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List of Notes and Resources Samuel Smith Family Page

From "Portrait & Biographical Album of Fayette County, Iowa" (1891)

Samuel Smith

           Samuel Smith, a well-to-do farmer of Jefferson Township, has been a resident of the county since the 8th of March, 1869. His home is situated on section 16, and he owns four hundred and ten acres of arable land which pays a golden tribute to his care and cultivation. It is divided into fields of convenient size which are well tilled, good buildings have been placed upon it and nothing is lacking which goes to make up a model farm. Mr. Smith was born in Yorkshire, England, on the 8th of January, 1838, and is a son of Richard and Martha (Hanson) Smith, who were also natives of Yorkshire, the father born on the 20 of August, 1815, and the mother in 1817. In the Smith family to which Richard belonged there were five brothers and four [incorrect] sisters, the eldest of whom, William, was a woolcomber by trade. He spent his entire life in his native land and died after reaching manhood. He married Sarah Smith and unto them were born two daughters. James, who was married and had two children, engaged in the same business as his brother and died in his native land; Joseph also worked at wool-combing, married Sarah Ramsden, by whom he had two daughters who are yet living; Robert, who worked in a stone quarry, wedded Sarah Moore and both are now deceased. Four daughters survive them. Helen, only sister of Richard Smith, became the wife of Thomas Hanson, of England, who emigrated with his family to America in 1859, locating in Jefferson Township on a farm of sixty acres. He is now one of the wealthy citizens of this community. His wife died in 1884. They were the parents of five sons and one daughter.
          The family to which Martha Smith, mother of our subject, belonged numbered the following: Sarah, who became the wife of John Bracewell and the mother of seven children, spent her entire life in her native land where her husband was employed in the weaving department of a wool factory; Rebecca married John Riley, a foreman in a wool factory and unto them were born six children , of whom two sons came to America and now reside in Boston; Betsy, who followed the profession of dress-making previous to her marriage, became the wife of Thomas Kay, a wool-comber; Deborah married John Judson who was likewise engaged in that work; Esther became the wife of James Greenwood, a machinist, and unto them were born five children, two of whom, sons, are now living in Boston. Her death occurred in her native land September 14, 1890. Thomas is mentioned elsewhere in this sketch as the husband of Ellen Smith. Joseph was married in England, came to America in 1867, locating on a farm of sixty acres in Jefferson Township. He now owns eighty acres upon which he makes his home with his wife and two sons. Jesse, who is engaged in farming in England, married Sarah Mitchell by whom he has six children, and John who completes the family, is married and resides in his native land. Richard Smith, father of our subject, engaged in merchandising in Keighley for many years but never left his native land for America.
          Samuel Smith, whose name heads this notice, spent the days of his boyhood and youth in England and after he had attained to mature years wedded Miss Hannah Park. When a young man he had served an apprenticeship of seven years to the machinist's trade and after the expiration of his term continued to engage in that business for ten years. During the first year of his apprenticeship he received only three shilling per week and the highest wages paid were eight shillings, out of which sum he boarded himself. When working as a journeyman he received as a compensation for his services thirty-six shillings per week, equal to about $6.50 in our money, and during the last three years of his residence in England, while occupying the position of foreman, he made from $25 to $30. This position he was at length forced to abandon, however, on account of failing health and he resolved to try his fortune in America. Crossing the Atlantic in 1869 he came to this county as before stated and purchased Eighty acres of improved land in Jefferson Township. The following spring he was joined by his family and commenced his farming operations with the success indicated at the beginning of this sketch. Mr. Smith is a man of good business ability, industrious and enterprising. He has been a member of the School Board for two years, is a Democrat in politics and socially is a member of the United Workmen.
          Unto Mr. and Mrs.. Smith have been born six children: Alice is the wife of Edward E. Day, a prosperous farmer of Jefferson Township owning one hundred acres of well-improved land. Two children grace their union--Edward V., born June 4, 1888, and Mabel, born November 15, 1889; Thomas aids in the cultivation of the home farm; Jane is the wife of George J. Snyder who owns a farm of eighty acres but rents his land and engages in the livery business in Oelwein; they have two children--Lee, born in February, 1889, and one boy unnamed, born in 1890. Sarah Martha is engaged in dress-making in Oelwein; Richard and Mary Ellen are now attending school.

Samuel and Hannah's children: Sarah, Tom, and Jane Probably taken at the family farm northwest of Oelwein.

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