One of the most challenging parts of family history research is sorting out people who share the same name. In my own family tree, I descend from four different men named Abraham Smith. They fall into two father–son pairs, belonging to two entirely separate families. Although their names are identical, their lives unfolded in different places and under very different circumstances.
The Massachusetts–Vermont Abraham Smiths
Abraham Smith (1730–1809)
Abraham Smith was born on 20 September 1730 in Sudbury, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, the son of Amos Smith (1699–1786) and Susanah Holman (1702–1778). He grew up in Sudbury alongside his brothers Jacob, Benjamin, and Jonathan. On 24 July 1763, he married Lucy Allen in Newton, Massachusetts. Lucy had been born in 1739 in Weston, Massachusetts. Their children were born in Massachusetts:
- Polly Smith, born 20 November 1766
- Abraham Smith, born 27 October 1768 in Worcester
- Allen Smith, born 6 April 1770
During the American Revolutionary War, Abraham Smith served in the Vermont militia. His service appears in The State of Vermont: Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War 1775–1783, compiled by John E. Goodrich. Abraham Smith is listed on the roll of Captain Gideon Brownson’s Company, on a roster dated 26 February 1776 for the Montreal expedition, placing him in the northern theater of the war. This company was part of the militia forces raised in the Vermont region for operations connected with the occupation of Canada during the early stages of the war.
By 1790, Abraham was living in Tinmouth, Rutland County, Vermont, where he appears in the federal census. He remained there until his death on 4 November 1809, closing a life that spanned from colonial Massachusetts through the Revolutionary War and into the early years of the United States.
Abraham Smith (1768–before 1849)
The second Abraham in this line was born 27 October 1768 in Worcester, Massachusetts, the son of Abraham Smith and Lucy Allen. He married Abigail Blanchard on 9 February 1797 in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Abigail was born in 1771 and later died in Brookfield, Vermont.
By the early 1800s, this family had settled in Orange County, Vermont, primarily in Brookfield. Their children included:
- Harriot Louise Smith (1798–1878)
- Abigail Smith (1800–1879)
- Amasa Austin Smith (c.1801–1808)
- Eliza Smith (1805–1889)
- John Allen Smith (1809–1884)
Through these children, this Smith line later extended westward into Wisconsin and Michigan, particularly through the Fuller, Stiles, and Loomis families. Abraham Smith (1768) died before 10 April 1849 in Orange, Vermont.
The Pennsylvania Abraham Smiths
Abraham Smith (1793–c.1884)
A second, unrelated Abraham Smith was born on 29 January 1793, probably in Wrightstown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Smith (1756–1821) and Sarah Smith (1755–1829), a family associated with the Wrightstown Monthly Meeting of Friends (Quakers).
Abraham married Susanna Possinger (1795–1872), the daughter of John B. Possinger and Elizabeth Handelong. By 1830, Abraham and Susanna were living in Jackson Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania, where Abraham appears in census records from 1830 through 1880. This area, in the Pocono region, became the permanent home of this branch of the family.
Their children included:
- Fannie Smith (1813–1876)
- Sarah Smith (1815–1900)
- Catharine Smith (1826–1891)
- Susan Smith (c.1828–1909)
- Joseph Possinger Smith (1830–1882)
- Abraham Possinger Smith (1833–1908)
The repeated use of “Possinger” as a middle name preserved Susanna’s maiden name and helps distinguish this Smith family from others in Pennsylvania.
Susanna died in 1872. Abraham remained in Jackson Township, Monroe County, until his death about 1884. He was buried in Tannersville Union Cemetery in Monroe County.
Abraham Possinger Smith (1833–1908)
The youngest of the four Abraham Smiths was born in May 1833 in Pennsylvania, the son of Abraham Smith and Susanna Possinger. He married Emily Rebecca Thompson before 1854 and later Susan Smith.
Over the course of his life, Abraham Possinger Smith lived in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Washington State. He died on 29 June 1908 in Shelton, Mason County, Washington. His children included:
- Frank E. Smith
- Jude Smith
- Elmira Smith
- Robert Smith
- Susan Rosetta Smith
- Fanny Florence Smith
- Abraham Edward Smith
Through this line, descendants spread into Bay County, Michigan, Ontario, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest, giving this Smith branch a wide geographic reach.
Two Names, Two Families
Although all four men bore the name Abraham Smith, the records show they belonged to two completely separate families:
| Family Line | Father | Son |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts → Vermont | Abraham Smith (1730–1809) | Abraham Smith (1768–1849) |
| Pennsylvania → Monroe County → West | Abraham Smith (1793–c.1884) | Abraham Possinger Smith (1833–1908) |
Their lives overlapped in time but not in place or ancestry. Together, they illustrate how a single name can run through multiple generations and unrelated families, creating confusion that only careful documentation can resolve.
Technically, I have 8 different Abraham Smith’s in my family tree. However, only 4 are direct ancestors – the others are “cousins” or married into the family.
The Tumbleweed 