John Smith, of Mespat

John Smith migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 311)

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smith-15272

Puritan Great Migration
John Smith immigrated to New England between 1621 and 1640 and later departed for New York Colony

John "Blue" Smith was born in England and emigrated to New England by 1639. [1] Even in colonial times there were numerous unrelated families called "Smith." They were each designated a nickname to differentiate each branch. This branch was purportedly called "blue" because John Smith wore a blue cloth coat. It is not known if it was the color of the coat or the coat itself that was unusual enough to earn the nickname. [2] As there is not good documentation on John's family, its difficult to estimate his age. His daughter Elizabeth was born about 1633, and assuming he was about 25 at that time John was born by 1613, but possibly considerably earlier.

Marriage

The wife of John Smith is not known. He was not to married to a Jane (Unknown) Coe (abt.1610-aft.1690) who later married Robert Coe. [She was the wife of Bartholomew Smith].[14] Similarly, there is no evidence that his wife was Jane Rourke.

Children

There are three known children as mentioned in their own depositions of 24 May 1703: [15] There may have been others not living in 1703.

1. John Smith, eldest son, married Sarah? Strickland
2. Elizabeth (Smith) (Ludlam) Smith, b. abt. 1633, England. Married 1) William Ludlam 2)
3. Samuel Smith, b. abt 1636
4. Morris Smith

   ---

Disputed wife

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Rourke-188

Jane Rourke frequently appears online trees as the wife and mother of the children of John Smith (abt.1585-abt.1643). Unfortunately, there are only a few known records for John Smith (aka John "Blue" Smith), and to date none have shed light on the identity of his wife. Additional information on the origin of how "Jane Rourke" was introduced into the genealogy of the family is welcome.

Death

John is alleged to have died in an Indian attack on the settlement of Maspat Kills in Queens, New York in 1643. [12]

"This state of hostilities was begun by Director [Willem] Kieft, who, upon a frivolous pretence of injury received from the natives, despatched two bodies of troops from Fort Amsterdam, at midnight, February 25th, 1643 ... resulting in a horrid butchery of the sleeping Indians ... When the natives discovered who were the authors of these barbarities, they were inflamed to the utmost, and though hitherto the warm friends of the Dutch, they now became their implacable enemies. With fire-brand and scalping-knife they desolated the country around New Amsterdam, devoting property to destruction, and the inhabitants to a cruel death, save those who made a timely escape to the fort. Similar was the fate of the dwellers at Mespat. In an evil hour the savages broke in upon the settlement with merciless vengeance; and some of the inhabitants, among whom was John Smith, fell victims to their fury. [13]

---

Elizabeth Smith passed away after 1703 when she deposed in front of the Court of Common Pleas concerning her father. [2]

"At the Court of Common Pleas, May 24, 1703, Samuel Smith of Jamaica, aged about 67 years, and Elizabeth wife of Nehemiah Smith of the same, formerly wife of William Ludlam deceased of Southampton, aged about 70 years, depose that about 60 years ago John Smith, father of the said deponents, living in Taunton, Plymouth Colony, left there for Mashpate Kills, Queens County, then under the Dutch, and was there killed by the Indians; also that John Smith, eldest son of ye said John Smith, their father, and brother to these deponents, is now living in Hempstead, Queens County (Lib. A of Jamaica Rec., in The Record, v. 65, p. 249)" [3]

Comments

The directory entries don't give birth date, just arrival dates: Smith, John: Unknown; 1639; Taunton, Newtown [NY] [PCR 1:132; TAG 25:66-67]. The TAG article doesn't even attempt an estimated birth.

References

1. Torrey's New England Marriages before 1700, sources to be looked up: SMITH, John (-1643) "Blue" & Jane? ____, m/2 Edward ROUSE, m/3 Robert COE lic 15 Feb 1674/5; ca 1623/25?, ca 1633?; Taunton/Mespet, LI {Tag 25:66; Sv. 4:119; Edwards (1887) 17; Newtown LI 20; NYGBR 12:8, 15:93; Coe 77; Dawes-Gates 2:215}. Error. Jane was the wife of Bartholomew Smith.
2. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=michelott...
3. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Smith-15272
4. The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) "John Smith of Mespat" Vol. 25 (1949) p. 66.subscribers < AmericanAncestors >
5. Immigrant ancestor of group NE22 on SmithConnections Northeastern DNA Project. https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/smith-connections/about
6. Line of John "Blue" Smith of Mespat - Descendants and Ancestors http://longislandgenealogy.com/blue0001.htm
7. Individual Long Island Smith Family Information

In eighteenth century Brookhaven nearly one in ten residents bore the surname "Smith." - Theodore M. Sanford III SCHS #262 Intro to "The Two Benjamin Smiths of Ronkonkoma" http://longislandgenealogy.com/surnames.htm#google_vignette