BEFORE TILL archival sealBefore TillThe Living Evidence Archive

Research object · BT-CLM-00274

Was George Smith a son of John and Laura Smith?

Documented· 2 sourcesLast reviewed August 20, 2026
Research & Interpretation byAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

The Claim

Parent-child relationship between john-smith and george-smith, held as a single generation link rather than as part of a lineage assertion.

Public Summary

The family history names George Smith among the children of John and Laura Smith. No census line, birth record or death record naming both parents has yet been transcribed into this archive.

Evidence Reviewed

  • SupportsWeak

    The family history names George Smith among the children of John and Laura Smith. No census line, birth record or death record naming both parents has yet been transcribed into this archive.

    Source: Bibliographic details pending — family history by Alma Smith Spearman

    Family knowledge and documentary verification are recorded separately. Both are shown; neither is presented as the other.

  • SupportsStrong

    The Illinois death index entry for George Smith, who died 3 March 1936 in Chicago, Cook County, names his father as John Smith and his mother as Laura Tatlefero. This is the first record entered in this archive that names both of George's parents. "Tatlefero" is one of the phonetic spellings of Taliaferro that appear across this family's records.

    Name: George Smith / Father's Name: John Smith / Mother's Name: Laura Tatlefero

    Source: Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County · FamilySearch online index

    A death record naming both parents is the first document entered here that ties George to John and Laura by name.

The Evidence Trail

Step 1 · Claim

Was George Smith a son of John and Laura Smith?

Documented· 2 sources

BT-CLM-00274

Parent-child relationship between john-smith and george-smith, held as a single generation link rather than as part of a lineage assertion.

Step 2 · Evidence & Source

  1. Supports · Weak weight

    The family history names George Smith among the children of John and Laura Smith. No census line, birth record or death record naming both parents has yet been transcribed into this archive.

    Bibliographic details pending — family history by Alma Smith Spearman · Authored Narrative

    BT-EVD-00276 ← BT-SRC-00040

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    Family knowledge and documentary verification are recorded separately. Both are shown; neither is presented as the other.

  2. Supports · Strong weight

    The Illinois death index entry for George Smith, who died 3 March 1936 in Chicago, Cook County, names his father as John Smith and his mother as Laura Tatlefero. This is the first record entered in this archive that names both of George's parents. "Tatlefero" is one of the phonetic spellings of Taliaferro that appear across this family's records.

    “Name: George Smith / Father's Name: John Smith / Mother's Name: Laura Tatlefero”

    Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County · FamilySearch online index · Index

    BT-EVD-00525 ← BT-SRC-00524

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    A death record naming both parents is the first document entered here that ties George to John and Laura by name.

Step 3 · Conclusion

DocumentedVersion 2 · Current · High confidence

Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

George Smith was a son of John Smith and Laura Taliaferro Smith. His 1936 Illinois death record names both parents - father John Smith, mother Laura Tatlefero - and gives Mississippi birthplaces for both that match the counties where John and Laura appear in this archive.

What is not known: The death certificate image itself has not been examined. The informant who supplied the parents' names is not identified.

What could change this: Order the certificate image from Cook County or the Illinois State Archives and read the informant line.

How the Evidence Sits Together

What supports the claim

Observations that carry the claim forward.

  • The family history names George Smith among the children of John and Laura Smith. No census line, birth record or death record naming both parents has yet been transcribed into this archive.

    Supports · Weak weight

    Bibliographic details pending — family history by Alma Smith Spearman

    Family knowledge and documentary verification are recorded separately. Both are shown; neither is presented as the other.

  • The Illinois death index entry for George Smith, who died 3 March 1936 in Chicago, Cook County, names his father as John Smith and his mother as Laura Tatlefero. This is the first record entered in this archive that names both of George's parents. "Tatlefero" is one of the phonetic spellings of Taliaferro that appear across this family's records.

    Name: George Smith / Father's Name: John Smith / Mother's Name: Laura Tatlefero

    Supports · Strong weight

    Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County

    A death record naming both parents is the first document entered here that ties George to John and Laura by name.

What complicates or contradicts it

Kept in view rather than discarded.

  • Nothing in this column for this claim.

What only provides context

Consistent, but not identifying or probative on its own.

  • Nothing in this column for this claim.

Research Conclusion

DocumentedVersion 2 · Current

George Smith was a son of John Smith and Laura Taliaferro Smith. His 1936 Illinois death record names both parents - father John Smith, mother Laura Tatlefero - and gives Mississippi birthplaces for both that match the counties where John and Laura appear in this archive.

What is known: A 1936 Illinois death record names George Smith's father as John Smith and his mother as Laura Tatlefero, a phonetic spelling of Taliaferro. The 1880 Copiah County census enumerates a George, age 8, as a son in the John Smith household.

What is not known: The death certificate image itself has not been examined. The informant who supplied the parents' names is not identified.

Future research: Order the certificate image from Cook County or the Illinois State Archives and read the informant line.

Amberly's Research Notes

No research note has been published for this claim yet.

From the research notebook ofAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

What We Still Need to Find

Was George Smith a son of John and Laura Smith?

Provenance, Access and Use

Source creator
Varies by record — see each source
Who made the original record.
Researcher of record
Amberly R. Carter-Mills — Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist
Located, transcribed, weighed and interpreted the evidence.
Publishing archive
BEFORE TILL: The Living Evidence Archive
Holds the object, its identifiers and its revision history.

Bibliographic details pending — family history by Alma Smith Spearman

BT-SRC-00040
Evidentiary weight 2 of 4. Authored family historyOriginal image: Publication details pendingA descendant-authored account. Evidence that the account exists; not automatically contemporary proof of the events it describes.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
Not recorded
Collection
Not recorded
Record form
Authored Narrative
Source type
Book
Accessed
Not recorded

Access and use

No rights statement has been recorded for this source. Verify rights with the holding repository before republication.

BEFORE TILL publishes description, transcription and analysis. Reuse of the underlying record is governed by the holding repository. Cite this archive by its persistent identifier when quoting our reading of the record.

Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947, entry for George Smith, died 3 March 1936, Chicago, Cook County

BT-SRC-00524
Evidentiary weight 2 of 4. Derivative sourceOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA transcription, abstract or index standing in for a record BEFORE TILL has not yet examined directly.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
FamilySearch online index
Collection
Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947
Record form
Index
Source type
Vital Record
Accessed
Not recorded

Access and use

No rights statement has been recorded for this source. Verify rights with the holding repository before republication.

BEFORE TILL publishes description, transcription and analysis. Reuse of the underlying record is governed by the holding repository. Cite this archive by its persistent identifier when quoting our reading of the record.

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