2016-02-10 Analysis of Census records for Alexander Smith. One researcher suggested he is possibly the father of Jesse Kirby Smith but this would have to be proven by DNA tests or several more traditional evidences. 1860 U.S. Census of Coosa County, Alabama (Highlighted in Blue) This shows 45-year-old Jesse Smith, a Farmer born in Georgia, That would make him born about 1815. This census shows Jesse (no middle name) and 18-year-old "Fr," a Housewife born in S. Carolina. This matches other records which all show that Jessie was from Georgia, Frances was from S. Carolina, and all their children were born after 1860. Their ages also match other Census records of Alabama. We have no proof this is "our" Jesse Kirby Smith other than the fact that these things match. This is not compelling evidence but it is somewhat convincing. On one side in the 1860 Census of Coosa County, Alabama, Jesse's neighbor is a 27-year-old H.W. Smith a farmer also born in Georgia. Could be a relative such as his brother. (Highlighted in Yellow) On the other side, Jesse's neighbor is a Grocer named Jett Morgan but two houses down is a wealthy planter named Alex Smith, a 67-year-old from N. Carolina with a 34-year-old wife named Mary J. Smith and 5 children: - M.D. Smith age 21 male Law Student - J.A. Smith age 19 male Merchant Clk. - M.C. Smith age 12 female - L.J. Smith age 10 female - L. Smith age 7 male Alex Smith's real estate is worth $7,500 and his "Personal Estate" (slaves) worth $35,485. There is a tick mark in a column showing he (or maybe his household) attended school and no tick mark showing they could not read or write. This means they were likely literate and well educated for this time and place. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1870 U.S. Census of Coosa County, Alabama (Highlighted in Yellow) Notice that Alex's personal property value has dropped from over $35,000 to only $1,600 after the Civil War freed the blacks people who formerly Alex's slaves. His real estate value has nearly doubled to $11,000. Show at the bottom of this page are 77-year-old Alex who is now listed as a "Farmer" rather than a "Planter", his 45-year-old wife, Mary, and two of their children. I did not save an image of the next page which shows the rest of their children. They are: - Laura age 20 female (she is "L.J. Smith" on the 1860 Census) - Lalton age 16 male whose occupation is "work on farm" (L. Smith on the 1860 Census) - Allice age 15 female - Annie age 7 female - Libbie age 3 female ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1850 U.S. Census of Coosa County, Alabama (Highlighted in Yellow) - Alexander Smith age 57 male born in North Carolina - Mary Smith age 25 female born in Alabama - Thomas Smith age 17 male born in North Carolina - Lovedy Ann Smith age 14 female born in Alabama - Malcolm Smith age 12 male born in Alabama - John Smith age 10 male born in Alabama - Mary Smith age 3 female born in Alabama - Sarah Smith age 2 months born in Alabama and Charles C. Kirkpatrick, a school teacher This final Census, the 1850, is puzzling. In 1850, Jesse Kirby Smith was only 33, yet he, nor any other Smiths appear as Alex Smith's neighbors. Alex is certainly old enough to be Jesse Kirby's father. Alex is 22 years older than Jesse. Yet, Jesse Kirby Smith consistantly told Census takers he was born in Georgia. If Alex is his father, why would Alex's wife have given birth to Jesse in Georgia then cross the state line back into N. Carolina (from whence many Georgian's came) to give birth to Thomas Smith (above) who was born in North Carolina??? Perhaps Alex isn't Jesse's father at all but rather his uncle or cousin. Only a will, land records, and other probate records or a yDNA test of both a proven descendant of Alex and a known Jesse Kirby Smith descendant could prove if these census records above show a father-son relationship.