Parents unknown. Not the same as Capt. Christopher "Kit" Smith, III

Disambiguation

Some mis-associated Smith families of colonial era Virginia < link >

The Merchant of Hanover

It is well proven that a Christopher Smith married a Catherine Snelson. A descendant of this family has done yDNA testing. However, there is some disagreement about who this Christopher's father was. I wish to clear up this issue here.

While not definitive, we do have information that this Smith family's crest was a "nag's head and bridle". There are two sources that mention this, one deriving the information from a tea cup that was passed down in their family. We do not find a similar armorial element in the arms of Lawrence Smith. This said, it is not a certainty to exclude relationships based on armorial elements alone, so this bit of information is not conclusive of anything in and of itself.

Earlier published trees had this Christopher descending from a line of Christophers. It usually appears as "Christopher Smith I, II, III" and sometimes a "IV" shows up. The incorrect line of descent is thus:

Christopher Smith m. Elizabeth Townley, and their alleged son was Christopher Smith m. Lydia Broadribb, and sometimes we'll see their son listed as Christopher Smith m. Mary Fairbanks, and then we usually find their son listed as Christopher Smith m. Catherine Snelson.

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Notes

The following notes contributed by Mrs H. S. Snelson, 815 Cherokee Rd, N. E. Gainesville, GA 30501: The Virginia Gazette, 11 April 1740, Ambrose Joshua Smith advertises for a sorrell horse to be brought to Mr. Christopher Smith at Mr. John Snelson's in Hanover Co;:

Tyler’s Quarterly Magazine, vol (?) p. 150, Various grants were made for land in Hanover Co to one Christopher Smith, Merchant. One of these grants dated 28 Sep 1730, gives to Christopher Smith 600 acres on Snelson's Branch of Hollowing Creek in Hanover. This grant states that 400 acres thereof was granted to Charles Snelson and by William Snelson, his son and devisee, to Christopher Smith of said county, by deed acknowledged in Hanover court, 6 Feb 1727. It would appear that Christopher Smith married a daughter of Charles Snelson, and that both emigrated to Virginia. The family statement is that Christopher had a son Charles and a son Ambrose. .

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From http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=smithh2&i...

September 28, 1730, Christopher Smith of Hanover County, VA, Merchant, grant for 600 acres on both sides of Snelson's branch of Hollowing Creek in John White's line, Hanover County, of which 400 acres was granted by patent to Charles Snelson, late of Hanover County, deceased, and was made over by William Snelson, his son and devisee and heir of the said Charles Snelson, to Christopher Smith of said county by deed dated February 6, 1729, 200 acres the residue, was granted to Robert Sercey by patent June 16, 1727 and conveyed to the said Christopher Smith by deed April 2, 1730. Ack. in Hanover County, VA, court February 6, 1727, Hanover County, VA, land patent book 13, page 483.

December 1-2, 1742, John Snelson of St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County, VA, to James Power of St. John's Parish, King William County, Gentleman. For love and friendship he bears the said James Powers, 747 acres in Fredericksville Parish, part of the land granted Christopher Smith, late of Hanover County, VA, deceased., by patent and by him devised to John Snelson by will proved in Hanover County, adjacent. Alexander Freeman, Symmes' line, Major Morris, line between said Power and Mr. John Snelson, Robert Estes' line at the head of Christopher's Run. Louisa County, VA, deed book A, page 1-5.

Christopher Smith and Benajmin Arnold received a grant for 2,400 acres of land in King William County on November 3, 1716 and on the same date petitioned for Board for a grant of 5,000 acres in King William County, VA, which was also granted. Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial Virginia by McIlwaine.

On May 6, 1730, on petition of David Woodruff that Christopher Smith deceased about 13 years ago, surveyed 400 acres of land lying on the East-North-East River in Spottsylvania County, VA, but the said Christopher Smith never in his lifetime, nor his son, Ambrose Joshua Smith, since his decease sued out any patent for the said land and praying that he may leave to enter for the same. It is ordered that Ambrose Joshua Smith, son of the said Christopher Smith, deceased, have notice to attend the board at the next court to show cause when the petitioner ought not to be admitted to an entry for ye land. Virginia Council Journals, Virginia Magazine, v. 36.

Comment s (3) Christophe r Smith & Catherine Marriage Date:.

unm2010added this on 27 Apr 2009.

1700-VA Website: http://www.e-familytree.net/f15353.htm#f134445 .

Ambrose Joshua Smith, son of Christopher Smith & Catherine:

unm2010added this on 27 Apr 2009.

Ambrose Joshua Smith was one of the first Gentleman Justices of the Louisa County VA Court – From Smiths of VA, p. 84. .

Christopher Smith Sr. and Christopher Smith Jr .

unm2010added this on 27 Apr 2009

Christopher Smith Sr. and Christopher Smith Jr. listed in Surry Co, VA list of tithables 1698 and Christopher Sr listed in 1688, 1678, 1674 - ref Colonial Surry by John Bennett Boddie. .

Christopher A. SMITH – © 2021
REGARDING THE CHRISTOPHER SMITH, MERCHANT OF HANOVER CO, VA

https://smithgenealogy.org/2021/10/11/regarding-the-christopher-smi...

October 11, 2021

Christopher Smith m. Catherine Snelson, parents of Ambrose Joshua Smith.

VIRGINIA MIGRATIONS – HANOVER COUNTY
By Eugenia G. Glazebrook, Preston G. Glazebrook

These Smiths appears to have been related to a John Smith of Gould Hill, Hanover County, Virginia.

I believe the information published in SmithsWorldWide.org group R-M269-8 is incorrect, specifically this tree of Brooke Smith’s (trace his Smith line back to the Smith/Snelson family and you’ll find Smith/Fairbanks and Smith/Townley affixed, in my opinion, incorrectly). I also find that Christopher Smith’s father was a Charles Smith based on the court records. Brooke insists that Christopher’s father was another Christopher Smith and I believe this to be errant.

That is all.

-Chris

Disambiguation

Some mis-associated Smith families of colonial era Virginia < link >

The Merchant of Hanover

It is well proven that a [Christopher Smith married a Catherine Snelson]. A descendant of this family has done yDNA testing. However, there is some disagreement about who this Christopher's father was. I wish to clear up this issue here.

While not definitive, we do have information that this Smith family's crest was a "nag's head and bridle". There are two sources that mention this, one deriving the information from a tea cup that was passed down in their family. We do not find a similar armorial element in the arms of Lawrence Smith. This said, it is not a certainty to exclude relationships based on armorial elements alone, so this bit of information is not conclusive of anything in and of itself.

Earlier published trees had this Christopher descending from a line of Christophers. It usually appears as "Christopher Smith I, II, III" and sometimes a "IV" shows up. The incorrect line of descent is thus:

Christopher Smith m. Elizabeth Townley, and their alleged son was Christopher Smith m. Lydia Broadribb, and sometimes we'll see their son listed as Christopher Smith m. Mary Fairbanks, and then we usually find their son listed as Christopher Smith m. Catherine Snelson.

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References

1. Tyler's Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Volumes 3-4. edited by Lyon Gardiner Tyler. Page 150. < GoogleBooks >
2. https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Christopher_Smith_%2812%29
3. http://www.smithsworldwide.org/smtestcompareg.asp?grouping=GRP-R1b-8 Smith DNA Family Project: Matched Grouping R1b-8. YDNA Haplogroup R1b1a2
4. https://smithgenealogy.org/2021/10/11/regarding-the-christopher-smi...
5. https://www.smithsworldwide.org/tng/getperson.php?personID=I19526&t...
6. WikiTree contributors, "Christopher Smith (abt.1670-1739)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smith-1380 : accessed 20 April 2025).