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.
