James was born at
Pennsylvania on 28 December 1787. He was the son of
Joseph Franklin and
Elizabeth Smyth. He married
Sarah Rush at
Ross Co., Ohio, on 31 December 1807. He married
Mildred Quick at
Ross Co., Ohio, on 20 June 1814. James Smyth Franklin was land contract on 14 November 1825 at
Tippecanoe Co., Indiana; In 1825 James Smith Franklin purchased 80 acres of land in what was Wabash Co., Indiana. In 1826 this part of Wabash Co. became Tippecanoe Co., Indiana. The land was located in the East half of the NE 1/4 of Section 17 of Township 22 North, Range 4 West. He was census 1830 in 1830 at
Tippecanoe Co., Indiana. He was census 1840 in 1840 at
Tippecanoe Co., Indiana. James was listed as the head of a family on the 1850 Census at
Washington Twp., Tippecanoe Co., Indiana. James died on 23 May 1863 at
Tippecanoe Co., Indiana, at age 75.