BreakThrough~

Well yesterday it happened, we had a break in someone in our family who some have been seeking for years. It was a simple thing that had been staring me right in the eyes the whole time Andrea and I have been looking. There is a common name that seems to pass down randomly through the family. It is never someones first name, always a middle, so being stuck on parents for Rev. Joseph, I just plugged that name in as his mothers last name and BINGO!!!! The flood gates opened, let me also add that a few texts had mentioned a few birth places, censuses once in the states and also this brief history written by a map maker who was traveling and journaling the changing face of Indian Territory (Arkansas/Oklahoma border). This particular map maker was doing a little history on Benjamin B. Smedley and mentioned his father, Reverend Joseph Smedley (being born in Derbyshire and having 7 brothers). Well, when we plugged in this other name as his, Joseph's, mother's last name, BINGO, PAY DIRT! We have mom, dad, 7 brothers and 2 sisters. Oh, if you hadn't noticed one common thread with Smedley's is they like having kids and a load of them!

I have learned that gathering information sources, multiple ones, tend to lead you to the one conclusion you are looking for. The art is in taking those tid bits, putting them together and getting those pesky relatives who like to hide so readily!


Happy hunting and here is to you finding your Breakthrough!

~Alisha