John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 705

On this day in English history (September 14), there was much concern in 1752.  The English government decreed that September 14 would be the last day for the Julian calendar, and that the following day the Gregorian calendar would be used.  This meant a loss of eleven days, because the Julian calendar was running late in 1752 by that amount.  There was much unrest because some people thought they were losing eleven days from their lives.  We usually refer to the Julian calendar as old style (OS) and to the Gregorian calendar as new style (NS).  The Catholic countries had adopted the new style calender more than a century before this but the Protestant countries were reluctant to follow the lead of the Pope.  Most of the German principalities had adopted the new calendar.

The following material is taken from a note by Harriet Stewart, with her permission, and should be compared to Note 703 :

Mary Smith, daughter of William Downing Smith, and his wife, Diana Yager Smith, married Jonas Blankenbaker.  Our family information says they were both born and married in Madison Co. VA.  We list the following children:

1. Franklin Finks b. 6-20-1829, d. 3-30-1904, m. Elizabeth Kingsbury 1853;
   
2. Catherine b. 1-20-1831, d. 1-7-1918, m. John R. Chancellor 1850;
   
3. Andrew b.10-6-1832, d. 2-3-1914, m. Emaline Kingsbury 1855;
   
4. Alice Palmyra b. 9-20-1834, d. 9-18-1879 m. John W. Lee 1852;
   
5. Jennie (Virginia) b. 4-9-1836, d. 5-16-1891 m. Wm. Cooper Chancellor 1854;
   
6. Matilda b. about 1843 m. Marcellus R. Mirick;
   
7. Jonas Nelson b. 12-5-1847, d.8-24-1851 of Cholera;
   
8. Louisa T. b. 6-3-1839, d. 8-28-1851 of Cholera;
   
9. Martha E. b. 6-22-1840, d. 9-20-1851 of Cholera.

Jonas, the father, also died of Cholera, which hit the New Franklin families very hard.  They are buried at Clark Chapel, New Franklin, Howard Co., MO.  Mary was a sister to my ancestor, William Jefferson Smith.  Their mother, Diana, and many of the family are also buried here.  The Lilburn Kingsbury Collection , at the University of Missouri Western Historical Manuscript Collection, and the State Historical Society of Missouri Manuscripts at Columbia, MO, have a lot of information about the Smith and related families.  [ Harriet Stewart .]