Mehitable Simkins (Butler) Smith (abt. 1816 - 1893)

Born about 15 Sep 1816 in Northampton, Hamshire Co., Massachusetts, USA

Descendants

Died 26 Jul 1893 at about age 76 in Lyons, Ionia Co., Michigan, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Cathryn Hondros [send private message]

Biography

Henrietta (Butler) Smith was a Massachusettsan.

Henrietta was a Protestant missionary.

Henrietta Simkins Butler was born in Northampton, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts on September 15, 1816. She became the third wife of Rev. Eli Smith, a missionary to Beirut, who translated the Bible into Arabic on October 23, 1846. She sailed from New York on November 5, 1846 and arrived in Beirut on January 12, 1847.

Her daughter, Mary's Who's Who entry notes that Henrietta was a missionary. Note the contrast between Eli's first wife Sarah and his third wife Mehitible in their view of the role as missionary's wife. http://tinyurl.com/nqumewy. Sarah acted as a teacher and evangelist herself whereas Henrietta's saw her primary role as caring for the family and enabling her husband in his work.

She was the mother of three sons (Edward, Eli and Benjamin) and two daughters (Mary and Sarah) and a step-mother to Charles.

Henrietta returned to the United States after Dr. Smith's death in 1857.

Sources

• Eli Smith Papers Guide at Houghton Library, Harvard University http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~hou00061

• A short biography of Benjamin Eli Smith. http://triggs.djvu.org/century-dictionary.com/histw.php?sub=smith

• The Whitney family of Connecticut, and its affiliations by Stephen Whitney Phoenix, http://tinyurl.com/ockpkjs

• Personnel Card for Henrietta S. Butler Smith of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.^[1]

American Board in Turkey, "Personnel records for Henrietta S. Butler Smith," in Digital Library for International Research Archive, Item #15613, http://www.dlir.org/archive/items/show/15613 (accessed August 19, 2014).

Census

South Windsor, Hartford, Connecticut, USA, "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHRM-9PD : 13 December 2017), Hetty S Smith, 1860.

South Windsor, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA, "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MN7Z-4L3 : accessed 14 Dec 2013), Hetty B Smith, Connecticut, United States; citing p. , family 107, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 000545603.

Death

Lyons, Ionia Co., Michigan, USA, "Michigan, Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FHJQ-ZY7 : accessed 21 Aug 2014), H. B. Smith, 26 Jul 1893; citing Lyons, Ionia, Michigan, reference v B p 101; FHL microfilm 960506.

Note that Hetty's parents here are listed as Daniel and Elizabeth Button, I would suggest they are Butler.

Children's Marriage

New Haven Co., Connecticut, USA, Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N4HG-9SD : accessed 22 May 2015), Hetty Butler in entry for Wm. D. Curtis and Sarah B. Smith, 14 Nov 1897; citing v 469, p 68, l 20, New Haven, Connecticut, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 1,843,701.

Amherst, Hampshire Co., Massachusetts, USA, Massachusetts, Marriages, 1695-1910," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHT4-9GT : accessed 22 May 2015), Lattie H. Butler Smith in entry for Theodore L. Stiles and Sarah B. Smith, 22 Aug 1872; citing reference 767; FHL microfilm 186,126.

Children's Death

Lenox, Berkshire Co., Massachusetts, USA, "Massachusetts, Deaths, 1841-1915," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NWNR-MRB : accessed 22 May 2015), Hetty Butler in entry for Sarah Butler Smith Curtis, 10 Jan 1905; citing Lenox, Massachusetts, v 55 cn 127, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,070,884.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Thank you to WikiTree user G.E. Gaffin for providing this link.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Cathryn Hondros for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Cathryn and others.