James Smith Sr. (1610 - 1676)

Born 1610 in England

Husband of Mary (Frye) Smith — married 1630 in England

Husband of Joane Mae (Jeram) Smith — married 4 Jun 1638 in Kingsclere, Hampshire, England [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 22 Jun 1676 at about age 66 in Weymouth, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Puritan Great Migration Project WikiTree [send private message]

James Smith Sr. migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 309) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Disputed Origins

Previous versions of this profile have claimed different parents:

• Ebenezer Smith and spouse (no mother listed)
• Richard Smith and Elizabeth Welburn

There is no evidence of either set of parents and they have been detached. If you have sources for any parents, please discuss through g2g. Thanks.

Biography

James Smith Sr. was born about 1610 in England.^[1]

James married Mary Unknown about 1631

There is a marriage record for James Smith to Mary in 1625 in England. However it lists James’ death as 1661.^[2]

Most people have given Mary Unknown the surname of Frye however this is incorrect. James' son Joshua was married to a Ruth Frye.^[3] Possibly this is where the "Frye" came from.

It is likely that James and Mary had a daughter in 1627 who died young.^{[citation needed]}

James Smith Sr. had a son named James Smith who was born between 1629-1634, possibly 26 Jun 1632 in Weymouth, Suffolk, Massachusetts. BUT, the birth location would have to be England since James Sr. did not emigrate until 1639. Most records show Joane to be the mother of James [Jr] however marriage records show they didn’t marry until 1638. Therefore, Mary Unknown is the most likely mother for James Jr.

James Sr. Married 2nd Joane Jeram 4th June 1638 in Kingsclere, Hampshire, England ^[4][5]

James Smith Sr arrived in Weymouth, Massachusetts in 1639.^[6][7]

Children

First two by first wife Mary.

1. Mary b. 1627
2. James b. 1632
3. Nathaniel b. 8 June 1639
4. Joshua born about 1641
5. Hannah born about 1643
6.  ?? James #2 b. 26 June 1659 (contested)

The account of this family by Howard Redwood Guild in The Dedham- Register places James Smith, Sr., as father of James Smith, Jr.#2 b.1659, and we follow this conclusion despite the contrary opinion of George W. Chamberlain in his "History of Weymouth."

Last will and testament

Dated 11 March 1672/73 [dated also at the bottom 19 June 1673], proved 27 June 1676 names beloved wife Joan Smith, son James Smith, daughter Hanah Xaramore, son Nathaniell Smith, grandson James Smith, son of Joshua Smith deceased.^[8]

Research notes

From Great Migration Directory: Smith, James: Unknown; 1640; Weymouth [Lechford 268; SPR Case #102; Weymouth Hist 4:632-33; Granberry 323-35].

From History of Weymouth: Vol 1, Page 188:" Three in the Easterneck bounded on the east with the highwaie the land of Clement Briggs on the west on the north with the sea on the south with the land of William Hayward. One acre of salt marsh bounded with the sea on the east the sea on the west the land of William Pitty on the north of James Luden the south."

Vol 4, Page 632: "James Smith, Sr,. was settled in Weymouth as early as 1639. He had land granted to him on the "easterneck" adjoining the land of Clement Briggs and William Hayward. (Weymouth Land Grants, 262.) His will was made 19 June, 1673, and proved 22 June, 1676. In it he mentions wife Joane, sons James and Nathaniel, his daughter Hanna Parramore, and his grandson James, son of his deceased son Joshua Smith."

https://web.archive.org/web/20010106061400/http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/m/c/m/Dale-H-Mcmasters/GENE3-0001.html

Notes for JAMES SMITH:

James Smith Came to America from England sometime in the 1630's, is my best guess. Since I have not found him listed as a ship's passenger I cannot be more definitive. Anyone who wants to jump in here and find which ship he came on is free to do so. When you have, will you please share with me?

Genealogies of the Early Families of Weymouth, Massachusetts by George Walter Chamberlain says, " James Smith, Sr. , was settled in Weymouth as early as 1639. He had land granted to him on the "easterneck" adjoining the land of Clement Briggs and William Hayward. (Weymouth Land Grants, 262.) His will was made 19 June, 1673, and proved 22 June, 1676. In it he mentions wife Joane, sons James and Nathaniel, his daughter Hanna Parramore, and his grandson James, son of his deceased son Joshua Smith."

From The Pioneers of Massachusetts by Charles Henry Pope: James, Sr., Weymouth, 1639; Proprietor; lands referred to in deed of Margery Staple in 1658. Then names children as James, Joshua, Nathaniel, Hannah, (m.1. John Snell, m. 2, ---Parramore).

From Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut Vol. II compiled by Clement, Hart, Talcott, Bostwick, and Stearns: page 615 identifies James as a Proprietor of Weymouth, and states that he was admitted a freeman in 1654.

This description of James Smith's land grant came from History of Weymouth, Massachusetts, published by the Weymouth Historical Society, Volume IV; Three in the Easterneck bounded on the east with the highwaie the land of Clement Briggs on the west on the north with thesea on the south with the land of William Hayward. One acre of salt marsh bounded with the sea on the east the sea on the west the land of William Pitty on the north of James Luden the south. This was found by our cousin, Pat McNeely, and sent to me through email. Isn't modern tecnology wonderful?

DNA

Immigrant Ancestor of yDNA group NE21 James Smith-15951 (c. 1610 ENG - d. 1676 Weymouth MA) m Joanne Unknown = 3 SONS. See SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project.^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=worldmarr_ga&h=1129954&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt BETTER SOURCE SOUGHT
2. ↑ U.S., New England Marriages Prior to 1700: SMITH, James (-1661, Marblehead) & Mary ____ (-1662, 1663); in Eng, by 1625; Marblehead/Gloucester {Peabody Anc. 19; Pope's Pioneers 420; Essex Ant. 3:86, 9:161, 11:64; EIHC 1:94, 144, 181, 5:141; Sv. 4:117; Salem 1:296; Essex Co. Probates 1:348; Johnson
3. ↑ U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=worldmarr_ga&h=1117075&ti=0&indiv=try&gss=pt BETTER SOURCE SOUGHT
4. ↑ England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1940
5. ↑ New England marriages before 1700: SMITH, James (-1676) & Joane ____ (-1676+); by 1635(?); Weymouth {Pope's Pioneers 420; Paine (,5) 43, (1936) 30; Sv. 4:117; Warner-Harrington 593; Granberry 323; Dedham Hist. Reg. 6:135}
6. ↑ U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s BETTER SOURCE SOUGHT
7. ↑ Dorothy Henson, Letter.Dorothy Henson CONT 3005 Cedar Knoll Circle CONT Lot #2 CONT Waterloo, Iowa 50701.
8. ↑ Suffolk County, MA: Probate File Papers.Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017-2019. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized mages provided by FamilySearch.org) Case 802: Will
9. ↑ SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project, haplogroup Rb1 NE21 James Smith.

See also:

• Descendants of James Smith of Weymouth (Researcher's notes)
• Guild, Howard Redwood. "The Smith Family of Barrington, R.I.," The Dedham Historical Register (The Dedham Historical Society, Dedham, Mass., 1895), Vol 6 page 135.
• Chamberlain, George Walter. The history and genealogies of Weymouth, Massachusetts, Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co. for Weymouth Historical Society, 1923. Vol 4 Page 632 and Vol 1 Page 188.
• Vital Records of Weymouth, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850 (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 1910). 1-277, 278, 2-340, 333
• New England Hist. and Gen. Register, 40-22
• England & Wales Marriages, 1538-1940
• 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. Page 287. Text located at the New England Historical and Genealogical Society library.
• Pope, Charles H. The Pioneers of Massachusetts (Boston, Mass., 1900): James, Sr., Weymouth, 1639; Proprietor; ;lands referred to in deed of Margery Staple in 1658. Then names children as James, Joshua, Nathaniel, Hannah, (m.1. John Snell, m. 2, ---Parramore).
• Cutter, W. Richard., Stearns, E. S., Bostwick, F., Talcott, M. Kingsbury., Hart, S., Clement, E. H. (Edward Henry). Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut (Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York, 1911): page 615 identifies James as a Proprietor of Weymouth and states that he was admitted a freeman in 1654.
• Paine, Lyman May, 1850-. My Ancestors: a Memorial of John Paine And Mary Ann May of East Woodstock, Conn. [Chicago, Ill.]: Printed for private circulation, 1914.Page 43.
• Paine, Ruth Felton Ward, Mrs., 1866-, and Albert Paine. Paine Genealogy And Allied Lines: Ancestors of William Alfred Paine. Rutland, Vt.: The Tuttle Publishing Company, Inc, 1936. Page 30.
• Warner, Frederick C, John L. Warner, and F E. Warner. The Ancestry of Samuel, Freda and John Warner. Boston, Mass: F.C. Warner, 1949.Page 593.
• Jacobus, Donald Lines. The Granberry Family and Allied Families (E.F. Waterman, Hartford, Conn., 1945). Page 323.