~ Biographical Sketch ~

     

RESEARCHER’S NOTE

To facilitate my research, all known potential sons of James are included in this document, though unproven. The only documentation and/or proof that we have regarding the sons of James Smyth is for his sons William who was married to Harriet Frances Boyd, Leeson (Sr.) who was married to Mary A. and later to Elizabeth Farley, and Henry who was married to Martha Cross. The rest are assumptions based on family lore or hearsay.

I share this information with the reader with understanding that this is an ongoing research project and it is not finished.

Warning - Do not quote the son/father relationships of James Smyth and the other main subjects of this document as fact until you know that they have been proven.

Additions and corrections are welcome.

Susan J. Noyes (researcher)
2722 College Heights Rd.
Prescott, AZ 86301

Ph: 928.778.1242
Email: SusanNoyes@ArtisticPage.com
Smith Family Web Site: www.ArtisticPage.com/history


Facts & Family Lore Notes:

Documented Fact: Ireland's marriage record for Henry Smith and Martha Cross states that Henry's father was James Smith
Documented Fact: Martha Smith (nee Cross) presented an affidavit to the Mexican War Pension office stating that her husband, Henry, and Leeson Smith Sr. were brothers.
Proven conclusion: Leeson Smith, Sr. and Henry Smith were brothers.

Fact: William Smith and Harriet Boyd’s son, James H., married Hanna Smith (daughter of Leeson Smith, Sr.)
Family lore: James and Hanna were first cousins.
Assumed conclusion: William and Leeson Sr. were brothers.

Documentation (verified) on the Mormon FamilySearch.com web site: James Smyth of Ireland was the father of William.
Documented Fact: Ireland's marriage record for William Smith and Harriet Boyd states that William's father was James Smith
Assumed conclusion: James Smyth father of William is also the father of Leeson Smith, Sr. and Henry Smith

Family Lore (by Dorothy Palmer):
The following men were brothers from Ireland:
Leeson Smith, Sr. (m1. Mary, m2. Elizabeth Farley)
John Smith (m. Ann Lawrence)
Henry Smith (m. Martha)
William Smith (m. Harriet Frances Boyd) (Dorothy Palmer says that they stayed in Ireland. However, census records, passenger-ship records, and grave markers indicate that they may have come to the United States.)
Charles Smith (m. Sarah; no descendants)

Family Lore (by Marjorie Black):
The following men were brothers from Ireland:

Leeson Smith, Sr. (m1. Mary, m2. Elizabeth Farley)
John Smith (m. Ann Lawrence)
Henry Smith (m. Martha)
Will Smith (father of Robert Sidney Smith who was the cartoonist of “The Gumps.” Researcher's note: Sidney Smith's father was actually Thomas H. Smith, not Will Smith. At this point, the connection to our family is unknown.)

Family Hearsay (by Mary Ellen Berggreen):
The following men were brothers from Ireland:
Charles Smith (m. Mary McQuillan)
Leeson Smith, Sr. (m1. Mary A., m2. Elizabeth Farley)
Mary Ellen and her sister are willing to participate in Ireland Research costs.

Family Hearsay (by Evelyne Wyehrich):
The following men were somehow related and per information she received from Rueben White, both were from Ireland :
Thomas L. W. Smith
Charles Smith (m. Mary McQuillan)

Evelyne feels strongly that Charles (m. Mary McQuillan) and Leeson Smith, Sr. were related and may even have been brothers. Therefore, Thomas and Leeson may also be related as brothers. She is willing to participate in Ireland Research costs.

____________________________



The James Smyth family lived in Ireland. Alternate spellings for the Smyth family name are Smith and Smythe. It seems that most of the immigrants changed the spelling of their name to “Smith” when they immigrated. One or more, kept the original spelling.

Various sources have indicated that they were from North Ireland and several indicate that they were from County Wicklow. Other sources have indicated that they came from an area called Kiltegan, near Killamoat in County Wicklow.

The Smyth family was of the Protestant faith. As a child, I remember my father making an issue over our wanting to wear something green on St. Patrick’s Day. How it got started, I don’t know, but when we were children it was a tradition at that if one didn’t wear green to school, the other children were welcome to pinch that child. Dad was adamant about our not wearing green. This was the first that I found out that we were part Irish. He indicated clearly, that if we were to wear any special color on that day, it was to be ORANGE. Well wearing orange didn’t make sense to me at that time. Being proud to be of orange-Irish descent didn’t save me from being pinched.

My brother remembers our grandfather, Emmet, telling how that Protestants were persecuted in Ireland. And that was one of the reasons that they left there to come to America. Much cruelty had been committed in the name of religion. One story told to my brother was that the Catholics would capture Protestants and bury them up to their necks in the sand on the beach and then gallop and ride their horses over the top of them. There was no indication that this travesty was committed against an actual member of our family, however it does give a picture of the general religious unrest of the area.

Not much is known about James Smyth, except that he had at least five sons, and maybe more.

Research Quandaries

There is a consensus that several Smyth brothers immigrated to the United States from Ireland: Leeson, Sr., Henry, Charles, William, and John. This appears to be straight forward and simple to understand, however, I have two different sources which indicate that there are two different Charles and two different Williams that were brothers to this family. Much more research needs to be done.

I have included both potential sets of siblings in this book and will continue to research both options of each until I can come to an intelligent conclusion.

I have come across three other family researchers who are also trying to solve this same mystery. Together with any others who would like to join us, we will be hiring a professional genealogist to conduct an official investigation in Ireland. The preliminary research is being instigated in July and August of 2006.

Research Findings.

James was a farmer in Wicklow County, Ireland.²

On January 8, 1849, his son, William, married Harriet Frances Boyd.¹

On February 6, 1852, his son, Henry, married Martha Cross.^2,3