JOHN SMITH (1536) was baptized at St. Mary's the Parish Church of Hadleigh, Suffolk County, England which was Church of England. As this date is a baptism date we can't be sure the exact date he was born but they usually tried to baptize their children as soon as possible after birth. They were afraid of the high child mortality rate. However this date ties in exactly with the age shown on the Conformity Certificate when they left for America. His mother reported him in 1635 as 13 years old.

St. Mary's Parish Church, Suffolk, England

Where John Smith's mother and father were married and where he was baptized

     The name of the mother on the baptismal record is ALICE MARRYON and this is the same on her marriage record. I could not find a baptism for ALICE MARRYON and then I found on the marriage record she was a widow. When I traced back further I found she had married SAMUEL MERREN (MARRYON) in 1611 so he must have died before 1619. On that marriage record it showed her maiden name as ALICE BARNES. Her original baptism date ties in exactly with the age shown on her Conformity Certificate in 1635 when she said she was 40 years old.

St. Mary's Parish Church baptism font

John Smith was baptized here on 21 January 1622

John Smith baptized 21 January 1622

St. Mary's Parish Church Register

Hadleigh, Suffolk, England

     As you can imagine there are thousands of "SMITHS" in Suffolk County, England. In the area I was searching because of the Conformity Certificate being signed in Sudbury I found there were 23 churches within 12 miles of Sudbury in 1600. In those 23 churches there were literally hundreds of "SMITHS" in the baptism, marriage and burial records between 1550 and 1635. The records of most churches in Suffolk County start in the 1550s.

      Hadleigh is only 12 miles from Sudbury, 9 miles from Waldingfield where the Appletons came from and only 6 miles from Groton where John Winthrop came from. He was the biggest organizer for emigrants to America in 1630 -1635 and became the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The black plague was going through Suffolk County again and the linen and woolen industries were in decline. It seems very likely that when the father JOHN SMITH died that ALICE SMITH and her son JOHN would think this was a good opportunity for them with all the others who were leaving at the time. Remember she had lost her first husband and also a baby from her first marriage. These deaths were probably due to the lingering black plague and maybe even the early death of JOHN SMYTH was a result of the plague. His twin brother WILLIAM SMITH had also died in 1624 most likely from the plague. On top of all this there was the pressure on the Independents (Puritans) to conform to the Church of England. So for all these reasons and the general excitement stirred up by John Winthrop, in Suffolk County about America, it is not much wonder ALICE SMITH and son JOHN would get caught up in the emigration.

     I found the following detailed records in one of the dozens of books and hundreds of records I consulted. Mr. John Camden Hotten back before 1873 had looked at the port records for the people who had left for America during the 1600s. At that time nobody could leave England legally without a Certificate of Conformity signed by their church minister or the mayor of their town. This certificate said they conformed to the principals of the Church of England. They also had to be declared as "No Subsidy Man" which meant they were not trying to evade the Naval Tax imposed illegally by King Charles I. The port authorities and the ship captains were held responsible to make sure each person had these documents and the details were listed in the port records. In this case their Certificate of Conformity was signed by the mayor of Sudbury.

Conformity certificate to allow Alice Smith and son John Smith to leave England

     The port record showed JOHN SMITH age 13 and ALICE SMITH age 40 travelled with a family by the name of Haffield. In this family there was the father, mother and 5 daughters. In the group were also an Elizabeth Cooper age 24 and Job Hawkins age 17. These were both common names in the Suffolk area. The record showed they were headed for Ipswich in New England. They travelled on the ship "Planter" Nicholas Trerice, Master which departed London on 10 April 1635 and arrived in Boston on 7 June 1635.

     In searching the church records of Sudbury, Suffolk County I found where 3 of the Haffield daughters had been baptized at All Saints Parish Church in Sudbury, Suffolk County. Then I went back to the Ipswich, Massachusetts records and found Richard Haffield had been granted land in Ipswich when he arrived in 1635. So now I knew the group had departed Sudbury, Suffolk County, England and had arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts. New England.

            When I didn't find anything in the church records in Sudbury about Alice or John I started to scout the small towns nearby. That's when I hit paydirt as I found Little Waldingfield was only 2 miles down the road from Sudbury. That rang all sorts of bells as Little Waldingfield was where Samuel Appleton was born. He was the owner of 460 acres of land granted to him when he arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts. And this land is where "our" JOHN SMITH was a tenant farmer as I learned from the Ipswich Town Records. SAMUEL APPLETON also arrived in Ipswich in 1635 but there is no record on which ship he came. It seems very probable they knew each other back in Suffolk, England and maybe JOHN SMITH's father worked for Samuel Appleton in Little Waldingfield.

     If JOHN SMITH had arrived in Ipswich in 1635 as an adult he would have been given free land the same as other settlers in the first years. If he and his mother had any money they would have purchased land. I know he farmed on Samuel Appleton's land from the Town Records. We know he was given a share of Plum Island when they divided it among the Commoners who had been paying taxes. I know he was never made a Freeman so he could not participate in Town voting. So I figure he became a farm labourer for Samuel Appleton and then started renting land from him.

     You may ask what happened to ALICE SMITH age 40 and widowed twice. She would in all probability quickly marry especially in view of the shortage of women. So after her marriage her name would not appear anywhere as SMITH. Women did not receive a land grant so there is nothing in the Ipswich records. So unfortunately I have not found anything further about ALICE SMITH.

        It mentions in The History of Connecticut, volume 2, pages 618-9 that JOHN SMITH of Ipswich was a "commoner". This term was applied at that time to the men who had been accepted by the Town Council and had the right to use the town "commons" for grazing their cattle. The first Ipswich Commoners book has not survived so I have not seen where JOHN SMITH is listed as a commoner in the official Ipswich records..

      However in minutes of the Ipswich Town Meeting 20 February 1655 there is the following entry. "Granted to JOHN SMITH 2 acres in the thick woods for 7 yeares he to fence it from cattle all _ wayes _ _ _ _ upon the _ _ ". Photocopy of this is in my file. Unfortunately the originals of the Ipswich Town Records cannot be viewed because of their poor condition. By law in Massachusetts early Town Records must be shown but they get around this by having them on microfilm at the Ipswich Public Library. However the microfilm is practically illegible. The above copy came from the Latter Day Saints microfilm reel # 0878651. They also warn at the beginning of their film that when they photographed these records the pages were torn, dirty, stained with many pages missing so much of the microfilm is unreadable.

      Another entry in the Ipswich Town Records which is undated and with only a few words legible is "Granted to JOHN SMITH to fell for 100 rayles _ _ _". A photocopy is in my file.

      In my file is a photocopy of an interesting entry in the Ipswich Town Meeting minutes of 24 December 1660. "We whose names are under written engage our selves to clear the ground __ sake of the Towne all Bush Hill and Turkey Hill to enjoy it six years from this tyme the sixth yeare to sow four bushells of English hay seeds on every acre with the last crop and at the six yeares end to lay it downe to the Towne for common feed of Towne __ as before written our hands to _ _ we fence one year after." Following are 29 signatures including JOHN SMITH. This is the first place I found an actual signature for JOHN SMITH. A copy of an historic map in my file shows the location of both Bush and Turkey Hills and I have walked on both hills which are still wooded although surrounded by built-up residential areas.

      The Hammatt Papers (see source information) state JOHN SMITH had a share of Plum Island and Company in 1664. Plum Island had been granted to Captain John Mason by King James I in 1621. It was a grassy area between the Naumkeag and Merrimack Rivers. It was evidently used for cutting the long grass used for thatching houses and there was a town restriction on how often and how much each person could cut. A photocopy of the Town of Ipswich Records volume 2 showing the list of shareholders of Plum Island is in my files.

     The Colony had allotted Plum Island to the three towns that were opposite the island which was about 12 miles long. Ipswich was allotted the southern two fifths, Rowley the centre one fifth and Newbury the northern two fifths. It was used as common ground. In 1664 they decided to end the common usage and grant the land to those in town who had been paying taxes on property. Those who had paid no more than 6 shillings 8 pence would get 1 share, those who had paid up to 16 shillings would get 1 1/2 shares and anyone who had paid more than that would get 2 shares. A share was good for 3 acres. These details were taken from Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, pages 69/70. Copies are in my files. Also a photocopy of the list of those owning shares in Plum Island is in my files. It is taken from the microfiche records of the Town of Ipswich held by the Ipswich Public Library in Ipswich, Massachusetts.

     JOHN SMITH must have belonged to the First Congregational Church of Ipswich as this was compulsory in a Puritan Town at the time. However I did not find any mention in the records of he or his wife as communicants at the church. Sometimes specific people are mentioned when they made seat allocations. Their son John Jr. took the Covenant at the church in 1673 and his daughter Elizabeth on 12 April 1674.

     JOHN SMITH was a tenant of Samuel Appleton as shown in the Hammatt Papers. Appleton was an early settler in Ipswich and had been granted 460 acres south of Ipswich as well as 8 acres in town for his home lot. The Appleton properties are shown on a map in my files as well as on a computer print-out. This property was between the Ipswich River and Miles Brook. However I have not been able to determine where and how much land JOHN SMITH rented. It evidently was not a large amount if he only paid the minimum 6 shillings 8 pence taxes on what land he was using.

     I have not found where JOHN SMITH owned any land in Ipswich or the surrounding area. That may have been the main reason for his son THOMAS SMITH leaving Ipswich and heading for Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut, where he would receive land as a "first cummer". THOMAS SMITH may have been influenced by several other men who left Ipswich and nearby Rowley to go to Suffield at that time.

     In trying to locate any record that would show the location of JOHN SMITH's rented land, I visited the Appleton Farms which are still in operation and have been in the family ever since Samuel Appleton arrived in 1635. I talked to the present President and Manager Mr. James Geiger. He has run the farm for the last 40 years and in my files is a brochure they put out at their 350th anniversary. He advised there are no old records in existence that would show who was renting land in the 1650s. I discussed a theory I had developed which is covered below. He thought this was probably correct as he confirmed some of the Appleton property had gone out of the family hands for a period of time.

     In my files is a copy of an 1832 map of Ipswich made by Amni R. Smith. It shows he owned a house on the south side of Waldingfield Road just east of Mill Road. This was originally part of the Appleton land. So I traced this property and found it had been sold by the executors of the fourth Samuel Appleton who had died insolvent in 1728, to Captain Isaac Smith. This sale was about 1750. It later went to Samuel Smith who was Isaac Smith's son. Then it went to Samuel's son Amni R. Smith whose house shows on the map. A photograph taken in 1996 of the present house on this property is in my files as well as the historic map.

     Now this is very intriguing and forms a lot of circumstantial evidence but it leaves a gap between JOHN SMITH renting land and Captain Isaac Smith buying land. It would be natural to think that JOHN SMITH's son JOHN SMITH JR. might continue to rent the land after his father died. If this was so it might also be natural to think that a SMITH might be given the first chance to buy it. It would take a lot more research to check out this land record trail.

                               SOURCE INFORMATION

     Births are taken from IPSWICH TOWN VITAL RECORDS VOLUME 1. Copies of the pertinent pages are in my files. An original of this book is held by the Longmeadow Public Library in Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

     SMITH GENEALOGY by George Lee Smith of Detroit, Michigan. This is a hand written very small file on "our" branch of the Smith Family and was the sole means of a breakthrough to the ancestors of JOHN SMITH of Granville. A copy of this folder is in my files. The original is held by the Kent Memorial Library in Suffield, Connecticut.

     HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT Volume 2 Pages 618-9 published in 1911. Copies of these pages are in my file. The original book is held by the Connecticut Valley Historical Society in Springfield, Massachusetts.

     THE HAMMATT PAPERS by Abraham Hammatt republished in 1980 by the Genealogical Publishing Co. Baltimore. This is a record about the early inhabitants of Ipswich, Massachusetts. An original of this book is held by the Largo Public Library in Largo, Florida. The Higginson Books in Salem, Massachusetts. reprinted this book and a copy of this is in my library.

    HISTORY OF IPSWICH by Joseph Barlow Felt published 1834. This is an excellent book about the people and living conditions in Ipswich in the middle 1600s. Higginson Books in Salem, Massachusetts. reprinted this book in 1994 and a copy is in my library.

     IPSWICH IN THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY by Thomas Franklin Waters Volume 1 published in 1905. Volume 2 published in 1917. Higginson Books in Salem, Massachusetts. reprinted these books in 1995 and copies of both books are in my library.

     IPSWICH TOWN RECORDS. The originals cannot be viewed at the Town Office. Microfilm copies are available at the Ipswich Public Library and at the Latter Day Saints film # 0878651.

     ESSEX COUNTY DEEDS copies in my files in connection with the Amni R. Smith property on the Appleton Farms.

     ORIGINAL LISTS OF PERSONS OF QUALITY by John Camden Hotten published prior to 1873. Higginson Books in Salem, Massachusetts. reprinted this book in 1994 and a copy of this book is in my library.

     PLANTERS OF THE COMMONWEALTH by Charles Edward Banks published in 1890 and republished in 1975 by the Genealogical Publishing Co. Baltimore.

     ELIZABETH (--?--) (1537). ELIZABETH (1537) was born circa 1632 in Ipswich, Essex, MA, USA. ELIZABETH (1537) died at an unknown date in Ipswich, Essex, MA, USA, at age at an unknown age.

     Children of JOHN⁴ SMITH (1536) and ELIZABETH (--?--) (1537) all born in Ipswich, Essex, MA, USA, were as follows:

  + 28         i.            JOHN⁵ SMITH JR. (1538) JOHN (1538) was born 29 October 1654. He married ELIZABETH SMITH (1547), daughter of GEORGE SMITH (61112) and MARY FRENCH (61113), 13 November 1678 in Ipswich, Essex, MA, USA. JOHN (1538) died 28 April 1737 at age 82.

  + 29        ii.            ELIZABETH SMITH (1539) ELIZABETH (1539) was born circa 1656. She married WILLIAM CHAPMAN (1548) 30 March 1682 in Ipswich, Essex, MA, USA. ELIZABETH (1539) died after 1732 at age at an unknown age.

        30        iii.            WILLIAM SMITH (1540). WILLIAM (1540) was born 28 April 1659. WILLIAM (1540) died 12 November 1676 in King Philip's War, Naragansett, MA, USA, at age 17.

  + 31       iv.            THOMAS SMITH (1522) THOMAS (1522) was born 7 June 1661. He married MARY YOUNGLOVE (1526), daughter of JOHN YOUNGLOVE (1620) and SARAH HADDON (1649), 2 December 1689 in Suffield, Hartford, MA changed in 1749 to CT, USA. THOMAS (1522) died 2 December 1726 at age 65.

  + 32        v.            MARIAH (MORIAH) SMITH (1541) MARIAH (1541) was born before 28 February 1664. She married JOSEPH COLLINS (69169), son of HENRY COLLINS (71878) and ANN (--?--) (71879), 15 October 1684 in Lynn, Essex, MA, USA.

        33        vi.            RUTH SMITH (1542). RUTH (1542) was born 8 October 1666. RUTH (1542) died 6 July 1667 in Ipswich, Essex, MA, USA, at age at an unknown age.

        34       vii.            MARY SMITH (1543). MARY (1543) was born 11 June 1671. MARY (1543) died 24 June 1739 in Ipswich, Essex, MA, USA, at age 68.

MARY SMITH (1543)never married and died a spinster on 24 June 1739 in Ipswich, Essex County, Mass.

        35      viii.            PRUDENCE SMITH (1544). PRUDENCE (1544) was born 11 June 1671. PRUDENCE (1544) died at an unknown date at age at an unknown age.

PRUDENCE SMITH (1544)was a twin of MARY SMITH but I can't find any record of her after her birth record on 11 June 1671 in Ipswich. I have searched for her throughout the whole of Massachusetts with zero results for marriage or death. I believe she may have been the second born of the twins and according to statistics she had a very poor chance of survival at birth or shortly after. If it was a stillbirth, it is possible it did not get recorded in the town records.

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