The James Thomas Smith Family - Part 6

Catherine Ann “Kitty” Jenkins

February 1831 – December 28, 1902

         Catherine Ann Jenkins was the daughter of Benjamin S. Jenkins (1804-1874) and Elizabeth Tichenor Humphrey (1804-1877).  Ben Shacklett Jenkins, born 1804 in Meade (Hardin) County, Kentucky married Elizabeth T. Humphrey in 1829.  They met when she came from Burkesvillle, Kentucky for a visit with her uncle, George Humphrey, who had married Benjamin’s sister, Barbara Jenkins."

         Catherine Ann (Kitty) Jenkins was named after her grandmother, Catherine Emerson of Cumberland County, Kentucky, daughter of John Emerson, R. S. soldier and War of 1812. Catherine Emerson married (1) Abijah Humphrey, January 5, 1801 in Green Co. KY (now Cumberland Co. KY); she married second Henry Maynard about 1809.

         Kitty Ann was born in Meade County, Kentucky in February 1831, and died December 28, 1902 in Ohio County, Kentucky.  She married Thomas Smith (Jr.) on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1848.   

        They moved to Ohio County, Kentucky with Kitty Ann's parents about 1855. Benjamin Shacklett Jenkins was living in Meade County when the 1850 census was taken; but living in Ohio County in the 1860 census (to be found under name of "Jinkins" instead of "Jenkins".  He apparently moved his family from Meade to Ohio County about 1855-1856.

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        Life dealt Kitty Ann (Jenkins) Smith, 31, who was pregnant, a hard blow when her husband was captured by the Rebels on New Year's Day at Borah's Ferry in 1862 when Thomas and his squad were captured and carried off by Rebels to a prison in Maryland.  Thomas died and she was left with five children to raise, and also a farm to run, to try to survive throughout the rest of the war.

        On July 4, 1867, Kitty Ann, at age 36, married a second time to James Willaby, Book J, p. 361, Ohio Co. Mg. records.  She was dealt still another hard blow when she learned that James Willaby was already married, and therefore, was a bigamist.  She had the marriage annulled within a month.

         On October 20, 1873, she was married for a third time, at age 42 to Franklin Williams as recorded in Book S, p. 394.  He had a number of children and for some reason the marriage did not work out.  My grandmother told me she remembered seeing him come down the road with all his children and his things loaded in his wagon.  She said she felt sorry for him.  This would have been in the 1890s, I think.

         Land Sale:  Book 7, p. 439, Ohio Co. KY May 13, 1887 - Kitty A. Williams (at age 56) and Eliza E. Smith to James T. Smith, 30 acres of land which we now live on...to a stone on the original corner of James T. Smith.  James T. Smith was then 31 years of age.

         Kitty A. "Williams" was listed in the 1900 census at Cromwell, Ohio Co., KY with her daughter, Eliza E. Keown,  age 46, and Eliza's husband, Joseph Keown, age 47,  all born Kentucky.

         (Kitty Ann (Jenkins) Smith Williams was listed on the same census pages (1900) as Charles and Fidella Sanders and also James W. Cox and his second wife, Rebecca Patterson).  Kitty Ann said she was the mother of five children, four of whom were living.  The youngest, John Fulton, had died in 1897.

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       The Hartford Herald, dated January 7, 1903, under Select, says:

           "Mrs. Kitty Smith, better known as "Aunt Kitty" died the 28th ult. of old age and diseases incident thereto, and was buried at the graveyard near Luther Rogers the 29th." 

At her death, she was 71 years of age.  My grandmother said the paper got the cemetery wrong, and that her grandmother was buried at the Brickhouse Cemetery.

         Grandmother's Day Book gives the husband of Sallie Smith as Grant Young, and his death as occurring on September 25, 1928.

         The obituary of Sallie C. Smith (tho paper says Sallie E. Smith) lists a surviving sister, Eliza McIntyre of Frankfort, KY.)  Someone had given the wrong information and the paper was in error. This should have been the “daughter” not “sister” of Sallie C. Smith.

          Grandmother's Day Book lists death of Eliza Smith Keown as August 22, 1905 (which I took to be Eliza Elizabeth Smith, daughter of  Kittie Ann. JB)  It turned out that Eliza McIntyre was Sallie’s daughter, not her sister, still living in Frankfort in 1930. 

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Thanks to Janice Brown for this post.