Azariah Smith Sr. (1717 - 1784)

Born 20 May 1717 in Coventry, Tolland County,Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Doggett) Smith — married 5 Mar 1741 in Bolton, Tolland, Connecticut

Descendants

Died 17 Oct 1784 at age 67 in Amenia, Dutchess, New York, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Laurie Smith [send private message]

Biography

Azariah and his twin brother Theophilus were born in 1717 in Coventry, Tolland Co., Connecticut, sons of James Smith and Mary Atherton.

Both of the twins joined the Congregational Church in Bolton, Connecticut, and it was probably there Azariah met Mary Doggett. They married in Bolton in 1741 ("Azeriah Smith of Bolton and Mary Dogged of Lebanon were married March 5, 1740/1".^[1]) and carried on the "tradition" of having twin sons: their first two children being the twin sons Azariah Jr., and Elijah Smith.

Later in the 1740s they joined with others in western Connecticut where they then lived in a search for religious truth. They met, and were very impressed by, the Moravian missionary Abraham Reinke, who was at that time ministering to Indians living near Indian Pond (now Indian Lake) on the border between Connecticut and New York.

Together with others in their group, they wrote to the Moravians in Nazareth, Pennsylvania asking for a minister to be sent to them to allow them to set up a congregation. This was done in about 1752/3, when Azariah and Mary purchased 93 acres on the western shore of Indian Pond in Dutchess County, New York.

Some of the land was set aside for the building of a Moravian church, and a group of families settled there and nearby in order to form the Moravian congregation, named as Sichem (Sechem in the Bible) and known as Sichem-in-the-Oblong. The congregation lasted for about 20 years, though towards the end many of the adherents moved to Nazareth, Pennsylvania as their commitment deepened.^[2]

Azariah and Mary, their sons Elijah and David, and their youngest daughter remained in Dutchess County – the area by then being referred to as Amenia, or often as North East precinct. Azariah and Mary, though no longer part of any Moravian congregation, kept up ties to the Moravian faith. "Journal May 27, 1774 Being morning I left [something] Bethlehem driving at Br. [?] Martins in Bonback on June 7th - who himself brought me on June 11 to Azer. Smith in Sechem who with his familly lovingly rec'd me &c."^[3]

Azariah died in Amenia in 1784. As his will provided well for Mary, she outlived him, but for how long is not known. Probably both were buried in the Moravian burying ground at Sichem, which is now completely lost.

Last Will and Testament

Text of Azariah's will (punctuation and spelling modernized):

In the name of God Amen. I, Ezeriah Smith of Amenia Precinct in Dutchess County and State of New York, being through the abundant mercy and goodness of God though weak in body yet of a sound and perfect understanding and memory, do constitute this my last will and testament and desire it may be received by all as such.

Imprimis. I most humbly bequeath my soul to God my maker, beseeching his most gracious acceptance of it through the all-sufficient merits and mediation of my most compassionate redeemer Jesus Christ, who gave himself to be an atonement for my sins and is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them, and who I trust will not reject me, a returning penitent sinner, when I come to him for mercy in this hope and confidence. I render up my soul with comfort humbly beseeching the most blessed glorious Trinity, one God most holy, most merciful and gracious, to prepare me for the time of my dissolution and then to take me to himself into that peace and rest and incomparable felicity which he has prepared for all that love and fear his holy name. Amen. Blessed be God.

Imprimis. I give my body to the earth from whence it was taken in full assurance of its resurrection from thence at the last day. As for my burial I desire it may be decent, without pomp or state, at the discretion of my dear wife and my executor hereafter named, who I doubt not will manage it with all requisite prudence.

As to my worldly estate, I will all my debts be paid.

Item. I give to my dear and loving wife for the term of her life part of this house wherein I now dwell, namely the northeast room and the entry and the chamber over the room and the old cellar, also all of my movables or personal estate, indoors or out, that I die possessed of, and after her death these are to be equally divided between my daughter Anna and my daughter Sarah’s children.

Item. I give to the heir of my son Ezeriah with what he has had a certain tract or parcel of land lying in Salisbury [Connecticut], as may be found by my deed, to his heirs and assigns forever. If the heir be dead before it is of lawful age and has no heir then the land is to be divided amongst my children. [Note: his son Azariah junior had recently died as the result of a fall from a horse, leaving a pregnant wife. That is why the heir is not named and is referred to as “it”. Sadly, the child was stillborn.]

Item. I give and bequeath to my son David a certain tract or parcel of land where he now lives, as may be found in my deeds, to the said David, his heirs and assigns forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Elijah all the home farm that I, with him, now live on, except four acres that I gave to the Church [United Brethren -- Moravians] for their use, to the said Elijah, his heirs and assigns forever with this consideration, that he keeps two cows yearly for his Mother and also delivers to her six bushels of wheat fit for the mill, two bushels of Indian corn, two bushels of rye, one hundred pounds of good pork and ten pounds of hog’s fat; also he is to provide her with six sheep to keep yearly and provide her with firewood and the privilege of apples for her use. He is also to provide for her in a time of sickness as she shall need.

My wearing apparel is to be divided between my two sons.

I do consitute my son Elijah Executor of this my last will and testament, in witness whereof I have herunto set my hand and seal the seventeenth day of September in the year of our 1784 — Azariah + Smith his mark L. S.

Here I take of my seal and do declare this to be my last will and testament.

Witnesses: Stephen Johns, George Sornberger, Ichabod Paine.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Marriage of Azariah Smith and Mary Doggett Vital Records: Connecticut Series; Towns; published in Hartford by the Connecticut Historical Society (1909); page 15
2. ↑ Various entries in the Diary of the Nazareth [Moravian] Congregation at Sichem in the Oblong; Moravian Archives, Nazareth, Pennsylvania
3. ↑ Personal Journal of unknown Moravian Missionary beginning 27 May 1774; Moravian Archives, Nazareth, Pennsylvania
4. ↑ New York, Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999; Record of Wills, 1665-1916; Index to Wills, 1662-1923 (New York County); Author: New York. Surrogate's Court (New York County); Probate Place: New York, New York; Wills, Vol 037, 1784-1785 (Ancestry.com)

• The American Genealogist Vol 57 page 236 (subscription) "Four James Smiths in the Coventry-Bolton Area" by Keith M. Seymour

• Find-A-Grave Virtual Cemetery memorial #126966322 in Moravian Burying Ground, Northeast, Dutchess County, New York, USA

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Kitty Smith for contributions to this profile. This person was created through the import of grant2.ged on 07 February 2011.