Watters SMITH
1767 - 1849 (81 years)
-
Name Watters SMITH Born 15 Jul 1767 Freehold, Monmouth Co, NJ 
[1, 2, 3] Gender Male Residence (SETTLED IN 1796) Duck Creek (West Milford), Harrison Co, (W)VA [4] Residence FORMERLY Fayette Co, PA [4] Died 23 Mar 1849 Harrison Co, (W)VA [5, 6] Buried Broad Run Baptist Church Cemetery, Jane Lew, Lewis Co, WV [6, 7] Notes - Watters Smith moved with the Green family through Pennsylvania and settled on George's Creek in what is now Fayette Co, PA, but was claimed by Virginia. He served as a militiaman during the Whiskey Insurrection to retain order for the new Federal government. He was a neighbor and acquaintance of Baron von Steuben, the Prussian officer who trained the American troops. In Spring 1796, he and his wife moved to Harrison County, (W)VA, where he bought a 200-acre farm from John Prunty. The original deed, dated 1/21/1792, was on display at the Watters Smith State Park (www.watterssmithstatepark.com), Harrison Co, as of June 1993. The land adjoined Thomas Smith's land, also purchased from Prunty on 9/18/1787, which farm was later purchased by William Davisson and settled on by heirs of John Gaston, who married Watters Smith's sister-in-law Anna Davisson. Watters Smith is the ancestor of almost all the Harrison County Smiths. He was one of four neighbors who founded the Broad Run Baptist Church in 1804. Originally located at Duck Creek and known as Good Hope Church, in 1817 it was moved to its present location with the new name Broad Run, in honor of the old Broad Run Church in Fauquier County, Virginia. Watter Smith is believed to have been the church's first deacon, and Job West was the first clerk.
< http://files.usgwarchives.org/wv/harrison/bios/wsmith.txt > [8]
Person ID I5572 Doddridge County Roots Last Modified 8 Sep 2011
Father Thomas SMITH, b. 23 May 1743, England , d. 17 Oct 1799, Freehold, Monmouth Co, NJ (Age 56 years) Mother Sarah GREEN, b. 19 Aug 1744, d. 15 Nov 1801 (Age 57 years) Family ID F1919 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Elizabeth DAVISON, b. 8 Oct 1769, Tennent, Monmouth Co, NJ , d. 26 Jul 1839, Harrison Co, (W)VA (Age 69 years) Married CA 1793 [4] Children 1. Sarah SMITH, b. 25 Apr 1794 + 2. Charles SMITH, b. 3 Nov 1796, d. 13 Jun 1877 (Age 80 years) + 3. Elizabeth "Betsy" SMITH, b. 25 Aug 1798, Harrison Co, (W)VA , d. 13 Apr 1858, Harrison Co, (W)VA (Age 59 years)4. Thomas SMITH, b. 29 Jul 1800, d. YOUNG 5. Andrew D. SMITH, b. 6 Aug 1802, d. 3 Jul 1818 (Age 15 years) + 6. Watters SMITH, Jr., b. 2 Sep 1804, Duck Creek (West Milford), Harrison Co, (W)VA , d. 19 Feb 1880, Harrison Co, WV (Age 75 years)+ 7. John D. SMITH, b. 12 Nov 1810, d. 7 Feb 1897 (Age 86 years) 8. Nancy SMITH, b. 20 Aug 1811, d. 27 Nov 1889 (Age 78 years) Family ID F1917 Group Sheet | Family Chart
- Watters Smith moved with the Green family through Pennsylvania and settled on George's Creek in what is now Fayette Co, PA, but was claimed by Virginia. He served as a militiaman during the Whiskey Insurrection to retain order for the new Federal government. He was a neighbor and acquaintance of Baron von Steuben, the Prussian officer who trained the American troops. In Spring 1796, he and his wife moved to Harrison County, (W)VA, where he bought a 200-acre farm from John Prunty. The original deed, dated 1/21/1792, was on display at the Watters Smith State Park (www.watterssmithstatepark.com), Harrison Co, as of June 1993. The land adjoined Thomas Smith's land, also purchased from Prunty on 9/18/1787, which farm was later purchased by William Davisson and settled on by heirs of John Gaston, who married Watters Smith's sister-in-law Anna Davisson. Watters Smith is the ancestor of almost all the Harrison County Smiths. He was one of four neighbors who founded the Broad Run Baptist Church in 1804. Originally located at Duck Creek and known as Good Hope Church, in 1817 it was moved to its present location with the new name Broad Run, in honor of the old Broad Run Church in Fauquier County, Virginia. Watter Smith is believed to have been the church's first deacon, and Job West was the first clerk.
-
Photos 
5572_WattersSmith_BroadRunBaptChCem_LewisCoWV.JPG
Documents 
948_GASTON_Hugh_Receipt-for-Road-Signs_HarrisonCountyWV_20Jun1820.jpg
-
Sources - [S706] The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, (Vol 46, No 2, WNo 173, May 1971, by Lewis Cook).
Birthdate given as Jul 15 1767, but headstone inscription of death date and age puts birth at Jul 5 1767. - [S1251] Genealogical & Personal History of Upper Monongahela Valley WV, Bernard L. Butcher, (1912, reprinted 1978 by Genealogical Publishing Co, Baltimore, MD), p. 1132.
- [S5] Headstone.
Inscription does not give a birthdate, but reads that he died on March 23 1849 "Aged 81ys 8m os18ds." This would put his birth at July 5 1767. - [S1251] Genealogical & Personal History of Upper Monongahela Valley WV, Bernard L. Butcher, (1912, reprinted 1978 by Genealogical Publishing Co, Baltimore, MD), p. 1135.
- [S706] The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, (Vol 46, No 2, WNo 173, May 1971, by Lewis Cook), p. 132.
- [S5] Headstone.
- [S1251] Genealogical & Personal History of Upper Monongahela Valley WV, Bernard L. Butcher, (1912, reprinted 1978 by Genealogical Publishing Co, Baltimore, MD), p. 1133.
- [S1251] Genealogical & Personal History of Upper Monongahela Valley WV, Bernard L. Butcher, (1912, reprinted 1978 by Genealogical Publishing Co, Baltimore, MD), pp. 1135-37.
- [S706] The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, (Vol 46, No 2, WNo 173, May 1971, by Lewis Cook).