An American Family History

Heinrich Smith and Mary Polly Honaker

Heinrich (Henry) Schmidt was born on August 27, 1760 in Dusemond, Hessin Kassel, Germany. He was a blacksmith. He is NOT the Henrich Smith from Piney Flats, Tennessee.

He married Mary Polly Honaker on February 20, 1787 in Frederick County, Virginia Mary was the daughter of Hans Honaker and Maria Goetz. She was born about 1768 in Frederick County. The marrage was perfored by Simon Harr.

Mary and Heinrich's children may have included:

John Smith (1787),
Henry Smith (1795, married Elizabeth),
Mary Smith (1796, married John McLaughlin),
Martin Smith ( 1797, married Mary Ann May),
Isaac Smith ( 1798, married Elizabeth Hess),
Elias Smith (1805, married Jane King), and
Martha Smith (1810, married George Thomas Maynard),

On June 4, 1788 Henry obtained 237 acres on Passage Creek in Powell's Fort Valley, Shenandoah County, Virginia. His land was next to Henry Walters and John Spingler's lands. They lived there until 1797 when they moved to Russell County, Virginia.

In 1823 they moved to Pike County, Kentucky. They settled near the mouth of Meathouse Fork of Johns Creek. Henry bought 100 acres from Moses Maynard. The land was located on Upper Johns Creek, near the mouth of Meathouse.

Mary died about 1826 and Henry died on December 05, 1830 in Johns Creek, Pike County, Kentucky.

from Pike County, Kentucky 1821-1983 Historical Papers Number Five Compiled by Betty Phillips Howard from work of Clyde Runyon, Faye Burke, Dorcas Hobbs and herself.

The first record of our ancestor Henry Smith is when he married Mary Honaker in Frederick Co., Va., Feb. 20, 1787. Mary was a daughter of Jacob Honaker, Sr.

A survey was made for Henry on Passage Creek, in Powells Fort Valley in Shenandoah Co., Va. on 19 June 1787. Henry and Mary appeared to have lived on Passage Creek until they moved to Russell Co., Va. about 1797.

They moved to Pike Co., Ky. about 1823. In 1825 Henry bought 100 acres of land from Moses Maynard. This land was on Upper John's Creek near the mouth of Meathouse.

Henry sold this land to his son, Henry, Jr., in 1826. This was the first time that his wife, Mary Honaker Smith had not signed a deed with him. Thus, it is assumed she had died early in 1826.

It should be noted that Henry Smith had signed deeds with the name Heinrich Schmidt.

Henry Smith and his wife are buried on Upper John's Creek at the mouth of Gannon's Branch. The graves are located at the foot of a hill in back of a garden and are easily accessible from the road. Concrete headstones were placed on the graves in the last twenty-five years. It is thought that Will M. Smith had the graves marked.

The dates on the grave of Henry Smith are 1760-1830. It is known that Henry was alive on 5 Oct. 1830 when he deeded his land in Russell Co., Va. to his son John Henry Smith — is not in the 1830 census of Pike Co., Ky. or Russell Co., Va. However, he may have been in the home of his daughter and son- in-law George and Martha Smith Maynard in Pike Co. in 1830. Their home shows 2 males age 0-5, 2 males 20-30, 1 male 70-80 and 1 female 20-30. Henry could be the male 70-80 and his son Al, one of the males 20-30, as he was not married.

The dates on the grave of Mary Honaker show 1767-1847. However, it is thought that Mary may have died about 1826 as she did not sign the deed in 1826 with her husband and she is not in the home of George and Martha Maynard in 1830.