52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge: Fanny Smith

Today I would like to tell you about Fanny Smith and the challenges I met while researching. I do not know Fanny’s birthdate but guess she was born sometime between 1783 and 1790 since her own parents, Henry Conkling Smith and Julia Vail, married March 9, 1783, in Goshen, Orange County, New York.

The 1790 federal census placed the family in Goshen. Henry Conkling Smith was often called Conkling Smith in documents, and this is how I found him in the 1790 census. The family consisted of six members: three males and three females. The males were Henry Conkling Smith, his eldest son Gilbert born in 1785, along with another male under the age of sixteen. The three females included Julia (Vail) Smith, daughter Fanny, and an unknown female.

By 1800, the Smith family had relocated to the Town of Deer Park in Orange County by the time the federal census was recorded.

Conkling Home in 1800 Deer Park, Orange County, New York:

1 Free White Males under 10 years: Son Caleb born ca 1799.

2 Free White Males of sixteen and under 26: Son Gilbert and unknown male

1 Free White Males of twenty-six and under 45: Father Henry Conkling Smith

3 Free White Females under 10 years:   Christian/Christinna, Dolly and unknown girl

1 Free White Females of ten and under 16: This could have been Fanny.

1 Free White Females of sixteen and under 26:    Or this could be Fanny.

1 Free White Females of 26 and under 45:  Mother Julia Vail Smith

Fanny married David Penney November 14, 1805, according to Edwin Tanjore Corwin’s book, ‘The Corwin Genealogy in the United States’, published in 1872. David Penney’s mother was a Corwin. Just so you know, this genealogy did not cite sources, and I cannot say I am convinced the marriage date is accurate.

I am also assuming Fanny and David wed in Orange County, New York. Since Fanny married David Penney in 1805, I looked for her with her husband in the 1810 federal census. It was disappointing when I was not able to distinguish Fanny’s husband, David Penney, from his father David Penney.

It was not until 1820 that I located David Penny Junior in the 1820 Wallkill, Orange County, New York federal census.

Name David Penney Junior      

Enumeration Date           7 Aug 1820

Home in 1820 (City, County, State)   Wallkill, Orange, New York, USA

1 Free White Persons - Males - Under 10    Perhaps this is Lewis Penny. David lived in Lewis Penny's household in 1850.

1 Free White Persons - Males - 26 thru 44    David Penny

3 Free White Persons - Females - Under 10    Esther and Abigail are David and Fanny's documented daughters. 3rd female unknown

1 Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 15     unknown

1 Free White Persons - Females - 26 thru 44  Fanny (Smith) Penny

1 Number of Persons - Engaged in Agriculture  David Penny

5 Free White Persons - Under 16    Esther and Abigail; possibly Lewis Penny and two others

2 Free White Persons - Over 25   Parents

7 Total Free White Persons

7 Total All Persons - White, Slaves, Colored, Other

The Penney family was enumerated in the 1825 New York State Census in Calhoun, Orange County, New York—two males and six females. Fanny was counted as the one married female under the age of 45 years. One unmarried female between the age of sixteen and forty-five lived in the home. Four unmarried females under sixteen years old were part of the household. Two males rounded out the David Penny residence.

I could not tell whether the 1830 census entry I found for David Penney in Calhoun was Junior or Senior.

The 1835 New York State Census recorded David Penney’s family in Mount Hope, Orange County, New York. He was not called Junior, but I know it to be so because his father died in 1834. That same year David and Fanny Penny mortgaged their land to Samuel Seward in Orange County, New York.

David acquired land in Virgil, Cortland County, New York in 1839. He later sold the land, but Fanny was not named in the document. An1841 deed began, “David Penney of Virgil County of Cortland of State of New York and his wife of the first part and Augustus E Hibbard of the Town County & State aforesaid of the second part …”. Was this Fanny or a later wife?

Fanny qualified as my Overlooked Ancestor in my Jan. 24, 2025, blogpost. You can view it here. And today she again makes her presence in the challenging category.

Overlooked Ancestor: 4th Great Grandmother Fanny Smith, married David Penny November 14, 1804, Orange County, New York

Amy Johnson Crow’s ‘52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge’ prompted readers to write about an overlooked ancestor. Fourth Great Grandmother Fanny (Smith) Penny came to mind. She was not overlooked because I ignored her. I thought of her often and would try periodically to learn more about her. I simply could not find any new leads until the morning I found her daughter Esther using FamilySearch full text search.

Quite by accident I found Dolly Smith’s will on familysearch.org never expecting to find my Third Great Grandmother Esther (Penny) Bennett in the document.

The only information I knew about Grandmother Esther’s mother came from her death certificate revealing her mother was Fannie Smith born in the Town of Goshen, Orange County, New York, and her father David Penny from the Town of Mount Hope, also of Orange County.

In Dolly Smith’s will written January 1, 1874, she bequeathed money to her niece and my Third Great Grandmother Esther Bennett, wife of Alvi Bennett. At last, I found a sister for my Fanny Smith.

Dolly Smith’s will provide the names of six legatees--three nephews and three nieces. Two of the nephews, Coe, and Gilbert Smith, were sons of Dolly and Fanny’s brother, Gilbert Smith. The third nephew, Coe Conkling, was a son of Dolly and Fannie’s sister, Harriet (Smith) Conkling. The nieces Cornelia Conkling and Mrs. Harriet Field were also children of Harriet (Smith) Conkling.

I found Dolly in the 1850 federal census in a home with Christina and Elsa Smith living in Mount Hope, Orange County, New York. Christina was the eldest at 55 years of age, Dolly 53 years old, and Elsa 48 years of age. Two of the Conkling children were living with their aunts. The 1855 New York State census identified Dolly and Elsey as sisters dwelling in Mount Hope. Even though the 1850 census did not record Christina as a sister to Dolly and Elsa, I am confident that she is.

The FamilySearch full-text search was good for me again. I located Gilbert Smith in a will prepared by his Uncle Joshua C. Smith August 1, 1816. Joshua C. Smith of the Town of Goshen, Orange County, New York gifted his nephew Gilbert Smith, son of Henry C. Smith, all his personal property after his debts were paid. He also wanted his nephew to receive all the land he was due for his service during the War of 1812 for which he did not yet have a warrant.

Once I located the father of the Smith siblings, it was not long before I found the mother. Henry Conklin Smith married Juliana Vail March 9, 1783, per the First Presbyterian Church, Goshen, New York records.

I even learned of another sibling. Caleb Smith was born about 1799 and migrated to Ohio. A Register of Deaths for Clinton County, Ohio records his death on June 10, 1870, and names his parents Henry C Smith and Julia Smith.

I am pleased that I found six siblings for Fanny as well as her mother and father.

James A. McFall and his Remarkable Chicken, January 6, 1887, Augusta County, Virginia

 

The January 6, 1887, issue of the Valley Virginian published in Stanton, Virginia mentioned James A. McFall and his chicken in their column the 'Mt. Sidney Items':

   "Mr. James A. McFall is the owner of the oldest hen probably in the county. Her age is not exactly known, but twenty-three or twenty-four years ago she was traveling around with a brood of young chickens, and, with the exception of the last two years, she has continued to raise one or two broods every year since. The last two seasons she has curtailed her egg supply considerably, both in size and number of specimens, not producing more than half a dozen each season and not larger than partridge eggs. She still sings as lively as most young hens, but her voice is somewhat tremulous with age."

 

Treasure Chest Thursday, Dolly Smith of Mount Hope, Orange County, New York 1795-1880

Published in the Middletown Daily Evening Press, Middletown, New York Thursday, January 28, 1875:

Remarkable Longevity

   We are indebted for the following interesting statement to Mr. Walter Moore, the obliging ticket clerk at the Erie Railroad office at Otisville. It indicates a very healthy population, and we doubt if any town in Orange County can make a showing equally good, for it must be admitted that to find among less than 2,000 persons, 32 who are above the three score and ten allotted to man's life is quite remarkable:

   Thomas Borland, 89; Mrs. Thos. Borland, 88; Mrs. Polly Green, 88; Mrs. Quigley, 87; Mrs. Annier Mapes, 87; ... Miss Dolly Smith, 83; ... 

     Otisville, Jan. 23d, 1875.

From The Daily Argus, Middletown, New York Saturday, Feb. 28, 1880:

Where People Grow Old

   The town of Mount Hope, in this county, with 1,500 inhabitants, probably has more aged people in proportion to its population, than any other town in the county. We append a list of twenty old residents, whose united aged foot up to 1,689 years.

   Thomas Borland 92, Henry McNish 90, ... Dolly Smith 86, ...

    P.J. Union

Printed in The Daily Argus, Middletown, New York Thursday, May 6, 1880

Mount Hope,

                Correspondence of the Daily Argus

     Dolly Smith an aged maiden lady, of this village, died last Tuesday, after reaching the age of eighty-six years. She was a smart, active, industrious and intelligent woman to the last.

Dolly prepared a will which was presented in Orange County, New York Surrogate Court April 25, 1881. Dolly's will named nieces and nephews as well as identified a brother. 

Dolly Smith Will Transcription:

The Last Will and Testament 

                   Of

            Dolly Smith 

Admitted to Probate as the Will of Real

and Personal Estate, the 25 day of

April A. D. 1881, and RE-

CORDED in Liber No. 43 of Wills,

on Pages 347 &c.

   In the name of God Amen I Dolly Smith of Mount Hope, Orange County, New York being of sound mind and memory and considering the uncertainty of this frail and transitory life do therefore make ordain publish and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, That is to say, First, after all my lawful debts are paid and discharged, I give and bequeath forever to my niece Cornelia Conkling, of Brooklyn N.Y. my house and lot and all my household furniture situated in the village of Mount Hope, Orange Co., N.Y. I also give all the money due me, and at present, in the hands of W. L. Ogden of Warwick NY being all the money of which I am possessed, and also all I may be hereafter possessed of to be divided equally among the following named five persons, to wit: My nephews, Coe Conkling of East Salamanca, Cataraugus Co. N.Y.; Coe Smith and Gilbert Smith sons of my brother Gilbert Smith of        Co. Michigan, and my nieces Mrs. Harriet Field, of Brooklyn N.Y. and Mrs. Easter Bennett wife of Alvi Bennett, of Middletown N.Y.  All debts due by me at time of my death and funeral expenses to the amount of Fifty Dollars to be paid by Cornelia Conkling and should this amount not be sufficient to pay such debts the balance is to be paid by the other five legatees in equal proportion.

   Should Coe and Gilbert Smith of Michigan not call for their shares as herein named, within one year after my death then I direct the same to be divided equally between Coe Conkling, Harriet Field, and Easter Bennett the same parties heretofore mentioned on this instrument.

   Likewise, I make constitute and appoint Jas. B. Ogden of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Wm. L. Ogden of Warwick. N.Y. to be executors of this my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all former wills by me made. 

   In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my seal the thirty-first day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four 

                                                                                                               Dolly Smith 

   The above written instrument was subscribed by the said Dolly Smith in our presence and acknowledged by her to each of us: and she at the same time declared the above instrument so subscribed to be her Last Will and Testament; and we at her request have signed our names as witnesses hereto, and written opposite our names are respected places of residence

                      James B Ogden    Brooklyn N.Y. 

                      H. B. Ogden    Brooklyn N.Y.

Orange County Surrogate Court

In the Matter of Proving the Last

Will and Testament

                     of

Dolly Smith    Deceased

As a Will of Real and Personal estate

     State of New York

   Orange County ss

   James B. Ogden and H. B. Ogden of the city of Brooklyn in the County of Orange, having on this 25th day of April in the year 1881 personally appeared before me Henry A. Wadsworth the Surrogate of the County of Orange, and being by the said Surrogate duly sworn and examined deponent and say and each says that he was well acquainted with Dolly Smith late of the town of Mount Hope and said County of Orange, deceased: that he and they were present as witnesses and did see the said Dolly Smith now deceased, by writing her name subscribe at the end thereof of the instrument now produced and shown to the deponents purporting to be the Last Will and Testament of the said Dolly Smith, deceased, bearing date the 31st day of January in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy four: that such subscription was made by the said Dolly Smith, now deceased, and the presence of these deponents the attesting witnesses to said Will: that the said Dolly Smith at the same time declared to said witnesses the instrument so subscribed by her to be her Last Will and Testament: Whereupon these deponents each signed their names at the end of the said Will at the request of the said testatrix, now deceased and that the said Dolly Smith at the time of executing and publishing the said Last Will and Testament was of full age, of sound mind and memory, and not under any restraint and was a citizen of the United States.

Sworn, examined and subscribed before me 

this 25th day of April A.D. 1887 

     H. Wadsworth, Surrogate 

                                                                                               James B. Ogden

                                                                                               H.B. Ogden

Orange County, New York Deed Book 43, 

pages 348-349

Anna Bittle and Jacob Fifer, Augusta County, Virginia, 1795-1858

At a Court held for Augusta County, Virginia on Monday April the 22^nd 1816:

Anna Bittle orphan of Joseph

Bittle being upwards of 14 years

of age appeared in court & with

the approbation of the court made

choice of Jacob Fifer for her Guar-

dian whereupon the said Fifer

with John Shelly his sec^y entered

into and ack^d bond in the penalty of

$300 conditioned as the law requires

which bond is or^d  

Augusta County, Virginia Order Book 35, page 212

 It was wonderful to finally find Anna Bittle’s father, Joseph Bittle, in an official court record. Joseph Bittle’s origins are another puzzle but that is for another day.

 Anna chose her soon-to-be husband, Jacob Fifer, to be appointed her legal guardian. A Find-A-Grave photo of her tombstone let me know she was born June 6, 1795. A little math calculation revealed Anna’s age was 20 years, 10 months, and 16 days on April 22, 1816. She was just a few months shy of her 21^st birthday when she no longer would be considered a minor.

 When Jacob and Anna wed, Jacob Fifer was not 21 years old either. His father, George Fifer, presented a written consent to the Augusta County, Virginia Court:

 April the 22^nd 1816

Mr Clerk Sir these few lines is to Certify that

I George Fifer Sen’r have Consented that

my Son Jacob is to be lawfully married

To M^’s Anna Bittle given from under my hand

Test 

John Shelly                             George Fifer

Augusta County, Virginia Marriage Bonds, Book 15, 1815-1816

Jacob Fifer had more business in the courthouse that day when he and Samuel Cramer obtained a bond permitting Jacob and Anna to marry:

               KNOW all men by these presents, that we Jacob Fifer and Samuel

Cramer                                                              are held and firmly bound unto Wilson C. Nicholas        Governor of Virginia and his successors, for the use of the Commonwealth, in the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, to which payment well and truly to be made, we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents, sealed with our seals and dated this 22^nd day of April     A. D. 1816

   The condition of the above obligation is such, that whereas a marriage is shortly intended to be solemnized between the above bound Jacob Fifer bachelor and Anne Bittle spinster of Augusta County, if therefore, there shall be no lawful cause to obstruct the said marriage, then the above obligation to be void, otherwise to remain in full force and virtue.

Signed, sealed and delivered}

In the presence of                    }                                     

Vincent Tapp                                                                                         Jacob Fifer

                                                                                                                Samuel Cramer

Augusta County, Virginia Marriage Bonds, Book 15, 1815-1816

 The last time I wrote about Anne Bittle was on March 15, 2014, in my blog post titled Jacob and Anne's Promise. It also included an image of her marriage bond. Today’s post will update this as I have obtained information documenting Anne’s father and the addition of another child, Joseph Fifer.

 Jacob and Anne’s Children:

1.      Eliza Jane born Dec. 2, 1816, Mount Solon, Augusta County, VA, married Henry Harman Jan. 13, 1834, Augusta County, VA, died July 23, 1895, probably Rockingham County, VA

2.      Joshua Fifer born 1817 or 1818, died June 13, 1821, buried Parnasses, Augusta County, VA

3.      Joseph Fifer born 1819, married Louisa A Quisenberry, died March 26, 1879, Leyburn’s Mills, Rockbridge County, VA

4.      Margaret Fifer born Dec. 1821, married Henry Kiracofe April 15, 1841, Augusta County, VA

5.      James M. Fifer born 1831 Augusta County, VA, died Oct. 19, 1856, Stuarts Mill, Augusta County, VA

6.      William Fifer born 1832 Mossy Creek, Augusta County, VA, died May 28, 1853, South River District, Augusta County, VA

7.      Ellis Fifer born 1833

 Anne (Bittle) Fifer died April 18, 1833, at the age of 37 years. Jacob would later marry Frances Dickerson and Rebecca Balsey.