Paulser Smelser II was born about 1766-1777 to Paulser Smelser I and wife, Catherine.
He was listed in his father's will dated 7 Dec 1777 Bedford Co., VA.
"...to my beloved sons Steven Smelser and Paulser Smelser a piece of land of two hundred and twenty five acres it being the tract I now live on a line being equitably run a ____ the land the lower part being one hundred twelve acres and half and joining John Pearcy to belong to Steven Smelser..."
"...and the other half being where on I live to belong to Paulser Smelser..."
"...and that my son Paulser Smelser shall pay out of his part of the estate unto my son Jessey fifty pounds to make his part equal..."
Paulser II was still in Bedford Co., VA in 1787, along with his mother and Stephen.
1787 - Bedford Co., Personal Property Tax List: taken 16 Apr 1787, VA
Smelser, Paulser 1 0 0 2 0 (not tithable, probl 16-21 yrs)
Paulser II moved to Mercer Co., KY sometime prior to 1793, when he married Mary Gordon, the daughter of Capt. John and Elizabeth (Grayson) Gordon, on Feb 6. (Mercer Co., KY Marriage Records- transcribed marriage record lists him as Perulcer Smelcer.)
1795 - 25 Oct 1795, PAULSER SMILSER & Moley his wife, of Mercer Co., to John McCown, 130 lbs, waters of Salt River on w/side where on said John McCown now lives, corner Geo Moaks? 1 and 200a. s/Paulser Smelser (seal) Molly Smelser (seal). No wits. Oct Ct. 1796, ack., Molly privately exam. & rt. of dower relinq.
--Mercer Co., KY Deeds Vol 3, 1795-99, p144-5
1795 - Mercer Co., KY tax rolls: Slaughter's District:Paulcer Smelcer.
Sometime between 1795 and 1799, Paulser II moved to Christian Co., KY as he is on the 1799 tax list there.
1799 Christian Co., KY - Paulser Smelser, 1 male over 21, 2 blacks, 4 horses. (--"Tax Lists Christian Co., KY")
1800 Christian Co., KY Tax List July 24: Paulser Smelser, 1 male over 21, 2 blacks, 2 horses.
Other Smelsers listed in the 1800 Kentucky tax lists were: Peter Smelser in Harrison Co; Adam and Barbery in Bourbon Co.. Any relationship to these men has not been proven.
1801 Christian Co., KY tax Lists, 6 Jun:Polser Smelser, 1 male over 21, 2 blacks, 2 horses.
(Paulser may have been in other tax lists during this interim, we just don't have the records yet.)
1808 Christian Co., KY tax list:295 acres of land held by Paulser Smelser was entered by and surveyed for Caty Smelser.--Robin Smith (she notes: this must have been his mother. She would be quite an old woman by 1808-probably in her 70s.)
1810 KY Hopkins Co.
Smelser, Paular
2 males -10 b.1800-1810 Stephen 1806, Abraham 1805
2 males 10-16 b.1794-1800 Obediah, William 1798
1 male 26-45 b.1765-1784 Paulser II Smelser
1 female -10 b.1800-1810 dau?
1 female 10-16 b.1794-1800 Catherine
1 female 26-45 b.1765-1784 Mary Gordon Smelser
Other Smelsers in 1810 KY were Steven in Christian (p79); and Polis in Hrs (p310). There were 3 Smelzers in 1810 KY:Adam, Barbary, and John in Bourbon Co, page 109, 110).
(1810-1816 Paulser Smelser appears on tax list of Hopkins Co., KY--Robin Smith)
1811 - "Deed Abstracts of books A ,B, C, D, E and F for Christian Co., KY for the years 1797-1817"
DB C-380 PAULSER SMELSER of Mississippi Territory, appointed Ben W. Patton of Christian Co., KY, his attorney and assigned him to make a deed of conveyance to STEPHEN GAUSS (Gross?) of Bedford Co., VA, for 200 A. in Hopkins Co., KY on Clear Creek where Smelser lived in 1811, adjoining John Hegly on the N side, and the platt and certificate of which was assigned to Smelser by George Negly. Signed: Paulser Smelsor. Recorded: Jno. Clark
It is unclear why Paulser was 'of Mississippi Territory'. Was he visiting or living there for a short period of time? Also, is the Stephen Gauss/Gross related to Paulser II's brother-in-law Richard Gross of Bedford, VA? Richard married Paulser's sister, Rebecah. By 1813, Paulser and Mary were back in Hopkins Co., KY.
DB D-247 PAULSON SMELSOR & MARY his wife of Hopkins Co., KY to GEORGE NEGLEY, Sept. 28, 1813, for $1,000.00 295 A. on West Fork of Pond River. Mary signed dower rights in Hopkins Co. Signed Paulson Smelsor & Mary Smelsor.
Apr 2, 1817. Paulser Smelser and Mary, his wife, to John Cargill of the Co
of Hopkins and State of Ky. $43, land lying in the Co of Hopkins and State
aforesaid, containing 43 acres. Wit: John Gordon, Benjamin Davis, Samuel
Downey, and Linza Martin. Sam Woodson, Clk. --"Deed Book 2, pg 55, Hopkins Co., KY'
On July 15, 1819 there were 2 deeds from Linza Martin and Jauntly his wife to
#1)Larkin Martin of Hopkins Co, $700, 300 acres, on waters of Richland Creek,
Wit: John Gordon, Abner Martin & Sam'l Downey (pg 380)
#2) Samuel Downey of Hopkins Co, $600, 200 acres, land on both sides of
Richland Creek, a branch of Tradewater River. Wit: John Gordon, Abner
Martin, Obadiah D Smelser and Richard Baker. (pg 381).
--'Deed Book 2, Hopkins Co., KY'
By 1820 Paulser had moved to Caldwell Co., KY. There were other Smelcers, Smelzers, and Smisers in 1820 KY census index: Isaiah and Jacob Smelcer of Hart Co. p160 and pg 168; John Smelger (p114, 118), Jacob Smelser (p130), Adam Smelzer (p134), and John Smelzer (p118) in Bourbon Co.; and Jacob and Jacob Jr. Smiser in Jefferson Co, pg 47. Their relationship has not been determined.
1820 Caldwell Co., KY census Darnelle Parish
Smelser, Paulser
2 males 10-15 (b. 1805-1810) Stephen b. 1806 m. Eliz. Greathouse
Abraham b. 1805 m. Nancy Thompson
2 males 16-25 (b. 1795-1809) William b.1798 m. Mary Thompson
Obediah b. 1795-1809
1 male 26-44 (b. 1776-1796) Son b. 1776-1796 __________
1 male 45+ (b. before 1775) Paulser b. before 1775
1 female under 10 (b. 1810-1820) Rebecca b. 1812
1 female 10-15 (b. 1805-1810) Dau?
1 female 16-25 (b. 1795-1809) Catherine m. Amasa Spenser
1 female 45+ (b. before 1775) Mary (Gordon)
Paulser moved to Hickman Co., KY by at least 1822, as he is listed on the tax list as:
Paulser Smelser, 1 white male 21+, 2 child 4-14, 2 blacks over 16, 6 total blacks, 4 horses/mares. Also in Hickman was Obadiah Smelser (see children of Paulser Smelser II.)
Yet by 1823, only one year later, Paulser was on the tax lists for Calloway Co., KY, along with sons, William and Obadiah.
1823 Calloway Co., KY tax list:
Smelser, Paul (Paulser II), 1 white male 21+, 2 Blacks over 16, 6 total Blacks, 4 horses/mares.
1824 Calloway Co., KY Tax Lists: Smelser, Paul - 1 white male 21+, 3 Blacks over 16, 7 total Blacks, 4 horses/mares
1825 Calloway Co., KY Tax Lists:Smelser, Paulser - 1 white male 21, 4 Blacks over 16, 7 total blacks, 5 horses/mares
1826 Calloway Co., KY Tax Lists:Smelser, Paulser - 1 white male 21+, 4 Blacks over 16, 8 total Blacks, 3 horses/mares, Total ac 160 (Water course) Clk Riv
1827 -Calloway Co., KY Tax List:Smelser, Paulser - 1 white male 21+, 3 Blacks over 16, 7 total Blacks, 2 horses/mares. 155 total ac :Clark River (water course)
1828 Calloway Co., KY Tax List:Smelser, Palser, 1 white male 21+, 3 Blacks over 16, 7 total Blacks, 2 horses/mares, E.F. Clarks (water course)
1830 Calloway Co., KY census, p 191
Smelser, Paulser age 60-70 Paulser
female age 50-60 wife, Mary
Andrews, Phillip age 20-30 Phillip Andrews
female age 15-20 Rebecca Smelser Andrews
1830 - DEED BOOK A, PAGE 220, Calloway Co., KY:
Deed from PAULSON SMITSER to EPHRAIM HEATH. Indenture made this tenth day of April 1830 between Paulser Smitser and Ephraim Heath, both of Calloway county and state of Kentucky, for and in consideration of the sum of seventy dollars to him in hand paid, for a certain tract of land lying in Calloway county and
bounded as follows:Beginning at a black gum thence east...containing one hundred and six acres. In testimony he has set his hand and seal the day and date above written.
