Sarah (Unknown) Jackson (abt. 1620 - aft. 1684)

Born about 1620 in England [uncertain]

Wife of George Smith — married about 1641 in New Haven Colony [uncertain]

Wife of John Jackson — married 2 Jul 1668 in New Haven, New Haven, Colony of Connecticut

Descendants

Died after 24 Jun 1684 after about age 64 in New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut [uncertain]

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Biography

Children's Baptisms

Henry White reviewed baptisms in the New Haven, Connecticut church record from November 1639 to November 1666.^[1] The full text is available^[2]. In his introduction Mr. White put names in italics to denote that the parent is not named in the record. He explained that if the name of the mother and/or father was not in the record he provided them when other records made the names available. Birth dates are included if given in the original record. Birth dates in brackets come from town records. On page 362 are the following entries (listed by mother’s name):

Sarah Smith, wife of Nehemiah Smith

1645, Dec. 14, Sarah, b. 1642

1645, Dec. 14, Mary, b. 1642

1645, Dec. 14, Hannah, b. 1644

1645, Feb. 22, Mercy, b. 1645

1645, Feb. 22, Elizabeth, b. 1645

1645, Oct 24, Nehemiah

Sister Smith, wife of George Smith

1647, April 18, John

1649, Sept. 16, Elizabeth

1651, Dec. 7, Samuel, [1651, Dec. 4]

1655, Aug. 14, Joseph, [1655, Aug. 14]

1665, Feb 8, Nathan, [1656, Dec. 27]

This publication made it clear that there were two Smith families in New Haven during the time period. Other records for each of these families are available to review, but this is where the confusion begins. George Smith married a woman named Sarah and Nehemiah married a woman named Sarah Anne. Marriage records show that Sarah, Mary, Hannah, Mercy, and Elizabeth all married men in or near New Haven and established their families in New Haven. However, Nehemiah Smith departed New Haven for New London, Connecticut about the year 1652 when the girls would have all been under the age of 10.

In fact, the only baptismal record for which the father is named is for Nehemiah Smith. The recorder specifically names Sarah Smith as the wife of Nehemiah Smith. The only good reason why this distinction would have been made is if the recorder wanted to differentiate this child and family from the previous baptisms by the other Sarah Smith.

We can conclude that except for Nehemiah, all of the children named above were the children of George and Sarah Smith.

Legal Complaint

On 24 June 1684, Sarah Jackson, widdow, was complained of by George Beaman of Derby, son-in-law to John Jackson, deceased, her late husband, for attempting to murder her said husband. The fact was owned by her, but many testimonies were presented to prove her under some kind of distraction. Considering that she was at times crazy in her head, and subject by her age and sex to bodily infirmity, she was fined five pounds for her said attempt. Her sons petitioned, 10 June 1685, to have her fine remitted. This was refused, and on 12 March 1685/6 Nathan Smith was complained of for refusing to pay a fine of his mother Jackson's; the Court proposed that he and two of his brethren, Samll and Ebenezer, should now pay 40 Shillings and make application to the next County Court for remission of the balance. Thus the case was settled. ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, vol. 9, October 1855
2. ↑ https://archive.org/stream/newenglandhistor1855wate#page/727/mode/2up
3. ↑ New Haven County Court Records, 1:148, 154, 159.

• Donald Lines Jacobus, Families of Ancient New Haven ([CD]Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1981[originally]Rome, N.Y. and New Haven, Conn., 1922-1932), vol 7, p 1619.

• Historical Catalogue of the Members of the First Church of Christ in New Haven, Connecticut, Parts 1639-1914 compiled by Franklin Bowditch Dexter, 1914. Page 8