Benjamin Smith (1658 - 1720)

Born 7 Jan 1658 in Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts,

Ancestors

Husband of Jedidah (Mayhew) Smith — married 16 Jun 1684 in Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 4 Jul 1720 at age 62 in Edgartown, Dukes County, Massachusetts

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Biography

This prominent settler was a late comer, and through his marital connection with the ruling family he soon attained public office, and ever after held high places in the gift of his relatives, or through their influence. Because of his prominence for many years in the political life of the island, from his coming here, about 1684, to his death, in 1720, the author has endeavored to satisfy the desire to know something definite of his antecedents. At the end of many extended investigations, which cannot be enumerated or explained, it is necessary finally to state the presumptions based on all that has been worked out. The author therefore gives as his opinion, that he is the son of Rev. John Smith of Barnstable and Sandwich, born January, 1658-9, in the former town. All other Benjamins in New England have been traced out, and this one offers the reasonable solution as regards age, condition, and propinquity.^ Only one confusion exists - there was a Benjamin Smith in Sandwich having -children by a wife Elizabeth, 1687-1704/ while our Benjamin was here, and children were born to him 1685-1700. The Benjamin of Sandwich has been supposed to be the son of Rev. John, but of this, as in our case, there is absolutely no proof."* There were two Benjamin Smiths living in Sandwich in 1681, who were admitted as "townsmen" in that year, Shubael, John, and Benjamin "Senior," evidently the three sons of Rev. John, and Benjamin Smith, "son of Richard," so-called evidently to distinguish him from the other Benjamin. Richard Smith, the father of the latter named, was evidently in a humble walk of life. He had come to Sandwich about 1657, from Plymouth, where he is first heard of in 1643, and he was employed to keep the town cattle, and to have for his pay the use of ten acres of land and a peck of Indian corn for each creature put on the commons.^ In 1665, he was granted three acres of bog below his house, and after that his name does not appear in the records until 1684, when he was "deceased," and on Oct. 24 that year his son Benjamin was appointed administrator of the estate.^ In those days, social distinctions were well defined, and it is the stronger probability that Benjamin, the son of the Rev. John, would marry the daughter of Rev. Thomas Mayhew and grand-daughter of a governor, rather than Benjamin, the son of Richard, cattle keeper for the town of Sandwich.'^ It may be said in response, that our Benjamin was a "carpenter" by designation, but that does not militate against the social position of his family. A mechanical trade was sometimes specified as an occupation in early times for purposes of distinguishing individuals, especially if they were a number of the same name/ There is evidence however, that he was a carpenter in fact as well as name during the earlier years of his life.

He had a grant of land in 1684 in this town adjoining a previous grant of unknown date, and it is now impossible to assign the exact time of his settlement, though it is certain that he had married Jedidah Mayhew, youngest daughter of the younger Thomas, before Feb. 8, 1683-4, and we may agree that 1683, when he was about twenty-four years of age, was the probable date, both of marriage and settlement.^ This alliance became a career for him, and his name dots the records frequently thereafter. He was attorney for the town in 1687, 1692; commissioner as King's Attorney for the county in 1691; selectman, 1693, 1696, 1697; county treasurer, 1698, 1 715; representative to the General Court, 1692, 1703; county commissioner, 1703, 1708, besides doing other less important work in town affairs up to the last years of his life. Notwithstanding his family associations it appears that he did not entirely approve of all the things that were done by his relatives in the government of the island, and in particular the head of the clan received his private condemnation, although he could not afford open opposition.^ From this we may con- clude his sense of justice was keen, even if his strength of character was not enough to apply the corrective.

Parson Homes enters in his diary under date of July 10, 1720, "Mr. Benjamin Smith of Edgartown died last week. He died suddenly, July 4, 1720, being a Monday." The gravestone records the same date, and reads further, "in the 65 year of his age." This is probably an error of the cutter of the inscription for 63, which would bring his birth to about 1658, proximately that of Benjamin, son of Rev. John of Sandwich.

He left a widow Jedidah, who survived him sixteen years, and eight children, two of whom, Thomas and Ebenezer, became the transmitters of his name unto this present time. Four daughters married leaders in the social and political circles of the period.

Benjamin was born in 1655. Benjamin Smith passed away in 1720.

Sources

• Massachusetts, Towns and Vital Records (subscription) Barnstable V1 page 60
• Banks, Dr. Charles E. The History of Martha's Vineyard (G.H. Dean, Boston, 1911) jBVol. 1, page 130 Biography found at [1]
• New Englanders in Nova Scotia (subscription) compiled by Fred E Crowell, c1938. Page 6