Benjamin Smith (1763 - 1826)

Born 16 Sep 1763 in Preston, New London, Connecticut Colony

Ancestors

Died 4 Apr 1826 at age 62 in Troy, Rensselaer, New York, USA

Biography

Benjamin Smith was born 16 Sep 1763 in New London County, Connecticut, probably Preston, but maybe Stonington or Norwich.^[1]

He was living in Troy, New York, at least by 1807, which year his nephew Erastus Corning came to work with him.^[2]

Benjamin named ten of eleven children of his sister Lucinda (Smith) Corning in his will, the eleventh presumed to have died young, and another nephew Tyler Smith who was living in Aurora, Portage Ohio. His will is undated, but was proved 11 April 1826. His nephew Erastus was the sole executor and the primary beneficiary.^[3]

His gravestone gives his death as 4 April 1827, but since his will was proved the previous year, we assume the stone was added later and carved in error.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Hinman gives the wrong date of death for Benjamin, but the birth date checks with his death date and age at death. Hinman, R R. A Catalogue of the Names of the Early Puritan Settlers of the Colony of Connecticut: With the Time of Their Arrival in the Country and Colony, Their Standing in Society, Place of Residence, Condition in Life, Where From, Business, &c., As Far As Is Found on Record. Hartford: Case, Tiffany, 1852, p. 715 (https://archive.org/stream/catalogueofnames00hinma/#page/714/mode/2up).
2. ↑ Reynolds, Cuyler. Hudson-mohawk Genealogical and Family Memoirs: A Record of Achievements of the People of the Hudson and Mohawk Valleys in New York State, Included Within the Present Counties of Albany, Rensselaer, Washington, Saratoga, Montgomery, Fulton, Schenectady, Columbia and Greene. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co, 1911, 2: 771 (https://archive.org/stream/hudsonmohawkgene02reyn#page/n407/mode/2up).
3. ↑ Benjamin Smith, last will and testament, "New York Probate Records, 1629-1971," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GY4N-194?cc=1920234&wc=Q7P9-HZW%3A213304201%2C232966101 : 28 May 2014), Rensselaer > Wills and administrations 1822-1827 vol 7 > image 211 of 290; county courthouses, New York.
4. ↑ "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVLY-S15V : 13 December 2015), Benjamin Smith, 1827; Burial, Troy, Rensselaer, New York, United States of America, Oakwood Cemetery; citing record ID 106634765, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.