John Smalley

John Smalley was born about 1613, based on the date of his marriage. John died on 30 Jul 1692 in Piscataway, NJ. Occupation: tailor.

Disputed Origins

The New England Historical Society has proved there is no connection to Sir Walter Raleigh with Edward Smalley; this is fully false and they have the proof.

“There is also much speculation that Edward Small was a brother to John Smalley, who migrated to New England in the early 1600's, but recent DNA testing seems to have ruled this out. Several DNA tests for descendants for both Edward and John Small have not shown common genetic markers.”

Family

From https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21339481/john-smalley

There is insufficient evidence to confirm John's parents. He married Ann Walden/Waldren in Plymouth Colony MA on 29 Nov 1638.

Children with Ann:

• 1) Hannah Smalley (1641-1708), m: John Bangs.
• 2) John Smalley Jr (1644-1733), m: Lydia Martin.
• 3) Mary Smalley (1647-1699) (twin), m1: John Snow, m2: Ehpraim Doane.
• 4) Isaac Smalley (1647-1724) (twin), m1: Esther Wood, m2: Mary White.

Biography

From https://mathcs.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr01/rr01_395.html#P5221

John Smalley. Born ca 1613.5 John died on 30 Jul 1692 in Piscataway, NJ.5 Occupation: tailor.

John came on the William & Francis in 1632, resided in Plymouth, freeman 1 Mar 1642, removed to Eastham 1645, and Piscataway by 1670.5

From Lora Altine Woodbury Underhill’s account of John Smalley:103

"John Smalley came over with Edward Winslow in the William and Francis, sailing from London March 9, 1632, and arrived in New England, June 5, 1632.

“In 1637/38, a garden place at Willingsley Brook and six acres upon Woberry Plain, in Plymouth County, were granted ‘John Smaley’; and in 1640, five acres ‘in the South Meddows towards Aggawam, Colebrook Meddowes.’ These three lots of land he sold, March 21, 1644, to Edmund Tilson, with ‘all his house and housing and garden place’; signature ‘John Smalley.’ September 7, 1641, he was propounded for freeman; admitted and sworn, March 1, 1641/42. In August, 1643, ‘John Smaley’ appeared in a list of ‘all the males that are able to bear armes from XVI years old to 60 yeares wthin the seuerall Townshipps,’ in Plymouth Colony.

“Among the prominent men who removed from Plymouth, in April, 1644, to Nauset (now Eastham), far down on Cape Cod, were: John Smalley, Richard Higgins, Nicholas Snow, Edward Bangs, John Doane, John Young, Josias Cook and others. (See History of Cape Cod, by Frederick Freeman, 1858.) ‘John Smaley’ was appointed Constable at ‘Nawsett,’ June 1, 1647; Surveyor of Highways, June 6, 1649; of the ‘Grand Inquest’ several times between 1654 and 1667. (Plymouth Colony Records, Court Orders, vol. 2: 115, 139.)

“Not long after the latter date, John Smalley, with his wife and two sons, left Eastham; they are said to have tarried for a short time in Rhode Island, probably at the Saconnet settlement (now Little Compton, Rhode Island) with Richard Higgins and others; moving from there to Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey, where they were among the earliest pioneer freeholders of this New Jersey settlement.’”103

“Several years after obtaining his first grant of land in Piscataway, John Smalley had it surveyed. This was in 1677; in 1685, he took up another grant of land. On January 1, 1682, ‘Jodiah’ (elsewhere written Jediah) Higgins, one of the younger sons of Richard Higgins, of Eastham, obtained a grant described as ‘ye fild by ye side of ye slow (slough) or swamp nar (near) Mr Smalley’s house.”103

“John Smalley, an associate of Richard Higgins and the other pioneers in the settlement at Nausett, was neither freeman nor tax payer at Plymouth in 1636. He was, however, at Plymouth as early as 1638. By trade he was a tailor. He seems to have taken but very little part in public affairs. He was admitted a freeman at Plymouth in 1642. He was a constable at Nausett in 1646, a surveyor in 1649, and of the Grand Inquest in 1654, 1660 and 1665. He was specially favored by the court, and had land granted him in 1658 between Bridgewater and Weymouth, and in 1662 near Taunton.

“Mr. Smalley was married at Plymouth to Ann Walden, Nov. 9 1638. No full list of his children appears. He had Hannah, born at Plymouth, June 14, 1641; John, at Plymouth, Sept. 8, 1644; Isaac, Dec. 11, 1647, and Mary, Dec. 11, 1647. The time of his death is not known, and we fail to find any settlemen t of his estate. He was living in January, 1668, and had a ward some six years of age, who wandered six or seven miles form his house into the woods and died from exposure.

“Mr. Samlley was undoubtedly a man who did not seek notoriety. He seemed to enjoy the quietness of his farm more than the honors and troubles of office. He lived in peace with all men, there can be no doubt, and wa gathered to his fathers in peace. Many have supposed that from him descended the Smalleys or Smalls of the Cape. The writer also entertained a similar opinion until quite recently. Investigations by the writer of ancient documents, show that one branch of the Harwich Smalls, at least, descended from one Francis Small, a fisherman of Casco Bay, who, as early as 1657, purchased the land of Scitterygussett, the Sachem, near the site of the city of Portland, and that he assigned a portion of it to Mr. Jno. Phillips, in 1659. Family tradition is that the Smalls laid claim to land near Portland, and attempts at law to recover it were early made. The tradition is sustained by documents that not long since came to light, in which it appears that an attempt was made in the year 1764.”55

Will:

Underhill:103

“The Deed of Gift which served as the will of ‘John Smalley,’ of Piscataway, dated July 16, 1689, was proved June 23, 1697. (Recorded, Liber F, of Deeds, 395.)

TO ALL PEOPLE to whome this present writeing shall come, I John Smalley of the Towne of Piscataway In the Countie of Middsx: & Province of East New Jersey send Greeting &c: Know yee that I the sayd John Smalley as well for & In consideration of the Naturall Affection & ffatherly consideration I have & beare unto my well beloved & dewtifull son Isaac Smallee of the same Towne & Countie And Also for diverse other good causes & considerations mee att this present moveing but more Especially haveing had large Experience of his filliall love & Endeavours towards his Aged Parents In makeing our lives Comfortable to us In this our Pilgremage hitherto, And being confidently Assure that hee will still continue his care & filliall Affection In provideing what is convenient for mee the sayd John Smallie & Ann Smalley my wife his Naturall & Aged Parents dureing the small Remainder of time that wee are to Remaine on this side the Grave, Have given Granted, And do by these presents give grant & confirme unto my sayd Sone Isaac Smalley all & singular my goodes Chattells, debts, household stuffe, brass pewter bedding & All other my substance whatsoever moveable & imoveable quick & dead of what kinde name qualitie or condition soeever the same are or bee, Excepting my Armes (viz) my sword & Gun & my wearing Apparell, which I have given to my sone John Smalley after my decease to my dawghter Hanah Banges one shilling, to my dawgher Mary Snow one shilling, to my sone John Smallies two sones John & Jonathan one yearelen Heiffer betweene them And to my dawghter Mary Snowes three Eldest dawghters five shillings a peece, All to bee payd after my decease, And that my Loveing wife Ann Smallie shall have one Cow to dispose of According to her will & pleasure, To Have & to Hold All & singular the Abovesaid goodes & chattells with All other the Aforesayd premises (Excepting what is before Excepted) unto the sayd Isaac Smally his Executors Administrators & Assignes forever to his & theire owne proper uses & behoofes forever, freely & quietly without any matter of challenge claime or Demand of mee the sayd John Smally or of any other persone or persones whatsoever for mee In my Name, by my cause meanes or procurement And without any other thing therefore to bee yeelded payd or done unto mee the sayd John Smally my Executors Administrators or Assignes but to provide convenient for mee the sayd John & Ann Smally my wife dureing these our Naturall lives & the longer liver of us both, And After our deaths decently to burie us In such place as hee the sayd Isaac shall thinke convenient, Alwayes provided And bee It further Excepted, that If the sayd Isaac Smally showld die before his sayd ffather & mother John & Ann Smally or the longer liver of them both, then it shall or may bee Lawfull, And the sayd John & Ann Smally or Either of them hath full power & Authoritie to reenter, And to take Into theire possession & custody & dispose of any of the goodes & Chattells above mentioned as they shall have neede & occasion for dureing this theire Naturall lives for theire Comfortable maintainance & being, but for no other Ends uses or meanes whatsoever any thing In the above mentioned Deede of Gift to the contrary notwithstanding

IN WITNESS hereof I the sayd John Smally have sett my hand & seale this sixteenth day of July 1689

John Smally [mark for a seal]

Signed Sealed & delivered In the presence of Edward Slater, Samuell Blackfoord parsonally came before mee Edward Slater And upon his Corporall oath did declare that hee saw John Smally deceased signe seale & deliver to his sone Isaac above named, the Above deede of Gift, June: 23d: 1697

Samuell Dennes Justice

Delbert Hicks writes:

As a young man John must have been excited aboutthe news in England concerning the sailing of the Mayflower to American in 1620 with 100 passengers aboard. John Smalley could stand the temptation to join these people in America for just so long. On March 9, 1632, when the ship Frances and James, sailed from England to America, John Smalley was a passenger.

The Frances and James landed June 5 in the Plymouth Colony. For six years John played a prominent role in the life of the colony. He was a tailor in America and in 1638 the court assigned to him an apprentice to learn the trade.

John acquired three tracts of land. On one tract he built his home and garden at Willingsly Brook. He owned six acres at Wobery Plains and five acres in the South Meadows toward Aggavam.

On November 29, 1638, John Smalley married Ann Walden at Plymouth. They continued to reside at Plymouth for six years during which time Hannah and John II were born.

In 1644 the John Smalley family with six other families left Plymouth, sailed across Cape Cod Bay, and settled in a place that developed into the present town of Eastham, MA. Of these families it is recorded that they were among the most respectable families of Plymouth and their departure was regreted by those who remained. All of these families grew their own food and tilled the soil. During the 23 year stay in Eastham, John Smalley held several public offices. These included the office of constable and office of surveyor of roads. It was here that Issac and Mary, twins, were born.

In 1667, John Smalley, his wife and sons John II and Issac moved to Saconnet, RI. Their stay here was only a short time. The Smalleys and some neighbor families soon were living in Piscataway, Middlesex County, NJ. These families were the first settlers in NJ. John Smalley was elected Magistrate of Piscataway in 1673. he served with distinction in this important office where he governed the people of the colony as a legislator and as a judge.

John realized in 1689 that the time had come to make his will. He died July 30, 1692. His wife Ann died six month later.

John Smalley made distribution of all his worldly goods through his will as follows:

To son Issac - his real estate for caring for him and his mother

To son John II - his sword, guns, and wearing apparel

To Hanna and Mary daughters - each 1 shilling

To grandsons John III and Johnathan - one "yearelen heifer" between them

To grandaughters (3 girls of Mary's) - 5 shillings each

To his wife - 1 cow to dispose of according to her pleasure.

References

• "The Great Migration Begins," Robert Charles Anderson, (New England Historic Genealogical Society, 101 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, 1995).
• Robert C. Anderson. The Pilgrim Migration. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2004.
• Mayflower Families through Five Generations: Vol. 6: Stephen Hopkins. John D. Austin. Plymouth: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1992.
• Lora A. W. Underhill. Descendants of Edward Small of New England:Volume 1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1934.
• http://www.njfounders.org/node/193
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smalley-2
• History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters and the First Comers Hills, Leon and Clark Hills Genealogical Publishing Com (2009)
• New England Marriages before 1700," by Clarence Almon Torrey and Elizabeth Petty Bentley. Online at GoogleBooks
• http://massandmoregenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/06/john-smalley-b-ca-...
• http://trees.wmgs.org/getperson.php?personID=I5221&tree=Schirado
• https://www.plimoth.org/sites/default/files/media/pdf/smalley_john.pdf
• 'Genealogical and memorial history of the state of New Jersey ... edited by Francis Bazley Lee
• Genealogical and memorial history of the state of New Jersey ... edited by Francis Bazley Lee
• Pg. 793
• The Smalley family of New Jersey belongs to old Devonshire stock, and comes from the same neighborhood as did the Drakes, who have made such a name for themselves, not only in New Jersey, but also in New England. Descendants bearing the Smalley name soon found a congenial home with the Baptists of Rhode Island, and from that colony of liberty loving people came the founder of the New Jersey branch of the family. His descendants have always held the views believed and practiced by the Baptists, and the family gave to this denomination one of the most useful ministers of the gospel that ever labored in New Jersey, the Rev. Henry Smalley, of blessed memory.
• ' (I) John Smalley, the first person of that name to come to the New World, was in London, in 1631, and in the following year came over to America in the vessel "Francis & James," in company with many of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He settled on Cape Cod, where he married, about 1640, and had four children who lived to mature years. From Massachusetts the parents with the two sons, both of age, moved first to Rhode Island, and from there to Piscataway, Middlesex county, New Jersey, where they were among the earliest pioneer freeholders of this New Jersey settlement. His two daughters, Hannah and Mary, were at this time married and settled in New England. After obtaining his first grant, upon his arrival in Piscataway, he had a survey of his farm made in 1677, and in 1685 took up another warrant of land. At the time the province was temporarily recaptured by the Dutch in 1673-74, John Smalley was appointed to them a magistrate. In 1675 he was commissioned a justice of the peace, and at the same time appointed associate justice of the court of sessions, which position he filled for several years. He died in 1692 and his wife died about a year later. His two sons were John, Jr., referred to below, and Isaac, born December 11, 1647, married twice after moving to New Jersey. He was for several years a member of the colonial assembly, town clerk of Piscataway, and held many other offices of public confidence and trust until his death in 1725.
  • (II) John (2), son of 'John (I) Smalley', had a farm surveyed for him in 1675, and about ten years afterward he took up an additional one hundred acres. In 1683 he came into possession of another large lot of one hundred acres, situated on Ambrose brook, near the present New Market, which he gave to his son Andrew. John Smalley, Jr., served in many of the local township appointments, and was a constituent member in the old Piscataway Baptist Church, publically organized between 1686 and 1689. His will was made September 13, 1731, and duly recorded in 1733, a short time after his death. John Smalley, Jr., married in Piscataway, October 18, 1676, Lydia, daughter of John Martin, another of the early founders of that settlement.
• ___________________________
• 'Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society By New Jersey Historical Society
• Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society By New Jersey Historical Society
• Pg. 160
• ' The first person by the name of Smalley in America, was John Smalley. He was in London in 1631, and in the following year came over in the vessel "Francis and James," in company with many of the Masschusetts Bay Colony. He settled on Cape Cod, where he married about 1640, and had four children who lived to mature years -- two girls, Hannah and Mary, and two boys, John Jr., and Isaac. From Massachusetts the parents, with the two sons, both of age, removed to New Jersey, settling at Piscataway in Middlesex county, about 1669-70. The daughters were married and remained in New England. John Smalley was among the earliest pioneer freeholders of this Jersey settlement. After obtaining his first grant upon his arrival in Piscataway, a survey of his farm was made in 1677, and further land was taken up by him in 1685. At the time the province was temporarily recaptured by the Dutch, 1673-4, he was appointed by them a magistrate. He was commissioned a justice of the peace in 1675, and appointed associate justice of the court of sessions, which position he filled for several years. This pioneer father died in 1692, and the mother about a year after.
• _______________
• 'The Pennsylvania magazine of history and biography, Volume 21 By Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• The Pennsylvania magazine of history and biography, Volume 21 By Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• Pg. 126
• SMALLEY. -- January 6, 1897. William Kilpatrick, of Newark, New Jersey, says, " I am the son of Aaron Ogden Kilpatrick and Elizabeth (Smalley) Kilpatrick. My mother was a daughter of Abraham Smalley and Mary Van Nortwick, granddaughter of Abraham Smalley (of Harris's Lane, Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey), born May 2, 1748, who married, October 8, 1772, Catherine Emans, born January 25, 1756, and great-granddaughter of Andrew Smalley, born about 1709."
• Andrew Smalley was the son of Jonathan Smalley and Sarah ___, grandson of John Smalley, Jr., and Lydia Martin, and great-grandson of 'John Smalley, Sen., and Ann ___, who came from Eastham, Cape Cod, and settled in Piscataway Township soon after 1666'.
• Land for which John Smalley, Sen., and John Smalley, Jr., received patents is still owned by descendants bearing the name.
• EMMA FINNEY WELCH.
• ___________________

”Hi, I am a direct descendent of John Smalley's (1615). In my research I have found no positive proof that John was the son of Edward Smalley, much less the grandson of Sir Walter Raleigh and his wife, Elizabeth. I have researched biographies and history books on Sir Walter. No where did I find mention of their having 5 children. The only children I found listed for them was 3: Walter, Jr., Demeria, and Carew. Carew was born in the Tower of London when his father was prisoner there. The only relationship I found was when John and Edward's descendents inter-married.” Margaret Smalley Parnell

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http://www.sharedtree.com/ped.php?person_id=1279506

• Residence: Piscataway Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States
  • Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Dec 19 2016, 18:19:07 UTC