Richard Smith Sr. (abt. 1583 - aft. 1669)

Born about 1583 in Leicester, Leicestershire, England

Husband of Rebecca (Buswell) Smith — married 13 Feb 1615 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England

Descendants

Died after 3 Jun 1669 after about age 86 in Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut Colony

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message] and Michelle Brooks [send private message]

Richard Smith Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Richard Smith was born about1583.^[1][2][3]

Richard died after 1669 in Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut^[4][5][6]and he is 'buried in Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut. ^[7]

Family Life

In 1949, Rebecca Buswell was identified as the wife of Richard Smith of Wethersfield, Connecticut.^[6] Research has confirmed that Richard Smith of Wethersfield, Connecticut was married and had children in Husbands Bosworth, county Leicester, where his wife's family lived; his children were not baptized at Stratford-on-Avon. Richard Smith's ancestry remains to be established.

Richard married Rebecca Buswell,^[8] daughter of Roger Buswell and Margaret Unknown (Buswell), on 13 February 1614/15 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England^[4][5] (Rebecca Buswell was born in 1593 in Leicester, England and was christened 23 April 1595, at Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.^[2][4][8]She died about 1667 in Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut.)^[8]

Children: ^[9]

1. Richard Smith, (1616/17 - 1690), christened 1 January 1616/1617 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.
2. Susanna Smith, (1619 -), christened 30 May 1619 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.
3. Anne Smith, (1621/22 -), christened 24 February 1621/1622 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.
4. Joseph Smith, (1625 - abt 1673), christened 25 December 1625 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.
5. Mary Smith, (1630 - after1684), christened 11 December 1630 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.
6. Rebecca Smith, (1630 -), christened 11 December 1630 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.
7. Jonathan Smith, (1635 - 1711), christened 4 October 1635 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England.
8. Abigail Smith, (1637/38 - after1683), christened 21 January 1637/1638 in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, England. Married John Addams.^[10]

This Richard and Rebecca may have also had children Anne Smith baptized on 24 February 1621, and Rebecca baptized on 11 December 1630 that probably died young as there is no record of them in New England.^[11]

Documented Events

• Emigrant Ancestor 1648; Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut.^[12]

• Jury Duty; 15 May 1650; Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.^[13]

• Jury Duty; 5 Sep 1650; Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.^[13]

• On 21 February 1652[/3], Richard Smith wrote from Wethersfield to John Winthrop Jr. in New London describing the strange symptoms of “[m]y sons wife Lidia Wright,” who was suffering from an ailment modernly diagnosed as pulmonary echinococcosis (Malcolm Freiberg, ed., Winthrop Papers, Volume VI, 1650–1654 [Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 1992], 251–52, note 3).^[6] The editor, unfortunately, followed confused and superseded accounts in Henry R. Stiles, The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, ^[14] for remarks about the identity of this Richard Smith.

• Lawsuit; 14 May 1652; Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.^[13] "Richard Smith plt Contra Georg Woollcott and his wife defendts in an Action of Slaunder to the damage of 100£. In the Action betweene Rich: Smith plt and Geo: Woolcott and his wife defendts the Jury findes for the plt damages 28£ and Costs of Courte: Execution dd the 22th of July 1651."

• Marriage - Granted Permission; 26 August 1657; Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut.^[13]"A Copy of a Certificate vndr the names of these subscribed: These are to certify to any to whom it may come, that our children John Addams & Abigail Smith haue our full consent to be marryed together, & wee know not engagemt of either party to any other, as wittnesse our hands. Rich: Smith Jer: Addams"^[10]

• Aug 1658, A Petition from several of the inhabitants of Wethersfield

• Medical; 5 December 1658; Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut.^[3] Treated by John Winthrop Jr.: Smith, Richard Sen.

• Rebecca Buswell, living October 1668, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut.^[2]

• Richard Smith, living 1669, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut.^[11]

• Richard Smith Sen. included on the list as Wethersfield freeman in October 1669^[15]

Research Notes

Disputed Parents / Origins: Author Gale Ion Harris in “The First Wife of Ralph Keeler of Hartford and Norwalk, Connecticut,” states with a careful analysis that Richard Smith's parents were unknown.^[1]

Parents John Smith-3649, Alice Walker-950, John Smith-7466, and Mary Browning-71, and wife Rebecca Taylor have been disconnected for lack of documentation. Please provide a substantial source and post your proof in the comments before attempting to reconnect these profiles.

Who was Richard Smith that died about 1644? Conclusively establishing the English parentage of Richard Smith, the 17th century immigrant to Connecticut, is extremely difficult.

• In his article " The English Ancestry of Richard Smith of Wethersfield, Connecticut," ^[16][17] Roderick Bissell Jones concluded that Richard Smith, the immigrant to Connecticut, was the same person as the Richard Smith, baptized 16 Nov. 1595 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, the son of John Smith and Alice Walker. ^[6]
• In "The English Ancestry of Richard Smith of Wethersfield," Richard Smith is identified as the man baptized 16 November 1585 at Stratford-on-Avon, county Warwick. This identification was questioned in "The Doubtful English Ancestry of Richard Smith of Wethersfield, Connecticut.^[11]
• These parents and their ancestors have been copied and compiled into family trees everywhere. The evidence provided in that ^[16]article is based on Richard Smith's approximate age and a similarity in the names of family members. No documents indicate the emigration of Richard Smith from Stratford, England to New England.
• In 1989, this connection to Stratford was dismissed as unlikely.^[11]
• Gale Ion Harris points out the inconsistencies in Jones' proposed ancestry of Richard Smith based on known facts found in records in Connecticut at odds with details known about the Smith family in Stratford.
• In the medical records of John Winthrop his age is given as about 84 years on 2 Feb. 16667 putting his birth at about 1583 rather than late 1595.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Harris, Gale Ion, "The First Wife of Ralph Keeler of Hartford and Norwalk, Connecticut," The American Genealogist (80:3 Jul 2005), p. 178. Harris, in the Register article cited, indicates that the 1669 entry actually reads 'above 80 y', and uses a birth year of about 1583, based on the 1666/7 reference giving his age as 84.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Thompson, Neil D., "Isaac Buswell and Rebecca (Buswell) Smith of Husbands Bosworth, county Leicester, and New England," New England Historical and Genealogical Register (Vol 158 Jan 2004), p 38. Note: Aged "about 84 years" on 2 February 1666/7 Subscription$
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} John Winthrop, Jr., Winthrop Medical Journal, (Transcribed from microfilms of the original by Pam; Page 334.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Ancestors of Harold Monroe Jr. Walden, (Harold Monroe Walden, 30214 Briarcrest Drive, Georgetown, TX 78628-1149
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Edgar Waterman, "Richard Smith of Wethersfield," The American Genealogist, (Vol 25, No 1, Jan 1949,) Page 126-139.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Donald Lines Jacobus, "Richard Smith of Wethersfield," The American Genealogist, (Vol. 25, 1949), Pages 126-139 pg. 126.
7. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 21 May 2021) memorial page for Richard Smith I (1589-1667) Find A Grave: Memorial #157393648, citing Wethersfield Village Cemetery, Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA; No Gravestone; Maintained by Mookie (contributor #47515129)
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} David, Christian Beck, Ancestors of Corey Ryan Spangler, (David Christian Beck~ 10445 Bonneville Street~ Riverside, California 92505 ).
9. ↑ "Isaac Busewell and Rebecca (Buswell) Smith," in New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol 158 page 39 (link for subscribers)
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Manwaring, Charles William, "A digest of the early Connecticut probate records," on digital pages 127 & 128 of 712 & physical/printed pages 91 & 92]Probate Records Volume II 1650 to 1663. Hartford, Conn, 1904 at HathiTrust. Jeremy Adams and Richard Smith, fathers permission, John and Abigail marriage in A digest of the early Connecticut probate records Marriage Record
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} Harris, Gale Ion. "The Doubtful English Ancestry of Richard Smith of Wethersfield," NEHGR, (Jul 1989,143:244.) link for NEHGS members
12. ↑ J. Devlin, "Descendants of Richard Smith," online genealogy
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3} Records of The Particular Court of Connecticut, 1639-1663, (Hartford, 1928). pages 82 (Tho. Smith), 86 (Sam. Smith), 99-100, (suit between Richard Smith and George Wolcott) Sign-in to Search.
14. ↑ Stiles, Henry R., The History of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, 2 vols. (New York: Grafton Press, 1904; repr. Somersworth, N.H.: New England History Press, 1987), 1:299, 2:645
15. ↑ Trumbull, J. Hammond, and Hoadly, Charles J., The public records of the Colony of Connecticut from 1675-1678. Vol. II, Page 520. Hartford: 1852. List of Wethersfield freemen October 1669 Page 520
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} "The English Ancestry of Richard Smith" online article Online Article
17. ↑ Jones, Roderick Bissel, "The English Ancestry of Richard Smith of Wethersfield, Conn." Article from The New England Historic Genealogical Register, (April 1974, Vol 128,) pp. 136-139 Pages 136-139

See also:

• Richard Smith & Rebecca Buswell Smith, in the "U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700" Ancestry.com
• "New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Records, 1670-1965 "[database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.Original data: Marriage Records. New Jersey Marriages. New Jersey State Archives, Trenton, New Jersey.DescriptionThis collection consists of county marriage records from various counties in New Jersey. Richard & Rebecca Smith in the marriage of Abigail Smith and John Adams, in the New Jersey, U.S., Marriage Records, 1670-1965 Ancestry.com
• Thompson, Neil D., "Isaac Buswell and Rebecca (Buswell) Smith of Husbands Bosworth, Co. Leicester, and New England," NEHGR, (Jan. 2004): 158:38. The Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) 158:38
• Aldrich, Harl Preslar, Jr., George Lathrop Cooley And Clara Elizabeth Hall: Their Ancestors And Descendants, 2001. Page 204 on slide; 191 on "paper" page. Page 204
• Cutter, William Richard, Genealogies Of Massachusetts Families, Vol IV, Page 2349 (This book lists Joseph m Rebecca Dickinson as a descendant. DNA has proven this Joseph was a son of Joseph Smith m Lydia Huit, resided in Hartford, Conn.) Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts
• Jones, Roderick Bissel, Online Article "The English Ancestry of Richard Smith of Wethersfield, Conn." Article from "The New England Historic Genealogical Register, April 1974, Vol 128, pp. 136-139 Subscription
• Waters, H. F. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, (2004 - New England, Vols. 37-52 1883-98) include section: "Genealogical gleanings in England," Page 38, Page 38b, Page 38c.
• Donald Lines Jacobus, The American Genealogist, (Volumes 25-26, ) pg 126a, pg 126c.
• Manwaring, Charles William, A Digest Of The Early Connecticut Probate Records: Hartford District, 1635-1700, Vol I, page 362. Hartford. Conn. 1904. digital images: Archive.org. Page 362
• Cutter, William Richard and Adams, William Frederick, Genealogical And Personal Memoirs Relating To The Families Of The State Of Massachusetts, Vol. IV, page 2349. New York 1910. Digital images: Archive.org Page 2349
• History Of Ancient Wethersfield, Conn., Vol I] by Sherman W. Adams and Henry R. Stiles; Page 298
• Savage, James, "A Genealogical Dictionary Of The First Settlers Of New England, Showing Three Generations Of Those Who Came Before 1692" (Boston: 1860-62.) 4:129-130.
• Adams, Arthur, "Jeremy Adams of Hartford, Conn., and Some of His Descendants," NEHGR New England Historic, Genealogical Society, (59:3 Jul 1905) p. 316.
• Jacobus, Donald Lines, Hale, House, And Related Families: Mainly Of The Connecticut River Valley Baltimore 1978. p. 459, Family History Library, 929.273 H135j 1978.
• Jones, Roderick Bissell, "Harris-Hamlin-Smith," The American Genealogist (46:3 Jul 1970), p. 137. AmericanAncestors.org (subscription)
• Harris, Gale Ion, "The First Wife of Ralph Keeler of Hartford and Norwalk, Connecticut," The American Genealogist (80:3 Jul 2005), p. 178.
• Clarence Almon Torrey, Elizabeth Petty Bentley, "New England Marriages Prior to 1700," Genealogical Publishing Com, Jan 1, 1985 - Reference - 1009 pages
• Savage, Richard, The Registers Of Stratford-on-Avon, Co. Warwick Page 37 Page 37. Text: A baptism record for a "Richard Smith sonne to Thomas Smith" on 21 March 1583. In the same book, there is a baptism of "Richardus filius Johannis Smith" on 16 November 1595. One of these may be the Richard that married Rebecca Buswell. Page 57
• "SmithConnections Northeastern." Quick Links to SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project Webpages. Must "Join" to enter site SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project