John P. Smith of Worcester & His Children

John Potter Smith, my third great Grandfather, was married twice and had ten children.  His oldest child, my second great Grandmother Henrietta Abigail was born in 1848 and his youngest, Harry Lincoln, was born in 1886 - a span of 38 years.  John was 62 years old when Harry was born.  

John and his first wife Mary Abigail Bliss had five children, three daughters who survived to adulthood.  Henrietta was first, then their second child was Anna E. Smith who was born April 14, 1854.   A third daughter, Minnie E. Smith, was born October 1, 1859 and died October 8, 1859.  Available at familysearch.org, the vital records books from Worcester prove her seven-day life, but I have not found where she is buried.  (click to enlarge) 

Carrie M. Smith, the fourth daughter of John and Mary, was born June 26, 1861.  Finally a son, Charles H. Smith, was born May 30, 1866, just three days before his mother died.  I haven't found a death record for him, but he is not listed in the 1870 census.

Five months after Mary's death, John married Emma (or Emily) on November 11, 1866.  Her name has been Dillon, Gillam or Quilliam in different records.  It was Emma's second marriage as well, her parents were William and Margaret Williams.  She was 24, John was 41.  

John and Emma's first child was a girl, Lizzie E, born September 9, 1867.  Another daughter, Marion "Minnie" E. Smith, was born September 30, 1868.  Next, Alice was born February 13, 1871.  A son, Francis Irving was born on December 18, 1875 and the youngest child, Harry Lincoln, was born July 10, 1886. 

In the 1870 and 1880 census John & Emma live in Worcester.  Lizzie is not listed in 1870, I found her death record dated September 19, 1867.  In 1880 Minnie is 10, Alice is 9, Francis is 4 and Carrie is 18 and single.  Anna married Myron E. Barrows on February 11, 1877 in Worcester and in 1880 they live with his parents.  

On November 5, 1884, Carrie married William A. Brown.  She died on June 11, 1889 in Worcester at age 28.   Two infants named Brown are buried near her.  Cemetery records show they were buried in December of 1888 and June of 1889.

Marion and Lyman Isham were married on April 18, 1889.   In 1900 they are living in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Two questions asked on this census are "how many children has this person had" and "how many of those children are living" - Marion has had one child, but none are living.  In the same household are Luther Isham "Boarder", John P. "father-in-law" (of Lyman, head of household), Emily "mother-in-law" and Harry L Smith "brother-in-law".  Emily has had 5 children, only 4 are living.  Alice is not listed with them here and I have not found her grave.  She could have gotten married, or she may be one of three "Alice Smith's" who died between 1884 and 1887 in Worcester.  Marion and Lyman lived in Upton, Massachusetts in 1910 and 1920 and in a 1939 City Directory, Marion is listed as a widow. 

John died in 1903 and is buried in Hope Cemetery.  A volunteer at Find A Grave fulfilled my photo request for his grave which is unmarked.  He also sent me copies of the burial cards for the plot.  Carrie, her infant children and Anna Barrows are also buried there in unmarked graves.  Another Smith - Royden G. was buried in 1904, I'm not sure how he fits in.

Frank married Susannah Harris on May 18, 1907.  They had two sons, Harris P. and Frank L.  They lived in Rutland, Massachusetts through 1940 where Frank was a plumber.  

On October 16, 1912 Harry Lincoln was married to Ethel Elizabeth Shed in Worcester.  In 1920 they are living with their son, Henry 6, and in 1940 they have two children, Irving T, 27 and Barbara, 19 (somehow Henry has to be Irving T).  Harry was a fireman.

Anna Barrows died March 23, 1929 at age 74.  As I said, Anna is buried in the Hope Cemetery in Worcester.  But I found Anna and Myron in the 1920 census living with their daughter Florence in Grosse Point, Michigan.  Florence is married to Howard White and they have two daughters, Wyenafred and Maxine.  Myron died in Michigan in 1921 and son Edward John died in 1940, their death certificates are on Ancestry. 

You can read more about Henrietta Smith and her parents by clicking there on her name.  She married Charles Gaisford and moved to Illinois by 1869, then Nebraska by 1876.  They raised 10 children.  Henrietta outlived her younger sister Anna Barrows by three years.  I wonder if they ever saw each other again after Henrietta moved away.  

I have come up with 16 grandchildren for John Potter Smith.  I wonder how many of them knew each other.  There were many miles and many years that separated them all.