2. William BRANHAM-SMITH "Billy" (Isaac ) was born 1792 in Shenadoah County, VA. He died after 1880 in Floyd Co., KY.

There are several versions explaining the Branham-Smith surname which apparently began with William Smith.  See notes under Isaac Smith for one explanation.  The 1850 Letcher County, KY census lists William B. Smith and family members.  This same census also lists John B. Smith (William B. Smith's son) and family members.  The descendents of Wiliam B. used the surname Branham-Smith for about one generation, then used B-Smith for another generation before going back to the surname Smith.

Billy married Elizabeth (Betty) CHILDERS, daughter of Abraham CHILDERS and Elizabeth ROBERTS, on 21 Feb 1820 in Floyd Co., KY. Elizabeth was born 1803 in VA. She died in KY.

[My great-great grandmother]

When my great-great grandmother Smith and her husband Billy Branham Smith moved into their new cabin which he had built in the Eastern hills of Kentucky, the door had not yet been installed.  As a new bride, she had woven a coverlet to take to her new home and had hung it over the opening as a temporary door.  Late on the same day they had moved their few possessions into their new cabin, my grandmother went to a nearby spring for water.  While bending over for the water, she heard a loud hissing sound.  Looking up where the water was running over the rocks, she saw a big cat.  Dropping the bucket, she ran as fast as she could for the cabin door.  Just as she entered the door with the coverlet hanging over it, the panther hit the coverlet, hissing and clawing at it.  Suddenly, the cat gave a loud scream and left; otherwise I might not be here to write this today.

                                       By Edna Hines Osborne