I had started to write a follow-up post last week in respect to Henry Thomas Smith, Sr, and then I realized I hadn’t yet written an initial post. I’m just going to do both here.
CAUTION: if you are the type of person who doesn’t like to find out about less than savory people in your family, you may not want to read this post. I have tried to remain as tactful as possible.
Henry Thomas Smith, Sr was born on November 11, 1873 to parents John B Smith (abt 1824-aft 1880) and Harriett Grant (1831-1882) in Richmond County, North Carolina.
Records for him remain sketchy, but I have gathered what I could to share.
In 1880, Henry is found living with his family in Wolf Pit, Richmond County, North Carolina. He is listed as Henry Smith, mulatto, male, age 7 years, born in North Carolina. The other family members listed in the household are: John B Smith (Henry’s father), mulatto, male, aged 56 years, born in North Carolina; Harriet Smith (Henry’s mother), mulatto, female, aged 49 years, born in North Carolina; Randolph (Charlie), mulatto, male, aged 21 years, born in North Carolina, laborer; Gilbert, mulatto, male, age 19 years, born in North Carolina; Mary L, mulatto, female, age 11 years, born in North Carolina; Lucy, mulatto, female, age 9 years, born in North Carolina; and Cornelia, mulatto, female, age 3 years, born in North Carolina.
By 1896 Henry was living in Georgia. A marriage record shows that he married Elizabeth Murphy in Colquitt County, Georgia on November 5, 1896.
Henry and Elizabeth had their first child, Hattie, on August 22, 1897 in Colquitt County, Georgia.
Unfortunately, I have yet to locate Henry and family on the 1900 US Census.
Between 1897 and 1910, Henry and Elizabeth had the following children:
Ann Jeanette “Nettie” on June 16, 1902
Pearl about 1906 (still searching for her information)
John Carson “Buck” on Jun 15, 1908
In 1910 the family is shown living in Precinct 8, Elmore County, Alabama (near Wetumpka). Henry, interestingly enough, is listed as John T Smith. He is male, white, age 38 years, married for 13 years, born in North Carolina, and a turpentine operator at a distillery. The other family members in the household: Eliza (Elizabeth), female, white, age 27 years, married 13 years, born in Georgia; Hattie, female, white, age 12 years, born in Georgia; Nettie, female, white, age 7 years, born in Georgia; Pearl, female, white, age 4 years, born in Georgia; and John, male, white, age 1 year, born in Georgia. An interesting note: Elizabeth is listed as having given birth to five children, of which four are still living.
The last (known) child, Henry Thomas Smith, Jr, was born to Henry and Elizabeth on April 9, 1913 in Wetumpka, Elmore County, Alabama.
There is only one known (to me) photograph of the entire family.(l-r) Elizabeth holding Henry Jr, Hattie, Nettie, Pearl, Buck, and Henry Sr. It is noted on the back that this photograph was taken in 1913 in Wetumpka, Alabama.
Not too long after this photograph was taken Henry Thomas Sr walked out and left his family. From what I understand, there may be at least one surviving letter that he wrote to his sons before he disappeared completely.
I know that Henry Sr ended up in California and remarried. However, his actual whereabouts were a mystery for me, until recently.
In 1936 Henry, who had started using Thomas as his first name, was arrested and sentenced to San Quentin. Without going into too much detail, his charge was “child stealing”. I do believe, though, he was just honestly trying to help a friend. What I know from the court records is that after he had been sentenced some information came to light that the woman he was attempting to help, her child (the one he was accused of stealing), and a handful of other friends of his had perjured themselves in court and placed all of the blame on him. Eventually the mother ended up under arrest and was sentenced to the Tehachapi Women’s Prison for her part in the whole kerfuffle.
What we learn from his intake card at San Quentin is that at the time he was 62 years of age, hazel eyes, brown and grey hair, with a medium dark complexion, and a mole on his left shoulder blade. He was 5’8, 148lbs, with a medium build. And apparently his teeth were in poor condition.
According to court records he had lived in and/or around the Sonoma and Lake Counties, California area for at least eight years prior to his arrest. During the summer months he would usually travel down to the Madera and Merced Counties, California area to work on a farm, usually picking cotton (which, for the record, I find hilarious that he left the Deep South to go to California and pick cotton). One obituary asserts that he had lived in the Merced area since 1926, which leads me to believe it is possible that he may have spent just a few months of the year in the Sonoma and Lake County areas during that time (as the “frie
nds” who spoke at his trial claimed to have known him since about 1926 or so).
At some point he married a woman by the first name of Nancy. I cannot find when or where this marriage happened, although for all I know it was common law.
Henry Thomas Smith, Sr died on May 10, 1951 in Merced County, California. The following obituaries were sent to me upon request:
Merced Sun Star, Merced, CA
May 12, 1951
Funeral Notice
Ivers & Alcorn Funeral Chapel
SMITH: In Merced May 10, 1951.
Thomas Henry Smith, husband of Nancy H. Smith. Friends are invited to attend funeral services Monday, May 14, 1951, at 2 p.m. at the Mission Chapel of the Ivers & Alcorn Funeral Home. Interment in the Plainsburg Cemetery
Merced Sun Star, Merced, CA
May 11, 1951, page 3.
Obituaries
Thomas Henry Smith
Thomas Henry Smith, 77, of Planada, died last night in a Merced hospital following a long illness.
He had lived in Planada for five months, having moved there from his home on Mariposa Way near Merced. He had lived in the Merced area since 1926. He leaves his widow, Nancy, of Planada.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Ivers & Alcorn Funeral Home.
So, that’s the life of Henry Thomas Smith, Sr. As far as I’ve found so far, that is. I look forward to finding out more, and hopefully I will be able to fill in some blanks here and there one day!
