Jethro Smith (abt. 1715 - bef. 1770)

Born about 1715 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island

Ancestors

Husband of Anne (Williams) Smith — married 17 May 1744 in New London, New London, Connecticut Colony

Descendants

Died before 16 Jun 1770 before about age 55 in New York Colony [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: John Repinski [send private message] and Laura Wilson [send private message]

Biography

Jethro Smith was born about 1715 (estimated) in Providence, County of Providence Plantations, Rhode Island, the son of Joseph Williams (1680-1734) and Patience (Mowry) Smith (1682-1734).

He is mentioned in the will dated 19 June 1733, proved 1 April 1734, of his father Joseph Smith (1680-1734) of Smithfield, Rhode Island,^[1]

He was married 17 May 1744 at the First Congregational Church, New London, New London Co., Connecticut to Ann Williams (b. abt 1718, died aft 11 April 1774) ^[2][3] daughter of Thomas Williams (abt. 1680-1763) and Sarah (Babcock) Williams (1677-1725).

It is quite possible, but unconfirmed, that he may have died 27 Nov 1762 in a hospital in New York State, while serving in the final days of the French and Indian War. (see discussion in "Research Note" below.)

His wife Ann (Williams) Smith was referred to as "widow anna smith" in handwritten church meeting notes of 16 June 1770, of the Montville, Connecticut Baptist Church.^[4] The 11 April 1774 meeting notes of the above church noted "in order to labor with her for her conduct with Lancaster Comstock," [who married her daughter Mary] and found "she has acted in an impertinent manner" and that her "has brought dishonor upon the church, finding no real repentance in her, the church rejects her".^[5]

Research Notes

Jethro Smith is briefly noted in Henry Augustus Baker's "History of Montville, Connecticut, formerly the North parish of New London from 1640 to 1896," under the heading "Other Smith Families," which briefly notes his Smithfield, Rhode Island origins, his parentage, marriage, and one child (Mary), but does not note his date of death.^[6]

An earlier version of this WikiTree Profile noted Jethro Smith's death date as June, 1776, which was apparently sourced from a typographical misreading of the following brief profile of Jethro Smith in Henry Augustus Baker’s "History of Montville"... noted and referenced above:

“JETHRO SMITH, b. about 1714; married 17 May, 1740, Ann Williams, dau. of Thomas Williams and Sarah Babcock. He was an inhabitant of Montville. He had a dau., Mary, who married Lancaster Comstock. Jethro was the son of Joseph Smith and Patience Mowry of Smithfield, R.I., grandson of Edward Smith and Anphillis Angel of Providence, R.I., great-grandson of Christopher Smith and Alice. He first appears at Providence, R.I., in 1650, Sept. 2d, when he was taxed 3s. 4d., and died at Providence, June, 1676.”

The last sentence, which begins “He first appears at Providence….” is slightly awkward; it is actually referring to the death date of Christopher Smith, but it was apparently misread as referring to Jethro’s death date, which, being too early, was then assumed to be a typographical error and further assumed that Jethro therefore died in June, 1776.

A Jethro Smith died 27 Nov 1762 at a Hospital in New York State, while serving in a Connecticut Regiment in the French and Indian War, on 27 Nov. 1862, just prior to the end of that war (see reference below). His service record in the French and Indian War between 1755 and 1762, is as follows:

• 1755-6: Third Regiment, Sixth Company - Capt. Joshua Abel of Norwich, CT; enlisted 11 Sept, discharged 25 Nov.,^[7] re-enlisted 25 Nov 25, 1755 and discharged 21 May 1756.^[8] The Regiment was engaged at Lake George, New York Colony.
• 1758: Third Regiment, Fifth Company, Capt. Jonathan Latimore of New London, CT; enlisted 3 April, discharged 30 Nov. The Regiment was at Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga). ^[9]
• 1759: Fourth Regiment, Fourth Company, Capt. Simon Smith (prob. of New London), enlisted 1759 Muster Roll.^[10]
• 1762: First Regiment, Eighth Company, Capt. Zebulon Butler (of Lyme), enlisted 27 March, discharged “d—d” (deceased) 27 Nov.^[11]ffurther noted in Col. Lyman’s Connecticut Regiment of Provincials driven to the “Hospital at New York” between 22 Nov and 20 Dec 1862: records "Jethro Smith died 27 Nov." ^[12]

There is one other recorded Jethro Smith living in Connecticut during the French and Indian War, born in Haddam, Connecticut on 24 Feb 1730/31, also the son of a Joseph Smith, and wife Elizabeth. Given the age of this Jethro Smith, he could also have been the French and Indian War soldier. Since the Regiments soldier Jethro Smith enlisted in are apparently centered on New London County, and given that the wife of the Jethro Smith in this profile was a confirmed widow by 1770, it may favor the Jethro Smith in this Profile as being the soldier, though further confirmation is needed.

Sources

1. ↑ Beaman, Nellie M. C., Abstracts of Smithfield, Rhode Island Wills, Smithfield R. I. Council Book Vol 1, 1733-1748, published in Rhode Island Genealogical Register, Jan 1980, p. 175. The Will lists his unnamed wife, sons Samuel Smith, Jethro Smith, Jacob Smith, and Joseph Smith, and daughters Susannah Aldrich, Abigail Harris, Rebeka Smith, Barshabae Smith, Dina Smith under 21, and Elnathan Smith under21.
2. ↑ "New London, New London, Connecticut, United States Records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99V3-GS3B : August 17, 2021), image 104 of 1022; First Church of Christ (New London, Connecticut).
3. ↑ Marriage: "Connecticut Marriages, 1630-1997"
   citing FHL microfilm: 1011944; Record number: 471;
   FamilySearch Record: F7PB-L6D (accessed 3 December 2022)
   Jethro Smith marriage to Ann Williams on 17 May 1744 in New London, New London, Connecticut.
4. ↑ Church Records, 1749-1827, Baptist Church (Montville, Connecticut), Microfilm filmed by the genealogical Society of Utah, 1974, Microfilm of originals at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio. Includes Minutes, membership lists, confession of faith and covenant. Family History Library Film 960619 Items 1-3, DGS 8151339.
5. ↑ Ibid.
6. ↑ Baker, Henry Augustus. "History of Montville, Connecticut: formerly the north parish of New London from 1640 to 1896, (Hartford, Conn.: Press of the Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co.), p. 305.
7. ↑ Bates Albert C., “ROLLS OF CONNECTICUT MEN IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1755-1762, Volume 1: 1755-1757,” published in Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Vol. 9, (Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1903), p 40. https://archive.org/details/collectionsofcon09conn/page/40/mode/2up
8. ↑ Bates Albert C., “ROLLS OF CONNECTICUT MEN IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1755-1762, Volume 1: 1755-1757,” published in Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Vol. 9, (Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1903), p 78. https://archive.org/details/collectionsofcon09conn/page/78/mode/2up
9. ↑ Bates Albert C., “ROLLS OF CONNECTICUT MEN IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1755-1762. Volume 2: 1758-1762, published in Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Vol. 10, “(Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1905), p 61. https://archive.org/details/collectionsofcon10conn/page/60/mode/2up
10. ↑ Bates Albert C., “ROLLS OF CONNECTICUT MEN IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1755-1762. Volume 2: 1758-1762, published in Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Vol. 10, “(Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1905), p 165. https://archive.org/details/collectionsofcon10conn/page/164/mode/2up
11. ↑ Bates Albert C., “ROLLS OF CONNECTICUT MEN IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1755-1762. Volume 2: 1758-1762, published in Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Vol. 10, “(Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1905), p 312. https://archive.org/details/collectionsofcon10conn/page/312/mode/2up
12. ↑ Bates Albert C., “ROLLS OF CONNECTICUT MEN IN THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR, 1755-1762. Volume 2: 1758-1762, published in Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society, Vol. 10, “(Hartford: Connecticut Historical Society, 1905), p 312. https://archive.org/details/collectionsofcon10conn/page/332/mode/2up

• Baker, Henry Augustus. History of Montville, Connecticut, formerly the North parish of New London from 1640 to 1896 . http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/henry-augustus-baker/history-of-montville-connecticut-formerly-the-north-parish-of-new-london-from--eka/page-32-history-of-montville-connecticut-formerly-the-north-parish-of-new-london-from--eka.shtml

See Also:

• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org), entry for this profile (PID https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KDBK-YFK); contributed by various users.

• http://smithconnections.com/index.cgi Descendant of RI Christopher Smith of Group 18 in SmithConnections.com DNA Project

• http://www.familytreedna.com/public/smithconnections/default.aspx?section=ycolorized FTDNA SmithConnections NE Public Page

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile.