BEFORE TILL archival sealBefore TillThe Living Evidence Archive

Research object · BT-CLM-00231

Laura Tolliver and John Smith were husband and wife.

Corroborated· 5 sourcesNot yet reviewed
Research & Interpretation byAmberly R. Carter-Mills— Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist

The Claim

Laura Tolliver Smith and John Smith are recorded together as a married couple in the family history authored by Alma Smith Spearman and are enumerated as husband and wife in successive federal census households across several decades.

Public Summary

The marriage relationship itself is well supported: the family history names Laura as the wife of John Smith, and census enumerations place them in the same household as a married couple across multiple decades. The exact marriage date remains unresolved and is tracked separately.

Evidence Reviewed

  • SupportsModerate

    The family history authored by Alma Smith Spearman identifies Laura Tolliver as the wife of John Smith.

    Laura Tolliver, wife of John Smith.

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

    A derivative family account, and the earliest surviving statement of the relationship. It is not relied on alone.

  • SupportsStrong

    1870 census enumeration places Laura and John Smith in the same household in Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Source: 1870 U.S. Census — Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

  • SupportsStrong

    1880 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Rose Hill Precinct, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Source: 1880 U.S. Census — Rose Hill Precinct, Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household a decade later.

  • SupportsStrong

    1900 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Mount Hope, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Source: 1900 U.S. Census — Mount Hope, Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

  • SupportsStrong

    1910 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Mayharris, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Source: 1910 U.S. Census — Mayharris, Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

The Evidence Trail

Step 1 · Claim

Laura Tolliver and John Smith were husband and wife.

Corroborated· 5 sources

BT-CLM-00231

Laura Tolliver Smith and John Smith are recorded together as a married couple in the family history authored by Alma Smith Spearman and are enumerated as husband and wife in successive federal census households across several decades.

Step 2 · Evidence & Source

  1. Supports · Moderate weight

    The family history authored by Alma Smith Spearman identifies Laura Tolliver as the wife of John Smith.

    “Laura Tolliver, wife of John Smith.”

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

    BT-EVD-00233 ← BT-SRC-00040

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    A derivative family account, and the earliest surviving statement of the relationship. It is not relied on alone.

  2. Supports · Strong weight

    1870 census enumeration places Laura and John Smith in the same household in Copiah County, Mississippi.

    1870 U.S. Census — Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · Digital Image

    BT-EVD-00234 ← BT-SRC-00036

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

  3. Supports · Strong weight

    1880 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Rose Hill Precinct, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    1880 U.S. Census — Rose Hill Precinct, Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration · Digital Image

    BT-EVD-00235 ← BT-SRC-00037

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household a decade later.

  4. Supports · Strong weight

    1900 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Mount Hope, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    1900 U.S. Census — Mount Hope, Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch · Digital Image

    BT-EVD-00236 ← BT-SRC-00038

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

  5. Supports · Strong weight

    1910 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Mayharris, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    1910 U.S. Census — Mayharris, Copiah County, Mississippi · FamilySearch · Digital Image

    BT-EVD-00237 ← BT-SRC-00039

    Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

Step 3 · Conclusion

CorroboratedVersion 1 · Current · High confidence

Researcher interpretation · Amberly R. Carter-Mills

Laura Tolliver Smith and John Smith are held by this archive as husband and wife.

What is not known: The date and place of the marriage, and whether any civil or church marriage record survives.

What could change this: Search Copiah County, Mississippi and Union County, Kentucky marriage records, and church registers for the same period.

How the Evidence Sits Together

What supports the claim

Observations that carry the claim forward.

  • The family history authored by Alma Smith Spearman identifies Laura Tolliver as the wife of John Smith.

    Laura Tolliver, wife of John Smith.

    Supports · Moderate weight

    Bibliographic details pending — family history by Alma Smith Spearman

    A derivative family account, and the earliest surviving statement of the relationship. It is not relied on alone.

  • 1870 census enumeration places Laura and John Smith in the same household in Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Supports · Strong weight

    1870 U.S. Census — Copiah County, Mississippi

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

  • 1880 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Rose Hill Precinct, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Supports · Strong weight

    1880 U.S. Census — Rose Hill Precinct, Copiah County, Mississippi

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household a decade later.

  • 1900 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Mount Hope, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Supports · Strong weight

    1900 U.S. Census — Mount Hope, Copiah County, Mississippi

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

  • 1910 census enumeration records Laura and John Smith in the same household at Mayharris, Copiah County, Mississippi.

    Supports · Strong weight

    1910 U.S. Census — Mayharris, Copiah County, Mississippi

    Contemporary enumeration of the couple in one household.

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

CorroboratedVersion 1 · Current

Laura Tolliver Smith and John Smith are held by this archive as husband and wife.

What is known: That Laura and John lived as a married couple across several decades and were named as such in the family history.

What is not known: The date and place of the marriage, and whether any civil or church marriage record survives.

Future research: Search Copiah County, Mississippi and Union County, Kentucky marriage records, and church registers for the same period.

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

Is the spouse relationship between Laura Tolliver and John Smith supported by more than one independent record?

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.

1870 U.S. Census — Copiah County, Mississippi

BT-SRC-00036
Evidentiary weight 3 of 4. Digital image of original recordOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA photographic image of a contemporary record held by the repository named below.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
Collection
U.S. census, Copiah County, Mississippi, population schedule, Townships 9 & 10 (Post Office Hazlehurst)
Record form
Digital Image
Source type
Census
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.

1880 U.S. Census — Rose Hill Precinct, Copiah County, Mississippi

BT-SRC-00037
Evidentiary weight 3 of 4. Digital image of original recordOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA photographic image of a contemporary record held by the repository named below.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
FamilySearch / National Archives and Records Administration
Collection
1880 U.S. census population schedules (NARA T9, roll 645)
Record form
Digital Image
Source type
Census
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.

1900 U.S. Census — Mount Hope, Copiah County, Mississippi

BT-SRC-00038
Evidentiary weight 3 of 4. Digital image of original recordOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA photographic image of a contemporary record held by the repository named below.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
FamilySearch
Collection
U.S. census, Copiah County, Mississippi, population schedule, Mount Hope
Record form
Digital Image
Source type
Census
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.

1910 U.S. Census — Mayharris, Copiah County, Mississippi

BT-SRC-00039
Evidentiary weight 3 of 4. Digital image of original recordOriginal image: Citation entered — image review pendingA photographic image of a contemporary record held by the repository named below.
Creator
Not recorded
Date created
Not recorded
Repository
FamilySearch
Collection
U.S. census, Copiah County, Mississippi, population schedule, Mayharris
Record form
Digital Image
Source type
Census
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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