Descendants of John Smith, Sr
Descendants of John Smith, Sr. Generation No. 1 1. COLONEL JOHN1 SMITH, SR. was born 1698 in England, and died 1776 in Smithland, Rockingham, VA. He married MARGARET 1719 in Ulster, Ireland. She was born 1700 in Holland, and died 1774 in Smithland, Rockingham, VA. Notes for COLONEL JOHN SMITH, SR.: "Capt. John Smith born 1698, in England, settled with his parents in Province of Ulster, Ireland; is said to have been a Colonel of the British Army, and married in 1719 to Margaret, immigrated to America about 1730 with his wife & children, settled, 1st in Chester Co. PA about 1740 moved with the McDowells and others, to what is now Augusta Co. VA, then Orange Co. and on 26 Jun 1740 proved the importance of himself, his wife Margaret, & their sons Abraham, Henry, Daniel, John & Joseph from the colony of Pennsylvania 26 Jun 1742, John Smith qualified at Orange Court House as Captain of the Militia for Augusta Co. As a protection against the inroads of Indians. He had several crude forts, or block houses, constructed in the Valley, one of which was in the county of Botetourt, on the James River, where Pattonsburg was subsequently located. These forts became the scene of memorable events. Capt. John Smith, with 17 men, held a fort called Vaux’s Fort or Fort Vause/Vass/Vance/ Vaus, which was located on the headwaters of the Roanoke River, about 10 miles from where Christianburg now stands. This fort was attacked by a large number of French soldiers & Shawnee Indians. After a brave resistance for 3 days, the garrison agreed to surrender the fort, upon stipulation allowing them to return to their homes.
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