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Christopher (Smyth) Smith (bef. 1593 - bef. 1665)

Lt. Christopher Smith formerly Smyth
Born before in Burnley, Lancashire, Englandmap
Son of [uncertain] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 3 May 1624 in Burnley, Lancashire, Englandmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , , and
Died before at about age 72 in Burnley, Lancashire, Englandmap
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Profile last modified | Created 12 Mar 2014
This page has been accessed 12,038 times.

Contents

Biography

Caution: as this biography and the Research Notes make clear, there are significant uncertainties about Christopher. There are a number of different Christopher Smiths of Burnley, Lancashire and nearby parishes.

Baptism

There is a record of a Christopher, son of Thomas Smith, baptized 18 March 1592/3, at St Peter, Burnley, Lancashire.[1]
There was also a baptism of a Christopher Smithe, son of John, on 17 Dec 1583 at Burnley.[2][3]

Marriage

Elizabeth Towneley married (2nd) Christopher Smith, who, according to Dugdale's Visitation of Lancashire, was of Stannihurst.[4][5] She married (1st), at Coln, Lancashire, 1 May 1616, Richard Halstead of Windlehouse (in Burnley).[6] However, according to Burnley parish registers, a Christopher Smith married Elizabeth Halsted (Halsted/Halstead being the name of her first husband) on 3 May 1624 at St Peter, Burnley.[7] This Burnley record is likely to relate to the Christopher of this profile.

Children

Probably, the following records are for the baptism of his children:
  • John, son of Christopher Smith of Stonirakes, baptized 12 September 1624 at St Peter, Burnley[8]
  • Lawrence, son of Christopher Smith of Stonirakes, baptized 29 March 1629 at St Peter, Burnley[9]
  • Christopher, son of Christopher Smithe of Brearcleffe, baptized 29 January 1631/2 at St Peter Burnley[10][11]
  • unnamed daughter of Christopher Smith, baptized 24 May 1635 at St Peter, Burnley[12][13]
  • Thomas, son of Christopher Smyth of Stonirakes, baptized 17 December 1637 at St Peter, Burnley[14]
Possibly:
  • Hen, son of "Christopheri" Smyth of Edge, baptized 11 March 1637/8[15]
Definitely not:
  • George, son of Christopher Smithe of Brearcleffe, baptized 18 October 1601 at Burnley[16]

1660 Hearth Tax Record

A 1660 Hearth Tax record refers to a Christopher Smith of Stonirakes, wife Elizabeth, sons Richard and Thomas.[17]

Death

Christopher may be the Christopher Smith buried at Burnley, Lancashire on 22 May 1665.[18][19] See Research Notes below for discussion.

Will of Elizabeth

Elizabeth Smith, widow, "Abode: Stoneyrakes", was buried "23 Jun 1679 St Peter, Burnley, Lancs."[20]
"Elizabeth Smith- Will was made January 28 1676/6 and probated January 5, 1697/80 [sic - 1679/80 meant]. All five of the Smith sons are named in the order of their baptism, along with names of two women, Elizabeth Scarborough of Summerhouse, County York, widow and Blanch Smith, son Johns daughter who was baptized March 7 1651/2."[21]

Research Notes

Of Stoneyhurst, Mitton or Stanirakes, Burnley?

There is a degree of conflict between sources as to whether Christopher was of Stoneyhurst, in the parish of Mitton (Great Mitton), Lancashire or of Stanirakes in the parish of Burnley, Lancashire.

Dugdale's Visitation of Lancashire identifies Christopher, husband of Elizabeth Towneley, as being of "Stannihurst" (Stoneyhurst).[4] Parish records of Burnley, Lancashire suggest that this is likely to be a mistake, and that he was probably of Stonirakes, Lancashire. There is a discussion in a 1973 article in the The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography.[17]

Father

Sir Thomas Smythe-97 is not the father of Christopher Smith/Smyth-713 of Burnley, Lancashire. amb 08 September 2018.

Children

The Cheek book says Christopher and Elizabeth had a son, John bc 1624 in England; and a son Thomas bc 1637 in England. More research needed to confirm or deny these two sons.

A profile merged into this one named another son, Ambrose b: in Lancashire, with no source.

Wikitree Profiles Removed

  1. John Smith removed as son by Kitty Smith on 20 Oct 2017.
  2. Frances (Unknown) Pynchon by Smith-32867 on 7 Sep 2018, 03:35
  3. Smith-143020 removed as father. amb 07 September 2018
  4. Bernard_SMITH-1 removed as wife (she married John Smith). Noland-165, 31 December 2019

1657 record of baptism of "Issabel Boothman"

There is a record of 14 March 1656/7 (1657 in modern reckoning) for the baptism at St Peter's, Burnley, Lancashire of "Issabell Boothman - base daughter of Crofer. Smith, the yonger & Elizabeth Boothman, Single woman of Brearcliffe", with a birth date of 8 March 1656/7, and the abode given as Stonyrake.[22][23] This implies that there were two Christopher Smiths alive in the parish at this time. They may have been father and son. There is nothing in the record to demonstrate that the older of the two Christophers was the Christopher of this profile. Further research is needed to see if evidence can be found to show how these two Christopher Smiths fit into the family.

Death and Burial

There are three possible burial records which may refer to the Christopher Smith of this profile:

  • Christopher Smyth, buried on 16 April 1638 at Mitton (now generally called Great Mitton), not very far from Burnley[24][25] If Dugdale is right, and the Christopher Smith who married Elizabeth Towneley was of Stoneyhurst, in Mitton, this is likely to be his burial record: but, as indicated above, Dugdale probably made a mistake.
  • Christopher Smith, buried on 22 May 1665 at St Peter, Burnley, Lancashire. Abode: Stonehouse? Register: Burials 1653 - 1727, Page 19, Entry 46[18] What is tentatively transcribed on the Lancashire Online Parish Clerks website as "Stonehouse" may be Stonirakes. There is an image of the parish register page on FindMyPast[26] and the handwriting makes the abode hard to decipher.
  • Christopher Smith, buried on 24 Nov 1669 at St Peter, Burnley, Lancashire. Abode: Pendle. Register: Burials 1653 - 1727, Page 23, Entry 47[18]

A fourth burial record, of a "Xtoph Smyth" buried at St Peter, Burnley on 11 March 1672/3, abode Breerclyffe,[18] is unlikely to be for the Christopher of this profile.

A search on Familysearch and FindMyPast undertaken on 13 October 2021 showed no other likely Lancashire burials within a probable time period.

DNA

This is a tested line in the WorldWide Smiths DNA Project: http://www.smithsworldwide.org/smtrees.asp?grouping=GRP-R-M269-7.

This Christopher is NOT Christopher Smith-27264. That one is proven group NE18 in the Smith Connections Northeastern DNA Project.

Sources

  1. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865d0e93790ec8b597104 : viewed 30 Dec 2019) baptism Christopher Smith 18 Mar 1592/93
  2. ↑ Lancashire : Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865cbe93790ec8b596a8e : viewed 21 Jun 2021) baptism Christopher Smithe 17 Dec 1583.
  3. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5LM-D7G : 18 September 2020), Christopher Smithe, 1583
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Visitation of the County Palatine of Lancaster, made in the year16644-5, made by Sir William Dugdale, Part III, Chetham Society, 1873, p. 314, Townley of Stonehenge pedigree,Internet Archive
  5. ↑ Magna Carta Ancestry, p. 206, citing Dugdale, added 2014-07-16, amb
  6. ↑ Richardson, Magna Carta Ancestry, IV:206 TOWNELEY 16.ii.
  7. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5817f37be93790eb7fe66ca3 : viewed 30 Dec 2019) marriage Christopher Smithe to Elizabeth Halsted 3 May 1624
  8. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865f4e93790ec8b59a407 : viewed 1 Jan 2020) baptism John Smith 12 Sep 1624
  9. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865f6e93790ec8b59a829 : viewed 1 Jan 2020) baptism Lawrence Smithe 29 Mar 1629
  10. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865f8e93790ec8b59aa68 : viewed 1 Jan 2020) baptism Christopher Smithe 29 Jan 1631/2
  11. ↑ This document (accessed 31 Dec. 2019) notes that Stoneyrakes is in the village of Brearcleffe, "in the highter division of Blackburn Hundred of Lancashire." (Historical Southern Families, Volume XVII, page 183)
  12. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865fbe93790ec8b59adb9 : viewed 1 Jan 2020) baptism Smith 24 May 1635
  13. ↑ From a message board: "Christopher Smith residing at Stonirakes who baptized the following children at Burnley: John, September 12, 1624, Lawrence, March 19, 1629; Christopher, January 29, 1631/2, a child whose name is obliterated in the record but known from other sources to be Richard, May 24, 1635; and Thomas, December 17, 1637." (Anneliese Kennedy. "SMITH family of Burnley Parish", 5 Feb. 1999; edited 23 July 2009. Accessed 1 Jan. 2020).
  14. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865fce93790ec8b59afe0 : viewed 1 Jan 2020) baptism Thomas Smyth 17 Dec 1637
  15. ↑ Colne : St Bartholomew : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581868e6e93790ec8b5f32b7 : viewed 1 Jan 2020) baptism Hen Smyth 11 Mar 1637/8
  16. ↑ Burnley : St Peter : Register of unspecified type : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/581865e6e93790ec8b599008 : viewed 1 Jan 2020) baptism George Smithe 18 Oct 1601
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Mary Burton Derrickson McCurdy. "The Townleys and Warners of Virginia and Their English Connections", The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 81, No. 3 (Jul., 1973 : Virginia Historical Society), pp. 319-367, JSTOR article, accessed 18 October 2021
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Search in Burnley registers on Lancashire Online Parish Clerks website, 13 October 2021
  19. ↑ Image of Burnley burials register, FindMyPast
  20. ↑ From opc.org's Lancashire records, Burials (1668-1682), accessed 2 January 2020. Citation given is "Register: Burials 1653 - 1727, Page 32, Entry 17, LDS Film 1517690"
  21. ↑ "Smith Official DNA and One Name Study" (online tree), entry for Elizabeth Townley (accessed 31 Dec. 2019). The entry lists her five sons as
    1. John Smith (b. 2 Sep 1624, d. 17 Apr 1689, Purton, Gloucester Co., Virginia Colony)
    2. Lawrence Smith, Sr. (b. 29 Mar 1629, d. 8 Aug 1700, Abingdon Parish, Gloucester Co, VA)
    3. Christopher Smith (b. 29 Jan 1630, d. 1716, Hanover Co, VA)
    4. Richard Smith (b. 24 May 1635)
    5. Thomas Smith (b. 1637)
  22. ↑ Lancashire Online Parish Clerks website, Search facility for the parish of Burnley: search undertaken 12 October 2021
  23. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NBH3-DL6
  24. ↑ Lancashire Online Parish Clerks, search in Mitton register for burials of Christopher Smith 1638 +/- 5 years, undertaken 18 October 2021
  25. ↑ Lancashire Record Office, ref. PR 3031/1/1, FindMyPast
  26. ↑ Image of Burnley burials register, FindMyPast






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DNA Connections
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Comments: 19

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Lee-5956 Robin Lee
Smith-258653 and Smyth-713 appear to represent the same person because: similar dates, same marriage
posted by Robin Lee
Christopher Smith
I am highly skeptical of yDNA connections between Maj. Lawrence Smith's family and group R-M269-7 or R-M269-8. They appear to need to sort something out because they are both claiming a connection to this Smith group on here. The only verified paper trail for group R-M269-8 is the Smith/Snelson family of Hanover Co, VA. I own access to a yDNA kit for this group at FamilyTreeDNA. Group 7 has an issue with an Isaac Smith of England. I've debunked their link to Josiah Smith m. Elizabeth Colliers's family.

https://smithgenealogy.wordpress.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9yRWRAm5DQ

I also believe this cemetery in Burnley, Lancs. is a good place to start if one were to look for coats of arms on Smith gravestones to see if they're the same as on Mildred Smith Jameson's

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2473028/st.-peter's-churchyard

The Lancashire Witch Consipracy https://books.google.com/books?id=ROg0pu89b1cC&q=xpofer#v=snippet&q=smith&f=false

This book contains details about Christopher Smith (sometimes seen recorded as Xpoferus or Xpofer Smyth) and his family.

posted by Christopher Smith
edited by Christopher Smith
Cayley-55 Michael Cayley
Unless my ageing eyes are missing something, references to Christopher Smith in the viewable snippets on Google Books of the Lancashire Witch Conspiracy book appear to be to earlier Christopher Smiths. This seems clear from the dates given in those references. If that is right, the book is not helpful in relation to the Christopher of this profile unless there is other information in pages I am unable to view on Google Books.

The dates given in the references to a Christopher Smith that I have found on Google Books range from 1507 to the 1550s.

posted by Michael Cayley
edited by Michael Cayley
Christopher Smith
Source cited for this person from genkssst's tree:

St Peters Burnley Parish Register Christenings from The Registers of Burnley

(14 Mar 1656) Issabell, base daughter of Cro’fer Smith, Stoneyrakes, younger & Elizabeth Boothman, Briercliffe, singlewoman. This implies that his father was still alive in 1656 and supports that his father was the Christopher Smith, Stoneyrakes noted in 1665 burials in the Burnley Parish Register. This would dispute the 16 Apr 1638 date commonly cited for his death.

posted by Christopher Smith
Cayley-55 Michael Cayley
I agree that what it suggests is that there were probably two Christopher Smith's alive in 1656. They may not have been father and son - I have seen a number of instances where people are described as "older" and "younger" to distinguish between two people of the same name in the same area who were not parent and child, but were uncle and nephew or some other relationship, or sometimes not that closely related at all.

In addition what this source does not demonstrate is that one of the two Christophers alive in 1656 was the Christopher of this profile.

There are a very large number of instances where the same first name was used in three or more successive generations.

So this is for the research notes.

posted by Michael Cayley
edited by Michael Cayley
Cayley-55 Michael Cayley
I have now added a self-explanatory research note on death and burial. Mitton (Great Mitton on most modern maps) is not far from Burnley, with which Christopher was associated: but, having done some more research, my own feeling is that the 1638 Mitton burial record is less likely to relate to the Christopher of this profile than one of the Burnley records of the 1660s. If the abode in the 1665 record - and the handwriting is very crabbed and difficult - is really Stonirakes, that would be the more likely burial record.

I would myself be inclined to amend the death and burial information to correspond to the 1665 burial, but amend my research note to mention the other possibilities. Profile managers and others who have worked on this profile may wish to comment and say if they agree.

posted by Michael Cayley
Cayley-55 Michael Cayley
The only response I have had is from someone who worked on this profile and is in agreement with what I propose. So I have made the change. I have also added a general warning at the start of the bio, and made some other changes.

The profile would benefit from a more substantial revision at some point, but I have other priorities at the moment.

posted by Michael Cayley
Cooper-1 Kitty (Cooper) Smith
Smith-216920 and Smyth-713 appear to represent the same person because: Same wife, similar vitals. Please merge Smith-216920 into Smyth-713. Thank you.
posted by Kitty (Cooper) Smith
Holland-3338 Bettye (Holland) Carroll
Source: Richardson, Douglas. Royal Ancestry: A Study In Colonial And Medieval Families, in 5 Vols. (Salt Lake City, Utah, 2013), Vol., V, page 181.

Elizabeth Towneley, married (1st) Richard Halstead. She married (2nd) Christopher Smith.

Child of Elizabeth Townley, by Christopher Smith, Gent.:

Lawrence Smith, likely the immigrant to Virginia, married Mary Debnam.

Richardson gives as his source ...

Roberts "Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants" (2004) 416-421): which reads, Lawrence Smith, almost certainly the immigrant to Va = Mary Debnam.

Thank you!

posted by Bettye (Holland) Carroll
Walter Smith
Saw a short note that it was illegal to have a middle name - was only allowed for royalty. Once in America it might have become common to add a middle name but more documentation on this is needed.
posted by Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Who have a DNA file? On GedMatch I listed a M848299.
posted by Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Their Children listed in Elizabeth's Last Will & Testament written 28 Jan 1675/6 and probated 5 Jan 1676/80 are as follows.

Sons:

Thomas Smith - 17 Dec 1623 John Smith - 12 Sept 1624 Lawrence Smith - 29 March 1629 Christoper Smith - 29 Jan 1631 Richard Smith - 24 May 1635

Daughters:

Elizabeth Susannah - (May have married a Sarborough of Summerhouse, York)

Note: An Edward Smith is noted as a son in "Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties" He either was deceased before the will or had already received his inheritance. More search DNA on his ancestor's would be warrented.

This Henry Smith is doubtful as a son. But, research into this would be warranted.

Lawrence Smith is my line, but I research all 5 of the children. Been on this 15 Yrs.

posted by Walter Smith
Walter Smith
Please not that Anna Bernard was the wife of John Smith 12 Sept 1624 - the oldest son of Christopher Smith & Elizabeth Townley.

See "The Smith's of Virginia" By Lyon G. Tyler: Source is "The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol 4, No. 1 (July 1859) PP 46-52. http://jstor.org/stable/1916182 - for reference. Bottom of page 46. John married Anna Bernard, her father was Richard Bernard of Petsworth, Buckinghamshire, England. Email me at [email address removed] and I'll email you back the PDF of article.

Christoper Smith (Shown in Stonirakes England in the 1660 poll tax for Friercliffe) & Elizabeth Towneley whom were married 3 May 1624 in Burnley Parish, Lancashire, England. They had five (5) Sons and two daughters.

Smith & Towneley / Townley are from Burnley Parish in Lancashire, England.

posted by Walter Smith
Smith-32867 Jillaine Smith
I've disconnected Frances (Unknown) (Smith) (Sanford) Pynchon as mother of Christopher and spouse of his father. She had only one Smith child--Henry. The first name of Henry's father is not yet known.
posted by Jillaine Smith
Brown-63670 Susie Brown
On UK &Ireland Findagrave Index 1300-Current

Findagrave.com/memorial/132301791 He is my 10th great grandfather.

posted by Susie Brown
Cooper-1 Kitty (Cooper) Smith
Disconnecting son John as he is from a different yDNA group.

Christopher: http://www.smithsworldwide.org/smtrees.asp?grouping=GRP-R-M269-8

John: http://www.smithsworldwide.org/smtrees.asp?grouping=GRP-R-M269-97

posted by Kitty (Cooper) Smith
Cooper-1 Kitty (Cooper) Smith
Can anyone provide a source for the name Thomas Christopher Lawrence Smith, Sr? I do not see a Thomas Christopher Lawrence Smith, Jr. and I think the name is very suspect without documentation. Thank you!
posted by Kitty (Cooper) Smith
Cooper-1 Kitty (Cooper) Smith
Smith-81906 and Smyth-713 appear to represent the same person because: they have the same wife, but different spelling on the surname. Please merge Smith-81906 into Smyth-713 if you agree they are two profiles for the same person. Thank you.
posted by Kitty (Cooper) Smith

Rejected matches › › Chris S. Smith › Christopher Smith (abt.1591-1676)

Featured National Park champion connections: Christopher is 12 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt, 20 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger, 14 degrees from George Catlin, 13 degrees from Marjory Douglas, 20 degrees from Sueko Embrey, 14 degrees from George Grinnell, 25 degrees from Anton Kröller, 16 degrees from Stephen Mather, 19 degrees from Kara McKean, 12 degrees from John Muir, 14 degrees from Victoria Hanover and 21 degrees from Charles Young on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.

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