If you have not read Parts 1 through 3, this will not make any sense. Heck, it might not make sense even if you have read them. Theodocia Lanier does not show up anywhere in the 1910 census, so finding her parents and trying to trace her from there seems like the only way to […]
Theodocia
What Happened to Theodocia? Part 3
Since the only Theodocia Smith who looked like a possibility didn’t work out, let’s move on to George Smith who signed the marriage bond for T. J. and Theodocia. This is where things get complicated. In the 1900 census for St. Clair County, Alabama George T. Smith lived in Precinct 3, which is Branchville. Since […]
What Happened to Theodocia? Part 2
According to the marriage record, Theodocia was of age at the time of her marriage to T. J. in 1897, which means she was probably born before the 1880 census was taken. (Of course, it’s also possible that she was born after 1880. That would explain why she’s so hard to find.) The only Theodocia […]
What Happened to Theodocia? Part 1
This is the question that keeps me up at night. I’m thinking I have looked at the “facts” in this case for so long that I can no longer be objective about it. It’s quite a tangled mess of possibilities that all seem to be impossibilities, but I will try to explain things and see […]
