman September 18, 1855

Henrietta Smith was born March 30, 1857

Susan Madora Smith was born March 13, 1861

Ira Newman Smith was born April 10, 1863

Uriah Robert Smith was born February 26, 1869

Andrew Perry Smith was born May 17, 1871

Flora A Smith was born October 20, 1873

Archie Greenville Smith was born July 20, 1877

Henrietta Smith died November 16, 1857

Robert Cade Smith died April 11, 1888

Susan Madora Smith died March 19, 1900

Uriah Robert Smith died July 4, 1934

I noticed the 1826 lightly floating over the top of R C Smith's birthdate of 1821.  More on this later....

The Beginning...

My search for Robert Cade Smith began when I was going through the belongings that were left to me by my parents, after their passing in 1997.  I found an old and worn scrap of a piece of lined paper with what appears to be an old style of writing, written either with a quill or fountain pen, entitled "Family Record."  It has led me from Ohio to Champaign, Illinois to Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and finally to Arkansas.

How old is this paper?  It appears to be manufactured...in what time period?  
What can we tell from the handwriting?
What can be identified from the pen/quill and ink used?

Who wrote this?  It appears to be almost all in the same hand, same ink, (written at one time - perhaps copying the information from one source - Family Bible?????) 

It looks like the pen and ink are the same from the beginning of the document "Family Record to the Death of Henrietta Smith, November 16, 1857".  It must have been created after that November 16, 1857 and before the next entry which was the Death of R C Smith, April 11, 1888...which may be the same hand, but looks like different pen and ink.  So, created between 1857 and 1888...

The next entry appears to be written in pencil in another hand which is the Death of [Susan] Maroda (Smith) Ferrel, March 19, 1900.

The last entry is another pen, ink and hand for the Death of Uriah Smith, July 4, 1934.