Thomas W Smith

THOMAS SMITH (1491)was born in Suffield, Massachusetts on 3 October 1725.The state boundary line was changed in 1749 when it became Connecticut. His father was THOMAS SMITH and his mother was ABIGAIL AUSTIN. He was probably born in the house his family owned on "The Road to Westfield" (now called Halladay Avenue West) just west of Bush's Hill.

    THOMAS SMITH purchased 30 acres from Abraham Burbank for £40. Copy of the deed in my file is dated 18 October 1752 recorded 19 August 1754. This was probably in Feeding Hills, Agawam, although I have not found the exact location. The deed was taken from Hampshire County Deed Book "X" Pages 391-2.

THOMAS purchased 30 acres from John Mixer for £266 in Agawam. This probably was in the Feeding Hills area and probably included a house from the high price he paid. Again I have not located the property but the deed in my file is dated 28 March 1757 recorded 28 January 1765/6. Taken from Hampshire County Deed Book 5 Pages 622-3.
THOMAS SMITH sold 2 tracts of land to John Mixer for £200. This was also in Agawam and probably in Feeding Hills. Copy of the deed in my file is dated 18 December 1758 recorded 30 June 1761. Taken from Hampshire County Deed Book 2 Pages 703-4.
He sold 30 acres to James Phillips for £55 . This was located in Feeding Hills, Agawam. copy of the deed in my file is dated 20 November 1759 recorded 31 October 1765. Taken from Hampshire County Deed Book "D" Pages 120-1.
THOMAS purchased a total of 20 acres in 3 parcels from John Mixer for £100. Here again it was probably in Feeding Hills. Copy of the deed in my file is dated 8 February 1771 recorded 11 August 1773. Taken from Hampshire County Deed Book 12 Pages 379-80.
THOMAS sold 3 lots in Springfield, Massachusetts to Ezra Perkins for £30. They totalled 40 acres. These lots may have belonged to his wife Esther Ball who originally came from Springfield. Copy of the deed in my file is dated 5 August 1772 recorded 18 November 1772. Taken from Hampshire County Deed Book 12 Page 57. Or maybe his father THOMAS SMITH had purchased these lots in Springfield after he sold the last of his property in Suffield in 1730.
THOMAS sold 7 acres to Jonathon Loomis for £15. This was located in Feeding Hills and the copy of the deed in my file is dated 24 May 1773 recorded 31 July 1773. Taken from Hampshire County Deed Book 13 Page 137.
THOMAS SMITH and his wife ESTHER were baptized into the First Baptist Church of Suffield, Connecticut on 22 October 1775. This was the first instance I have found when the Smiths joined a dissenting church. There wasn't a Baptist church in West Springfield or Feeding Hills where they were living. The Suffield Baptist Church was organized in 1769. This church is stated to be the first Baptist church to be formed in Hartford County. Conn. The baptisms were performed in Muddy Creek not far from the church. The church is located at Hill Street and Russell Road just northwest of Suffield at an intersection called Russell Hill and formerly Hastings Hill. It is retained as a historic church but they hold ecumenical services each year during August. Photographs taken in 1996 are in my files as well as an historic and modern map showing the location.
Copies of the first few pages of the hand written records of the church are in my files. Also the page showing the original membership of the SMITHS. At first I thought it unusual they would go that far to a newly organized dissenting church. However later I found it was very near where THOMAS SMITH was born so the area would be familiar to him and maybe there had been stirrings of the new religion in the area while he still lived there.
THOMAS SMITH died intestate. The Administrative Papers filed for his estate were dated 19 April 1814 proved 30 May 1821. Copies in my file were taken from Hampden County Probate Records in Springfield, Massachusetts. Box #.... Lot #.... It is interesting to note, for some reason JOHN SMITH the oldest son, declined to act as Executor of the estate. The widow ESTHER BALL SMITH petitioned the court to appoint ALEXANDER SMITH (a younger son) to act as Executor which he did as shown on the Administrative Papers in my file.
In the settlement of the estate of THOMAS SMITH it showed 5 pieces of land in Feeding Hills owned by him at the time of his dath. His Widow Esther Ball Smith received 2 of these as her Dower Rights. The other 3 went to the Estate. In the deeds drawn up there are a number of clues as to the location of the properties. However in plotting them on the computer to get their shapes (copie are in my files) all 5 pieces don't seem to fit together into one whole. Maybe some of them were separate.
At any rate some of the clues are "starting 2 rods north of Alexander Smith's house". "on the west side of highway to Westfield". This is now called North West Road. "Fenced by the Cranberry Pond and back to the mountain". "South by Reuben Smith's land". Several mention of land of William Roberts.
I was able to locate the site of Alexander Smith's house on the west side of North West Road and about a 1/2 mile north of Highway 57 in Feeding Hills. Mrs. Merilyn Curry of the Agawam Historical Society had produced a map showing locations of many early settlers. Copy of this map is in my files. It shows Alexander Smith's house and I visited the present house on this location which was built in the late 1700's. So it is not the original house. An elderly Mrs. (Peavy) Farnsworth has lived there for 37 years. She confirmed the property as originally belonging to Alexander Smith. So from one of the deeds at least some of the THOMAS SMITH land would be immediately north of this house.
I asked Mrs. Farnsworth if there was a pond out back which might have been Cranberry Pond. The mountain in the deeds is less than 1/2 mile across the field. She said there had been a pond there in the mid 1900's but it had been drained. She was not aware of what it was called. However the small creek starts in this area and she says it still floods into a pond in heavy rains. Photographs across these fields to the mountain taken in 1996 are in my files. Also photographs of the present house and barn on the former Alexander Smith's property.Also historic and modern maps showing the location.
I have not determined where THOMAS SMITH is buried. His brother Alexander Smith is buried in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Feeding Hills near where they all lived. Photographs taken in 1996 are in my files. There are no markers for THOMAS SMITH. I wondered whether they were buried at the Baptist Church in Suffield which they had joined. However there are no legible stones there either.
http://www.smith-genealogy.com/smith-genealogy-generation-07.htm

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69748714/thomas-smith