Nancy Stewart1

b. 4 November 1778, d. 16 December 1851
Birth4 Nov 1778 Nancy Stewart was born on 4 Nov 1778.2,3,1 
Marriage18 Sep 1800 She married John Smyth, son of Jonas Smyth and Mary Kincannon, on 18 Sep 1800 in Washington County, Virginia.4 
Widowed1835  John died in 1835. 
Legatee  John's father, Jonas Smyth, died 4 years later. His will left Nancy $100 out of $500 owed Jonas from John's estate. Jonas noted that Nancy had been kind to him during the time he had lived with her.5 
Cens-185010 Aug 1850 Nancy had been widowed fifteen years when the 1850 census was recorded for Washington County. The census entry stated she was 67 years old however she was actually 71. Also listed with her were her four youngest children, Tobias (34), Mary (32), John (31) and William (29). In addition James Smith (21) and Alexander Smith (16) were living with her.6 
  James may have been Nancy's grandson; the child of her deceased son Francis. 
Death16 Dec 1851 Nancy died on 16 Dec 1851 at age 73.2 
Burial She was buried at Smyth's Chapel Cemetery in Washington County, Virginia.2,3 

Research Comment:

Elizabeth Allison's Early Southwest Virginia Families and David Trimble's Kincannon and Smyth both state that Nancy/Agnes was the daughter of John Stewart and Rosanna (Beattie) Stewart.

However, neither author addresses the fact that Nancy was born in 1778 but John Stewart and Rosannah Beattie did not marry until 11 years later. Also, John Stewart's 1819 will did not mention a daughter Nancy or Agnes. The fact that John and Nancy named their first son Francis tempts one to connect Nancy as the granddaughter of Francis Beattie (Rosannah's father). However, John Smyth had a brother named Francis who died 6 or 7 years before John and Nancy gave the name to their eldest child. Perhaps of equal importance is the fact that John and Agnes are not known to have named a daughter Rosanna.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who can shed light on Nancy's parents.7,8

Related Links and Images:

Nancy's headstone
Other interments in Smyth's Chapel Cemetery
The 1850 Washington Co., Virginia census listed Nancy as the head of household number 371. Follow the link to see who lived nearby.

Family

John Smyth b. 3 Jun 1778, d. 8 Sep 1835
Children
Last Edited19 May 2013

Citations

  1. [S13] Aleta Spicer, Smyth, p. 76. Desc. chart for John Smyth and Nancy Agnes Stewart; author unclear.
  2. [S2] Catherine McConnell, High On A Windy Hill, p. 163. Stone reported to read: Nancy A. Smyth, 4 Nov. 1778-16 Dec. 1851, age 3y [sic], 7m, 25d.
  3. [S13] Aleta Spicer, Smyth, p. 61. List of Persons buried in Tobias Smyth Memorial Chapel (Smyth's Chapel Cemetery).
  4. [S4] D.E. Brown, Marriages of Washington Co., VA 1781-1853, p. 55. John Smith and Nancy Stewart, 18 Sept. 1800 by Edw. Crawford.
  5. [S620] Jonas Smyth will (recorded 1839), Washington Co., Virginia Will Book 8: 212. Jonas's will, dated 1 Apr 1839, and recorded 23 Nov. 1840. No executor was named. The will was witnessed by John R. Nye and David Narley (?). The court records note, perhaps due to the length of time between Jonas's death and the presenting of the will in court, that not only did the two witnesses swear that the will was Jonas's but so did "sundry other witnesses."
  6. [S367] Nancy Smith household, 1850 U.S. Census, Washington Co., VA, pop. sched., 67th District, p. 92b, dwelling 371, family 371, viewed online at Ancestry.com, May 2003, image 50 of 289. Nancy Smith, 67, owns property valued at $4,000; Tobias 34, farmer; Mary 32; John 31, farmer; William 29, farmer; James 21, farmer; Alexander 16, farmer; all b. VA.
  7. [S5] Elizabeth Kelly Allison, Early Southwest Virginia Families, pp. 41, 107.
  8. [S623] David B Trimble, Kincannon and McDonald, p. 285.
  9. [S6] Thomas Colley, Washington Co. VA Marriages 1853-1880, p. 343. William Smyth, 43y, widow, b & resid Washington Co. VA, farmer, s/o John & Nancy A. Smyth AND Elizabeth Jane (McClelland) Hudson, 21y, widow, b. Rockbridge Co., d/o Samuel & Mary McClelland; 9 Aug 1864.