Person:Sarah Folger (1)

Introducing Sarah Folger of Brookhaven, Suffolk Co, NY (Ancestor of Pam Lash)_______________________

Who IS The Real Sarah Smith?

Is she Sarah Folger, Sarah Hammond, or some other Sarah? This is a question that currently has no answer so I have chosen to present information on any and all possibilities; however I did stay with the traditional Sarah Folger for purposes of the family page and on this person page I have tried to include data that shows alternative views. (See NOTES)

Little Bits and Pieces of Her Known Life

• Sarah Smith had 9 children brought up to maturity.

• She was active in her participation in business matters of the partnership with her husband, especially when the title of Smithtown lands was the greatest.

• She survived her husband by about 16 years and numerous deeds and other papers of that period bear her name.

Deeds of Sarah Smith

Fort Salonga

In 1695 Sarah Smith, wife of Smithtown founder Richard (Bull) Smith, deeded to her son Daniel 100 acres at Bread and Cheese Hollow, also known as Fresh Pond. There were clay deposits in the area which are believed to have been used by the Indians for making pottery. In 1684, the Long Island Brick Co. was established and for more than 200 years bricks from the area were shipped all over Long Island and to New England. Pirate captain William Kidd's ship, the Adventure Galley, was anchored off Treadwells Neck in the 1690s, according to reports at the time. Some old maps indicate a point marked as Kidd's Money Hole. But rumors that some of Kidd's treasure remains buried on the beach at Fort Salonga have never been substantiated.

Will of Sarah Smith

She made a will dated 20 Jan 1707/1708 which is as follows:

In the name of God Amen I Sarah Smith relict of Richard Smith, Sen, deceased of Smithtown in ye County of Suffolk and in ye Province of New Yorke, Doe make my last will and Testament in manner following: First I commit my soul into ye hands of God which gave it, and my body to a decent burial at ye discretion of my Executor hereafter named, in comfortable hopes of a happy and glorious resurrection thro, the power and merits of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And as for my outward estate, after debts and my funrall chares are paid, I give and bequeath as followeth.

Imp. I give and bequeath to my son Richard Smith his eldest son Richard all the houses, orchards, and all my lands that my husband left me in ye possession of & that I am at this present in possession of, he yielding and paying me 10 pounds a year and yearly as long as I shall live & at my death to have ye above mentioned premises and his heirs forever, with all the privileges and accomodations thereunto belonging.

I also give my daughter Elizabeth one trunk with all my linens and wearing clothes.

I give to my son Richard’s 2 daughters my silk whod and scarfe. I give a Necke called James Neck to be equally divided amongst my 6 sons Jonathan, Richard, Job, Adam, Samuel, and Daniel.

I give my son Richard’s eldest sonne my blunderbuss. I give my son Richard’s wife my cloake. I give all ye household stuff not here bequeathed to be equally divided among my 6 sons above mentioned.

I give Mr. Geore Philips a Cow, and all ye rest of my stock to be equally divided amonsy my 6 sons above mentioned, it must be unerstood that what I have given my son Richard is to oblige him to quit and mull all debts ye he pretends is owings tohim by my husband or my self, so it may prevent future difference among my children, and also all ye rest of my children to null and void all debts from husband or myself, and to accept of what I have given them in full satisfaction.

I desire also what I gave Mary Petreche she may have it & to be maintained equally amongsy my children.

I hereby null and revoke all former wills & instruments whatsoever & Constitute & appoint my well beloved son Richard Smith to be my executor & to take care and see that this is my last will & testament I have hereunto affixed my hand and seale this twentieth day of January 1707/1708.

The real estate mentioned in the will was probably the land deeded to Richard Smith JR., by both Richard and Sarah Smith, SR, on 31 Aug 1688 and on the same day deed back by Richard Smith JR., to his mother, Sarah Smith

Sarah Smith in Records of Smithtown

p33 Petition of Sarah Smith, widow, complaining of one Richard Smith and praying to have a decree of the Court of Equity in relation to her husband’s estate executed. She having now living 50 children and grand children whom she is desirous of providing for, 24 Nov 1703; same to oblige her son Richard to surrender a deed in his possession, 3 Sept 1703

p33- Will of Richard Smith, (and wife Sarah), 5 Mar 1691/92 written and 2 May 1693 proved

p37- Will of Sarah Smith, 27 Jan 1707/08, and recorded in Liber B p25 Suffolk Co’s Clerk

Sources

“Ancestors and Descendants of Henry and Mary Folger Mills”, Paul Mills, 1966

“Ancestral Records and Portraits Vol I, Colonial Dames of America”, Grafton Press, NY 1910

"Compendium of American Genealogy" Frederick Adams Virkus, Originally Published: Institute of American Genealogy, Chicago, IL, 1937, Republished: Genealogical Publishing, Baltimore, MD, 1968 Volume VII: Immigrant Ancestors, p 881

“Early Long Island Wills of Suffolk County, 1691-1703” Pelletreau, William S., A.M., New York, 1897. p80, FHL 974.725 P2p film #833370

"The Family of Richard Smith of Smithtown, Long Island" Frederick Kinsman Smith, Smithtown Historical Society, Smithtown, NY, 1967

“Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England” James Savage, Originally published 1860-1862. Reprint published Baltimore MD: Genealogical Publishing Co. , 1994

“History and Genealogies of the Hammond Families in America: with an account of the early history of Hammond Family” Frederick Stam Hammond, Oneida NY: Ryan & Burkhard, 1902-1904

"The History of Smithtown" J. Lawrence Smith, 1961, p9-13, 15

“The Identity of Sarah, Wife of Richard1 Smith of Smithtown, Long Island” Edward H. L. Smith, New York: The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1990 (vol. 121)

“New England Historical and Genealogical Register”, V16 (1862), p269

"New England Marriages Before 1700" Clarence A. Torrey, Baltimore, MD, 1985, 683

"Records of the Town of Smithtown, Long Island, N.Y." Transcribed by William S. Pelletreau, Huntington, N.Y.: Long-Islander Print, 1898, p27, 35, 37, 464, 478

"The Sisters and the Cousins and the Aunts: Ancestral Lines of the Foster and Curtis Families of Long Island, New York, and New England" Marian Foster Fraser, 1988, p488

"The Topping Genealogy", Charles Topping, 1980, p392

“Torrey’s New England Marriages Prior to 1700”. (Online database. NewEnglandAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. CD-ROM. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001, {Southampton 198; Winthrop-Babcock 445; Wickham-Billard 93; Bissell 94; Strong 648; LBDF&P 4:78, 130, 15:9}

"Wills of the Smith Families of New York and Long Island, 1664-1794" Pelletreau, William S., New York: F.P. Harper, 1898

"Woodhull Genealogy: The Woodhull Family in England and America", Mary Gould Woodhull and Frances Bowes Stevens, Henry T. Coates & Co., Philadelphia, PA, 1904

1.   Some sources claim this Sarah is Sarah Hammond, daughter of William Hammond; Sarah Hammond was born in Watertown, MA and died in Nissequpgue, NY; she had 2 sons, Jonathan Smith b1641; d 1718; married Sarah Brewster and Job Smith b 1647; d 1719 Nissequogue, NY; mar Elizabeth Thompson.
2.   In an article in NYGBR 121, Edward Smith explores the possibility that she was Sarah Hammond, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Paine) Hammond of Watertown. "Hammond Families" 1:67 notes a letter in the Massachusetts Archives from Sarah's uncle William Paine to Gov. Shirley, in which he asks to be notified when the Governor is to hear a case, as he wished to be present. The case was between "Smith & my brother Hammond dauter", and was an attempt by a Mr. Smith to be released from his recently announced marriage intention to marry Sarah Hammond. A letter from the Rev. George Phillips, pastor at Watertown, to John Winthrop dated 24 2nd month 1640, and Gov. Winthrop's own notation on the letter, indicate that Mr. Smith was unsuccessful in his attempt. Mr. Smith's first name is not mentioned. The Hammond genealogy implied that Sarah separated from her husband, but her father's will named daughter Sarah Smith and her son Adam Smith (again not mentioning the husband's name). William left daughter Sarah Ä5, while her sister Hannah Barnes, widow of Timothy Hawkins and wife of Ellis Barron/Barnes was to receive Ä30 and "if she be a widow again" a certain lot of woodland. This suggests that Sarah was reasonably secure financially, not separated and dependent upon her parent's resources. The will also indicates that Sarah's son Adam was living with his grandparents in 1662, but this could be a case of a youth sent to assist his aging grandparents and serve in their household. Daniel2 Smith, son of Richard and Sarah Smith of Smithtown, took as his second wife Ruhamah (Johnson) Hawkins, widow of Timothy2 Hawkins (son of Timothy and Anne (Hammond) Hawkins. Richard Smith's son Adam is traditionally supposed to have married Elizabeth Browne, daughter of Edmund Browne of Dorchester. All this suggests some Massachusetts ties for this Long Island family -- which could be readily accounted for if Sarah, wife of Richard Smith, were Sarah Hammond, daughter of William Hammond.
3.   The Identity of Sarah, Wife of Richard1 Smith of Smithtown, Long Island
   AUTHOR: Edward H. L. Smith
   PUBLICATION: New York: The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 1990 (vol. 121)
   
   Sarah's baptism is not listed among the children of William Hamond cited from the parish register in the Hammond genealogy.
   Daughter Sarah Smith with her son Adam was named in William Hammond's will dated 1 July 1662.
   
   Traditionally, Sarah's name has been given as Sarah Folger, but without supporting evidence; nor is a Sarah Folger known eligible to be Richard Smith's wife.
4.   History and Genealogies of the Hammond Families in America: with an account of the early hist ory of Hammond Family
   AUTHOR: Frederick Stam Hammond
   PUBLICATION: Oneida NY: Ryan & Burkhard, 1902-1904
   
   "It does not seem probable that Richard Smith was married before leaving England. It is
   more likely that he found his wife in New England. Sarah, and the tradition has been accepted
   by many that she was Sarah Folger, but this has not been confirmed by any record and appears
   negatived by accepted facts..."