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INDEX to the Smith Family Files
RALPH SMITH (prob. c. 1616 - by 1685) of Hingham, co. Norfolk, England, Hingham and Eastham
Ralph Smith was probably born about 1616. [Ref, pp. 1696-9] He died before 27 Oct 1685. He married Grace Unknown. [Ref, pp. 1696-9] Grace was apparently not the widow of Thomas Hatch, as is sometimes claimed, and she is the only wife who appears in the records. [Ref, pp. 1696-9]
Ralph Smith of Hingham, England came to New England with Edmund Hobart [Ref, p. 22] and arrived in Charlestown in 1633. [Ref, pp. 66-7] He was in Eastham in 1657. [Ref, pp. 66-7] He took the oath of fidelity in 1657. [Ref, pp. 66-7] He probably came as a servant. [Ref, pp. 1696-9]
Ralph was appointed constable on 6 Jun 1660 in Eastham. [Ref, pp. 1696-9] This did not work out. The Plymouth Colony Records state, "Ralph Smith, for lying in and about the neglect of his duty, about a warrant directed to him, and concerning the seeing or not seeing a whale, and otherly misorderly carriages tending to disturbance in the town of Eastham, was fined twenty shillings." [Ref, pp. 1696-9]
Administration on Ralph's estate was granted to his widow Grace and his son Samuel on 27 Oct 1685. [Ref, pp. 66-7]
Children of Ralph Smith and Grace Unknown:
SAMUEL SMITH (bp. 1641 - 1697) of Eastham
Parents: Ralph Smith [Ref, p. 98] and Grace Unknown
Samuel Smith was baptised on 11 Jul 1641 in Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts. [Ref, p. 98][Ref, pp. 66-7] He died on 22 Mar 1696/7 in Eastham. [Ref, p. 99][Ref, pp. 66-7] He married Mary Hopkins. [Ref, p. 20][Ref, pp. 66-7]
"[Samuel] early engaged in the whaling and mackeral fishery and was very successful." [Ref, p. 98] He was later a trader and innkeeper at Eastham and his homestead was at Billingsgate. [Ref, p. 98] He at one time owned 400 acres in the southern part of the town, known as Smith Purchase. [Ref, p. 98]
Mr. Samuel Smith of Eastham bought land at Tom's Neck in Chatham from John Cousins, Indian, and his mother in early 1691. [Ref, p. 98] Sarah Covell deeded land at Tom's Neck in Chatham that she had received from her father to Samuel Smith on 10 Mar 1690/1. [Ref, p. 99] Samuel and William Nickerson purchased a tract in the eastern part of Chatham on 27 Jun 1694 from John Quason, Jr., with Samuel taking two thirds and William taking one third. [Ref, p. 99] He assigned Mercy Nickerson a 19 Aug 1693 mortgage to two grandsons of Mattaquason for land on Cotchpinicut Neck in Chatham on 6 Mar 1694/5. [Ref, p. 99] He was chosen by the village as commissioner in Aug 1695. [Ref, p. 98]
Samuel died intestate and on 20 Apr 1697 administration on his estate was granted to his widow Mary and son John. [Ref, 2;39-41] The beneficiaries of Samuel's estate were his widow Mary, his son Samuel's sons Samuel and Joseph, his son John Smith and Mary Smith alias Hamilton. [Ref, 2;39-41] Inventory on Samuel's estate, taken on 6 Apr 1697, amounted to £1,270. [Ref, 2;39-41] His estate included 50 cattle, 60 sheep and a large number of horses. [Ref, p. 99] After debts, the estate was worth £620.
Mary Smith, the widow of Samuel and late of Eastham, died intestate and on 18 Jul 1700 her estate was divided between Samuel and Joseph, the sons of her son Samuel, her son John and her daughter Mary Hamilton. [Ref, 2;79-83] Her son-in-law Daniel Hamilton was granted administration on her estate and attested to the inventory, amounting to abour £135, on 18 Jul 1700. [Ref, 2;79-83]
Children of Samuel Smith and Mary Hopkins:
JOHN SMITH (1673 - by 1717) of Eastham
Parents: Samuel Smith and Mary Hopkins [Ref, p. 20]
John Smith was born on 26 May 1673. [Ref, p. 25][Ref, p. 99] He died before 25 Feb 1717 when administration on his estate was granted to his son Samuel. [Ref, p. 24] He married Bethiah Snow [Ref, p. 20] on 14 May 1694. [Ref, p. 25]
John lived first at Eastham. [Ref, p. 24] He received half of two farms at Tom's Neck in Monomoit [Chatham] in his fathers will. [Ref, p. 24] By a 3 Jun 1697 deed John Smith, later of Harwich, bought 20 acres in the Hall neighbourhood in Harwich from William Cahoon, the husband of Elizabeth Nickerson. The purchase was in exchange for land at Monomoit. [Ref, p. 151] John and his brother-in-law Daniel Hamilton sold land at Tom's Neck to Mary Small not long after 1702. [Ref, p. 152]
John was chosen surveyor in Monomoit in 1702. [Ref, p. 152] In 1702 he was chosen to go to the Court and answer for Chatham's not having a pound. [Ref, p. 154] In 1703 he was chosen grandjuryman. [Ref, p. 154] He was chosen fence viewer in 1707. [Ref, p. 159] He was chosen selectman in 1712. [Ref, p. 162] On Mar 1713, John was chosen constable at the first town meeting of the newly incorporated town of Chatham. [Ref, p. 180]
On 21 May 1706 John Smith, the husband of a daughter of Stephen Snow, attested that he had received a share of Stephen's estate and relinquished further claims. [Ref, 3;13-16]
Children of John Smith and Bethiah Snow:
STEPHEN SMITH (c. 1706 - 1766) of Chatham
Parents: John Smith and Bethiah Snow [Ref, p. 20]
Stephen Smith was born about 1706. [Ref, p. 25] He died on 13 Jan 1766 in Chatham. He married first Hannah Collins about 1727. [Ref, p. 25][Ref, p. 239] He married second Bathsheba Brown [Ref, p. 556][Ref, p. 14] on 9 Apr 1729. [Ref, p. 25]
On 11 Jul 1722 Stephen, age about 16, chose Thomas Atkins, yeoman of Chatham, to be his guardian. [Ref, 4;67]
Stephen was chosen deacon of the Congregational Church in Chatham on 6 Sep 1749. [Ref]
Children of Stephen Smith and Hannah Collins:
Children of Stephen Smith and Bathsheba Brown:
ARCHELAUS SMITH (bp. 1734 - 1821) of Chatham and Barrington
Parents: Stephen Smith [Ref, p. 20] and Bathsheba Brown [Ref, p. 14]
Archelaus Smith was baptised on 23 Apr 1734 in Chatham [Ref, p. 20] in the Congregational Church. [Ref] He died in 1821. [Ref, p. 556] He married Elizabeth Nickerson [Ref, p. 556] after 18 Apr 1752 (int.) in Chatham. [Ref, 13;28]
Archelaus was one of several men from Chatham who were impressed into military service from 10 Jul to 24 Dec 1759. [Ref]
Archelaus came to Barrington in 1761. [Ref, p. 84]
Achelaus was on the proprietors' committee on 8 Dec 1766 in Barrington. [Ref, p. 141] He was a magistrate in 1772. [Ref, p. 170] He was a proprietor's clerk in 1778. [Ref, p. 170]
Children of Archelaus Smith and Elizabeth Nickerson:
SUSANNA SMITH (1753 - 1838)
Parents: Archelaus Smith and Elizabeth Nickerson
Susanna Smith was born in 1753. [Ref, p. 433] She died in 1838 in Barrington. [Ref] She is buried at the Head in Barrington. [Ref, p. 433] She married Joseph Atwood on [Ref] 10 Aug 1767. [Ref, p. 134]
References
Anderson, Robert Charles, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633. Vol. 1-3. Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995. Online: New England Historic Genealogical Society website.
Bowman, George Ernest, "Vital Records of Chatham," Mayflower Descendant 13, 1911, 27-31.
Crowell, Edwin, A History of Barrington Township and Vicinity, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, 1604-1870, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, unknown.
Egan, C. Edward, "The Hobart Journal," New England Historical and Genealogical Register 121, 1967, 3-25, 102-127.
Hawes, James W., Historical Address on the Occassion of the Celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the Incorporation of Chatham, Yarmouth, C. W. Swift, 1912.
Hinckley, Gustavus Aldolphus, trans., Barnstable, MA: Probate Records 16851789, Online database, NewEnglandAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.
Lamont, Belle Eldredge, Lamont-Eldredge Family Records, Albion, NY, unknown, 1948.
No Author, Barrington & Argyle, Nova Scotia Vital Records, Online Database, AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011.
No author, Doane Reunion at Barrington Head, Nova Scotia, Canada, Truro, N.S., News Pub. Co., 1912.
Lincoln, Solomon, History of the town of Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Hingham, C. Gill, Jr. and Farmer and Brown, 1990.
Paine, Josiah, "Edward Kenwrick," in Leonard H. Smith, ed., Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy, v. I, Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., c. 1992, pp. 550-570.
Smith, Leonard H. and Norma H. Smith, Vital Records of the Towns of Eastham and Orleans, Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1993.
Smith, Tenney, Charles Smith and Rachel Amy Bryant: Their ancestors and descendants, Brattleboro, VT, Vermont Print. Co., 1938.
Smith, William C., Early Settlers of Chatham, Yarmouthport, G. W. Swift, 1915.
Smith, William C., A History of Chatham, Massachusetts, Hyannis, F.B. & R.P. Goss, 1909.
Smith, William C., "Smiths of Chatham, Mass.," Notes Section, New England Historical and Genealogical Register 64, 1910, 187-188.