Smith family

by Lorraine Frantz Edwards

During lunch, I was visiting with a resident from the New England states. Of course, I shared my current obsession with Ancestry. I “guessed” I should see if I could find more information on my Smith ancestors (in the New England states). I hit “a brick wall” many years ago (researching Smith). Well… I spent the afternoon and it was so-o-o-o simple!! I lament the hours I spent futilely searching “the old-fashioned-way”!! The given names are such a laugh: Aristobulus, Chileab, Diathea, Ebenezer, Enos, Eliphas, Ephram, Honor, Milo, Moses, Person, Preserved, Salmon, Simeon, and Zadook (just to name a few).

So far I’ve traced back to the early 1600’s in America and the direct lineage is as follows (ancient ancestor at the top of the list).

Henry Smith, b. 20 Apr 1610, Norwich, Norfolk, England; arrival, Boston, 1637; died 9 Aug 1648, Wethersfield, Hartford, Connecticut, “of great fever.*“

 2) Preserved Smith

 3) Preserved Smith

 4) Chileab Smith

 5) Moses Smith

 6) Salmon Smith

 7) Persons Smith

 8) Gideon Watson Smith

 9) Ina Bird Smith

10) Pearl Olma Showalter

11) Lorraine Evon Frantz

countblessingsThinking about the current horrific winter weather in the New England states, I shudder to think of the difficulties of my early ancestors. Imagine it; count our many blessings!!

 

*Research seems to contradict that diagnosis listed by another researcher. “The great fever” not identified in America in 1648. (I love the Internet.)

 

One comment on “Smith family”

  1. Lorraine Frantz Edwards's avatar Lorraine Edwards says:
    March 2, 2015 at 9:55 AM

    My lady-friend, Patty, sent the following comment directly to my email address and I am taking the liberty of copying it to this message. Her comment in reference to my comment about the harsh conditions in New England in earlier centuries. Here is a web link re: Martha Ballard.

    Look up Mrs. Ballard of Hallowell, Maine.
    Last summer when I first arrived in Augusta the Sunday paper ran an article on the changing of the name of a road from Ballard to something else. Seems there were 2 Ballard St’s and they changed it to honor someone else. So being a genealogist I went to the library and took out 2 books on her, one is her diary and after a few years that gets boring but there’s another one that I need to read. Talk about a hard life, they even had to spin their own cotton to make sheets, clothing. Unbelievable. Her midwife practice required her to ‘bum rides’ whenever and however she could find someone with a horse and sled in the winter to cross the river, etc, etc,, etc.
    Loving your blog.
    Keep on keeping on.

    Reply

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