Smith and Jones

It is very difficult to do historical research on my families that have common names. I want to know that what I am finding and recording is actually about my ancestors and with a name like Smith or Jones you can never be too sure.
Even with a name like Shadrach Smith, what you find searching census and county court records doesn't give absolute proof the record is about your ancestor.

Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego

My great great great grandfather was Shadrach Smith, who was born about 1778 in North Carolina and died after 1870 probably in Mitchell County Georgia. His son, Seth Dykes Smith moved to Taylor County Florida and helped start several Primitive Baptist Churches in the area.

You wouldn't think that finding a record about Shadrach Smith would be too difficult, but then who would know it was such a popular name in the late 1700s. I guess it fit better than Meshach or Abednego.

I know from the 1850-1860 census records in Thomas and Mitchell County Georgia, my Shadrach's s wife was named Lorena but the rest of what I have on him before they moved to Georgia is just speculation.

There are records of a Lorena Brooker marrying a Smith and then a lot of records about the Brooker family of Barnwell County South Carolina. They tell of Brooker children born out of wedlock, to a man named William Dykes (matching Seth's middle name) who inherited his lands when he died in 1802. The problem, is I can't be sure this is the same family. It would be nice to include it but unfortunately I've found so many men named Shadrach Smith in the same area, I can't be sure which one is mine.

I've kept all these records for two years now. Maybe one day soon I can sort them out and figure out which one is mine. For now though, they give me a headache every time I look at them.