This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Smith, Henderson, Bell Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/Jh.2ADI/1388.2.1.1 Message Board Post: Hi Travis: You may not remember but we communicated a while back re: whether Larkin Smith is really Elijah's father. (I haven't seen the proof). Trying to reconstruct my thought process for Elijah's wife being Lucinda Henderson, not Lucinda Walker--- 1. I did an analysis of the Federal Census records for an Elijah Smith in the 1830 and 1840 Virginia Census Books (Elijah's census records always show him born in Virginia): Only one close to showing the same family structure as our Elijah is in 1830 book as Elijah Smith of Augusta County, showing 1 male under 5, 1 female under 5 (possible older sister of William J.), male and female adults the right age, between 25-30, and one female slave, age between 10-24. Other counties except for Lewis are completely off. Parents in Lewis County's Elijah are too old by at least ten years. 1840 Virginia index still shows the Lewis County Elijah still living there, but secondary sources indicate our Elijah moved to Ohio about 1835-36 and was living there until between 1838-1842. No hit on Indiana census book for 1840. 2.I checked the Augusta County Marriage index for the marriage of an Elijah Smith and a Lucinda, and found that Elijah M. Smith married Lucinda Henderson in Augusta County on 16 June 1827 Minister: William C. Morrison (Methodist, Pendleton). . 3. I visited the Brown County, Indiana clerk's office a few years back and looked up what death records I could for the Smith family. William Jackson Smith's (Elijah's oldest son's) death record shows that his mother's maiden name was Henderson. I was not able to find Elijah's death record--or Lucinda's. The only reference to Lucinda being a Walker is in the book, Hamblen and Allied Families, but no source is quoted. I have not been back to look yet for the marriage record of Elijah and his second wife, Mary E. Bell, married 2 Dec 1875, allegedly in Brown County. Hope this helps.