A Genealogy Hunt

17 January 2010

Afternoon,

And no I do not ever stop.

Today’s record transcription is somewhat of a “find”. Maybe a successful discovery… And then again, maybe just another bunch of Smiths and circumstantial and coincidental evidence in my unending search for my ancestral connections. Okay here goes…

The record is one I found in the microfilm FHL [1563328] in Item 3 – Grenada Register of Records 1797-1817 (v. G2-R2).

It appears to be a document of one James Smith, a Weaver, from Logie in the County of Perth in Scotland. He is assigning his power of attorney to a Mr. George Wilson, a Merchant from Grenada, to act on his behalf regarding the search and discovery of the estates of his deceased brother William Smith, a Merchant from Grenada, and of his son, that is James Smith’s son, James Smith. (It really does get sort of confusing.) It seems that his brother William Smith died sometime before the 26th of December 1797 and that his son, again that is James Smith’s son James Smith, passed away prior to William Smith. And the further complication is that this document was entered into the Grenada Register of Records on the 7th of June 1803 five-and-a-half years later.

Based on the evidence and data provided in this record I have attempted to create a Possible, (and that’s Possible with a capital P), Descendant Chart of this Smith Family.

I then have superimposed my own Smith genealogy starting with my ggg-grandfather James Smith and continuing with his son, gg-grandfather James, Jr, and his grandson my g-grandfather William James. My purpose is to see if there may be some sort of “visual continuity” that may stand out.

All-things-being-equal, the Descendant Chart that I have constructed is a possibility, but as you can see from the Chart I have made sure that I have included a physical red break which means that I am only presenting a possibility. I do not; at this time have any definitive or conclusive evidence that this is my complete genealogy. I am only examining to see if there are those things or points of facts that may make this a possibility or not a possibility.

And the images of the 1803 Record –

My transcription –

520
Entered 7th June 1803
Kno all Men by these presents that I James Smith Weaver
in Logie in the Parish of Logie and County of Perth: Whereas William
Smith of the Island of Grenada Merchant died lately without iʃsue and
whereas James Smith late of St. Georges in the same Island according to the
best of my Information died sometime before the said William Smith who
is supposed to have received and appropriated to himself any subject left by
(only remaining Brother of the said deceased William Smith and Father of the said James Smith)
him the said James therefore, I the said James Smith ↑ Do by these presents
make notice? constitute authorize and Appoint Mr George Wilson of Saint
Georges in the Island of Grenada aforesaid Merchant to be my true and lawful
Attorney for me to appear in the Court of Ordinary Before the Ordinary of the
said Island of Grenada and to pray and procure Letters of Administration of
_____ and Singular the Goods Chattels and Credits of the said William Smith my
Brother deceased and also of the said James Smith my son, whether the _____
_____ object? of the Letter be _____ from or joined with that of the former? for

and
521
And unto my sole use and benefit and to do perform and Ex-
excute everything requisite in the premises as fully and Effectually to all Intents
and purposes and I could do if personally present: Or if the said Mr. George
Wilson shall discover, that the said William and James Smith or either of them
did make a Testament or nominate any person or persons to be their or either of their
Executors; In that Event I do hereby make name constitute authorize and appoint
the said Mr. George Wilson to be my true and lawful Attorney, for me and
in my Name and behalf and to and for my use and behalf to call such
Executors or any of them to account for their Management and to Cause
them to Exhibit just and accurate Accounts of the Estates of the said William
and James Smith or either of them who may have named Executors and
to recover and receive of and from the said Executors all Debts and Sums
of Money where? available? or should hereafter become due to the Estate of the said
deceased William Smith and of the said deceased James Smith, whether
_____ or joined with that of William Smith on or by Virtue of any Mortgage
or Security granted to them or either of them or by or in any Bond Bill account
or otherwise and also any Rents or arrears of Rent which were due for or in
respect of any Lands Tenements Hereditaments _____ which belonged to them
or either of them and upon receipt of all or any part of the said Debts and
Sums of Money Rents and Arrears of Rent from the said Executors suffi-
cient Acquittances and discharges for the same, for me and in my
Name to make Seal and deliver and in case of the said Executors responding?
to account and exhibit states of their Management, and to make payment
of what recovered by them to commence? and prosecute all such Action and
Actions at law as shall be judged neceʃsary and requisite for causing them?
so to do and in general to do perform and Execute all and every such
further and other lawful and reasonable Acts Deeds Matters and things
whatsoever expected? and needful and requisted for the purposes hereinbefore _____ and of
fully and Effectually as I could do if personally present Ratifying and
Confirming and hereby promising to ratify attend? and compare? all and
whatsoever my said Attorney shall lawfully do or cause to be done in the _____
premises by Virtue of these presents In Witneʃs whereof I have hereunto
set my Hand and seal the twenty sixth day of December In the Year of
Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety seven.

James Smith (LS)
Sealed and delivered (being first }
duly stamped) In presence of

James Chrystal Attorney at Law Sterling
Peter Grant Clerk to the said James Chrystal
522
James Chrystal of the Burgh of Sterling in Scotland Attorney
at Law Maketh Oath and saith that he this Deponent together with Peter
Grant his Clerk did see James Smith Weaver in Logie in the Parish of Logie
and County of Perth sign seal and as his Act and Deed deliver in due form
of Law the Deed Poll? or? Letter of Attorney hereunto prefixed bearing date
the twenty sixth day of December Current and purporting to be a Letter of
Attorney from the said James Smith to Mr. George Wilson of Saint Georges in
the Island of Grenada Merchant for the purposes therein mentioned and this
Deponent further saith that the Name “James Smith” set and subscribed to
the said Deed Poll? or Letter of Attorney is of the proper Hand writing of the said James
Smith party hereto and that the Names “James Chrystal” “Peter Grant” subscribed
as Witneʃes to the Execution of the said Deed Poll or Letter of Attorney are of the respective
proper handwriting of the said Peter Grant and of this Deponent

James Chrystal
Sworn at the Burgh of Sterling in Scotland the }
twenty sixth day of December in the Year One thousand seven }
hundred and ninety seven Before me John Glas Esquire }
Lord Provost and Chief Magistrate of the said Burgh. }

John Glas
To all to whom these Presents shall come I John Glas Esquire,
Lord Provost of the Burgh of Sterling in Scotland Do hereby Certify that on the day
of the date hereof personally came and appeared before me James Chrystal the
Deponent named in the prefixed Affidavit being a person well known and worthy
&? Good Credit and by solemn Oath which the said Deponent then took before
me upon the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God did solemnly and sincerely
declare testify and dipose to be true the several Matters and things contained in
the said Annexed Affidavit.
LS

In Faith and Testimony whereof I the said Lord Provost
have caused the Seal of the said Burg of Sterling to be hereunto
put and Affixed and the Letter of Attorney mentioned in and
refered to by the said Affidavit to be hereunto also annexed Dated
the twenty sixth day of December in the Year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and ninety seven.
Sterling

John Glas
James Edmond and George Edmond of the Burgh of Sterling in Scotland

Merchants
523
Merchants being both and _____ of them solemnly sworn and _____
make Oath and say that those Deponents knew and were well acquainted
with William Smith formerly an Apprentice to the above named James and
Edmond but late of the Town of St. Georges in the Island of Grenada Merchants now
reported to be deceased and with James Smith of the same Place who was other?
Nephew to the said William Smith and also reported to be deceased That they
these Deponents are well acquainted with James Smith in the Parish of Logie
within the County of Perth Weaver and have known and been intimately acquainted with
him the said James Smith for thirty Years past that the said James Smith is
and ever since ? the Deponents knew him were acknowledged _____ and reputed to be?
the _____ and now the only surviving Brother of the said William Smith deceased
and the lawfull? father? of the said James Smith deceased and to the best of these
Deponents knowledge and belief he the said James Smith of Logie aforesaid
is the true and lawful Heir of the said William Smith and James Smith deceased and
father? these Deponents say _____

James Edmond
George Edmond
Sworn at the Burgh of Sterling Before me John }
Glas Esquire Lord Provost and Chief Magistrate of the }
said Burgh this twenty sixth day of December in }
the Year One thousand seven hundred and ninety seven. }

John Glas.

As you can see from my Descendant Chart there are a number of corresponding coincidences. As I have written, I cannot prove that there is a fixed connection. All I can do at this time is to present that what I have found and that which may or may not be logical. (Hell, I sound like I’m a student of Spock.)

If any of you reading this has any opinion, comment and or addition please feel free to do so or get in touch with me.

Enjoy,

Jim