John Smith

Brief Life History of John

When John Smith was born on 8 December 1804, in York, Pennsylvania, United States, his father, Johan Conrad Smith, was 22 and his mother, Barbara Knaus, was 22. He married Mary Gingrich on 5 August 1830, in York, Pennsylvania, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 6 daughters. He lived in Knox, Knox, Illinois, United States in 1850. He died on 20 October 1887, in Victoria, Knox, Illinois, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Victoria Cemetery, Victoria, Knox, Illinois, United States.

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Family Time Line

John Smith
1804–1887
Mary Gingrich
1811–1892
Marriage: 5 August 1830
Leah Smith
1831–1846
Susana Smith
1832–1926
John W. Smith
1838–1874
Mary Jane Smith
1838–1930
Margaret Smith
1840–1920
Philip Augustus Smith
1842–1901
Sarah Ann Smith
1845–1929
Alexander E. Smith
1848–1928
Amanda Ellen Lucinda Smith
1850–1927

Sources (10)

  • John Smith, "United States Census, 1860"
  • John Smith, "Find A Grave Index"
  • John Smith in entry for Frank B Horlocker and Amanda E Smith, "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940"

Spouse and Children

World Events (8)

1808

Atlantic slave trade abolished.

1812 · Harrisburg Becomes the State Capital

Harrisburg had important parts with migration, the Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. 

1830 · The Second Great Awakening

Being a second spiritual and religious awakening, like the First Great Awakening, many Churches began to spring up from other denominations. Many people began to rapidly join the Baptist and Methodist congregations. Many converts to these religions believed that the Awakening was the precursor of a new millennial age.

Name Meaning

English and Scottish: occupational name denoting a worker in metal, especially iron, such as a blacksmith or farrier, from Middle English smith ‘smith’ (Old English smith, probably a derivative of smītan ‘to strike, hammer’). Early examples are also found in the Latin form Faber . Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were required, and its importance ensured that this term and its equivalents in other languages were the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe. Medieval smiths were important not only in making horseshoes, plowshares, and other domestic articles, but above all for their skill in forging swords, other weapons, and armor. This is also the most frequent of all surnames in the US. It is very common among African Americans and Native Americans (see also 5 below). This surname (in any of the two possible English senses; see also below) is also found in Haiti. See also Smither .

English: from Middle English smithe ‘smithy, forge’ (Old English smiththe). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived in or by a blacksmith's shop, occupational, for someone who worked in one, or habitational, from a place so named, such as Smitha in King's Nympton (Devon). Compare Smithey .

Irish and Scottish: sometimes adopted for Gaelic Mac Gobhann, Irish Mac Gabhann ‘son of the smith’. See McGowan .

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

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