Life History

Notes

• Some genealogies report that Jacob was born in Lincoln County, North Carolina.  In the 1850 census, however, the enumerator was careful to report the birthplace as Catawba County, North Carolina.  This may be questionable, though, since he has the same birth county for Martha, and every other individual on the page.  So was he reporting what he was actually told?  Or just rotely putting in the current county, if they were born in North Carolina?
  
  The genealogies, on the other hand, provide no source information or documentation for birth in Lincoln County.  The following one does provide some detail that seems to indicate family information, such as the specific location of death on Niles Farm.
  
  Jacob A Smyer
  Birth 16 JUN 1824 in Lincoln, North Carolina
  Death 1864 in Niles Farm, Texas, Missouri
  Parents Daniel Edward Smyre 1787 - 1875, Catherine Katie Fry 1801 - 1860
  --  Jerry Jensen, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/24606137/person/1540819857?ssrc=&ftm=1
  
  The record of marriage for Jacob Smyer and his first wife Martha is reported by Ancestry.com from a compilation, but the actual record image is not available.  No location is given for the marriage, but it appears it was North Carolina, because in the 1860 census they are reported in Catawba County, North Carolina, and children are reported born in that county.
  
  US and International Marriage Records, Ancestry.com
  Jacob Smyer
  Born abt 1824 North Carolina
  Marriage 1845 [NC]
  Spouse Martha Smyer [sic]
  
  1850 Federal Census, Catawba County, North Carolina, 28 July, page 542 (274), Hse/Fam #149
  Jacob Smyer 26 M Blacksmith $300 Real Estate b Catawba Co, NC [b abt 1824]
  Martha Smyer 27 F b Catawba Co, NC [b abt 1823]
  William Smyer 4 M b Catawba Co, NC
  Robert Smyer 2  M b Catawba Co, NC
  Sirous [Cyrus] Smyer 4mos M b Catawba Co, NC
  Davidson Cline 24 M Blacksmith b Catawba Co, NC
  Emeline Hiller 2 F b Catawba Co, NC
  
  The child listed in 1850 as Sirous is reported by genealogies as Cyrus Jerome.  In the 1860 census, the entry is only initials, but the second initial looks like an I, with no tail below the line, not like other clear Js on the page.  After the 1850 census, sometime before the birth of Catharine in about 1850, Jacob and Martha moved across the border into South Carolina where the next three children were born.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Texas County, Missouri, 16 June, Morris Township, PO Houston, page 76, Hse #484, Fam #453
  J A Smyer 36 M Farmer $1000 Real Estate $965 Personal Estate  born North Carolina [born abt 1824]
  Martha S Smyer 37 F North Carolina [born abt 1823]
  Wm P Smyer 14 F born North Carolina [born abt 1846]
  R A Smyer 12 M born North Carolina [born abt 1848]
  C I (J?) 10 M born North Carolina [born abt 1850]
  Catharine E Smyer 7 F born South Carolina [born abt 1853]
  J F Smyer 5 M born South Carolina [born abt 1855]
  J R Smyer 3 M born South Carolina [born abt 1857]
  Sarah E Smyer 1 F born South Carolina [born abt 1859]
  
  The date of marriage for Jacob Smyer and his second Margaret Eddy.Rust is transcribed by Ancestry.com as 6 Oct 1866.  Genealogies report the date as 6 Oct 1863.  But the record is so faded I cannot find her entry on the page of several entries, and cannot read any entry on the page.  No genealogy has cited a source record for marriage and death records for Jacob or Margaret.  In light of the reports of Robert Rust's death in 1862, the 1863 date is attractive.  The transcriptions at Ancestry.com have a high percentage of error.
  
  Missouri Marriage Records
  Margaret Rust
  Marriage 6 Oct 1866 Texas County, Missouri
  Spouse Jacob Sinyeis [Smyer]
  

Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
  • Jerry Jensen, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/24606137/person/1540819857?ssrc=&ftm=1
• 2. 1850 Federal Census, Catawba County, North Carolina
  • 28 July, page 542 (274), Hse/Fam #149
• 3. US and International Marriage Records
• 4. 1860 Federal Census, Texas County, Missouri
  • 16 June, Morris Township, PO Houston, page 76, Hse #484, Fam #453
• 5. Ancestry Trees
  • Mitchell, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/5221627/person/-506491716?ssrc=&ftm=1
• 6. Missouri Marriage Records, 1805-2002