My Genealogy Hound

REV. A. P. SMITH, a farmer and minister, residing near Petersburg, was born at New Philadelphia, Ohio, December 27, 1855, son of John T. and Mary A. (Brown) Smith. The father was born in Virginia, October 26, 1827, and moved to Ohio with his father, who had been a large slave-holder in Virginia. Not believing in slavery, however, he sold his negroes and moved to Ohio, where he followed merchandising, and died in 1872. A. P.’s mother was born at New Philadelphia. Her maternal grandparents were Stephens by name, and belonged to the nobility of England. On their voyage to America their daughter formed the acquaintance of a gentleman by the name of Brown, and married him, although her parents were strongly opposed to the union. A. P. Smith’s mother was the result of this union. She died in 1874. Our subject graduated from the New Philadelphia High School in 1875, and completed his education in the Vanderbilt University at Nashville. December 22, 1882, he married Carrie, daughter of D. R. and Jane (Greer) Smith. The father was born in Virginia in 1814, moved to Lincoln County, Tenn., in 1838, and was married when about twenty- seven years of age. He was a merchant and farmer, and died July 4, 1865. The mother was born in 1825, and died June 1, 1878. Their five children still retain an interest in the home farm. J. B. resides in St. Louis, Mo., and J. G., Virginia, Carrie and B. B. reside at or near the old home. In 1878 A. P. Smith entered the Tennessee Conference as a Methodist Episcopal minister, and in 1880 entered the editorial profession, and edited the Upper Cumberland, a Democratic paper but four years later disposed of it, and engaged in agriculture. He is a local minister and delivers many lectures in favor of temperance. His brother, John, lives in Janesville, Iowa, and his sister, Ola (Mrs. W. H. Morgan), is clerk of the State Senate and Alice is the wife of Clark Cook, of Lebanon.