Nehemiah Smith: Search updates on origin

Date: Apr 2023 [unknown]
Location: England, United Kingdom
Surname/tag: Smith

Nehemiah Smith Sr. (abt.1605-1686)

Part I

Hello all,

For the last couple years, I have contacted a wide range of people, historical societies, and libraries while joining a number of genealogical organizations in an attempt to find the origins in England of my ninth great grandfather, Nehemiah Smith,…so far to no avail. Apparently, Nehemiah is also a dead end for many of you as well. I’ve been asked by one respondent to cite my sources to avoid the duplication of efforts and at the same time, hopefully illicit suggestions of sources that could be checked. I realize that some of you have received bits of what I have included here, so I hope this more comprehensive list proves to be useful. I also hope we have some curious family members who like a good mystery!

The source I have most used is the book “A Genealogical History of the Descendants of the Rev.Nehemiah Smith of New London County, Connecticut with mention of his brother John and nephew, Edward 1638–1888” by H, Allen Smith, (a family member) Albany, New York, Munsell’s Publishers 1889. (See InternetArchive.) I was able to download this book at no charge. It contains a good deal of information and firsthand accounts about Nehemiah and his descendants as well as providing a chronology of family members up through 1888. Considering this book includes numerous branches of the family that have spread far and wide it is quite surprising that no one seems to know who Nehemiah’s parents were, or from where he migrated.

The next sources I have relied on are the family newsletters, “News of the Nehemiah Smith Clan”’, written by my great uncle, Walter, Burgess Smith, a noted and published genealogist. Walter was actively pursuing Nehemiah’s origins and preparing notes for his own book when he passed away in 1995. I have a good many of these letters, but the full collection can be found at the Stonington Historical Society who have agreed to be a repository of historic Smith family documents. In these letters Walter has left a number of clues about Nehemiah’s possible origins, but most importantly, he has debunked, one of the most widely cited origins of Nehemiah. In many family trees on Ancestry, MyHeritage, Find a Grave, etc., the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme is often listed as his birthplace. Not only did Walter work with a number of genealogists, some in England, but he also traveled to Newcastle himself, and found no evidence of this claim. The actual source of the confusion is in the H Alan Smith book I listed, which includes extensive discussion about a family coat of arms recognized in 1561 as that of John Smith, the mayor of New Castle. From that readers wrongly concluded that it must have been established that Nehemiah descended from the Smiths of Newcastle.

I have also recently done the Big Y 700 DNA test through FamilyTree in the hopes that a combination of DNA results and overlapping family trees might solve the mystery. Unfortunately, the only family member who has a family tree that extends back to England cites as Nehemiah’s parents, the names Richard Smith 1573- 1621 of Stockport, Cheshire and Marjorie Williamson 1580-1622. I have found documentation that they existed, but have seen no evidence they had a son named Nehemiah. I have searched on Ancestry including Ancestry UK, MyHeritage, GeniUk, , the I-223 Y -Haplogroup, and just recently, the NewYork State DNA project. The closest find yet was a Nehemiah Smith who is baptized on 8 February 1617/8 at Saint Boltolph’s Church, in Sibson, county Leicester, son of William. He had a brother John and an eldest brother, Richard baptized 12 April 1608 who appears to be the Richard who had a son Edward baptized in October 1633 at Ashby de la Zouch, Leicester. This all fits nicely except that the birth year is 12 years off from Nehemiah’s which sources show was around 1605.

I have corresponded with Robert Charles Anderson, who is directing The Great Migration Project, which under the New England Historical Genealogical Society has been researching immigrantion to New England between 1620 and 1640. We know Nehemiah arrived in Plymouth around 1637, but even these folks list his origins as “unknown”. I have searched passenger lists on ships from England to Massachusetts (many are missing or incomplete) and found nothing.

I should mention that one other genealogist who was working with my uncle Walter claims she found a Nehemiah Smith born in 1605 in Kent, England, who might possibly have come over with a group led by the Rev. John Lathrop. It is all so interesting to note that Nehemiah’s wife, Ann Bourne (her full name may have been Sarah Ann or Sarann) was also from Kent.

It is interesting to see how history overlaps with our family and it seems Nehemiah’s brother John had land seized during the English Civil War of the 1640s. Through British History Online and gaining access to records at the National Archives in London I did indeed find some John Smith’s who had land confiscated… nearly a dozen at last count. I have the dates and numbers of files if anyone cares to follow up on these leads. The towns are listed which could narrow down the number of church records to search from which we might find mention of our Nehemiah. I have a list of these towns and would be glad to share with anyone who wants to follow up on this.

My wife and I recently visited the Smith Lake Cemetery in Groton (which includes among many Smiths the burial plot of both Nehemiah 2 and 3). Nearby is the Jabez Smith House rebuilt on the original foundation after the British burned the town in 1781. We then ventured south to Norwich visiting the Leffingwell House Museum, the Joseph Carpenter Silversmith Shop, and the founders grave in Norwich. The people at these museums know an awful lot about Nehemiah’s life (except, of course, about his origins!) and seeing the gravesite (not too easy to find) really is a must. I purchased the book “ History of Norwich Connecticut from its possession by the Indians to the year 1866” by Francis Manwaring Caulkins, a wonderful historian and family member. (See InternetArchive.) Again, Nehemiah and the other founders are richly described, but no origins are given. We plan to return to visit other family sites and local museums and it is always worth the time to visit Mystic (and have a nice dinner and a well-deserved gin and tonic on the coast!)

Just last night I was online digging through the “Ancient New Haven families vol 2”. which includes Nehemiah and his descendants, but again, nothing about his origins. And so, the search continues. I hope this list is helpful to those of you searching for our elusive ancestor and hopefully it will lead to new suggestions about how and where to proceed. My wife and I are traveling to England in May and I really hope to find out where my ancestors lived beforehand. This is certainly enough for now. I very much hope to hear from anyone who would like to continue to collaborate on this great family mystery. Cheers! Michael Hall Smith

Ps. I have agreed to donate to FamilyTree as part of a deal to have my Big Y test done for a reasonable price. If anyone knows a family member (preferably one in England) who would be willing to do a DNA test I would see if my contribution can be directed to them.

Part II

Hello all, Have some thoughts on a possible new direction. I Just heard back from the reference librarian of history and genealogy at the Connecticut State Library who sent copies of Nehemiah's brother John's will and Nehemiah's own deposition in the court case it involved. Though I found nothing new from what is discussed in the H. Allen book it was cool to see the actual docs. (sorry I can't copy it here, but it is cited as I;254a) The docs verified that Nehemiah and John had an eldest brother (unnamed) who was asked to send his eldest son, Edward, to live with John. John seems to have promised to make Edward his heir which led to the trial over the will, as John's wife Joanna defended her right to his property. Edward arrived around 1651/2l about age 15 and the doc also quote's Nehemiah who states that Edward arrived "exceding well clothed." Having had so much difficulty finding Nehemiah's origins, perhaps focusing more on Edward's family might lead us there. Placing his birthday around 1637, there are a good many entries about him including his parents. If these can be verified we will learn who Nehemiah and John's eldest brother was and possibly find their parents, which would go a long way toward solving the mystery. Even if it can only be established where Edward was born, considering the likelyhood that the three brothers lived in the same general area, the search for their origins would at least be narrowed down. We do know Edward was married on 7 June 1663 to Elizabeth Bliss of Saybrook, daughter of Thomas and Elizabth Bliss of Norwich, who was then about 17 years old. They had a son Obadiah , b 7 Feb 1676/7, whose line well traced in the H Allen Smith book. It is through Obadiah that I have found some of my DNA matches. So happy hunting for those of you inclined to investigate. Back on the Nehemiah front, I have found in my great uncle Walter Burgess Smith's newslatters " News of the Nehemiah Smith Clan" Vol II, Number 2 April 1993, a reference to one of his fellow genealogists, Barbara Achilles, who is said to have found a Nehemiah Smith, born in 1605 in Kent. Though FindMyPast I tried to locate Nehemiah but only came up with 5 listings under just the name "Smith" that were numbered #26, #160, #176, #752 (or #152) and #817. If anyone can help unravel this it may provide a breakthrough. It is interesting that Nehemiah's wife Sarah Ann or Ann Bourne, may also have hailed from Kent. One final remark; and yet another mystery: Walter Burgess Smith was in the process of writing a new genealogy of Nehemiah when he passed away in 1995. In the newsletter he states that he had fully completed the first 6 generations (which would cover all family members up through about 1800), incuding 1370 individuals in a draft of 350 pages (single spaced! ) My efforts to locate the whereabouts of this doc have come up empty ...so far. The quest continues!

Part III

Hello All, I am writing to those of you who have expressed an interest in the continuing saga about the origins of Nehemiah Smith. Recently I sent out a note, suggesting some attention should be paid to Edward, Nehemiah’s nephew, who was sent for in England from their elder brother (name still unknown) to live with brother John in Connecticut around 1651. Edward’s challenge of his Uncle John’s will which involved John’s wife, Joanna, makes for a very good read and is covered fully in H. Alan Smith’s 1889 book, “The Descendants of the Rev. Nehemiah Smith”. However, there are clues that have been left about John which may also be worth a look.

John Smith was born in England about 1609 and possibly came over with his brother Nehemiah in 1637/38. He first appears in Boston town records, volume two, page 41 under the date the 29, May 1639 (living in what is now part of Brookline) and it is thought that he may have been a tailor as his name was occasionally recorded as “Taylor Smith”. In 1640, he married Joanna (last name, unknown), a widow with a daughter named Elizabeth. They had no other children. We know that John sent Edward to live with Nehemiah on Long Island as he felt he could not keep him,“ being in a low condition, in respect to his estate.”

We know that Nehemiah assisted John with cattle, sheep, and money to build a home along with a good deal of land. John repaid his brother as he became able and clearly took advantage of this opportunity afforded him, as by 1658/9 the general court of Hartford had appointed him Commissioner of Customs for the port of New London. By 1660 the same court granted New London to have an assistant and three commissioners with full power to try small cases. John was made one of the commissioners, where among other things he dealt with issues between the Native Americans and the English. He and Joanna became members of the First Church at New London where he served as a deacon in 1665.

Various accounts mention John’s claims of a loss of property in England during the Civil Wars (there were two separate civil wars, some say three, there in the 1640s). The time including the civil wars up through the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II is referred to as the Interregnum and what I have read about this time period is confusing to say the least. It involved a power struggle between Parliament and the king, battles with Scots and Irish, Catholics versus Protestants, and even battles between various Protestant factions. These Protestant groups, some of whom are described as non – Conformists, Independents or Puritans, included the Diggers, the Levelers and the Ranters (among others). It is quite interesting to read about these various sects; the Ranters in particular held some very radical ideas.

Many of the people whose land had been “sequestered” during the Civil War had it returned when the monarchy was reestablished in the 1660 under Charles II. However, it is not clear when during this time period John lost his land or why it apparently was not returned. We can safely assume he was not a Ranter, but his views as a Non -Conformist or that he left England may be factors. Or maybe he supported the Royalists at the wrong time.

I did some searching on British History Online and have even searched through the National Archives in London to see what documents might be found about the sequestered properties. Assuming the documents would include where John’s land was located, these could signal where he and Nehemiah once lived. Then, given that these docs list the name of the towns, further investigations into local parishes might be done to find their birth records. Unfortunately, and not unexpectedly, there are quite a few references to John Smiths who all had land seized. I will list file numbers for further investigation. Below I have listed cases involving all the John Smiths that I found on British History Online first, followed by those I found in the National Archives. I have included some of the notes that appear in the indexes which in most cases do list the names of the towns where the lands were seized. I am not sure what all the numbers mean, but these listings should save time for anyone exploring further.

Sources of John Smiths from British History Online

Queensborough, October 1648 calendar for compounding delinquents for estates January 1647 to June 1650 volume G255 June 1651 448–455

In Whitwell, 1650, Lists of delinquencies and Papists whose estates are under sequestration Note: I did find a Smith born in Whitwell b 1602 to a father Richarde Smythe in Wingerworth, Derbyshire

In Selly, County Worcester, 5 October 1648 committee of Goldsmith Hall on grounds of obstruction for delinquencies of second payment, then having paid a second fine, the estate is discharged from sequestration RC 5 115

July 1647 in Blackthorne, Oxon? 6 234 199 145 146

Another 14 115 43 369 on 10 June receive profits from estate 17 652 p. 948 on 4 Nov 1645

Two separate forfeitures to the Commonwealth for “treason” (on a list of Royalists) in both Euxton, Lancaster and in Whitwal, Derbyshire Nov 1652

Of Smithfield 5 Sept 1648 Vol A 1 2 3 36 20 Jul 1649 for remand of his sequestration, his wife submitted

Of Ely 2 25 74 4 297, 3 Nov 1645 his sequestration seized 11 July

Of Hadley, county Suffolk, July 1644 Calendar for Committee for advancement of money, part 1

July 1642 Son and heir of Robert Smith, Sir John Smith, Knight House of Commons four hundred pounds 22 April

In Worth, Married a widow, Anne, ( who died in 1651) so a recusant land was sequestered and sequestration was discharged to 1652 on petition of Edward, who convey to John Smith in 1657 until his death in 1662. Note: this one sounded interesting, but we know Edward died in 1689

Sources of John Smiths found in the National Archives in London

Note: SP stands for State Papers

SP 28/214/183 of Salop, Sussex account, book of sequestered estates in Sussex between 29 sept 1650 – 3, June 1654

SP 20/11/26 of Winfred, Cambridgeshire, 28, July 1645 SCQ 274–279 SEQ 276, folio 114, SUQ 278, folio 115 depositions, taken before additional committee 19 Nov 1645 At National Archives in Kew, Richmond TW 9 4 DU Series formally called Interregnum B 1643-1653 2 box 1/79/1, 1/79/3, 1/79/4 Places mentioned: London, Worcester, Holland Note: I have been unable to find a town named Winfred

SP 28/214/3 accounts and receipts of disbursement made by John Smith collector for Portbury, Somerset

SP 20/10/1 Yorkshire Seq 8 folios, 5V-6 description ( seg 3; folio 1) List of sequestered persons whose appeals are still pending before the barons of the Exchequer, Commission of Appeals, in cases of sequestrations as of 25 December 1651

Lease to John Smith, citizen and haberdasher in London concerning a house or tenement, and Bellyardin, New Fish Street Hill, for a term of 7 years by, name unclear, Thomas Sherman, Henry Lynch, of London and liberties thereof of John Smith Note: interesting to see the term haberdasher, could this be our “Tailor” John?

Main papers HL/PO/JO/10/1/274 Draft ordinance to clear John Smith of his delinquency 5 October 1648 Lords journals X530

Main papers HA/PO/JO/10/1/70 25, August 1641 Affidavit of John Smith, respecting riots on a Earl of Lindsey’s lands in Lincolnshire

Well folks, those are the lists I could find which certainly include some interesting bits of information! My wife, Pat, and I will be traveling to England in May, and though our itinerary is packed, I may see if I can get into the National Archives for a look at some of these documents. If anyone has some advice about this, it would be most appreciated. Please do pass along any other clues or questions you may have.

Cheers and good hunting! Mike