So Many Janes in One Tree

My husband's Wood family tree includes a number of women with the first or middle name of Jane. The tradition has continued, with hubby's sister and niece having Jane as their middle name.

Here are only a few of the many Janes in the family:

• The earliest "Jane" I can identify is Jane Stephenson, hubby's 5th great-grandma (abt 1756-1823), who married Moses Wood (1741-1823). 
• Jane L. Bentley (abt 1831-?) was hubby's 3d great aunt, who left Indiana at age 20 to travel to California with family in 1851, during the gold-rush era.
• Jane Ann Wood (1846-1936) was hubby's great aunt. She was born in Louisiana, lived with her family in West Virginia and Toledo, Ohio, and married for the first time about 1898, at age 52.
• Jane McClure (abt 1802-?) was another of hubby's 3rd great aunts. Her marriage license is shown above, documenting her marriage in Fayette, Indiana, on April 5, 1831 to Train Caldwell (1800?-?). Of course, Jane named one of her daughters Jane.
• Jane Smith (abt 1794-?) was a daughter of Brice Smith and Eleanor Kenney. This Brice is the earliest instance of Brice in the family, incidentally, and of interest because his mom and dad were born in Ireland.

Happy to keep these many Janes in the family's memory (not just on the family tree).

Surname Saturday, St. Patty's Day edition: Smith from Limerick?

Last year on St. Patty's Day, I wrote that I married hubby for his Irish ancestors. This week I found out, via fam trees on Ancestry with documententation, that hubby's 5th great-granddaddy, William Smith, has a link with Ireland.

William's will, dated April 14, 1786, refers to some property he owns in his homeland:

I give and bequeath to my son William Smith the sum of ten pounds with my right and title to my father's estate in Ireland and ye ten pound note to be paid untill [sic] it can be collected from the book debts.

Brice Smith is buried in Fairfield Cty, Ohio

The elder William Smith had another son, Brice, hubby's 4th-great-granddaddy, who inherited land, bedding, a horse, heifer, money, sheep, and other possessions.
 
Now it's going to be quite a trick to trace Smith family connections to and within Limerick, the place where they are probably from. So many ancestors, so little time!