For the first time, we are close to connecting two Smith lines that have only been previously associated via yDNA testing. Yes!

Here are the details:

In 1876, on the estate records of Bennett Smith of McNairy Co, TN, we can find the names “J. F. Jopling” and “David M. King” (Jr.). David M. McKinzie

“J. F. Jopling” was a one James Francis (Frank) Jopling. David M. King David M. McKinzie’s wife was likely related to a Samuel Whitesides, but we will discuss this group in a different posting when more details are available.

James Jopling was a son of a John Sutton Jopling. John was a son of Daniel Jopling. Daniel Jopling had a brother, William Jopling. William had a daughter Catherine Jopling who married a… Thomas Smith. Thomas and Catherine were wed in 1814 in Caswell County, North Carolina.

With me so far? Good.

William Jopling was descended from Ralph Jopling. The tester for Bennett’s yDNA line has multiple AncestryDNA matches who descend from Ralph Jopling. Additionally, William Jopling engaged in a land transaction with a Nathanial King. (This is still a true and relevant fact as of late, but needs to be viewed from a different perspective than the one in this post.)

On the marriage record of Thomas Smith and Catherine Jopling were bondsman John Fitch and witness Alexander Murphey. John Fitch is the key to making this all make sense.

John Fitch was a son of Thomas Rosewell Fitch who married a “Sarah Elizabeth Bird”. I put her name in quotes because she appears to be referred to as both Sarah and Elizabeth depending on which family group you examine.

https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bird/4888/

Sarah Bird was a daughter of James Bird who had a son Empson Bird. It is my belief that James Bird was a descendant of an older Thomas Bird who married a Sarah Empson, a daughter of a Charles Empson.

Here are the Bird records I have found:

https://orangedeedbooks.blogspot.com/2018/02/orange-county-deed-book-17.html

Ok, so I’ve lain out the Bennett Smith details: John Fitch on the marriage record of a Thomas Smith who married Catherine Jopling who was a first cousin of John Sutton Jopling who had a son James Francis Jopling who was on the estate record of Bennett Smith in 1876 McNairy Co, TN.

On to the Andrew Smith details.

To refresh, Andrew Smith was present for the 1809 marriage of his sons Isaac and Samuel Smith in Woodford Co, KY. Isaac later went on to live in an area known as Roundstone just outside of Mt. Vernon, Rockcastle Co, KY around 1810.

One of Isaac’s neighbors was a KY Militia General William Smith. He was a sheriff of Rockcastle Co, KY for quite some time and a member for some time in the early 1800’s of the KY state legislature, as was his son, Col. Elisha Smith.

Gen. Smith married Elizabeth Singleton in 1789 Lincoln Co, KY. Per Elisha, Elizabeth’s father was a Col. Richard Singleton who married Ann Whiteside.

Ann was a daughter of a William Whiteside whose brother James Whiteside was an immediate neighbor to… Andrew Smith and a Richard Bird. This is the same Whiteside family as Samuel Whitesides who was  previously mentioned.

I’m working on connecting all of the Bird individuals together in a tree. Many names repeat and it gets a bit confusing.

Additionally, Andrew Smith is strongly likely to be the son of a Robert Smith of St. Matthew’s Parish whose will was witnessed by a Joseph McCaffrity,  John Walker, and a Robert Chassen. John Walker is likely related to Aaron Walker who lived next to Andrew Smith. The Walkers and Birds intermarried. I’ll try to write down those details as well.

So there we have it, a paper trail connection between Bennett Smith of McNairy County, Tennessee and Isaac Smith of Salt Creek Township, Jackson County, Indiana.

Thanks for reading. This should lead to a whole new wave of research!

Chris Smith