Person:Samuel Smith (2)

"Early in 1664, Samuel Smith left his wife and left New London, settling at Roanoke and then Carolina. Shortly before his departure he was frequently seen at the tavern maintained by Humphrey Clay and his wife, spending his time with their daughter, Sarah Clay, who accompanied him when he left town. Just before his departure, Smith boasted of getting Alice (Smith) Tinker with child, although Alice claimed the father was Jeremiah Blinman. Rev. Gershom Bulkeley and others wrote to Samuel Smith attempting to convince him to return to Connecticut, but he refused. Nicholas White visited Smith and found that “he had a young wife” in Carolina. Rebecca (Smith) Smith returned to Wethersfield and apparently obtained a divorce, for by 1669 she had married Nathaniel Bowman. Both Calkins (New London History, 150f) and Stiles (Wethersfield History, 2:647) saw the letters and depositions relating to Smith’s departure for the south, but suppressed the reports of his dalliance with other women."^[1]

Prindle relied on the newspaper articles (The Hartford Times) for the baptismal records. Examination of microfilm of the parish registers by Myrtle S. Hyde led to corrected dates for most of these (Smith) baptisms.^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Samuel Smith, in Anderson, Robert Charles; George F. Sanborn; and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635. (Boston, Massachusetts: NEHGS, 1999-2011)
   6:400-02.

   Samuel Smith, bp. Whatfield, Suffolk, 6 October 1625; m. by an unknown date Rebecca Smith, daughter of Henry Smith {1637, Charlestown}, but abandoned her in early 1664.

2. ↑ Savage, James. A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England: Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May, 1692, on the Basis of Farmer's Register. (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co, 1860-1862)
   4:132.

   Samuel Smith , New London, s. of [[Person:Samuel Smith (1)|the preced.] brot. from Eng. by his f. 1634, in the Elizabeth from Ipswich, Co. Suffolk, came from Wethersfield, there prob. m. Rebecca, d. of Rev. Henry Smith; was lieut. in 1657, and much betrust. in all town concerns, yet beyond any reason kn. for such conduct, abandon. his w. early in 1664, and went to Roanoke, on the borders of Virg. and N. C. His w. wh. had borne him no ch. was divorc. for such desert. and in 1669 m. Nathaniel Bowman of W. The runaway picked up, it was thot. ano. w. and left descend. at the S. See Caulkins' Hist.

3. ↑ Prindle, Paul W. The Wife of Lt. Samuel Smith of Wethersfield. The American Genealogist. (Oct 1956)
   32:202.