Moving West: Thirteen Generations of a Smith Family
Family Histories
Generation Three
John Smith and Mary Root
John Smith, son of John Smith and Mary Partridge, was born on 15 May 1665 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died on 20 Jan 1723 at age 57.
John married Mary Root, daughter of John Root and Mary Ashley, on 23 Feb 1887 in Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts. Mary was born on 22 Sep 1667 in Westfield, Hampden, Massachusetts and died on 20 Jan 1724 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts at age 56. They had eight children: Baby Boy, Mary, Abigail, Mercy, John, Rachel, Hezekiah, and Noah.
Baby Boy Smith was born in 1688 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died in 1688 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts.
Mary Smith was born on 7 May 1689 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died in 1771 in Northampton, Hampden, Massachusetts at age 82.
Abigail Smith was born on 26 Oct 1691 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts.
Mercy Smith was born on 3 Jul 1694 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died on 10 Jan 1784 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts at age 89.
John Smith was born on 1 Feb 1697 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died in 1784 in Berwick, York, Maine at age 87.
Rachel Smith was born on 4 Aug 1699 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died on 20 Sep 1724 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts at age 25.
Hezekiah Smith was born on 21 Dec 1702 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died in 1790 at age 88.
Noah Smith was born on 16 May 1707 in Hadley, Hampshire, Massachusetts and died in 1767 at age 60.
John Smith was only eleven years old and the eldest of five children when his father was killed by the Indians at Hatfield on 30 May 1676 during King Philip's War. He was known as "Orphan John" to distinguish him among his many relatives of the same name.
In 1687 he and his cousin Samuel Smith, son of Philip, were living on the Lieutenant Samuel Smith lot in Hadley. In 1699 when Spruce Swamp was laid out for 22 persons, four people, one of which was Orphan John Smith, owned nearly all of it. He is also listed in 1703 as the owner of one of the larger wood lots, probably about 75 acres, lying between Brookfield Road and Mill River. The record also shows Orphan John taking up land south of Mt. Holyoke (South Hadley) when that part of Hadley was divided and allotted in 1720.
These records suggest that Orphan John Smith was a substantial person. In 1702 he is recorded as being a Townsman (Selectman) in Hadley. He held this post again four more years.
The Wethersfield records tell of John Smith of Hadley and his brother Benjamin owning land in Wethersfield and of John disposing of his land there to Thomas Dickinson in 1710.
Will of John Smith:"In the name of God Amen I John Smith the second of Hadley in ye county of hampshire in ye Province of ye massachusetts Bay in Newengland Being Sick and Aprihencive yt ye day of my Death is at hand But Being of Sound mind & memmory Praised be god therfor Do make & ordain this my Last will and Testament in manner & form following that is to say First and Principally I commend my Soul in to ye hand of God hopeing through ye merrit Death and Passion of my Lord and Saviour jesus Christ to have full and free pardon of all my sins and to inherit everlasting Life: & my Body I Commit to ye Earth to Be Decently Buried at ye Discretion of my executors hereafter Named and Dispose of my Estate as followeth:
Ffirst I will yt all my Just Debts or funeral Charges Be paid and Discharged
Item I give & Beaueath to my dear & Loveing wife Mary Smith one third part of my Real Estate Dureing ye term of her Natural Life & fifty pounds of my personal estate for ever
Item I give & Bequeath to my three Sons John Smith Hezekiah Smith & Noah Smith all my Lands in hadly or elsewhere to be equally Divided amongst them according to ye value of sd land
Item I give & Bequeath to my four Daughters Mary Sheldin Abigail Montague Mercy Eastman & Rachel Smith so much as Shall make up what they have Already Received of me Seventy pounds apeice & further I will & ordain yt such of my houshold stuff as Shall Remain after my wife hath had her fifty pounds shall be equally divided to my four daughters aforesd as part of ye above sd seventy pouns apiece to them Bequeathed and they shall receive it when my wife hath no further occasion for it in this family:
Item I give & Bequeath to my Beloved Son John Smith fifty pounds of my personal estate over and above what is before mentioned to be Bequeathe to him
Item I will and ordain yt what ___ or over ___ Shall Remain of my Estate after ye above sd Legacies shall be paid and Discharged. It shall be equally Divided among three my Sons John Smith Hezekiah Smith and Noah Smith aforesd
And further I do hereby make Constitute & ordain my Loveing wife Mary Smith & my Beloved Son John Smith Joynt Executors of this my Last will and Testament & I do hereby Revoke Disannul & make voide all former wills & Testaments by me hereto fore made: In witness where of I have hereunto set my hand & seal this Sixteenth day of January anno Domini 1723
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Signed & Sealed John Smith
In Presence of us
Peter Montague
John Smith
Jno ___"
[Hampshire County Will]