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Lieut. Philip Smith

Male 1632 - 1684  (51 years)


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  • Name Philip Smith  [1, 2, 3
    Prefix Lieut. 
    Birth 30 Apr 1632  Suffolk, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3
    Gender Male 
    Death 10 Jan 1684  Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3
    Burial Old Hadley Cemetery, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location  [3
    Notes 
    • Born on 30 Apr 1632 at England. Baptized in Nov 1632 at Hadleigh, Suffolk, Eng. Philip died at Hadley, MA, on 10 Jan 1685. The son of Samuel SMITH and Elizabeth CHILEAB.

      Philip, first of Wethersfield, removed to Hadley after 1659.

      Philip was one of the first men of his time to be a lieutenant, deacon, and representative in Hadley. He was "murdered with an hideous witchcraft" according to Cotton Mather.

      Some quotations from Lawson's web pages follow.

      From The Magnalia Christi Americana, by Cotton Mather - 1702.

      Mr. Philip Smith, aged about 50 years, a son of eminently virtuous parents, a
      deacon of a church in Hadley, a member of the General Court, a justice in the
      County Court, a selectman for the affairs of the town, a Lieutenant of the troop, and
      which crowns all, a man for devotion, sanctity, gravity, and all that was honest,
      exceeding exemplary. Such a man was in the winter of the year 1684, murdered
      with an hideous witchcraft, that filled all those parts of New England, with
      astonishment. He was, by his office concerned about relieving the indigences of a
      wretched woman in the town; who being dissatisfied at some of his just cares about
      her, expressed herself unto him in such a manner, that he declared himself
      thenceforth apprehensive of receiving mischief at her hands. Early in January, he
      began to be very valetudinarious. He shewed such weanedness from the weariness
      of the world, etc.... While he remained yet of a sound mind, he solemnly charged
      his brother to look well after him. Be sure (said he) to have a care for me.... There
      shall be a wonder in Hadley.... In his distress he exclaimed much upon the young
      woman aforesaid, and others, as being seen by him in the room. Some of the young
      men in the town being out of their wits at the strange calamities thus upon one of
      their most beloved neighbors, went three or four times to give disturbance unto the
      woman thus complained of; and all the while they were disturbing her, he was at
      ease, and slept as a weary man; yea, these were the only times they perceived him to
      take any sleep in all his illness. Gally pots of medicine provided for the sick man
      were unaccountably emptied: audible scratchings were made about the bed, when his
      hands and feet lay wholly still, and were held by others. They beheld fire sometimes
      on the bed; and when the beholders began to discourse of it, it vanished away.
      Divers people actually felt something often stir in the bed, at a considerable distance
      from the man; it seemed as big as a cat, but they could never grasp it. Several trying
      to lean on the bed's head, tho' the sick man lay wholly still, the bed would shake so
      as to knock their heads uncomfortably. Mr. Smith dies; the jury that viewed his
      corpse found a swelling on one breast, his back full of bruises, and several holes
      that seemed made with awls. After the opinion of all had pronounced him dead, his
      countenance continued as lively as if he had been alive; his eyes closed as in a
      slumber, and his nether jaw not falling down. Thus he remained from Saturday
      morning about sunrise, till Sabbathday in the aftenoon. When those who took him
      out of the bed, found him still warm, tho' the season was as cold as had almost been
      known in any age; and a New England winter does not want for cold. But on
      Monday morning they found the face extremely tumified and discolored. It was
      black and blue, and fresh blood seemed running down his cheek upon the hairs.
      Divers noises were also heard in the room where the corpse lay; as the clattering of
      chairs and stools, whereof no account could be given. This was the end of so good a
      man.

      From History of Hadley, by Sylvester Judd - 1863.

      Mary Webster, the woman who disturbed Philip Smith, was sent to Boston, tried
      for witchcraft, and acquitted. The young men of Hadley tried an experiment upon
      her. They dragged her out of the house, hung her up until she was near dead, let her
      down, rolled her some time in the snow, and at last buried her in it, and there left
      her. But she survived, and died in 1696. No inhabitant of Hampshire Co. was ever
      executed for witchcraft.

      From Families of Early Hartford, Connecticut, by Lucius Barnes Barbour - 1976.

      William Webster s. of John & Agnes died 1688 mar Feb 17, 1670 Mary Reeve who
      died 1696 dau of Thomas Reeve of Springfield. Hadley; his wife was accused of
      witchcraft and sent to Boston for trial 1684, but was acquitted and died in peace.
      s.p.

      Source: http://babbage.clarku.edu/~djoyce/gen/report/rr02/rr02_444.html
    Person ID I20646  Strong Family Tree
    Last Modified 2 Jan 2021 

    Father Lieut. Samuel Smith,   b. 6 Sep 1601, Suffolk, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Between 1680 and 1681, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 78 years) 
    Mother Elizabeth Smith,   b. Abt 1602, Suffolk, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 16 Mar 1686, South Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 84 years) 
    Marriage 6 Oct 1624  Suffolk, England Find all individuals with events at this location  [4
    • Church marriage records show the marriage of Samuel Smyth to Elizabeth Smyth. See excellant discussion in Paul W. Pringle, "The wife of Lt. Samuel Smith of Wethersfield," The American Genealogist, Vol. 32, 1956, page 202.
    Family ID F7374  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Rebecca Foote,   b. 3 Sep 1634, Watertown, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 6 Apr 1701, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 66 years) 
    Marriage 1 Mar 1657  Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location  [5
    • Both James Albury and the Pane-Joyce Genealogy website list an Ichabod (1675-1746) as a son, although he is not shown on the Foote Family Website. The Genealogies and Biographies of Ancient Wethersfield, Connecticut, does show they had eight children.

      Philip and Rebecca (Foote) Smith. are the seventh great-grandparents of George Herbert Walker Bush (42 President of the United States), through their daughter, Rebecca, who marreid George Stillman.

    Children 
     1. Deacon Samuel Smith,   b. Jan 1658, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 28 Aug 1707, East Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 49 years)
     2. Deacon John Smith,   b. 18 Dec 1661, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 27 Apr 1727, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 65 years)
     3. Jonathan Smith,   b. Abt 1663, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Abt 1737, Hatfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 74 years)
     4. Philip Smith,   b. Abt 1665, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 26 Jan 1724, East Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 59 years)
     5. Rebecca Smith,   b. Abt 1668, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 7 Oct 1750, Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 82 years)
     6. Nathaniel Smith,   b. 2 Jan 1670, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. Abt 1740, Hatfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 69 years)
     7. Rev. Joseph Smith,   b. Abt 1674, Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 8 Sep 1736, Middletown Upper House, Middlesex County, Connecticut Find all individuals with events at this location (Age ~ 62 years)
    Family ID F7364  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 2 Jan 2021 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - 30 Apr 1632 - Suffolk, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 1 Mar 1657 - Wethersfield, Hartford County, Connecticut Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 10 Jan 1684 - Hadley, Hampshire County, Massachusetts Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Sources 
    1. [S293] Albury, James (james_albury@hotmail.com) "Ancestors of James Henry Albury, Jr.."; http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=:603723 ; Ver. Sat Aug 25 14:41:40 2001.

    2. [S365] Smith ; http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~mcstayfamily/smith.htm.

    3. [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), Memorial ID 6651036 (Reliability: 3).

    4. [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), Memorial ID 6651026 (Reliability: 3).

    5. [S873] Find A Grave [database online]; http://www.findagrave.com/, (Thousands of contributors submit new listings, updates, corrections, photographs and virtual flowers every hour to the FIND A GRAVE website. When it comes to administrating, building and maintaining the site, Find A Grave is largely operated by its founder, Jim Tipton.), Memorial ID 39997282 (Reliability: 3).