Person:John Smith (126)

John Smith was one of the Early Settlers of Orange and Frederick County, Virginia

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Working Timeline

• 1711 - Cecil County, MD - John Smith and wife Jane purchased three tracts of land on 20 September 1711; 168 acres called "Friendship", 400 acres called "Balconnel" and 432 acres, making a total of 1,000 acres. ¹

• From 1711 to 30 July 1723 - Cecil County, MD - John Smith and wife Jane sell the 1,000-acre tract and other land purchases on the northeast branch of the Elk River. ¹

• 1732: Jost Hite settled 16 families on his 5,000 acre "grant" and built Hite's Fort at Bartonsville (in present day Frederick County, VA). More research needed to determine if John and Jane Smith were one of these families.

1734: Orange County, VA is created from Spotsylvania County, VA.

• 1734 - John Smith engaged Robert Brooke to survey 420 acres of land on 25 March 1734 on the Opequon (also called Opeckon) Creek area, which he received a patent for on 20 August 1734. [Source: "Pioneers of Old Frederick Country, Virginia" By Cecil O'Dell, pg. 150].¹

[cos1776 Note: This land, located in Orange County (later Frederick County), straddled the Great Philadelphia Road (near Middleway, which is about 10 miles below Shepherdstown and the survey showed a small grist mill, suggesting that they had lived there for some time. Smith was a Quaker, an active member of the Hopewell Meeting, and was also a Justice of the Colony of Virginia for the area west of the Blue Ridge.]

• 1738 - Orange County, VA - Pages 399-406. 6-7 June 1738. John Smith of Orange County to William Hiett [Hite] of same. Lease and release; for valuable consideration. John Smith and John Hampton Junior of Orange County covenanted to take up and paten a tract from which John Hampton was to have 150 acres of the west end, which was surveyed for and patented in the name of John Smith 21 Aug. 1734, containing 420 acres on Opeckon Creek at Turkey Spring... John Hampton assigned unto William Hiett and Simion Woodrow who bought Hampton's right. Woodrow and Hiett parted the 150 acres, 60 acres to Simion Woodrow and 90 acres to William Hiett.. 90 acres on the west side of Sherrendo River and on Opeckon Creek at a place called Turkey Spring... division corner between William Hiett and Simeon Woodrow crossing Opeckon Creek to a stone by a run that comes from John Smith's mill... (signed) John Smith. Wit: Samuel Brittan, Rees Smith, William Smith. 22 June 1738. Acknowledged by John Smith. [Orange County Virginia Deed Book 2, Dorman, pg. 56].

• 1738 - Orange County, VA - Pages 406-13. 6-7 June 1738. John Smith of Orange County to David Lewis of same. Lease and release; for valuable consideration. John Smith and John Hampton Junior of Orange County covenanted to take up and patten (patent) a tract from which John Hampton was to have 150 acres of the west end, which was surveyed for and pattented in the name of John Smith 21 Aug. 1734, containing 420 acres on Opeckon Creek at Turkey Spring... for bond of ₤50 to John Hampton which bond Hampton assigned unto Simeon Woodrow and William Hiet who bought Hampton's right. Woodrow and Hiet by consent parted to 150 acres, 60 acres to Simeon Woodrow and 90 acres to William Hiet. Woodrow sold his right to David Lewis. 60 acres on the west side of Sherrendo River and on Opeckon Creek at a place called Turkey Spring, part of 420 acres granted John Smith 21 Aug. 1734... on the north side of the entire tract... crossing Opeckon Creek to a stone near the run which comes from the said John Smith's mill... (signed) John Smith. Wit: Samuel Brittan, Rees Smith, Wiliam Smith. 22 June 1738. Acknowledged by John Smith. [Orange County Virginia Deed Book 2, Dorman, pg. 57].

1738: (Aug 1st) Frederick County, VA is created from Orange County, VA.

[Note: At that time, "Old Frederick County" encompassed all or part of four counties in present-day Virginia — Shenandoah, Clarke, Warren, and Frederick — and five in present-day West Virginia — Hardy, Hampshire, Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan.]

• 1738: Aug 24 - supposedly John Smith dies. ^{Citation needed}

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 O'Dell, Cecil. Pioneers of old Frederick County, Virginia. (Marceline, Missouri: Walsworth Pub. Co., c1995)
   150.

   SMITH, JOHN
   John Smith (b. 1680 c.), the son and heir-in-law of William Smith of Cecil County, Maryland (deceased), purchased three tracts of land on 20 September 1711; 168 acres called "Friendship", 400 acres called "Balconnel" and 432 acres, making a total of 1,000 acres in Cecil County, Maryland. From 1711 through 30 July 1723, this 1,000-acre tract and other land purchases on the northeast branch of the Elk River were sold by John and his wife Jane (daughter of Rees Hinton of Cecil County, Maryland).
   -----
   [Additional information is listed on John and his family in Mr. O'Dell's book.]

2. ↑ Waddell, Joseph A. (Joseph Addison). Annals of Augusta County, Virginia: with reminiscences illustrative of the vicissitudes of its pioneer settlers biographical sketches of citizens locally prominent, and of those who have founded families in the southern and western states : a diary of the war, 1861-'5, and a chapter on reconstruction by Joseph Addison Waddell. (Staunton, Virginia: C.R. Caldwell, 1902)
   381, 382, 383.

   EARLY RECORDS OF ORANGE COUNTY COURT.
   The County Court of Orange was opened January 21, 1734, and among the justices included in the "Commission of the Peace," issued by Governor Gooch, were James Barbour, Zachary Taylor, Joist Hite, Morgan Morgan, Benjamin Borden and the ubiquitous John Smith. ...
   
   ... John Smith cannot be located. We only know certainly that he was not the Captain John Smith, of Augusta, who figured in the Indian wars after 1755. He may have been the " Knight of the Golden Horseshoe," named Smith, who accompanied Governor Spotswood in his visit to the Valley in 1716. ...
   
   ...At July court, 1738, a suit brought by Mr. Williams against the inevitable John Smith and some thirty or forty more, "for signing a certain scandalous paper reflecting on ye said Williams," came on. The preacher was again triumphant. Many of the signers of the
   "scandalous paper " " humbly acknowledged their error, begging pardon, were excused, paying costs"
   
   At September Court the suit was abated as to John Smith on account of his death. Which John Smith this was we have no means of ascertaining. He probably was a neighbor of Mr. Williams.
   
   We next find John Smith (probably the Squire) and Benjamin Borden in limbo.
   On October 22, 1737, "Zachary Lewis, Gent., attorney for our Sovereign Lord, the King, informed the Court that, at the houses of Louis Stilfy and John Smith, certain persons, viz: the said John Smith, John Pitts, Benjamin Borden "and others" do keep unlawful and tumultuous meetings tending to rebellion," and it was ordered that the sheriff take said persons into custody, etc. ...