John Blankenbaker's Germanna History Notes

Note 1371

Zachariah Smith was the son of J. Michael Smith (Jr.), and was possibly born around 1735.  He died in Mercer Co., KY, about 1816.  He married Ann Elizabeth Fishback, the daughter of John Frederick Fishback and his wife, Ann Elizabeth Holtzclaw.  Therefore, Ann Elizabeth Fishback had two ancestors in the First Germanna Colony.  There is a record that Zachariah and Ann Elizabeth were sponsors for the baptism of a child in 1767.  Ann Elizabeth probably died not too long after this time.  When Zachariah sold land in 1777, his wife was Sarah Ann.  Zachariah and his second wife, Sarah Ann, were probably married around 1770, for they had a daughter who married William Smith in 1788.  The parentage of Sarah Ann is not proven.

There is a record that Zacharias raised a crop of corn in 1776, in Kentucky Co., KY (later Lincoln Co., KY, and finally Mercer Co., KY), and took out land rights in 1779-80.  Zacharias served in the Revolutionary War, in a detachment of Lincoln Co. militia, under the command of Ensign John Smith, who may have been his brother.  These records are identical to those of Jacob Holtzclaw, the son of the 1714 colonist, who married Susanna, daughter of John Thomas, Jr.  Susanna was Zacharias' first cousin, as John Thomas, Jr., and Anna Magdalena Thomas Smith were brother and sister.

A series of deeds in Kentucky furnishes some clues as to the children of Zacharias.  By his first wife, Ann Elizabeth Fishback:

  1. William Smith (he left seven children),
  2. Elizabeth Smith, m. Capt. Henry Grider of Swiss Mennonite descent,
  3. Mary Smith, m. William Powell,
  4. Jesse Smith, m. Joanna Pendleton.
  1. Zachariah Smith, Jr., m. Elizabeth,
  2. Peter Smith, m. Elizabeth,
  3. Jeremiah Smith, m. Polly,
  4. James Smith, m. Margaret,
  5. Samuel Smith,
  6. Abraham Smith, m. Nancy,
  7. Sally Smith m.1) a cousin, William Smith, and m.2) Uriah Taylor.  Since Sally Smith had a daughter who was married in 1788, Sally was probably one of the older children of the second marriage.  (Zachariah Smith and Elijah Holtzclaw were on the marriage bond.)  This continues to show the close connection of the Smiths and Holtzclaws.
  8. Mildred Smith m. Joseph Fisher.
  9. Nancy Smith m. Robert Ragan.

We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.