Henry SMITH

Notes:

Name:
"Connecticut Ancestry": Henry Smith was among the first group of settlers that came from Wethersfield to Stamford in 1641. It has been claimed that he was the "son of Thomas Smith of st.Mary Adermanbury England," adn was born in 1619 but this origin is not yet considered proven. "The History of Ancient Wethersfield" claims that he was the son of a Samuel Smith, but without further explanation. Robert Louer (author "The Smith Families of Stamford, Connecticut") has described these and other theories of the Henry Smith origin in more detail that will not be repeated here. Henry Smith died at Stamford, probably shortly after he made his will there on 4 July 1687.

The name of his first wife ha been given as Hannah ?, but not proven, perhaps an assumption based on the name of their oldest daughter. Sometime after the death of Francis Andrews at Fairfield 1662, he married (2) Ann/Anna (?) Andrews, widow of Francis Andrews. On 21 January 1664, Henry Smith confirmed a prenuptial agreement with his wife that discussed legacies in he former husband's will to three of her youngest children, Rebecca, Ruth and Abraham. She actually had a total of 10 children with her first husband, namely Hanna, Elizabeth,John, Thomas, Mary, Ether, Rebecca, Jeremiah, Abraham and Ruth. Ann's death was recorded at Stamford "the second week of June 1685".

"The lands of Henery Smith" in Stamford were entered in the town records on 26 March 1650, and included a houe and home lot of 1 1/2 acres bounded by Edward Jessup (N), common land (S), a highway (W), and the lands of Jeffrey Ferris and Thomas Hyatt on the East (E). Other lands recorded at the time were 5 acres + 3 acres of upland in the North Field, and 3 acres of meadow in the South Field. At a later time, 3 additional acres of upland in the North Field wrwe recorded on this same page of the town records as having been purchased from Edmund Lockwood in 1653.

The General Court (Assembly) of Connecticut granted Henry Smith 80 acres of land on 11 May 1671 "upon the acco' of his seruice at the Pequit warre." The town of residence was not noted, but we assume this was our Henry Smith of Stamford.

The will of "Hennery Smith" (who made his H mark in a feeble hand) was dated 4 July 1687 and witnessed by Joseph Garnsey and Abraham Ambler at Stamford. His son John Smith and his grandson John Knapp jointly received "my house and housing and home lott," to be equally divided. His grandson John Knapp was to pay all just debts and funeral charges. "All the other of my estate" was given to his daughter Hannah Lawrence, "expecting ye other of my children to be satisfied with what they have already received: my estate being so small."

Henry married Hannah UNKNOWN before 1642. Hannah was born about 1612 in England; died before 1674 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Hannah SMITH was born about 1640 in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut; died in Jun 1685.
2. Samuel SMITH was born in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut; died in 1658.
3. Daniel SMITH was born in abt. 1648 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA; died on 03 Mar 1739/40 in Greenwich, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.
4. Rebecca SMITH was born in 1653 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.
5. John SMITH was born about 1656 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA; died on 03 Nov 1711 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.
6. Mary SMITH was born in 1658 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA.
7. Abigail SMITH was born in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Henry married Anna ? after 1662. Anna was born in England; died in Jun 1885 in Stamford, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Thomas married ? UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]