Person:Robert Smith (3)

Robert Smith's Origin

"Robert Smith, first of Ipswich and later of Rowley Village, testified in a civil suit in 1659 when his age was stated to be thirty-three. From the depositions in a previous lawsuit in 1655, in which he gives evidence concerning a circumstance of his voyage to New England, it would appear probable that he came from the vicinity of Boston, Lincolnshire, and that he made the voyage to New England as an apprentice of a Mr. Whittingham in 1638. According to the estimate of his age he was born in 1626 and would have been about twelve years old at the time of his emigration.

An examination of the parish register of Boston discloses a Robert Smith baptized in 1626, but the burial records show that he died within a year. Experience in attempted identifications of English emigrants to America teaches that it is always unwise to leap at conclusions unsupported by very strong evidence, and this is particularly the case with a surname so common as Smith."^[2]

His Life in New England

"The 1659 deposition states that Robert Smith was living with Mrs. Tuttle, Simon Tuttle's mother, in Ipswich 'eight or nine years ago.' In 1652 he and Edmund Bridges were witnesses in an Ipswich suit. He married Mary French, daughter of Thomas and Mary French of Ipswich, before March, 1656/7, when they both testified in the action brought by Henry Kemball against Thomas Smith et al. Within a few years they moved to Rowley Village, then closely identified with Topsfield, and in 1673, when some of the inhabitants of the village attempted to throw its association toward Rowley, Robert Smith headed the petition to the General Court in opposition. The village eventually became the town of Boxford. Smith took the oath of allegiance in 1678. When Mr. Capen became the minister of Topsfield church in 1684, Robert Smith's wife was one of the members in full communion.

Robert Smith made his will on August 7, 1693, and it was probated on September 26, His property was left to his wife, Mary, his sons Samuel, Ephraim and Jacob, and his daughters Mary Towne, Phebe Towne, 'Emey' Towne and 'Meriah' Smith. His son Nathaniel, who was an invalid, was left in charge of his brother Samuel, and his son Thomas, who lived with 'his grandfather ffrainch,' received no legacy. Administration cum testamento annexo was granted to Samuel on October 3,1698, his sureties being his brother Ephraim and his uncle John French, The property administered at this time was appraised by John French and John Gould at £189: 7: 3, From papers filed with the account of this administration it appears that Mary (French) Smith survived her husband twenty-six years, which would indicate that she died in 1719. A final division was made by Ephraim, Jacob and Samuel Smith in 1731, when it was stated that they had bought out the interests of their brothers and sisters."^[2]

Will of Robert Smith 7 August 1693

"This is the last will and testament of me, Robert Smith of Boxford in the county of Essex, in the name of God, Amen. I being in perfect memory although sick in body, do in the first place bequeath my body to the dust to be decently buried and my soul to my blessed lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

And for the estate the lord hath been pleased to give me, I do dispose amongst my children as followeth, viz. -

Primis - I do give to my son Samuel Smith all my first division which is four score acres and it is to be made up by a hundred acres, that is to say, as they go to Cole pit neck. And Nathaniel Smith being unable to provide for himself, I do appoint my son Samuel to take the whole care of him both for clothing, meat, drink, washing and housing, finding for him both in sickness and health for his natural life.

2. I give to my son Ephraim Smith sixty acres of land as it is herein bounded be it more or less: beginning at a rock and ____ by the south side of Long Hill that is a bound mark between Mist. _____'s land and mine and from that rock upon a straight line running westward to Corporal Thomas Andrews' stickey meadow and also the north side of this last line lying between Mist. Thomas Baker's land and Corporal Thomas Andrews' land up to a white oak tree to belong to Ephraim Smith and to his heirs and assigns forever.

3. I give to my son Jacob Smith fifty acres of land be it more or less as it is herein bounded, lying between Samuel Smith's land as it is above bounded and Ephraim Smith as he is above bounded and Corporal Thomas Andrews' land, Samuel Smith lying on the south east and Ephraim Smith lying on north or northwest and Corporal Thomas Andrews ling on the south and southwest, and all that is within this bounds I give to Jacob Smith and his heirs and assigns forever.

4. In consideration that my son Thomas Smith did leave me as soon as he was able to do anything and went and lived with his grandfather French and never came to me to help me in my old age, with what I have already given him, I do for ____ order six pounds to be given to him in cattle within two years after my decease.

5. I give to my daughter Mary Townes and to my daughter Phebe Townes and to my daughter Emy Townes and to my daughter Mariah Smith all my moveable estate within doors to be equally divided between them at the death of me and my wife. My true meaning is that what any of my daughters hve already had shall be accounted and if any has her share already, then they shall have no share of what do remain to be divided, for my will is that my daughters shall be equal in that estate with what they had had, and if there is [any one that?] do fail to their share, then they shall have the __________ that my daughter Mariah Smith shall have as good a share [for herself?] as any of my daughters that are already married.

6. I do will my son Samuel Smith __________ [me] and my wife during our natural lives, he to __________ [and pro]vide all things fit for us so long as we do live, and ___ his so doing, all the lands above bounded to him to remain _____ and his heirs and assigns forever, and all my stock to remain to the disposing of my executor.

7. I do appoint my loving wife Mary Smith and my son Samuel Smith to be my sole executors to this my last will and I do give them full power to see this my last will fulfilled in every particular as is above said. Also, they have full power granted to them by me that if they stand in need of help to ashoate any whom they please to help them and what they shall do or cause to be done shall be binding and stand in force.

8. I do appoint my executors to pay all my lawful debts as witness my hand and seal this seventh day of August one thousand six hundred ninety and three and in the fifth year of the reign of our soverign Lord and Lady , William and Mary, King and Queen of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, defender of the faith.

Robert Smith his o mark

Signed, sealed & delivered in the presence of us: John Gould & John French, senior

Proved 26 September at Newbury by Capt. John Gould and John French, senior

3 October 1693 at Salem, the executors therein named appeared and renounced their executorship to the within will. Also, Mary Smith, widow, and Thomas Smith and Ephraim Smith, the two eldest brothers, disclaimed their right of administration and pray that it may be granted to Samuel Smith the third son of the deceased within mentioned.

A True Inventory of y^e Estate of Robert Smith of Boxford County of Essex in New England who departed this live y^e thirtieth of August 1693. … The total is £189. 07. 03"^[3]

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Robert Smith, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Directory. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Jun 2015)
   312.

   "Smith, Robert: [Origin] Unknown; [Emigration] 1638; [Resided] Ipswich [EQC 1:381, 2:141; Amos Towne Anc 25-27; GMC50 371-76]."

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Smith, in Davis, Walter Goodwin, Compiler, and Introduction by Gary Boyd Roberts. Massachusetts and Maine Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis (1885-1966): A Reprinting, in Alphabetical Order by Surname, of the Sixteen Multi-Ancestor Compendia (plus Thomas Haley of Winter Harbor and His Descendants). (Baltimore, Maryland, United States: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1996)
   3:323-25.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} Robert Smith, in Threlfall, John B. Fifty Great Migration Colonists to New England & their Origins. (Madison, Wisconsin: J.B. Threlfall, 1990)
   371-76.