Thomas Smith

  General Notes:

Thomas Smith of Ipswich, Mass. NEHGR 142: 51-55, Jan 1988

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁵⁴³
Thomas Smith first appears on record at a town meeting in Ipswich on 9 April 1639, when he was granted "a house lot one acre to the street called the West End, having a house lot granted to John Cooly southeast, common near the common fence gate north west." He died at Bradford, Massachusetts, in the winter of 1681/2 at the home of his daughter Mary Kimball. He was married to a woman named Joanah, who died sometime between 18 Nov 1680 and 8 Dec 1680.

We likely will never know where in England Thomas Smith originated because Smith is the most common of all English named, and there were several other Smiths in Ipswich whose relationship with Thomas is not know, if there was one. There were two Thomas Smiths, one of Lynn, who was made freeman in 1633, while Thomas of Ipswich didn't gain the right to vote until 1650.

Mentions of Thomas Smith in records are:

In Dec 1647, Lancelott Grainger sued Thomas Smith of Ipswich in Salem Quarterly Court [Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts, Vol. I, 1636-1656, (Salem, 1911), 130]. In Mar 1648/9, Thomas Smith was on trial jury at Ipswich, and again in Sep 1650, at a time he was made a freeman [ibid., 197].

Walther Tibbot's will dated 1641, mentioned a meadow he has bought from Thomas Smith [The Probate Records of Essex County, Massachusetts, vol. I, 163591644, Salem, 1916, p. 132]. Tibbot was of Gloucester but had property in Ipswich.

On 15 Sep 1652, Thomas Smith of Ipswich sold to Robert Lord of the same town "all my six acres of land granted me by the town of Ipswich, situated in Ipswich within the common field on the north side of the river, having the land of the late James Hows and now in possession of the said Lord toward the northwest, land of William Marchant toward the southeast, land of Theophilus Wilson toward the northeast and the common fence toward the southwest." This was acknowledged by Thomas Smith and Johana his wife, who yielded her dower right, 16 Apr 1670.

Thomas Smith's house was mentioned in 1653 as the boundary in Ipswich in the north end of town, as being southeast of Theophilus Shatswell's house. In Mar 1655, Joannah, wife of Thomas Smith, testified concerning the deathbed will of widow Alice Ward of Ipswich [Essex Quarterly Ct. Rec., 1:389].

In the summer of 1655, Nathaniel Stow and Henry Kimball of Ipswich suffered damage to their corn when about fifty head of cattle belonging to various neighbors, kept in the common pasture next to their corn fields, broke through the fence. Two of Thomas Smith's steers were among the herd. [ibid. 415-416]

Thomas Smith was on the grand jury that sat at Ipswich 30 Sep 1656, the trail jury of 30 Mar 1658, and the grand jury again on 30 Sep 1662.

At the court held 26 Mar 1666 at Ipswich, Thomas Smith was released from training, but was to pay a bushel of Indian corn per annum to the company. This would suggest that he had reached the age of 60 that year, and thus was born about 1606, or else that he was too feeble to serve. Then, in Sep 1672, he was released henceforth from traiing, without any payment. Possibly he was only then aged 60, and so born about 1612.

In Jan 1669/70, he sold his house to James Sayer with an arrangement for the future comfort of himself and his wife Joan. This is the first time he is referred to as a shoemaker. The deed was acknowledged by Thomas Smith and Johana his wife yielded up her dower 16 Apr 1670. On Jan 1669/70 [Ipswich Deeds, 3:149-150], James Sayer of Ipswich deeded back the property to Thomas Smith [ibid., 150-151].

The arrangement made in the deed with James Sawyer most likely did not work out since on 31 May 1671, Thomas Smith sold the same house lot and house to Aaron Pengry, his next door neighbor, on credit. This also didn't work out because he sold the same property again on 9 Mar 1676/7, to Thomas Dow. The last of Thomas's land was sold in 1679 [ibid., 4:33, 335].

"18 Nov 1689 Richard and Benjamin Kimball of Bradford did covenant to and with the selectmen of Ipswich that they would take Thomas Smith and his wife to Bradford to the house of Mary Kimball the widow of Thomas Kimball and provide their meate, drink, washing, lodging, clothes and attendance with all things necessary for person in such condition for the space of one year beginning at the date hereof, the price for a year to be £25."

"8 Dec 1681 agreed with Richard Kimball of Bradford to allow unto him futher keeping and providing for his grandfather Thomas Smith for the year ensuying £13."

Thomas Smith evidently died at Brandford the winter of 1681/2, his wife having died earlier. Their daughter Mary, was likely born in England around 1684 and died at Ipswich, Massachusetts, 20 Nov 1688. Mary Smith married Thomas Kimball, son of Richard Kimball and Ursula Scott of Ipswich, born at Rattlesden, Suffolk, England circa 1633, killed by Indians on the night of 2-3 May 1676. Another possible daughter of Thomas and Joanna Smith was Sarah, born 1641/2 and died 24 Feb 1720/1 at the age of 89. Sarah married, 18 Nov 1664, Samuel Lomas who was born 7 Jun 1639.

"Thomas Smith of Ipswich, Massachusetts," NEHGR, Vol. 52, p. 51-55

Thomas married Joanna.¹⁵⁴³