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Notes for Rev. Henry SMITH | ||||||||||
From: http://kinnexions.com/ancestries/smithh.htm#HSmith The Smith Family in America Rev. Henry and Dorothy Smith Henry SMITH - b. about 1600, England; d. 1648, Wethersfield, CT; will dated May 8, 1648. Possibly the grandson of Ambrose SMITH and Johanna COE. Henry may have been educated for the ministry at Sidney Sussex College (beginning 1617) and Magdalene College, Cambridge University (BA 1621/2; MA 1625), or at King's College Cambridge University (BA 1619/20). A Rev. Henry SMITH was ordained by the Bishop of Peterborough on Jun. 8, 1623. He probably arrived in New England about 1636/7 with his second wife and young children, and by 1637 he was at Wethersfield, Hartford Co., CT as the first settled pastor. His first wife's name, by whom he had 4 children is not known. Married second about 1635, England. The following is a portion of a letter written by Henry's son Samuel, and provides a portrait of the minister. However, the statement about first settling at Watertown is not supported by any contemporary evidence. Hadley, Massacusetts Colony, Jan. ye Firste, 1698/99 My Dear & Dutiful Son: I was of so tender an Age at the Death of my beloved Father, that I am possessed of but little of the Information for which you seek. My Revered Father was an ordained Minister of ye Gospelle, educate at Cambridge in England, & came to yis Land by reason of Ye Great Persecution by which ye infamous Archbiship Laud and ye Black Tom Tyrante (as Mr. Russell was always wont to call ye Earl of Strafforde) die cause ye reign of his Majestie, Charles ye First, to loose favor in ye sight of ye people of England. My Father & Mother came over in 1636/37, firste to Watertown which is neare Boston, & after a yeare or two to Weathersfield on ye great River, where he became ye firste settled Pastor. Concerning of ye earlie days I can remember but little save Hardship. My Parents had broughte both Men Servants & Maid Servants from England, but ye Maids tarried not but till they got married, ye wch was shortly, for there was great scarcity of Women in ye Colonies. Ye men did abide better. Onne of em had married onne of my Mother's Maids & they did come with us to Weathersfield, to our grate Comforte for some years, untill they had manny littel onnes of theire Owne. I do well remember ye Face & Figure of my Honoured Father. He was 5 foote, 10 inches talle & spare of builde, tho not leane. He was an Active as ye Red Skin Men & sinewy. His delighte was in sportes of strengthe, & withe his owne Hands he did helpe to reare bothe our owne House & ye Firste Meetinge House of Weathersfield, wherein he preacht yeares too fewe. He was well Featured & Fresh favoured with faire Skin & longe curling Hair (as neare all of us have had) with a merrie eye & swete smilinge Mouthe, tho he coulde frowne sternlie eno' when need was. Dorothy - b. England; d. 1694, Hadley, MA; will dated Feb. 16, 1681/2. Married second in 1649 John RUSSELL (b. Feb. 26, 1597, Suffolk, England; d. May 8, 1680, Hadley, MA), father of Rev. John RUSSELL, successor to Rev. SMITH at Wethersfield, CT, and first minister at Hadley, MA about 1659. Dorothy's surname is sometimes given as COTTON, without substantive evidence (which would be welcome). It may be that the COTTON surname is based on a bequest in the 1652 will of Rev. John COTTON to "my cousin Henery Smith." However, Rev. Henry SMITH was deceased at the time of the will, and the bequest was for "diet, lodging and apparel so long as he serve my wife, and £20" - certainly not intended for Rev. Henry SMITH. Children of Henry and Dorothy Smith 1. Dorothy - b. about 1636, England; d. 1706, Farmington, CT. Married first John BLAKEMAN, son of Rev. Adam BLAKEMAN of Stratford, CT. Children: John married Mary KIMBERLY; Ebenezer married first Patience WILCOXSON, and second Abigail CURTIS; and Joseph married first Hannah HALL, and second Esther WHEELER. Dorothy married second Oct. 21, 1665 Francis HALL (d. Mar. 5, 1689/90, Stratford, CT), third Mark ST. JOHN (b. about 1634; d. Aug. 12, 1693, Norwalk, CT), and fourth Dea. Isaac MOORE of Farmington. 2. Samuel - b. Jan. 27, 1638/9, Wethersfield, CT; d. Sep. 10, 1703, Hadley, MA. 3. Joanna - b. Dec. 25, 1641, Wethersfield, Hartford Co., CT; d. Dec. 28, 1664, Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA. Buried Dec. 29, 1664, Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA with her infant daughter. Married Feb. 4, 1663/4, Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA Philip RUSSELL (d. May 19, 1693), her step-brother and son of Rev. John RUSSELL. Philip married second Jan. 10, 1665, Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA Elizabeth TERRY (bap. Jan. 9, 1641; slain by Indians Sep. 1667), daughter of Stephen TERRY; and third Dec. 25, 1679, Hadley, Hampshire Co., MA Mary CHURCH (b. 1656; d. May 1, 1743), daughter of Edward CHURCH. Daughter of Joanna and Philip: Joanna died as infant. Children of Philip and Elizabeth: John; Samuel died young; Philip died young; and Stephen died young. Children of Philip and Mary: Samuel; Thomas did not marry; Mary died as infant; Mary married Joseph ROOT; Philip; and Daniel married Jerusha DICKINSON. 4. Noah - b. Feb. 25, 1643/4, Wethersfield, CT. Died young. 5. Elizabeth - b. Aug. 25, 1648, Wethersfield, CT. Died young. | ||||||||||
Notes for Dorothy (Spouse 1) | ||||||||||
Dorothy - b. England; d. 1694, Hadley, MA; will dated Feb. 16, 1681/2. Married second in 1649 John RUSSELL (b. Feb. 26, 1597, Suffolk, England; d. May 8, 1680, Hadley, MA), father of Rev. John RUSSELL, successor to Rev. SMITH at Wethersfield, CT, and first minister at Hadley, MA about 1659. Dorothy's surname is sometimes given as COTTON, without substantive evidence (which would be welcome). It may be that the COTTON surname is based on a bequest in the 1652 will of Rev. John COTTON to "my cousin Henery Smith." However, Rev. Henry SMITH was deceased at the time of the will, and the bequest was for "diet, lodging and apparel so long as he serve my wife, and £20" - certainly not intended for Rev. Henry SMITH. | ||||||||||
Last Modified 27 Aug 2002 | Created 18 Sep 2002 |