Francis Smith (abt. 1614 - bef. 1679)

Born about 1614 in England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 13 Sep 1679 before about age 65 in Taunton, Plymouth Colony

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Francis Smith migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 6, p. 351) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Name

Name: Francis Smith, of Taunton, Plymouth Colony^[1]

Birth

Born: About 1614.

He would have been of age (21) when granted land in 1635. ^[2]

Aged about 60 years in his will dated February 1677.

Marriage and Children

Married: 1st - Agnes Unknown, by 1639. She died 6 January 1665/6 in Taunton. ^[1]

Married: 2nd - Sarah Unknown. His will names his wife Sarah. No other records found to indicate where or when they were married. ^[1]

Children of Francis and Agnes Smith:

1. Samuel Smith. Baptized October 1639 in Hingham, Massachusetts.
2. John Smith. Born say 1641 (rough estimate based on older brother's birth date). He married first Elizabeth Tisdale, daughter of John Tisdale.

Death

Died: Between 22 February 1679 and 13 September 1679.

Date will made and inventory taken.

Will: Francis Smith of Taunton

Date of Will 22 Feb 1679; inventory 13 Sep 1679. Proved 3 November 1679. ^[3]

"Francis Smith of Taunton ... about sixty years of age" bequeathed to "my loving wife Sarah as her own whatsoever moveable goods she brought with her, I also bequeath to her my said wife during her life my homelot with my dwelling house, cellar and barn and other appurtenances thereon, the fruit of the trees of that part of the orchard next the barn";

to "my eldest son Samuel ... a piece of meadow a little on this side Broad Cove commonly called the Hole, and six acres ofland on the other side the Great River and my last division of plain being six acres" and moveables and "my part in the iron works";

to' "my younger son John ... two acres of meadow at Lylley Pond and my twenty-two acre division on the Three Mile River at the northwestern part of the ten and three acres of swamp in my last division together with my right in future divisions, as also a piece of salt meadow from the Rock and so onwards to Muddey River" and "after my wife his mother's decease, the aforesaid homelot, house, cellar and bam with all the appurtenances thereof' and moveables;

to "Hannah the daughter of my son Samuell" moveables, including "the chest I brought from Hingham";

to "Samuell the son of Samuell my son" moveables;

to "Susannah the daughter of Samucll my son" moveables;

to "Elizabeth the daughter of my son John" moveables; residue of moveables

to "my wife," she to be sole executrix

(PCPR 4:1 :47-48).

On I November 1679, "[t)his Court have ordered MI'. Browne and

Mr. Smith to prove the last will and testament of Mr. Francis Smith, upon their return home" [peR 6:24).

His inventory was taken on 13 September 1679 and his widow Sarah gave oath to the truth of the inventory on 3 November 1679.^[4]

Notes

• He initially settled in Hingham, Massachusetts by September 1635. He moved to Taunton, Plymouth Colony by 1655.

• Immigration: Uncertain, the first record of Francis Smith in New England is a land grant in Hingham, Massachusetts on 18 September 1635.

• Freeman: Made a freeman on 13 May 1640. ^[5]

• Taunton Iron Works: The discovery of bog iron in Taunton led to the establishment of the Taunton Iron Works. A company was formed around 1656, and Francis Smith was one of the original shareholders or investors in the venture. In 1660, the iron works were leased to Hezekiah Hoare, George Hall, and Francis Smith. The records of the iron works prove conclusively the children and grandchildren of Francis Smith.

DNA

Immigrant Ancestor of yDNA group NE03 Francis Smith-30138 (c1614 ENG - 1679 Taunton MA) m Agnes & Sarah. See Smith Connections Northeastern DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA.^[6] Additional information found on the SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project here on WikiTree.

Common Errors to Avoid

• Merge caution: Robert Charles Anderson in his Great Migration series, warns that Savage "combined a confusing number of Francis Smiths in his treatment of the name."^[7] Pope also reported a "clearly impossible sequence" of events, including a second wife who had children through 1663, but died in 1667 at age 84.^[7] </br> He is not the same as Francis Smith of Roxbury.

• Origins: The parents and origins of this Francis Smith are unknown. There is no evidence of any kind to link him to any Smith family in England. As such, any precise birth place or birth date is incorrect.

Sources

Footnotes and citations:

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Anderson. Great Migration, vol. R-S. Page 355-358.
2. ↑ Anderson Great Migration, p. 355. Citing Hingham, Massachusetts Book of Possessions (original).
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-V3SQ : 14 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 502 of 616; State Archives, Boston.
4. ↑ "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-897D-V377 : 14 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 503 of 616; State Archives, Boston.
5. ↑ Shurtleff. Records of the Massachusetts Bay vol. I . (1853). Page 377.
6. ↑ SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project at FamilyTreeDNA, Y-DNA12 Markers, haplogroup Rb1 NE03, kit# 110153, Francis Smith.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Anderson, Robert Charles, Francis Smith The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Vol I-III, Page 1690) (Online database accessed February 28, 2015: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010)

Source list:

• Anderson, Robert Charles. Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R–S. (Boston: NEHGS, 2009): 355-358, biography of Francis Smith of Hingham. AmericanAncestors.org LINK

• Colket, Jr., Meredith B. 1912-. Founders of Early American Families: Emigrants From Europe, 1607-1657, Revised Edition. Cleveland: General Court of the Order of Founders and Patriots of America : distributed by Founders Project, 1985. Text located at the New England Historical and Genealogical Society library. Page 287.

• New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 38 no. 3 (July 1884):265-270. Ancient Iron Works in Taunton, by Hall J.D.W.

• Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, 1628-1686 vol. I 1628-1641. (Boston, 1853). Archive.org LINK

• Shurtleff, Nathaniel B. Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, 1628-1686 vol. III 1644-1657. (Boston, 1854). Archive.org LINK