| Robert Smith migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 312) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm |
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At least a couple of parents have been attached as parents of Robert Smith over the years. Since no reliable source has been located, they have been removed. Please do not make significant changes to this profile without consulting with the profile managers through the comment section below. Thank you.
Robert was born about 1626, possibly at Kirton, Lincolnshire, England.[1] This is based on the presumption that he was about 12 when he came to New England as an indentured servant in 1638 with John Whittingham of Boston, Lincolnshire, England.[2] Kirton, which is near Boston, is the only parish with extant records in which a likely Robert Smith was baptized. However, no clear evidence associates him with Robert Smith, the immigrant. Also, a DNA study implies that his paternal line is Irish.[3] It should be considered that Robert might not have been born in Lincolnshire, but was perhaps an Irish orphan in Boston available to be indentured.
Robert emigrated about 1638, aged about 12, as the indentured servant of John Whittingham.[2]
Robert married by 26 March 1656 to Mary French, daughter of Thomas French.[4] On this date she testified in a court case as the wife of Robert.
Children of Robert and Mary (French) Smith:[5]
At Boxford, Robert was known as a tailor.[citation needed]
According to his estate inventory, Robert died on 30 August 1693 and is described as being of Boxford, Essex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay.[6]
Will: written 7 August 1693, probated 26 September 1693.[7]
(note: the following paragraph is a cut and paste from Davis, Massachusetts and Maine Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis (see "See also" section) and should be paraphrased).
Robert Smith made his will on August 7, 1693, and it was probated on September 26. His property was left to his wife Mary, his sons Samuel, Ephraim and Jacob, and his daughters Mary Towne, Phebe Towne, “Emey” Towne and “Meriah” Smith. His son Samuel was left in charge of his brother Nathaniel, who was an invalid, and his son Thomas, who lived with “his grandfather ffrainch" received no legacy.
Disambiguation: There is no credible evidence that he was the same Robert Smith (1611-1706) who lived in Exeter or Hampton, New Hampshire, which is claimed in some publications.
Space:SmithConnection.com_DNA_Project
Immigrant Ancestor of yDNA group NE53 Robert Smith-2681 (c1625-1693 MA) m Mary French-361. See SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project.[8]
Walter Goodwin Davis, Massachusetts and Maine Families in the Ancestry of Walter Goodwin Davis (1885-1966), vol. 3, (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1996), 323 $ [9].
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Robert is 22 degrees from Herbert Adair, 20 degrees from Richard Adams, 19 degrees from Mel Blanc, 22 degrees from Dick Bruna, 19 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 29 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 19 degrees from Sam Edwards, 16 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 20 degrees from Marty Krofft, 11 degrees from Junius Matthews, 13 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 18 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
Categories: Smith Name Study | Boxford, Massachusetts | Puritan Great Migration
Association of father as Robert Smith was severed a year ago as unsourced, not supported. The profile reports he "may have been born at Kirton, Lincolnshire, England.
We have two records for Robert being born in 1626 or 1625 and those are his age at immigration and the deposition of 1659 where his age is 33. Searching for baptisms in Lincolnshire for 1625 and 1626 I found 8 records. One is immediately ruled out as that Robert died at a very young age. The most likely would appear to be the 30 Apr 1626 baptism in Kirton a mere 3 miles from Boston. Others, while possible, are less likely as the villages are a considerable distance from Boston and some are nearer to another town of similar size to Boston where a young man could seek an apprenticeship.
If the record of the indenture of john Whittingham's apprentice Robert Smith exists and can be found, we might learn his origin.
edited by Mike Dobson
Additionally both Jillaine & Anne B have made changes to the birth place, (England only), and another person has come back and added a specific place. As well, there are two sets of parents suggested in the opening of the biography; and they are both unsourced.
Tomorrow I'm planning to remove parents, put notes on profiles and PPP this profile, unless I hear from someone in the PGM small group who is familiar with this profile and believes the parents should remain.
edited by Jo (Rorabacher) Hollingsworth
edited by Cheryl (Aldrich) Skordahl
edited by Jo (Rorabacher) Hollingsworth