Ralph Smith of Hingham and Eastham MA

Ralph Smith of Hingham and Eastham MA

It is said that a list did exist, in 1827 that gave names of some persons who came from the town of Hingham, the County of Norfolk, in the Kingdom of England and settled in Hingham, MA. It is believed they were there in 1633. Initially, Hingham was known as Bare Cove, apparently from the way the whole cove was exposed at low tide. But by 1635, the list of names of residents included the Hobarts: Edmond Sr., Edmond Jr., Joshua, Rev. Peter and Thomas. In addition, others mentioned were Ralph Smith and Richard Ibrook. For those who wish to see more detail about the history of early Hingham, I encourage people to use:

http://freepages.books.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~blackwell/ma/Hingham1893/h1settlers.html

Eastham is a community located on the lower arm of Cape Cod. Think of the Cape as an outstretched arm that’s flexed at the elbow. The lower arm (elbow to wrist) extends from Chatham to Provincetown, which is the fist.  In 1644, the Plymouth directors had become dissatisfied and sought to find a new place for the center of their government. They sent a seven man delegation across the bay to the area of Eastham. It was decided not to move the center of government, but the seven men moved their families there and in 1651, Eastham was incorporated, by these men. Their main economy was agriculture, fishing and salt making. Today Eastham is known as the Gateway to the Cape Cod National Seashore and the location of First Encounter Beach, where the Pilgrims first met the Nauset Indians in 1620. It’s also noted for tourism but is a quieter location than some other Cape areas.

Those who came from Plymouth bore the names Doane, Snow, Cook, Higgins, Smalley and Bangs. Gov. Thomas Prence lived there as well. There doesn’t seem to be any record of why Ralph Smith and others left Hingham to take up residence in Eastham. But go, he did, sometime between 1652 and 1654. By May of 1655, he became a legal voter and in 1660 he became Town Constable.

*(1) Ralph Smith, after a few years in Hingham, took up residence in the new settlement at Eastham.  It is said he was b. 1610 in Hingham, Norfolk, Eng. He marr, 1638, Elizabeth Hobart, b. 1612, also in Hingham, Eng. She was the d/o Edmond and Margaret (Dewey) Hobart, also of Hingham, Eng. and Hingham, MA. They had at least 6 children:

          *(2)Samuel             Elizabeth                 John             Thomas

          Daniel                     Deborah 

*(2)Samuel - bap. Jul 11 1641, m. Jan.3 1666, Mary Hopkins, d/o Gyles and Catherine (Weldon) Hopkins. Gyles was the s/o of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins. Samuel d. Mar 22, 1698 in Chatham, MA. Samuel engaged in whale and mackerel fishery, and then became a trader and inn keeper. He was Constable of Eastham in 1670. At one time he owned more than 1000 acres. His estate at the time of his death was valued at 1200 pounds, which included numerous head of cattle, sheep and horses.

          Samuel and Mary had children:

          Samuel                   Mary                       Joseph         *(3) John

          Grace                     Rebecca 

*(3)John Smith, b. May 26 1673, Eastham, MA, marr., Eastham, May 14 1694, Bethia Snow, b. Jul 1 1672, Eastham. Bethia Snow was the d/o Steven Snow and Susanna Deane and granddaughter of Nicholas Snow and Constance Hopkins. Constance was the d/o Stephen Hopkins and sister/o Gyles Hopkins, all Mayflower passengers. John and his wife, Bethia were 2^nd cousins. John removed to Chatham around 1700, where he owned two farms, at Tom’s Neck,  inherited from his father. He became a very substantial citizen, was a selectman for one year and held other offices in town. He died around 1717 near the age of 45. Guardians were appointed for his six sons and three daughters. Completion of the settlement of his estate was not accomplished until Jul 31 1734.

John and Bethia had children:

          James                    Samuel                   Dean                      Mercy

          Mary                       John                       *(4) Stephen           Bethia

           David                      Seth 

*(4) Stephen Smith was b. Eastham c. 1706. He marr. (1) Hannah Collins bef. Dec, 18 1726, probably in Chatham. Hannah was b. Nov 2 1711, the d/o John and Hannah (Doane) Collins. Hannah d. bef. 1729. He marr. (2) Bathsheba Brown, Apr 9 1729. (Spellings vary: Bersheba, Bathsuah and Bathsheba.) Bathsheba was probably b. Eastham c. 1710. Stephen was elected Deacon of the Chatham Church on Sep 6 1749. Stephen, his wife Bathsheba and two of their unmarried daughters died in the 1766 smallpox epidemic, at Chatham and were buried together. Stephen d. Jan 13 1766 and Bathsheba d. Jan 16 1776. Their daughter Bathsheba, d. Jan 18 1766 and their youngest child, Betty, d. Feb 7, 1766.

Stephen and Hannah had one child:

          Stephen (who marr. Mehitable Eldridge and removed to Liverpool, NS)

Stephen and Bathsheba had children:

          James                     George                   *(5) Archelaus         Elijah

          Hannah                   Obadiah                  Bathsheba              Phebe

          James                    Betty 

*(5) Archelaus Smith was b. in Chatham, was bap. On Apr 3, 1734, unknown birth date. He marr. on Jul 16 1752 in Chatham, Elizabeth Nickerson, b. May 15 1735, Chatham. She was the d/o William and Sarah (Covell) Nickerson. They are considered to be one of the first English speaking families of Barrington, NS. In some sources he is called the Founder of Barrington. He had many skills that made him valuable to the success of the new community.

Archelaus and Elizabeth had children:

          Susannah               *(6) Hezekiah          Mercy                     Eunice

          James                    Stephen                  Archelaus, Jr .         Hannah

There is an interesting tale that is told of his wife Elizabeth:

Archelous Smith had sent for his family to come from Cape Cod to Barrington, but owing to evil reports about the Indians sent a message to the contrary. When, however, he was departing through West Passage, his wife and four children were coming in the East Passage in Capt. *Eldad Nickerson's vessel. Some fishermen, making fish at the Head, helped Mrs. Smith and made a log house for her and left her what provisions they could when they went away. He was storm-stayed and unable to get back that winter with food and his house frame. The Indians helped her at times and she fought off the bears with fire brands". Elizabeth Smith at her death left five children, 56 grandchildren, 297 great-grandchildren, 64 of the fifth, and one of the sixth generation living, exclusive of a daughter in the United States, who had a large family and of several grandchildren who had removed from Barrington, She ----     

            Enjoyed the power before she died,   

            Of saying what's to most denied,

            Rise daughter, to thy daughter run,

            Thy daughter's daughter has a son.

*Eldad was her uncle.

They moved to Cape Sable Island in 1773. Archelaus d. Apr 3, 1821 in Centerville, NS, Elizabeth d. Apr 2 1826.  In 1969, an historical society was formed on Cape Island, named The Archelaus Smith Branch of Cape Sable Historical Society located at Barrington. It maintains an Archelaus Smith Museum and has an interesting collection including pictures, diaries and other mementoes. 

Archelaus Smith Museum

Centreville, Clarks Harbour, NS B0W 1P0

902-745-3361

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archelaus_Smith

*(6) Hezekiah Smith, b. 1754, Chatham, MA. He marr. in 1774, Abigail Doane, b. Apr 18, 1758, Eastham, MA. She was the d/o Edmond and Elizabeth (Osborne) Doane. His occupation is unknown. Hezekiah d. Feb 16, 1834, Cape Sable Island, NS. Abigail d. Jun 23 1847 in Centreville, NS.

Hezekiah and Abigail had children:

          Hezekiah, Jr.           John                       William          James

          *(7) Stephen           Hannah                   Israel            Abigail
          Edward                   Elizabeth                 Keziah          Charles

*(7) Stephen Smith, b. Oct 6 1786, Barrington, NS. He marr., Dec 1809, in Barrington, NS, Elizabeth Spinney, b. Dec 15 1789, Barrington, NS. She was the d/o John and Susannah (Snow) Spinney. Stephen d. Mar 28 1870 in Shelburne, NS and Elizabeth d. Apr 1874. In this marriage, Stephen Smith is a descendant of Stephen Hopkins through the Smith lines and his wife. Elizabeth Spinney is a Hopkins descendant through her mother Susannah Snow with lines going back to Constance Hopkins, wife of Nicholas Snow.

Stephen and Elizabeth had children:

          Abigail          Reliance                 Stephen        Elias

          Nathaniel     *(8) Rachel             Mary             Susannah

          Osborne Doane

*(8) Rachel Smith, b. Aug 14 1823, Cape Sable Island, NS, marr. Oct 1846 in NS (1) John Conrad Swansburg, b. Nov 1789, Shelburne, NS. He d. Nov 8 1850, Shelburne, NS. Rachel marr. (2) Samuel Scarr, Jan 15 1855 in Shelburne, NS. Little is known about Samuel other than he had been married before and he was a mariner. There seems to be no recorded death date for him. He may have been lost at sea. Rachel was listed as a widow in the 1881 Canadian census for NS.

Rachel and John Swansburg had children:

          Nathaniel                Elizabeth                 Harriet

Rachel and Samuel Scarr had children:

          *(9) Mary Ellen                  Samuel (died young)

*(9) Mary Ellen Scarr b. Sep 4 1853, Shelburne, NS, marr. Oct 12 1873 in Shelburne NS, Henry Gordon Carmichael, b. Jun 9 1850 in Fisher’s Grant,, Pictou, NS. Henry was a ship’s chandler. Mary Ellen d. Apr 30 1923, Newton, MA and Henry d. Apr 19 1910 in Everett, MA.

Mary Ellen and Henry had children:

          *(10) Nora               Ethel             Minnie          Percy

          Reginald                 Elizabeth       Grayce         Ruby

*(10) Nora Carmichael b. May 31 1875, Shelburne, NS, marr. Jun 23 1893 in Halifax NS, Jesse Pye b. Mar 11, 1865. Cape St. Charles, Labrador, Canada. They moved to East Boston, MA where Jesse worked in the ship yards. Nora and Jesse had 15 children, my father was the 8^th in line. Nora d. Jun 4 1921 and Jesse d. Oct 30 1940 both in East Boston.  They are buried in Everett, MA.

In conclusion, this family line has been approved and accepted by The Mayflower Society. I feel greatly honored to be a Mayflower descendant and humbled to think of the journey, the hardships and the deprivation they endured to get here.

I have tried to be thorough and careful with names and dates. Any errors are entirely my own.

http://www.capecodweb.com/capeinfo/eastham.htm

http://www.capecodgravestones.com/easthamcove.html

http://www.mychatham.com/chathamhistory.html

http://archive.org/details/historyofbarring00crowuoft

Mayflower Families Vol. 6 Hopkins