Samuel Granville Smith Sr. (1729 - 1800)

Born 3 Dec 1729 in Essex, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Webb) Smith — married May 1761 in Essex, Virginia

Husband of Mary Edmondson (Smith) Watson — married 1771 in Essex, Virginia

Descendants

Died 6 Oct 1800 at age 70 in Granville, North Carolina, United States

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Biography

Colonel Samuel Smith Sr. served with Granville County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

Samuel Smith Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A105835.

Samuel was born in 1729. He died in 1800 at the age of 70.

Samuel served during the American Revolution with the Granville Regiment, North Carolina Militia. Per his headstone.

Parents: Samuel Smith and Annie (Amis) Smith.

Spouse: Mary Edmondson (Webb) Smith 1740 - 1827. Findagrave #51510488

Children: Based on the Smith Family Record, as written by Anne Smith:

--Anne Smith, b.May 9, 1762, Essex Co, VA

--Mary Smith, b.Sep 18, 1763, Essex Co, VA; d. Mar 21, 1814; m.William Williamson Feb [19] 1800 [in Granville County, NC].

--Samuel Smith [Jr], b.Sep 25, 1763 VA; d.Jun 4, 1816, Caswell Co, NC; m.Elizabeth Harrison May 15, 1792 in Caswell Co, NC. (Note: online records at Ancestry.com show marriage date as Apr 23, 1792). Elizabeth Harrison b.Feb 28, 1772; d.Dec 17, 1838, Caswell Co, NC.

--Elizabeth Smith, b.Apr 7, 1767 NC; d.Sep 17, 1804, Granville Co, NC; m.James Downey [on Aug 23, 1781 in Granville Co, NC.]

--Jane Smith b.Oct 7, 1768 NC; d.June 1913 Caswell Co, NC; m.Alexander Murphy [on Mar 28, 1797 in Granville Co, NC].

--James Webb Smith b. May 28, 1770 Granville Co, NC; d.aft 1850, Jackson Co, TN.

--John Granville Smith (1772 - 1828) - see FAG Memorial.

--William Smith, b.Jun 2, 1774 NC; d. Jun 14, 1818 Warren Co, NC; m.Lethy Eaton [Aug 8, 1797 Granville Co, NC].

--Maurice Smith, b.May 6, 1776 Granville Co, NC; d.May 21, 1835 Dallas Co, AR; m(1) Frances Goodwin Jun 27, 1814 in Granville Co, NC, b.Dec 1,1788 & d. Sep 22, 1828; m(2) Amy Webb Apr 10, 1829 in Granville Co, NC, b.Aug 31, 1794 NC.

--Thomas Smith, b.Feb 9, 1779 Granville Co, NC; d.Sep 27, 1779.

--Alexander Smith (1781 - 1827) - see FAG Memorial.

• Bio. of Samuel Smith by Vernon O. Stumpf, 1994: "Samuel Smith, Revolutionary officer, legislator, and local official, was born in South Farnham Parish, Essex County, Virginia, a younger son of Samuel (d. 1739) and Ann Amiss Smith (d. 1753). He was reared in the Anglican faith by a strong-willed mother, who assumed control of the family after the death of the father. The Smiths were descendants of Alexander Smith, who had emigrated from Scotland to Middlesex County, Virginia, during the Cromwellian period.

In May 1761, Samuel Smith married Mary Webb. Described as a local belle of the same parish as he, she was born in 1740 and died in Granville County, North Carolina, in 1827. After their wedding they went to live on Cock Quarter, a 357-acre tract that Smith had purchased from John Armistead in February 1760. Before leaving for North Carolina, they had been attracted to the persuasive ministry of Samuel Davies, a Presbyterian clergyman, and under his guidance embraced Presbyterianism. The Smiths, consisting of two adults and three infants, moved to their new North Carolina home sometime in 1766. Samuel bought a small tract of land in northern Granville County on Grassy Creek but soon added other tracts adjacent to his farm. He named his home Abram's Plains for the site of the English victory over the French at Quebec in 1759. His major crop was tobacco.

Active in local politics, Smith was commissioned a justice of the peace by Governor William Tryon. With the approach of the American Revolution, Thomas Person nominated him for a place on the Committee of Safety for the Hillsborough District. Early in 1778 Smith took the loyal census for his home district. Although there were men in his district who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the new state, there were no reprisals against them.

In 1775 Smith was made first major in the Granville Regiment of the Hillsborough Brigade of the militia, and by May 1778 he had risen to the rank of colonel. On 30 June 1779 he was reported as commanding 16 companies consisting of 16 captains, 10 lieutenants, 10 ensigns, and 854 rank and file. Smith's letter of resignation to Governor Thomas Burke on 1 Oct. 1779 contains hints of a strong difference of opinion between the two men. In the same year Smith took advantage of a recent provision by the General Assembly permitting easy acquisition of land. He sold his holdings in Virginia and bought land in North Carolina. By 1783 he held 3,703 acres in Granville County. After the war, with land speculation rampant, he acquired still more as well as two lots in the new town of Williamsboro. He also became a trustee of the academy in the town. For many years he was a justice of the county, he was the census taker, and was once elected sheriff.

He died at his home and was buried in the Smith-Davis cemetery in Sassafras Fork Township, Granville County. He and his wife were the parents of six sons (Samuel, James Webb, John, William, Maurice, and Alexander) and four daughters (Mary, Elizabeth, Jenny Murphey, and Anne). A miniature portrait of him was painted about 1760 – 61, and both he and his wife posed for silhouettes in their old age." https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/smith-samuel

Slaves

• For information on the people enslaved by Samuel Smith, please see: Slaves of Samuel Smith, Granville County, North Carolina

Sources

• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LZXY-VF6
• Samuel is buried at the Abrams Plains Plantation Cemetery in Stovall, Granville County, North Carolina, USA. His page lists and has links to his spouse, 5 children. There is a picture of his headstone. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/51510321/samuel-smith

• 1790: Census: Granville, North Carolina.

• 1800 Census: Hillsboro, Granville, North Carolina.

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889 - 1970. Colonel Samuel Smith. Birth Date: 12/3/1729. Birth Place: Essex, Virginia. Death Date: 10/6/1800. Death Place: Granville, North Carolina. SAR Membership #89081. Role: Ancestor. Application Date: 9/6/1962. Father: Alexander Smith. Mother: Mary Nelson. Spouse: Mary Webb. Children: Alexander Smith.

• Son Alexander Smith in the U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889 - 1970. Alexander Smith. Birth Date: 2/11/1781. Birth Place: Abrams Plains, North Carolina. Death Date: 12/25/1827. Death Place: Arrams Plains, North Carolina. SAR Membership #89081. Role: Ancestor. Application Date: 9/6/1962. Father: Samuel Smith. Mother: Mary Webb. Spouse: Anna Alexander Beasley. Children: Sally Pomfret Smith.

• DAR Ancestor #A105835: http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A105835

• Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots. Dallas, Texas. Pioneer Heritage Press, 1987.

• http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=174432&pid=728047407 12/11/22 Bad Link

• Will of Samuel Smith - North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998. Granville County, Wills, Vol 4-5, 1796-1803. Page 101. Image 502 of 768. Written Sep 1800, Probated Dec 1800. Ancestry.com. Ancestry Sharing Link. Includes names of his family and 27 enslaved people.

• Estate Inventory of Samuel Smith - North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998. Granville County, Wills, Vol 4-5, 1796-1803. Page 129. Image 530 of 768. Recorded February 1801. Ancestry.com. Ancestry Sharing Link. Includes names of 38 enslaved people.