GEORGE SMITH

Smith is a son of Thomas and Mary (Potts) Smith. He was born in Ireland, July 2, 1827. In 1846, his parents, with their nine children, came to America, sailing from Belfast in the ship Annie. They first settled in Bytown, now Ottawa, Canada, where they remained six years. They then removed farther west in Canada, and settled in the county of Bruce, west of Toronto, where the parents remained until the time of their death. George, the subject of this sketch, was the third son.

He was reared like his father, a fanner, at the same time receiving a good, common school education, as well as early training in the way of thrift and industry. November 3, 1858, he was united in marriage with Miss Jane Wadsworth, daughter of John and Jane (Johnston) Wadsworth. She was born February 11, 1836, in the county Fermanagh, Ireland, and came with her parents to the United States in 1847.

They are the parents of an interesting family of eleven children,. whose names, in the order of their birth, are : Emma J. (wife of Thomas Johnston, of Rock Island county), William J., Caroline V., Mar y E., George A., Sarah E., Jemima K., Angeline M., Harriett E., Charles E., and Losada L. After his marriage Mr. Smith engaged in farming till 1865, when he sold his Cana­dian home and removed to Mercer county, settling in Preemption township, on section 16. For his first eighty acres he paid 82,000, for his second he paid $4,500, and for his last forty acres, bought in 1882, he paid $3,000. Mr. Smith is now (1882) actively engaged in stock- raising and farming. The raising of pork for market has been with him a decided success. Himself and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

History of Mercer and Henderson County

Submitted by the Webmaster

 

 

©Wini Caudell and Contributors

All Rights Reserved

Illinois Ancestors