Abel Smith

Biography

Abel Smith was born in 1660 in Hempstead, Long Island (Present Suffolk County), New Netherlands (Present New York). His parents were John Smith and Sarah Smith (Strickland).

Abel married Sarah Smith before 1707 in Long Island, New York, United States.
Together they had the following children:

1. Elizabeth Blue Flewelling (Smith);
2. Abel Smith, Jr.

Abel married Deborah Smith (Udall) in 1715 in Jamaica, Queens, New York Colony, British Colonial America. Together they had the following children:

1. Sarah Corey (Smith);
2. Deborah Abel Hatfield (Smith);
3. Daniel Smith;
4. Job Smith;
5. James Smith;
6. Benjamin Smith;
7. Elizabeth Flewerding (Smith);
8. Sarah Hockings (Smith);
9. Mary Smith.

He died in 1755 in Secaucus, Hudson County, Province of New Jersey and was buried in Abel Smith Farm BG, Secaucus, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.

Citation
Annie E. Smith, The Abel Smiths of Hempstead Long Island and some of thier Descendants, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, VOL 53, Jan 1922, p 12-18, pp. 12-14.
Notes
"THE ABEL SMITHS OF HEMPSTEAD, LONG ISLAND, AND SOME OF THEIR DESCENDANTS
CONTRIBUTED BY ANNE E. SMITH, Member of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society.

The Smiths of Hempstead, Long Island, were English colonists who settled at that place early in its history; and, like others of the early settlers of that place, were probably of Puritan stock. When or by what route these Smiths arrived at Hempstead, or from what part of England they came, we have been unable to ascertain.

Hempstead was settled in 1644 by a group of Englishmen and their families who went across Long Island Sound from New England and located on land which they have bought from the Indians the previous year. See Thompson's History of Long Island for an interesting and condensed history of Hempstead.

Definate records of this particular Smith family begin with Abel Smith of cow Neck, born probably between 1675 and 1680; but there is conclusive evidence that the family was established in Hempstead at least a generation earlier, as will appear. (Cow neck was a part of Hempstead and is now Manhasset Neck).

The father of Abel Smith was probably John Smith, for in the Hempstead census of 1698 we find the following group: "Mr. John Smith, Mrs. Sarah Smith, Josiah Smith, Abell Smith, Daniell Smith, Sara Smith." (no ages given). As this was a house-to-house census, and as this group is enumerated in the order given, we conclude that it was one family, --Mr. John Smith being the father and Abel Smith one of the sons. Identification of the family is not difficult as there is but one Abel Smith in the census.

What John smith this was we can only infer, as there is no distinguishing suffix to his name and there were other John Smiths then living in Hempstead. He is the only John Smith to whom is given the prefix of Mr. in the census, which shows that he was a person of some importance and distinction. Now as to his identity. There is indication in the Records that Abel Smith was descended from John Smith "Blue" (or "Blew"): notably in the deed of March 3d, 1706, (Queens County Deeds, B.2, 253) where certain land on Cow Neck is spoken of as "mostly laid out to John Smith "Blue' now in possession of Abel Smith." ("Blue" was a suffix used to identify the particular John Smith referred to). And, in the awarding of the land in the Division of 1742, there is indication that Abel Smith was in some way connected with John Smith "Blue" (though this evidence is not conclusive). Identity of locality also would indicated that Abel Smith and John Smith "Blue" might have belonged to the same family; both being associated with Cow neck. So that the Mr. John Smith of the census of 1698 may have been either the John Smith "Blue" of the Hempstead Town Records, or he may have been John Smith, Jr. "Blew" mentioned in the eighth volume of Hempstead Tow Records. That Abel smith was descended from John Smith "Blue" was also the opinion of Mr. Geo. W. Cocks, a noted Long Island genealogist who wrote the author: "So far in my searches ad from such deductions as one may make from the Hempstead Records, everything seems to point to John Smith (Blue) as being the father or grandfather of Abel, but I am not able as yet to show the connection except by inference." This John Smith "Blue" or Blew" was settled in his own house in Hempstead in 1659 and how much earlier we do not know. (See Onderdonk's Annals of Hempstead, p. 40). He was elected Constable in Hempstead in 1676; he helped divide the land and determine the boundaries; he was chosen with others to go to New York in October 1684 to endeavor to purchase a Patent for the Town (this was the beginning of negotiations for the purchase of the Dongan patent, 1685); and he went on several other occasions with others to see the Governor at New York about the Town's lands, (See Hempstead Town Records, Vols. I. and II., and English Manuscripts, XXVI, 70, 73).

As we have said, definite records of this family begin with "Abel Smith of Cow Neck," so characterized in the earliest mention we can find of him outside of the census, viz.: in a deed of Feb. 5th, 1703, (Queens Co. Deeds, B. 2, 54) where Abel buys fifty acres with house, barns, etc. on north side of Cow Neck fence. As he was known as "Abel Smith of Cow Neck" at the time he was buying this land on cow Neck, this shows that he was identified with cow Neck at the time of this purchase. The date of his birth was probably between 1675 and 1680, as his son Abel Smith Jr. was born October 31st 1702 (recorded in our old Smith Bible). A deed of 1705 shows Abel smith as one of the twenty-four Proprietors of cow Neck who conveyed land to Nicholas Bayard (Queens Co. Deeds, B. 2, 186-188 and 474). In 1708 he was among the Cow Neck Proprietors who conveyed the land to Richbell Mott where the old Mott Homestead, built in 1715, still stands. (See Adam and Anne Mott, by Thos. Cornell, page 206).

per https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/sources/2JQQ-K7C

Name: Abel Smith
Residence Date: Abt 1757
Residence Place: Hempstead, Queens, New York
Will Date: 2 Apr 1757
Probate Date: 13 May 1757
Probate Place: New York, New York, USA
Inferred Death Date: 1757
Inferred Death Place: New York, USA
Item Description: Wills and Administrations, Vol 017, 0019-0021, 1749-1760
Individuals Listed Relationship
Abel Smith
Samuel Smith Son
Jemima Smith Daughter
Maurice Smith Son
Ruth Smith Wife
Benjamin Smith Brother
Thomas Pearsall Junior Friend
Samuel Doughty Friend

• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/5078773:8800

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Facts and Events
Name Abel Smith, Sr.
Gender Male
Birth? Est 1670
Marriage 25 Jan 1715 Jamaica, Queens Co., New York, United States
Grace Episcopal Church to Deborah Udall

Marriage to Sarah Unknown
References:
Bergen, William Sawyer. Jacob Milton Bergen, Sr. Family of Long Island, New York: Ancestors & Descendants and Allied Families. (Baltimore [Maryland]: Gateway Press, c1995)
Appendix D, pg 108.

• https://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Abel_Smith_%2810%29

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• https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/FH7/id/46803

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3. The Abel Smiths of Hempstead, Long Island, and Some of Their Descendants.
Contributed by Anne E. Smith 12

https://archive.org/stream/newyorkgenealogiv53gree/newyorkgenealogi...

Hatfield's "Descendants of Matthias Hatfield", pp. 51-52, states:
John Hatfield (brother of Phebe, and uncle of the three Tusketeers), m. c.1745 Deborah Smith "of English Neighborhood near Hackensack, N.J.", dau. of Abel and Deborah (....) Smith.

Will of "Able Smith, of Bergen Township, Bergen Co.", farmer, 13 Aug 1755

names wife Dabrow, sons Daniel, Job, James, Able, and Benjamin; daughters Elizabeth Flewerding, Sarah Hockings, Dabrow Hitfield and Mary, decd. who left son Able. Real and personal estate. Executors - sons, James, Able and Job. Witnesses - Nathaniel Whitaker, Job Prance and Dennes Donham. Proved 19 Sep 1755.
(Calendar of Wills 1751-1760, p.297, and Proceedings of N.J. Hist. Society, Vol.14 (1929), p.404.)

• Residence: Queens, New York City, New York, United States
• Residence: Queens, New York, United States
• Residence: Bergen, New Jersey, United States - 1733
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Sep 6 2022, 19:22:38 UTC