Brief Life History of John L
John L Smith was born about 1812, in Somerset, Maryland, United States. He married Harriet Adams on 12 August 1838, in Fairfield, Ohio, United States. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 2 daughters. He lived in Madison Township, Montgomery, Indiana, United States in 1860 and Saint Joseph, Saint Joseph Township, Champaign, Illinois, United States for about 10 years. He registered for military service in 1864. He died on 3 May 1882, in Thomasboro, Champaign, Illinois, United States, at the age of 71, and was buried in Mount Olive Cemetery, Saint Joseph Township, Champaign, Illinois, United States.
Photos and Memories (2)
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Family Time Line
Sources (13)
- John S Smith, "United States Census, 1870"
- John Smith, "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013"
- John L. Smith, "Find A Grave Index"
Spouse and Children
World Events (8)
1812
War of 1812. U.S. declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime shipping and westward expansion.
1826
Historical Boundaries 1826: Tippecanoe, Indiana, United States
1832 · Black Hawk War
"The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of other tribes, known as the ""British Band"", crossed the Mississippi River, into Illinois, from Iowa Indian Territory in April 1832. Black Hawk's motives were ambiguous, but records show that he was hoping to avoid bloodshed while resettling on tribal land that had been given to the United States in the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis."
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.
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