Re: Smoot/Burroughs Maryland relationships
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In reply to:
Smoot/Burroughs Maryland relationships
Susanne Simms 12/09/02
Susanne,
I may have some information. I have recently started looking into the Smoot line ( my mother's side ) and have run across some type of relationship between the two families. My ggg grandfather was John Henry Smoot who lived in Georgetown and was born 1820 until 1891. In the 1860's during the Civil War, he was in the dry goods business in Washington with a John Richard Burroughs. The business was called Smoot and Burroughs, and was located at 119 Bridge St. (now M St). I got this info from the Hutchison Washington and Georgetown city directory from that time.
It gets more interesting though. John Henry Smoot purchased a lot in Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown in 1855. This is where many Smoots were buried until 1972. But in 1855 and1856 there are two Burroughs males buried in the family plot, William and James F six months apart. Then in 1880 John Richard Burroughs is buried there. This is the one that had been in business with John Henry.
I also have a copy of the 1860 census showing that JR Burrows ( the census taker probably just spelled it out without asking) living with John Henry as head of household. The age of JR matches up with the one that would have been buried in the family plot. The 1880 census shows Maria and Georgia Smoot living with John Henry, and references them as nieces, born in Missouri. This has got to be the same Georgia from the 1870 census - ages and place of birth match.
I have a copy of a family tree my grandfather started. Haven't confirmed a lot of it yet, but some of this is starting to make sense. Rachel Block married William Barton Smoot. Richard Burroughs was his brother in law after he married CAROLINE SMOOT. Looks like this is probably your connection. They were both brothers in law of the John Henry Smoot I am currently researching. Rachel had 3 daughters, one of which died in childhood and the other two were Georgia and Maria.
The family tree does show 3 children I believe are from the Richard you reference - Mollie, Richard and the John William you mention. Do you know anything about the other two?
I will be working on John Henry for a while, trying to dig up anything I can find. If you have any info from that time period, I would be interested in it as mt may shed some light on the Smoot side. If you run across anything with the business, that would be great. I know this was a long email. Hope we can help each other.Looking forward to hearing from you.
Andy
P.S. Do you have anything particulars on the marriage of Richard and Caroline?