Joshua Smith, and Mary, his wife, had born to them twelve children. Two of them died in childhood—a son and a daughter. The other ten reared highly respected families in the South and West. Of these ten there were seven sons and three daughters.
Patience Bland, daughter of Joshua Smith and his wife, Mary Anderson, was born October 24, 1797. She was a granddaughter of Nancy Anderson, nee Stephenson, one of the Four. She received a liberal education. She was always neat in her appearance, industrious and self-reliant, and quite intelligent. She was not foolishly proud, but worked with her own hands in order that she could appear in any society without expense to her family. Her father moved to Robertson County, Tennessee, when she was a child. She married Davis Gurley, Esq., of Tennessee, in 1823. As useful and domestic as she was in young womanhood, it was reserved to her matronhood to shine brilliantly. She lived to have the care of a very large household, both of children and negro slaves. But she was always equal to the task over which Providence and a good husband had placed her. Mr. Gurley bought land and opened up a farm one mile west from Leighton, Alabama, in 1823. Davis Gurley was for many years a justice of the peace. He was an upright, honorable man, a fine, intelligent farmer. He accumulated a ens ae ee
