William Bailey Smith

Brief Life History of William Bailey

When William Bailey Smith was born on 14 March 1811, in Muhlenberg, Kentucky, United States, his father, George Rudolphus Smith, was 38 and his mother, Sarah Armstrong, was 26. He married Jane Smith on 31 July 1836, in Cynthiana, Smith Township, Posey, Indiana, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 1 daughter. He lived in Poseyville, Robb Township, Posey, Indiana, United States in 1870. He died on 15 April 1878, in Smith Township, Posey, Indiana, United States, at the age of 67, and was buried in Smith Cemetery, Monroe Township, Adams, Indiana, United States.

Photos and Memories (1)

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Family Time Line

William Bailey Smith
1811–1878
Jemima Smith
1809–1889
Marriage: 5 January 1845
Mary Jane Smith
1846–1877
Crawford Bell Smith
1849–1931
James Rice Smith
1851–1922

Sources (13)

  • William B Smith, "United States Census, 1870"
  • William Smith, "Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940"
  • William Bailey Smith, "Find A Grave Index"

World Events (8)

1812

War of 1812. U.S. declares war on Britain over British interference with American maritime shipping and westward expansion.

1817

Historical Boundaries 1817: Posey, Indiana, United States

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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