THE SMOCKS AND HARDIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS Pioneer Family In 1948 I married Anita Joyce of Delray Beach, FL whose father, Rurie Ambler SMOCK was raised in Cave In Rock, Hardin Co., IL. His parents were Thomas Jerry and May Lillian (Evertson) SMOCK. At that time I was not familiar with the SMOCK family genealogy. Fortunately, Anita had collected a good deal of family data. So after Anita died, I undertook to get a to expand the understanding of her ancestry for our two sons. To do so it was important to understand the history of the area where the SMOCK ancestry lived. The region of southern current day Illinois was being settled before there was an Illinois Territory. When IL Territory was established from Indiana Territory in 1809 the SMOCK family was already settled in the area of Cave in Rock, then Randolph Co. From before 1810 to today the SMOCK name has been present in the succession of counties that were subsequently created--Gallatin Co. (1812), Pope Co. (1816), and Hardin Co. (1839). Each contained, in turn, the community of Cave in Rock which had become the family seat of the SMOCK family. In the USC 1810 the only SMOCK family in Randolph Co. was that of C. SMOCK (himself, wife and 11 others). In 1818 and 1820 the only SMOCK family was that of "Widow" SMOCK and by 1830 the "Sarah" SMOCK family remained the only family of that surname in the region. The census evidence supports a conclusion that this was the same SMOCK family and that C. SMOCK had died before the IL State census of 1818. It was the USC 1840 Hardin Co., IL that revealed a family expansion with Hiram, Barney and Alfred SMOCK established in separate households. In Hiram's household is an elderly female who most probably is Sarah as she lived to age 78, dying in Hardin Co. in 1850. Analysis of the three families shows that their heads of household are brothers and sons of Sarah SMOCK. Further it was determined that Hiram was born in 1800 in KY while Barney and Alfred were born in IL (1808 and 1810 respectively). This means that the family came to the southern IL region from KY after 1800 and before 1808 while the area was still part of the Indiana Territory. Seeking the origin of C. SMOCK, the clue was to look at the 1800 Census of KY. Such a search lead to Bullitt Co., KY in 1800 where there is a Cornelius SMOCK (C. SMOCK) with a young family. Cornelius was b. in 1772 in PA and came to Mercer Co., KY as a young boy with his parents, Barent/Barney and Antje/Ann (Cozine) SMOCK. Cornelius' marriage has not been found though it is clear that he married in KY. A search for Cornelius in KY and IN after 1800 was unfruitful. This leads to the probability that Cornelius is C. SMOCK of Randolph Co., IL Terr in 1810. C. SMOCK did not live long as his wife, Sally (Sarah), was a widow by 1816. She applied for probate in Gallatin Co., IL Terr. that year. Unfortunately, the probate record itself has not been located. Sarah is carried as "Widow" SMOCK in 1818 IL State Census and in USC 1820 IL. The composition of SMOCK family changed from 1810 (7 males and 6 females) to 1820 (10 males and 3 females). We know that C. SMOCK died (c1816) thus the increase in males was a net of 4 while the females decreased by 3. The decrease of females can be explained by marriage or death, but the male increase requires some examination. Two of the males were born in the 10 year interval. The new infants may or may not be SMOCKs. The older two males were new unidentified adult males introduced into the family household. Most likely these two were not SMOCKs by name, but husbands or hired hands. So far I have been able to identify three of the six male children in the 1810 family. They are Hiram (1800 KY), Barney (1808 IL) and Alfred (1810 IL). There is a fourth name, Casper, who in 1830 is found in AR with Barney and Alfred. Casper is a candidate, but not a proven member of this SMOCK clan although his age category in 1830 AR (20-30) would fit with the SMOCK's 1820 census enumeration in IL. There is no further record of Casper, so it must be pre sumed that he died in AR. In USC 1850 Hiram and Alfred are still in Hardin Co., IL while Barney is in Pulaski Co., IL. A new SMOCK is introduced, Thomas SMOCK 28 (b. c1822) with no wife, but with three minor children. In the 1850 Mortuary Schedule of Hardin CO., IL is listed a Polly SMOCK, married, 21, who died in Jan 1850. This is presumed to be Thomas' wife. Thomas remarried in about 1853 to Mary, daughter of William and Elizabeth SIMMONS. In USC 1860 Thomas had in his household in addition to his own family an Alfred SMOCK, 17, who was the son of Hiram who died in 1857. This seems to confirm a family relationship between Thomas (1821) and Hiram (1800). Because no marriage is found for Hiram before 1837, it is not likely Hiram was Thomas' father, although it remains a possibility. In 1852 another new player appears by the name of Madison SMOCK, b. 1836 AR, who m. Lavina HOLLOMAN. Investigation identifies Madison as Martin Madison (Matt) SMOCK. Madison seems to have been born while Barney and Casper were in AR, Alfred having returned to IL by 1832. In USC 1880 Hardin Co., IL, Madison is shown to have parents born in IL. Since the bulk of Madison's adult life was spent in Hardin Co., IL, it is most likely that his parents were from the same IL area. The question is who were they? The partial answer has been found in Madison's death certificate which identifies his father as Barney SMOCK. His mother is not further identified. Thomas (1821-1902) who entered the picture in the 1850 Census was long time SMOCK resident of Hardin Co., but whose parents have not been identified. I am in hopes that there is a source of family knowledge in the County that can unlock the mystery of the parentage of Thomas SMOCK. It seems that all the SMOCKs of Hardin Co., IL are descendants of C. and Sarah SMOCK who as pioneers came to the area before 1808 from KY. Should anyone want to enlighten me about their SMOCK connections I would welcome the information. Best regards, Hugh Email <[email protected]>