I have been searching what seems like forever about MARIA NICHOLSON b. circa 1800 in New York d. 28 Dec 1824 in Brooklyn NY buried at Greenwood Cemetery NSC (not sure what the NSC is) who married WILLIAM MARION SMITH JR B. 1819 in Brooklyn NY. Cirlot states in his research that MARIA is the daughter of NAVAL CAPTAIN JOHN B NICHOLSON b. 1783 in Richmond VA. & Mary ?? Who is also the 4th Lieutenant of the U. S. Frigate UNITED STATES appointed 20 May 1812 in the Mediterrean at the capture of "The Macedonian"; 1st Lieutenant of the PEACOCK, appointed April 1814; was a commander 5 Mar 1817; Captain 24 Apr 1828; Commodore of the INDEPENDENCE 20 May 1837. He was under command to cousin CAPTAIN DANIEL TODD PATTERSON. Patterson, Nicholson & Edward Livingston - cousins, were in New Orleans during the War of 1812. He was also an intimate friend to Washington Irving. (Some of this information I retained from "Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography VIII - Prominent Persons" pg 201 Index M -S pg 375 & also from the "Dictionary of American Fighting Ships" www.hazegray.org/ & also from "A General Register of the Navy & Marine Corps of the United States" www.history.navy.mil/wars/war1812/ CAPTAIN JOHN B. NICHOLSON is the son of NAVAL COMMANDER SAMUEL NICHOLSON b. 1743 in Kent Co MD d. 29 Dec 1813 in Charlestown MA & MARY DOWSE baptized 14 May 1758 in Christ Church Boston MA. Naval Commander Samuel Nicholson was of course the Captain of "The Constitution"; major in the Marine Corps; Captain & Lieutenant of "Bon Homme Richard"; Command of & owner of the "Dolphin" & Deane" & Commander of the Navy Yard in Charlestown MA. He is buried at the Old North Church in Boston MA. Samuel was the 1st Captain of the Constitution " during the Revolution. Samuel wrote to Capt. Joseph Hynson, 9 Feb 1777, while in London to meet him in Dover; he purchased a cutter Dolphin". While being the Commandant of the Charlestown MA Navy Yard, he died, being the senior officer of the Navy. MARY DOWSE was a niece of SIR JOHN TEMPLE. NAVAL COMMANDER SAMUEL NICHOLSON b. 1743 in Kent Co MD d. 29 Dec 1813 in Charlestown MA father & mother was COL. JOSEPH NICHOLSON b. 6 Aug 1709 in Chestertown MD d. 1787 Kent Co MD son of WILLIAM NICHOLSON b. 1666 in England & ELIZABETH BURGESS b. 1687 in MD & HANNAH SMITH b. 14 Mar 1708 & died 1765 daughter of CAPTAIN JAMES SMITH & SARAH HYNSON COL JOSEPH NICHOLSON & HANNAH SMITH children were as follows: 1. Joseph Nicholson Jr b. 1733 Kent Co MD d. 1786 Queen Anne's Co MD m. 1757 Elizabeth Hopper 2. Commodore-in-Chief James Nicholson b. 1737 in Chestertown MD d. 1804 in Greenwich NY m. 1763 Frances Witter 3. Naval Commander Samuel Nicholson b. 1743 in Kent Co MD d 1813 in Charlestown MA m. Mary Dowse 4. Elizabeth Nicholson c. 1749 in Kent Co MD d between 1783 & 1787 m. Charles Gordon 5. Thomas Nicholson b. abt 1755 in Chestertown MD d 1817 m 1774 Rachel Ridgely & 1799 Catherine Hutchins 6. Captain John Nicholson b. 1756 Kent Co MD d. 1844 7. Judge Benjamin Nicholson b. bef 1765 in Chestertown MD d. 1792 in Baltimore MD m. abt 1791 to Mary Ridgely This is what I have on William Marion Smith b. 1866 d 1917 who married Minerva Whatley. (with some help, of course) William & Minerva were either separated or divorced. His father was William Martin Smith b. 1824 d. 1902, mother was Martha Ann Moore b. 1840 d. 1887. William Martin Smith b. 1824 d 1902 father was William Marion Smith b. 1798 d. 1829. It is said that after his wife's death, he left William with the grandmother (I'm assuming his mother due to this last letter). The last letter received from William Marion to his mother was that there was cholera on board. William Martin ran away at about the age of 12. Then he finally shows up in Texas. I'm having a hard time finding him during these years. After his 1st wife, M. Elizabeth Chandler d. 12 Feb 1856 in Waco TX died from her clothes catching fire (she was also with child), William shows up on the Valentine Moore's plantation working as a foreman. This is where he meets his 2nd wife, Martha Ann Moore. There is adoption papers for Martha & siblings before their marriage. William is not the person who adopted them. I'll find my records & let you know who adopted them.