Bailey Francis Smith

Bailey Francis Smith was the son-in-law of my 4th Great Grandfather James Palmer.

I believe if we just look at Bailey, he tells us exactly who he is. Not only that, he may help solve two other mysteries in my family trees involving Smith's, like the origins of Mary Smith Mauldin, and maybe which Smith Mary Davis, daughter of Henry Davis and Martha Palmer Davis, married. Bailey had married Mary Palmer, daughter of James and Martha Atkins Palmer, and sister of Martha Palmer Davis. This family, like many others I've researched in the past, liked keeping it in the family. 

The leading graphic is a transcription of the Will of Bailey F. Smith, dated July 10, 1872. He wanted the proceeds of the sale of his property to be divided between three people, Bailey Francis Blalock, his namesake, Mary Elizabeth Blalock and Willis Jones Blalock, 'heirs of William C Blalock.'  These three were the children of Martha Elizabeth Smith, who had married William C. Blalock, and were his niece and nephews.

He also made reference of another sister, Margaret Smith Dry, a widow of Daniel Dry. These were not his only siblings, nieces or nephews, but only the ones he felt needed his aid. 

Bailey first appears, for certain, in the 1840 census of Montgomery County, NC, the year before 'West Pee Dee' becomes Stanly County.

Name	Bailey Smith
Residence Date	1840
Home in 1840 (City, County, State)	West Pee Dee River, Montgomery, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9	1 Edward
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29	1 Bailey
Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29	1 Mary Palmer Smith
Persons Employed in Agriculture	1
Free White Persons - Under 20	1
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49	2
Total Free White Persons	3
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves	3

He is shown as a man in his 20's, a wife in her 20's and one male between 5 and 9. These were easy to identify. They were himself, his wife, Mary Palmer Smith, sister to my Martha Palmer Davis, and their son, Edward Palmer Smith.

Name	Baily Smith
Gender	Male
Race	White
Residence Age	42
Birth Date	abt 1808
Birthplace	North Carolina
Residence Date	1850
Home in 1850	Freemans, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Occupation	Farmer
Industry	Agriculture
Real Estate	600
Line Number	38
Dwelling Number	202
Family Number	203
Inferred Spouse	Mary Smith
Inferred Child	Edward Smith

Household members

Name	Age
Baily Smith	42
Mary Smith	41
Edward Smith	17

In 1850, you can see them by name. But look at the actual script and check out the line up.

Bailey's family is next to the household of 56 year old Elizabeth Smith, and there is Margaret, 23, his sister. Above them, is the family of James Smith, 44, and Joseph Pickler above that and John Smith above them.

So let's dive into the land records during this decade to see what is going on and possibly how these folks relate. We'll start in 1851, and then we are going to back up a little bit. In Stanly County Deed Book 3, Page 129, William H. Randle to B. F. Smith dated the 3rd day of October, 1851.

"Between John Ward, Jeremiah Adderton, James Adderton of the County of Davidson and Daniel Freeman of Stanly County of the one part and Bailey F. Smith of the County of Stanly of the other part........for the sum of $140 paid in hand by Bailey F. Smith.......tract of land in Stanly County.....(not trying to locate it so the sweet gum trees and chain and corner post don't matter)  2 post oaks D. Freemans corner of his 127 acres tract.....near Dr Smith's house.........Joseph Picklers line.........280 acres more or less....  In the presence of J. O. Ross.....signed by John Ward, Jeremiah Adderton, Daniel Freeman, James Adderton by W. H. Randle, attorney.

So you can see above, Bailey Smith, and other Smiths, are living near Joseph Pickler already. So the next year, he purchased a tract that bordered Joseph Pickler, and also bordered Daniel Freeman's property. Daniel Freeman, a merchant, owned several properties upon which he did not live, but acquired likely through debts and investments. But there is also something interesting in family lore concerning Daniel Freeman.

Book 3 Page 119 Bayley F. Smith to John G. Forrest dated 24 November, 1851, one month after the above document.for the sum of $550....sold a tract of land....descriptions fitting exactly to the deed mentioned above in Book 3, page 129...bordering Joseph Pickler and containing 280 acres.

Those really don't tell us much, but the next one is a kicker....

Elizabeth Smith and others to James Smith

'Know all men by these presents that we Elizabeth Smith, M Smith, W Blalock B Smith AC Smith AF Atkins R Smith & D Freeman are held and firmly bounden unto James Smith in the sum of $500 to which payment we bind ourselves and each of our heirs executors and administrators jointly and severally firmly by these presents signed with our hands and seals the the  (blank) day of  (blank) 1848.

........James Smith as executor of the last Will and Testament of William Smith decd late of Stanly County......delivered to .....Elizabeth Smith.....papers belonging to the estate of William Smith...whereas James Smith purchased of  William Smith during his lifetime a certian tract of land situated in the county...which said James Smith executed an agreement in writing payable to....William Smith and all of the above bounden Elizabeth Smith jointly a part of which tract of land is said to be covered by another claim or title called the Big Survey.......if.....Elizabeth shall faithfully & truley save  harmless & indemify to ..James Smith from all loss......by delivering to Elizabeth the papers belonging to the estate of William Smith .....which may hereafter be effected against him by the elements....of the Big Survey on this tract of land purchased by him of ..William Smith....then the above obligation to be void otherwise to remain in full force and effect. 

                                                                                                   Elizabeth Smith (her mark)

                                                                                                   Margaret Smith (her mark)

                                                                                                   William Blalock 

                                                                                                   AC Smith

                                                                                                    Bailey Smith

                                                                                                   Arthur F. Atkins

                                                                                                   Robert Smith

                                                                                                   Daniel Freeman

Attest

John J Freeman

 

Registered Feby 9th 1852 by the oath of  John J. Freeman

This deed is clear, but then again, it's not. Who was William Smith?

He left a will in 1845, naming his widow, Elizabeth, his daughters, Mary and Margaret, and names his son, James, as executor. In the above list then, is his widow, Elizabeth, his daughter, Margaret, followed by William Blalock, who married Mary Smith, so, a son-in-law. Then, A. C. Smith, Bailey Smith, Arthur F. Atkins, Robert Smith and Daniel Freeman. I know that Arthur F. Atkins was a cousin of Bailey Smiths wife, Mary Palmer, but I don't know yet exactly how or why he would be included in this group, in this document. And Daniel Freeman? This one is a real mystery, but on closer look, Robert Smith married Polly Freeman, then you have Arthur Freeman Atkins, then Daniel Freeman. Is there any meaning to that coincidence?

There exists a Smith DNA project, and the above mentioned William Smith is part of the DNA project. 

William Smith

b c 1755 NC

d Mar 1845 Stanly NC

NC Soldier

DAR A106108 

He is estimated to have been born about 1755 and died in Stanly County in 1845, 90 years old. A copy of his will is included, which names his son, James as Executor, his wife Elizabeth, and his two daughters, Margaret and Martha. He served in the Revolutionary War and is assigned a DAR number. William is a post of his own. For this moment, however,  I just want to report that this William , was not  William "Billy" Smith of Cabarrus County, who lived about the same time,  and was also in the DNA study. This William died in Stanly County, was married to Elizabeth, and has two Genetically proven lines attached to him, Robert Smith and Littleton Smith.

I know nothing of Littleton Smith, and he very well may have died before his father, but he left a straight line of male descendants. As did Robert Smith, who is mentioned in the above document. Robert outlived William Smith by a few years, passing away in 1848, in Stanly County. He left a will naming 10 children:

Parham Smith

Alsey Smith

Tabitha (or Tobitha) Nash, wife of Edmund Nash

Wincy Snuggs, wife of Richmond G. Snuggs

Martha Bell, wife of Jonathan Bell

Children of deceased son Henry Smith

Archibald Smith

Children of deceased daughter, Elizabeth Calloway, wife of John Calloway, excepting her son, Robert.

Heirs of son John, deceased

Daughter Nancy Kendall, wife of Elums Kendall

So there explains AC Smith, or does it? I believe there may have been an older AC Smith. Another thing that makes one go Hmmm, Daniel Freeman also had a son named Archibald C. Freeman. Given the fact that Robert Smith married Polly Freeman.....another connection? Like William, Robert deserves a closer look, but this post is about Bailey.

Bailey Smith names the two daughters, Margaret and Martha, of William Smith in his will, naming him as his sisters. So if Bailey Smith was a son of William Smith, why was he not mentioned in the Will, and why is he not represented in the DNA test? 

1) He didn't mention Robert or Littleton either.

2) James, who he did mention, is not in the DNA lineage either, which is a males only test.

William appears to have named only his youngest children in his will, as it was their care and well-being he wanted to ensure. His widow Elizabeth was also obviously not old enough to have been the mother of all of his children. She was a much younger, and later, wife. There may have even been more than two. 

But I know why Bailey Smith did not show up in the list of descent from a Y-DNa study.

Edward Palmer Smith

Bailey Smith and Mary Palmer Smith had one child, Edward Palmer Smith. I find the following two records of him in the land records.

Edward P Smith's Grant No 59

State of NC Know ye that for the sum of $5 for every hundred acres hereby granted paid into our Treasury by Edward P. Smith.....a tract of land containing 100 acres on Camp Branch of Mountain Creek, adjoining William Smiths and Joseph Picklers line ...beginning at Joseph Picklers corner......50 links to William Smiths corner....Entered 15th day of December 1841...witness John M. Morehead...Recorded 21st Feb. 1845.

Now, Edward was very young when recieving this grant, but I've seen it before. His granted land met that of William, (his grandfather?), and Joseph Pickler. If one was to scroll back up to the 1850 census, you will see Joseph Pickler, followed by James Smith, followed by Elizabeth Smith, widow of William, followed by Bailey Smith, his wife Mary and son Edward P. Smith.

January 15th 1852 Allen Ross to Edward P Smith for $135 ,beginning at a white oak, containing 129 acres. Witnessed by P. W. Wooley and AC Freeman. Registered the 8th of February 1853.

But by the 1860 census,  Bailey is a widower. Both Mary and Edward have died.

Name	Baily F Smith
Age	51
Birth Year	abt 1809
Gender	Male
Race	White
Birth Place	North Carolina
Home in 1860	Stanly, North Carolina
Post Office	Albemarle
Dwelling Number	624
Family Number	633
Occupation	Farmer
Real Estate Value	3000
Personal Estate Value	14000

Household members

Name	Age
Lovina Smith	65
Eliza Smith	40
Camoline Smith	16
Baily F Smith	51

He is living next to Lovina Smith, widow of John Smith, with Green Smith above them. More about that later.

There are more land records that sort of build a map of connections, and a picture of what was happening in the life of Bailey Smith, and the other Smiths. Backing up to 1842, there are a few transactions I want to look at.

On November 9th, 1842, William Smith,  (three years before his death), sold to James Smith, (his son who would become this executor), for $400, 'parts of several tracts of land'.....on the waters of Mountain Creek, joining the lands of Robert Smith, Archy Smith, Joseph Pickler, and others. "Beginning on a post oak on the top of a mountain" ...corner of a 60 acres tract that runs with Smith's line...Joseph Picklers line....Robert Smiths line...opposite the center of the mountain...containing 200 acres .signed William Smith, John F Miller, witness, Samuel P. Morton , Registrar.

April 25th, 1843 Bailey Smith to James Palmer:

Bailey was 'Justly indebited ' to James Palmer, his father-in-law, in the sum of $36.92 1/2 cents. Being honestly 'desirous' to prevent James Palmer from suffering loss, Bailey, secured property to David Kendall 'for one dollar in hand', a Bay horse, a Bay Filly, 5 head of cattle, 8 hogs, one sheep, 3 beds and matching furniture, one large table, one small table, and various tools, tubs, chairs, looms, saddles and tack... until Bailey satisfies  judgement...etc. Signed Baily Smith, James Palmer and David Kendall.

Stanly County Court of Pleas and Quarters

November Session 1844

Elisha and William Smith to James Smith, proved by Bailey Smith.

June 6, 1846 Bailey Smith to James Smith

For $5.00 paid in hand by James to Bailey 'a certain tract of land on which Bailey now resides...trees..corner of the 60 acre tract.'  There is a mention of a Marburys line, and the lot running along Mountain Creek. "Whereas the said James Smith has become security for the prosecution of a suit now pending in Superior Court of Stanly' where Bailey was the plaintiff and his father-in-law James Palmer and brother-in-law Henry Davis, were the defendants. Bailey had married Mary Palmer and Henry had married Martha Palmer. The land was subject to a $20 lein of sorts, that Bailey owed Atlas J. Dargan. Signed by Bailey Smith, Witnessed by A. C. Freeman, Davidson Hearne was Clerk, Samuel P. Morton, Registrar.

Side note: Maybe why I am so tied to the land, three of the above names, Samuel Morton, James Palmer and Henry Davis, are my direct ancestors.

September 23rd, 1847  Bailey Smith to James Huckabee

For one dollar in hand to James Huckabee, Bailey recieved a loan on some personal property, a few horses, three cows, 12 hogs, four sheep, 150 bushels of corn, and his kitchen furniture. James and Brittain Huckabee secured a note of Baileys. There is mention of a note owed to Eben Hearne,  and a bill owed to the company of Daniel Freeman and Son. Signed by Bailey and James Huckabee, and Witnessed by John O. Ross. D Hearne, Clerk, S. P. Morton , Registrar.

Mountain Creek farm in the West Pee Dee Uwharrie range

Bailey seems to have gotten himself in a bit of debt. That may have been why he had his young son to apply for a Grant. It continued into the 1850's...

Bailey F. Smith to Henry Marshall, Esq., March 5, 1852

This time, five years later, Bailey had improved his situation somewhat. He listed two wagons, one buggy, three Horses, 8 hogs, five cows, 20 barrels of corn, 35 bushels of wheat, followed by all the legal swelling and twisting. Signed by B. F. Smith and witnesses by Atlas J. Dargon. 

During the 1850's, the decade in which he lost his wife and his son, Bailey Smith seemed to pick up speed.

Valentines Day, 1859 Reuben Harris to B F Smith:

Bailey paid $600 to Reuben Harris for property on Mountain Creek, called the 'old Harris tract', containing 200 acres. Signed by Reuben Harris and witnessed by W. H. Randle and J. C. Fry. This property was nowhere near where he was living, he was expanding his holdings.

March 2, 1861 Joseph Marshall to Bailey F. Smith:

Bailey paid $147 to Joseph Marshall for a tract of land that began at a stake on the Southside of Naked Mountain in Martin Rushs' line. It ran with Rushs' line to a high-land pond, then to the corner of an old  200 acre tract referred to as the Shankle tract. It continued meeting Reuben Harris's line, John J. Freeman's line, Thomas Biles line, to a 'large pine in the old stand on the north side of Naked Mountain'. It contained 346 acres. So Bailey Smith had just bought a part of Morrow Mountain, as Naked Mountain would become to be known. It was noted that it had passed to Joseph Marsall by Biles, trustee of James Boysworth.

A photo of Naked Mountain before it was named Morrow, from the Stanly County Museum Collection

Let's see what else we may be able to discover.

1860 Census 

In this cross section of the 1860 census Henry Bird leads the lineup.  There were cross marriages in between the Bird and Smith families.

Next, Mary Mauldin - to be exact - Mary Smith Mauldin - aged 62, with her son , Frank, in the household. A 5 year old Elizabeth, lived with them. Who was she? A grandchild, perhaps? Then 21 year old Ellen Smith and 1 year old Mary F. Smith. This looks likd a mother and infant. Who were they? Was she an Ellen Mauldin Smith tragically widowed young? No one seems to know. Where did she come from and where did she go? There must be some hints here.

Next, Parham Mauldin, another son of Mary. Robert Smith also had a son named Parham.

Green Smith, with wife Mary and small children.

Lovina Smith, whom we know from the 1850 census, is the widow of John.

Then lastly, Bailey F. Smith, age 51, and alone. 

That's a long list of Smith and Smith relatives. Too much for coincidence? 

Bailey makes a few more significant purchases in the 1860's. Remember, of course, the country and state were in turmoil and  chaos at this time. The news of death came often. Crops lie neglected in the fields. Widows and orphans abound. People were starving, desperate.

January 26, 1867 Britton H. Huckabee to Bailey F. Smith:

Britton was in debt to Bailey, (quite a reversal from 20 years prior). One note of $25.50 was due in February. Another for $160.85 from February of 1865, another of $16.00 that was overdue, a year late, and another for $100.25 dated April of 1861, that R. Harris was security due to Daniel Freeman. Yet another note for $10.00 due in 1866 to Bailey,  and lastly a note  payable to John O. and W. J. Ross for $89.21. To cover his debts, he sold to Bailey the land he lived on constisting of 250 acres adjoining the lands of A. C. Smith and W. McAlester on Camp Branch. Also, a mule, a cow, 13 sheep, 9 hogs, household and kitchen items and a crop wheat and corn, a two-horse wagon, harnesses and farming tools. Signed by Britton and Bailey, and witnessed by AC Smith.

November 25, 1867 W. F. Nash to B. F. Smith:

For $60,  W.F. Nash sold to Bailey F. Smith,  a tract of land that sounds like it started at a tract Bailey had bought in the 1850's, at a stake on the south side of of a "Nob" on Naked Mountain (now Morrow Mountain) in Martin Rushes lines. It met the corner of the old 200 acre Shankle tract. It met Bailey's 150 acres tract, JJ Freemans' property, Thomas Biles, now R. S. Nashes line, back to the north side of Naked Mountain, containing  346 acres. Yes,  that sounds familiar. Signed Whitson F. and Nancy J. Nash. Witnesses by John W. Morton.

William Charles Blalock, born about 1825, was the son of William David Blalock, Jr. and wife Patsy Dennis. He is also my 3rd Great Granduncle as I am descended from his sister, Mary "Polly" Blalock, who married Thomas Alexander Mauldin, son of the above mentioned Mary Smith Mauldin. W. C. Blalock married Martha Smith, sister of Bailey F. Smith and daughter of William and Elizabeth Smith.  On June 3, 1863, W. C. Blalock became a casualty of the Civil War, dying in Lynchburg, Virginia at the age of  38. 

To begin with, Arthur Freeman Atkins was appointed the Guardian for the minor children of W. C. Blalock in February Term of Court, 1865. There's that name again! He had previously been named guardian a William Kirk, heir of George, in 1845. 

Martha Elizabeth "Patsey" Smith Blalock would pass away in 1868, leaving the children as complete orphans. Bailey F. Smith then became guardian of the younger three, his namesake, Bailey Francis Blalock, Mary Elizabeth , and Willis Jones Blalock.

1870 

 The census is a bit different this year. The formerly enslaved individuals, who had always lived among them, are now listed by name, the ones who remained. As families were broken into pieces, the surviving individuals were redistributed.

The following listing begins with a John Hinson family, who has 25 year old Robert Smith, a farm hand, black, living with them. Then another African American family, that, Allen Freeman. J. W. Pickler appears where Joseph Pickler was, followed by the household of Bailey Smith. He had purchased property around the Naked Morrow Mountain, but he was not living on it. 

Bailey's household was broken in half by the pages. He was now 61 years old. He had taken in a 4 year old little girl named Rebecca Kirk, an African American. She is followed by 70 year old Elizabeth Smith, whom by now I have deduced was most likely his stepmother. After Elizabeth is her daughter, Margaret Smith Dry, named in Bailey's will as his sister. Following Margaret are the three Blalock children, children of W. C. and Martha Smith Blalock: Bailey 18, Mary 14 and Jones 11. The next household in the line is that of Arthur Freeman Atkins, whom I know at this point was a first cousin of Bailey's wife, Mary Palmer Smith. Rev. Atkins has now taken in a young widow, Mary Kirk and her young son, Charles.

1880

Name	B. F. Smith
Age	72
Birth Date	Abt 1808
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1880	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina, USA
House Number	3
Dwelling Number	240
Race	White
Gender	Male
Relation to Head of House	Self (Head)
Marital Status	Widower
Father's Birthplace	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace	North Carolina
Occupation	Farmer
Neighbors	View others on page

Household members

Name	Age
B. F. Smith	72
Marget Dry	40
Jones Blalock	22

Bailey is now 72 and growing tired. His household now consists only of himself, his youngest half-sister, Margaret Dry, widow of Daniel Dry and the youngest of his nieces and nephews by his other half-sister, Martha Blalock, Jones. 

Bailey Francis Smith died two years later at about 74 years old. His will was probated on July 10, 1882. He must have seen the shadow of the sheath. After the typical admission of sanity and coherance, he requests a decent burial and his debts paid, "if any",and notes due him collected, "the many".  He requests his Executor to sell almost all of his properties, and distribute the proceeds between Bailey Francis Blalock, Mary Elizabeth Blalock and Willis Jones Blalock, heirs of W. C. Blalock. He states that his sister,  Margaret Dry, widow of Daniel Dry, is to have a home on his property as long as she remains a widow. Lastly, he appoints " my trusty and worthy nephew Bailey Francis Blalock" as Executor.

The will is certified on January 16, 1883 by A. C. Freeman.

The estate papers reveal nothing out of the ordinary. He seemed solidly middle-class for the era, not wealthy but well-suited. Buyers seen most often were neighbors and relatives, T. A. Fesperman, Moses Stoker, Thomas and W. H. Russell, Margaret Dry, M Rush, Isom Davis, Sandy Burns, Martin Bird, John F. Lilly, Jackson Underwood and James Neal.

The one mystery was how  Minty Stokes , or Stoker,  wife of Moses, an Heir. She was not mentioned in the Will. Who was she?

On the flipside, I  was able to access a part of the DAR records of Patriot William Smith, who died in Stanly County, NC in 1845. D. A. R. lineages must be proven by documentation, which is sometimes difficult to do, but some years ago, a Mrs. Hathcock had proven her decent from William Smith and his wife, first wife, Elizabeth Bailey. 

She was the daughter of Edward J. Freeman, born 1851, died 1917, and Winnie Smith (1844-1910).

Winnie was the daughter of A.C. Smith, seen mentioned several times in this post.

Archibald Smith, born about 1804, was the son of Robert Smith (1780-1848) and Polly Freeman (1785-1840).

Robert was the son of William Smith circa 1755 to 1845 and Elizabeth Bailey Smith, circa 1758. Second wife said by some to be Elizabeth York.

Could this be the family of Mary Smith Mauldin? Why did she move up with them in the more northern part of the County after her husband, James, died, from Jacobs Creek in the south? Could this family still hold the clues of which Smith Mary Davis married? Are they all tied back in to my Freeman ancestors, Arthur Freeman, father of Charlotte Freeman who married Peter Winfield? I fully believe so. Family Lore has it that Daniel Freeman, merchant, was her nephew or Great Nephew, called 'a relation' in some old papers of Neddy Davis. 

I do not know where Bailey F. Smith, 'husband of (my) 4th great aunt' is buried, but I believe he is much more than that connection. If you look closely at Bailey Smith, I believe he tells us exactly who he was.