Ralph SMYTH (1610 – 1685) was Alex’s 10th Great Grandfather; one of 1,024 in this generation of the Shaw line.

Ralph Smyth was born 6 Apr 1610 in Hingham, Norfolk, England. His parents were John SMYTH and Grace [__?__]. By the time he moved to Eastham in 1653 he was known as Ralph Smith and all his children took the name Smith.  Ralph graduated from Magdalen College, Cambridge, England in 1625 at the age of 15.

Ralph was a member of the Puritan church in Hingham England. He was one of the members of an advance guard sent to America to prepare a place for the entire congregation to follow, and 35 families eventually left the small town for America.  Ralph was part of a group of 14  who “came from old Hingham”  that sailed out of Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, the first week in May 1633 on the Elizabeth Bonaventure,  John Graves Master.  They arrived in Massachusetts Bay on June 15, 1633 “with ninety five passengers.”  The ship sailed into the small harbor called Bare Cove, so called because only the bare flats could be seen at low tide. They stopped in Charlestown for a time, and then received permission to scout out a place for their new town Hingham.

Daniel Cushing, in his list of early emigrants from Hingham, Norfolk, England, to Hingham, Massachusetts Bay, listed among those who arrived in 1633 “Ralph Smith came from Old Hingham and lived in this town,” and reported him to have a household of one person at arrival.

The fact that Ralph Smith was unmarried on arrival in 1633, does not appear again until early 1637 when he is given trial admission to Charlestown, and does not marry until about 1639 indicates that he probably came over as a servant.  By his placement in Daniel Cushing’s list it may be that he was in the household of his future father-in-law Edmund HOBART. 

ELIZABETH BONAVENTURE, John Graves, Master, left Yarmouth, Norfolk, the first week in May and arrived at Boston on June 15, 1633 `with ninety five passengers. The following emigrants from Hingham, Norfolk, who arrived this year probably came in this ship:

Edmund HOBART  of Hingham, Norfolk to Charlestown  with Mrs. Margaret Hobart,  Nazareth, Edmond,  Thomas, Joshua, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Sarah

Henry Gibbs of Hingham, Norfolk to Charlestown

Ralph SMITH of Hingham, Norfolk to Charlestown

Nicholas Jacob of Hingham, Norfolk to Watertown  with Mrs. Mary, Jacob, John, Jacob,  Mary and Jacob

Thomas Chubbock  of Hardingham, Norfolk to Charlestown  with Mrs. Alice Chubbock, Sarah and Rebecca

Mrs. Elishua Crowe  to  Charlestown

Simon Huntington   of Norwich, Norfolk to  Roxbury  with Mrs. Margaret Huntington, Christopher, Anne, Simon,  and Thomas.

The Elizabeth Bonaventure was a very famous name for a ship, because it was the name of a warship that Sir Frances Drake used as his flagship on at least a couple of his expeditions including the 1587 attack on Cadiz which destroyed much of the armada that was massing to attack England. That attack was delayed and occurred the next year.  A year later it was part of the fleet to face the Spanish Armada.  It was also involved in the rescue of the lost Colony of Roanoke that was under attack. The fate of the vessel is not known.

This may not be the same vessel that brought Ralph over, but there is no other record of this vessel under the command of Captain John Graves. There where ninety-five passengers on board for that voyage. It was a fast trip for a ship of that time, and reflected the advancements in ship building that was common in English warships, and being copied by other countries. By 1633 it would have been over seventy years old, but on the other hand there aren’t records about the retirement or loss of the warship by that name, and famous ships can often live longer because of the pride in that vessel’s history.

Ralph married Elizabeth HOBART about 1639 in Hingham, Mass. After Elizabeth died, he married Grace Lewis.  Ralph and Grace were both widowed and this was the second marriage for both. In Ralph’s will, he speaks of her as “my loving wife, Grace”. Ralph died 27 Oct 1685 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass. and is buried at Cove Cemetery, Orleans, Barnstable, Mass.

Elizabeth Hobart was born 9 Oct 1612 in Hingham, Norfolk, England. Her parents were Edmund HOBART and Margaret DEWEY. Elizabeth died 1654 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.

Grace Lewis first married Thomas Hatch. She survived Ralph.

Children of Ralph and Elizabeth:

	Name	Born	Married	Departed
1.	Ralph Smith Jr.	1640 Hingham, Plymouth, Mass		15 Feb 1640 Hingham
2.	Samuel Smith	bapt. 11 Jul 1641 Hingham, Plymouth, Mass	Mary Hopkins 23 Jan 1665 Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.	22 Mar 1697  Eastham, Barnstable, Mass
3.	John Smith	23 Jul 1644 Hingham, Plymouth, Mass	Hannah Williams 24 May 1667 Hingham	1692   Taunton, Bristol, Mass
4.	Daniel Smith	21 Jul 1647 Hingham, Plymouth, Mass	Mary Young 3 Mar 1676 Eastham, Barnstable, Mass	Bef. 20 Jan 1720 Eastham
5.	Elizabeth SMITH	Sep 1648 Barnstable, Mas	Jabez SNOW Sep/Oct 1670	8 Jan 1732 Barnstable, Mass.
6.	Thomas Smith	1 Jan 1650 Hingham, Plymouth, Mass	Mary Mayo 1681	18 Oct 1720 Eastham, Barnstable, Mass
7.	Deborah Smith	8 Mar 1654 Eastham, Barnstable, Mass	John Hurd? 1687 – Boston, Mass	2 Jul 1725 Cambridge, Middlesex, Mass?

Hingham Mass.

The town of Hingham was dubbed “Bare Cove” by the first colonizing English in 1633, but two years later was incorporated as a town under the name “Hingham”  The town was named for Hingham, a village in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, whence most of the first colonists came. Hingham was born of religious dissent. Many of the original founders were forced to flee their native village in Norfolk with both their vicars, Rev. Peter Hobart, son of Edmund HOBART and Rev. Robert PECK, when they fell foul of the strict doctrines of Anglican England.  While most of the early Hingham settlers came from Hingham and other nearby villages in East Anglia, a few Hingham settlers like Thomas Miner came from the West Country of England.  As of the census of 2000, there were 19,882 people in Hingham.

1636 –  The Thomas MINER Family arrived
4 Mar 1638 – Clement MINER baptized

Ralph’s New England Timeline

Sep 1633 – Ralph is listed as having started in building huts in Hingham and clearing the land for planting in the following spring.

3 Jan 1636/37 – The town of Charlestown ordered that “Ralph Smith was admitted a month upon trial”,  no further mention of him is seen in Charlestown records. It’s about 18 miles from Charlestown to Hingham.

4 Dec 1638 – [__?__] Ibrooke and Ralph Smythe were in some kind of trouble and were attached by the General Court, but when Ralph Smith appeared 5 March 1638/39, he was discharged. Ibrooke was charged for tempting two or more maids to uncleanness, but whether the two men’s offenses were related or not is uncertain.  Elizabeth Ibrooke was Ralph’s sister-in-law.

1637 – Hingham Mass. records Ralph as having drawn a house lot on Bachelor Street, now Main Street.

22 Sep 1652 – Spoken of in probate records of Suffolk Co., Mass, as “Ralph Smythe”

1653 – Removed to Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts

22 May 1655 – Became Freeman in Eastham,

25 Oct 1657 – Took an “oath of fidelity” and was chosen a contable of Eastham

1660 – Appointed to superintending the cutting of drift whales. A year later,  he had a “problem” with the town for not reporting whales that had washed ashore.

6 Jun 1660 – Named Eastham constable

7 May 1661  – “Ralph Smith, for lying in and about the neglect of his duty, about a warrant directed to him, and concerning the seeing or not seeing a whale, and other misorderly carriages tending to disturbance in the town of Eastham, was fined twenty shillings”

3 Mar 1662 – Fined 10 shillings for striking William Walker during a dispute over a whale. His son Samuel was also fined for saying he could find it in his heart to stick a pen into William Walker.  “Ralph Smith, of Eastham, for breaking the peace in striking of William Walker, is fined 3s. 4d.”

May 1665 – “Ralph Smith, of Eastham, was fined, for telling of a lie, 10s.”

5 Mar 1667  –  “In reference vnto the complaint made against Ralph SMITH, of Eastham, concerning oppression and hard dealing with a carpenter named Crispen Wadlen, whoe was one of Captaine Allins companie, which said Wadlen kept about three weekes att the said Smithes house, the Court haue ordered, that a certaine psell of tooles which the said Smith had of the said carpenters shalbe deliuered vnto Nicholas SNOW, to be sent to the said Wadlen; and that the said Snowes receipt of them shalbe the said Smithes discharge; and that a certaine psell of cotton woole, which the said Smith had of the said Crispin Wadlen, shalbe by him, the said Smith, kept, if hee please, for full satisfaction for the time & charge hee was att when att his house as aforesaid.”

27 Oct 1685 – Probate
Very prosperous during his lifetime and said to have been one of the wealthiest citizens in Eastham in his era. The following “Court Order” indicates the Ralph died before it’s date. The Court Order reads, “October 27, 1685, adninistration is granted by this court to Grace Smith, relict of Ralph Smith and Samuel Smith, son of said Ralph Smith, all of the town of Eastham

Children

1. Ralph Smith

A record made by Rev. Peter Hobart states “1640 Feb. 15, Ralph Smith buried”.

2. Samuel Smith

Samuel’s wife Mary Hopkins was born in 1640 in Yarmouth, Plymouth Colony.  She was Samuel’s first cousin.  Her parents were Gyles Hopkins and Catherine Wheldon.   All four of her grandparents were our ancestors:  Stephen HOPKINS & Mary [__?__]. and Gabriel WELDON & Jane [__?__].   Mary died 20 Mar 1696/97 possibly a will date or 2 Jul 1700 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.

Samuel Smith died at Eastham, Mass., March 27, 1696/97. It is said his wife died a few days before her husband, but in the Barnstable Probate Records it say’s that Mary Smith relict of Samuel Smith, signed papers in 1698, in the final settlement of that estate.

Early in life, Samuel Smith engaged in the whale and mackerel fishery business, and was very successful at it. Later he was a trader and inn keeper in Eastham. He owned at one time more than a 1000 acres of land, 400 acres being in the South side of the town of Eastham and was known for many years afterwards as the “Smith Purchase.” He also bought two farms in Chatham, Mass, one at Tom’s Neck, comprising a considerable part of the present village of Chatham. His estate at his death was valued at more than 1200 pounds. The inventory shows he was in possession of over fifty head of cattle, 60 sheep and a number of horses. He held various local offices in Eastham, was styled “mister” in the records and Judge Samuel Sewell mentions him in his diary. He has been descrided as a “resolute and determined man.”

It seems Samuel Smith experienced considerable trouble from the law: He sued a Stephen Merrick for unlawfully taking a horse (25 Oct. 1668). The next year he appeared in Plymouth Colony Court to answer suits brought against him, Ralph Smith and Daniel Smith by Josias Cooke. He served as constable of Eastham in 1670 and the next year was sued by Joseph Harding for abuse of his duties in that position. On 7 July 1682 Thomas Clarke Sr of Plymouth sued Samuel Smith of Eastham for unjustly detaining profits of a Cape Cod fishing venture. On the first Tuesday in Oct. 1686 Samuel Smith and John Mayo of Eastham were charged with netting mackerel at Cape Cod in violation of a court order.”

Samuel’s estate was settled April 22, 1697

Children of Samuel and Mary

i. [Infant Boy] Smith b. Mar 1667 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d. Mar 1667

ii. Samuel Smith b. 26 May 1668 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.’ d. 22 Sep 1692; m.  26 May 1690 to Bathsheba Lathrop.  Bathsheba’s parents were our ancestors Barnabas LATHROP and   After Samuel died, Bathsheba married  1693 in Eastham to Capt Samuel Freeman.

iii. Mary Smith b. 3 Jan 1669 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; m. ~ 1693 to Daniel Hamilton (1690 – 1738)

iv. Joseph Smith b. 10 Apr 1671 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 22 Sep 1692 Eastham

v. John Smith b. 26 May 1673 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; bef. 25 Feb 1717 Chatham, Mass.; m. 14 May 1694 to Bethiah Snow.  Bethiah’s parents were Stephen Snow and Susannah Deane.  Her grandparents were Nicholas SNOW and Constance HOPKINS.

vi. Grace Smith b. 5 Sep 1676 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 1 Dec 1691 Eastham

vii. Deborah Smith (twin) b. 10 Dec 1678 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.

viii. Rebecca Smith (twin) b. 10 Dec 1678 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 22 Dec 1748 in Eastham; m.  16 Aug 1705 in Eastham to Theophilas Mayo (b: 31 Oct 1680 in Eastham)

3. John Smith

John’s wife Hannah Williams was born 1658 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony. Her parents were Thomas Williams (1615 – 1696) and Elizabeth Tate (1620 – ). Hannah died 10 Feb 1717 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.

Children of John and Hannah:    [John Smith probably had nine children, but only Elizabeth and Sarah are recorded at Eastham]

i. Elizabeth Smith, b. 24 Feb 1668 Eastham, Plymouth Colony; m. Joshua Higgins son of Benjamin Higgins.

ii. John Smith, b. 18 Oct 1669 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony;   d. Bef. 21 Jan 1742 Eastham; m. ~1695 Eastham to Sarah Collins, (b. 2 Jan 1673 – d. bef. 1740)

iii. Sarah Smith,b. 27 Mar 1672 Eastham, Plymouth Colony; d. bef.15 Dec 1715; m1. 15 Dec 1690 to Joseph Snow (b. 24 Nov 1671 – d. 23 Jan 1706). Joseph’s parents were Joseph Snow and xx. m2. 2 Aug 1708 to Daniel Hamilton.

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4. Daniel Smith

Daniel’s wife Mary Young was born 28 Apr 1658 in Eastham, Plymouth, Colony.  Her parents were John Young (1624 – 1691) and Abigail Howland.( – 1692)  Her grandfather, Henry Howland was persecuted for his Quaker beliefs.  Two of her great uncles were our ancestors John HOWLAND and Arthur HOWLAND. Mary died 20 Mar 1720 Eastham, Barnstable, Mass

Children of Daniel and Mary

i. Daniel Smith b. 8 Jan 1678 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony

ii. Content Smith b. 8 Jun 1680 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony; m. 11 Dec 1701 in Eastham to Thomas Howes (b: ~1680 in Yarmouth, Plymouth Colony) His parents were Joseph Howes and Elizabeth Mayo. His grandparents were our ancestors Thomas HOWES and Mary BURR.

On 8 Apr 1703 Thomas bought by deed from William Griffith, Sr., all his real estate at Monomoit. It included a homestead lot of 26 acres in the Christopher Smith neighbourhood, 1/2 of 20 acres on the Great Neck, and about 40 acres of meadow land. On 22 Oct 1705 he bought by deed from Philip Griffith a lot of 4 acres adjoining the homestead, the other half of the 20 acre lot on the Great Neck, and another lot of meadow. On 6 Apr 1713 he bought by deed from James Eldredge, the farm he had inherited from his father Nicholas Eldredge, and which adjoined part of the Howes farm. He was selectman 2 years and treasurer 2 years. He was ensign of the military company in 1715, later becoming lieutenant and then captain.

iii. Abigail Smith b. 30 Apr 1683 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony; m. 9 Aug 1711 in Eastham to Jeremiah Smith (b: 18 Aug 1685 in Eastham) Jeremiah’s parents were Jeremiah Smith (b: 1654) and Hannah Atwood (b: 14 Oct 1649)

iv. James Smith b. Apr 1685 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony; m. 19 Feb 1712/13 to Hannah Rogers (5 Aug 1689 in Eastham – d. Aft 22 Oct 1754 in Eastham). Hannah’s parents were John Rogers and Elizabeth Twining.

v. Nathaniel Smith b. Oct 1687 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony;  m. 18 Aug 1716 to Abigail Groce [Gross].  Abigail’s parents were Simon Groce [Gross] and Mary Bond.

vi. Thomas Smith b. 29 Jan 1688 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony

vii. David Smith b. 30 Mar 1691 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony

viii. Mary Smith b. 8 Jan 1692/93 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony; d. 16 Feb 1705/06

ix. Isaac Smith b. 3 Jun 1695 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony

5. Elizabeth SMITH (See Jabez SNOW‘s page)

6. Thomas Smith

Thomas’ wife Mary Mayo was born 1665 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony. Her parents were John Mayo (1623 – 1706) and Hannah Laycraft (1628 – 1681). Mary died 22 Mar 1727 in Eastham, Mass.

Some sources state that Mary’s maiden name was Vickery or Hinson. The marriage date and place 23 Jun 1681 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony is unreferenced.

1691 – Thomas Smith and Joseph Snow were appointed a committee to take charge of the Eastham Commons.

1693 to 1695 – Thomas Smith was Representative to the General Court at Boston.

The Town Records, Eastham, Mass., Book 13, Page 199,. have the following:”Whereas, Thomas Smith, has made complaint that the bounds of his lands lying on the southeasterly side of’ the Town Cove upon `Pocha’ that was formerly his father’s, Ralph Smith, are gone to decay, and some of them lost, we, whose names are hereunto subscribed, being appointed by the town, to settle the bounds of lands that may be in controversy, having viewed sd lands, do settle the bounds thereof as follows, viz; Beginning at the N. E.. corner at a rock near the bank marked T. S. from there ranging about 40 poles southerly up into the woods to another rock marked T. S. from there ranging about 48 poles westerly to a stone set in the ground marked T. S. from there ranging to the bank by the cove side to a pine tree, marked, and so along by the bank easterly to the first bound mark.”Dated March 22, 1694.(Signed) Jonathan Sparrow, Samuel Freeman, Thomas Paine, Jr.

Children of Thomas and Mary

i. Ralph Smith b: 23 Oct 1682 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony; m. 23 Oct 1712 to Mary Mayo, daughter of Samuel. He was Selectman at East­ham, 1736

ii. Rebecca Smith b: 31 Mar 1685 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony; m. 16 Aug 1705 Eastham to Theophilus Mayo

iii. Thomas Smith b: 29 Jan 1688 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony;d. 20 Sep 1745; m. 3 Nov 1709 to Joanna Mayo. He settled in Truro, Barnstable, Mass

iv. David Smith b: Mar 1691 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 1729 Eastham

v. Jonathan Smith b: 5 Jul 1693 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 1767

vi. Isaac Smith b: 3 Jun 1695 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 26 Apr 1704 Eastham

vii. Jesse Smith b: 31 Jan 1704 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass.; d.  14 Jun 1782 in Spencers Corner, Dutchess, New York; m. Sep 1724 Eastham to Sarah Higgins (1706 – 1782)

7. Deborah Smith

Deborah’s husband John Hurd was born 17 May 1642 in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony; John died 12 Feb 1717 in Harwich, Barnstable, Mass. John’s parents were John Hurd (1612 – 1690) and [__?__]

Alternatively, John married Deborah Kendrick (b. 16 Jun 1646 Boston, Mass. – d. 21 Feb 1639
Eastham, Barnstable, Mass)

Children of Deborah and John:

i. John Hurd b. 17 Jan 1688/9 in Eastham, Barnstable, Mass; d. 23 Sep 1690 in Boston, Mass.

ii. Grace Hurd b. 11 Jan 1692 in Yarmouth, Barnstable, Mass.; d. 1787

iii. Jacob Hurd b. 12 Jan 1695 Eastham, Barnstable, Mass;. d. 1776 Colchester, Tolland, CT; m. 11 Aug 1715 in Eastham to Rebecca Higgins (b. 30 Nov 1686 in Eastham – d. 25 Dec 1776 in Colchester, Tolland, CT.

Sources:

http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/17767813/person/1655745121

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/i/n/John-C-Minniti/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0781.html

http://www.lacolony.org/rs2.html

http://www.lacolony.org/JesseSmithbk.pdf

http://trees.ancestry.com/owt/person.aspx?pid=9569331

http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=oldmankew&id=I2759

http://www.smyth1633.org/ts.html