Your scenario of the father giving up the infant to a sympathetic family is
extremely plausible.  My grandfather did that with his youngest son after
his first wife died.  The family had not been able to have children and had
lost a son recently.  In fact, he promised the family that even when he got
back on his feet, that he would not take the son away from them and the
child grew up as their child even after he married his second wife, my
grandmother. 

Cynthia McDaniel

-----Original Message-----
From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bill Davidson
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 5:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] How Old?

Thanks to all for your feedback...
  
I certainly cannot say that there are NO other possibilities....and I 
continue to look for them all.  One man in this overall Smith family (an 
older/earlier Maurice Smith) moved to King and Queen Co., VA, and since that

is a "burned county," it is tough (if not impossible) to follow all of the 
wives and children in that branch of the family.  Mrs. Sarah (Waller) Smith 
having been the biological mother, however, remains the most likely 
scenario, based on what I KNOW (but "who knows what I don't know")?  The 
widower John Smith had a house full of youngsters/teenagers in 1817, and 
maybe he just could not also care for the new infant (so he gave the infant 
to his relative).  In any case, the search continues.

Thanks again,

Bill Davidson 

:12:00

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