Peter Smith of Jamaica, Long Island, and Some of His
Descendants
Contributed by Samuel Stelle Smith
Forest Drive, Short Hills Village
Springfield, NJ
January 1954
Hezekiah4 SMITH was born June 3, 1714, probably in Hempstead, LI and died October 6, 1801, "at 8 o'clock 15 minutes, evening." On December 25, 1735, "Hezekiah SMITH and Mary SMITH, adults" were baptized in St. George's Episcopal Church in Hempstead; this was also the approximate date of their marriage as their first child was born less than a year later. (Timothy b December 08, 1736) The identity of his wife Mary has not been determined.
He married 2nd wife Sarah_____, probably prior to May 4, 1752, when his brother Peter was transferring his earmarks and about nine months before the birth of their oldest son Peter. If this inference is correct Sarah may have been a Flushing girl. She was born September 25, 1719 and died July 2, 1804 at "1 o'clock 30m, pm. "Both Sarah and her husband are buried in the Cemetery of the 1st. Baptist Church of Piscataway in Stelton, NJ and their graves are marked by a double brownstone monument with the following inscription: "In memory of Hezekiah Smith who died October 06, 1801, in the 88th year of his age, who for upwards of 60 years has displayed the Christian, the father and the patriot. Weep not for me, I'm now at home, where you my friends must shortly come. In memory of Sarah, widow of Hezekiah SMITH, who died July 02, 1804, in the 85th year of her age, having adorned the Christian profession upwards of 60 years. I've bid adieu to toil and pain and gone to meet my friend again." (GMNJ:14:44 & 22:75).
The first record we find of Hezekiah is in a conveyance of Richard DIRFEY of Hempstead, dated August 05, 1734. It was witnessed by Peter and Hezekiah SMITH, probably Peter No. 6 and his son Hezekiah No. 15 the latter then twenty years of age (Hempstead Town Records v.3, p. 205).
After his marriage in 1735, little is known of his career until 1753 when he appears in Sussex County, NJ. At this that time he joined the 1st Baptist Church of Wantage and "Hezekiah SMITH and wife" were baptized in the Wallkill River.
This church has an interesting history. It was founded in 1752 and joined the Philadelphia Association in 1759 The first meeting house was built in 1770 on land known as the Thomas Lawrence property, three-quarters of a mile west of Hamburg, NJ, on the road to North Church. On October 07, 1771, John STEVENS deeded a church site near Augusta and a branch of the 1st Baptist Church of Wantage was built there about 1772. Today all that remains of the Augusta Church is a neglected cemetery lying on the road from Augusta to Newton by way of Halsey. The mother church at Hamburg moved to Martins, NJ in 1779 to land given by Humphrey MARTIN and later moved to Sussex, NJ (GMNJ:22:75; Deckertown Independent of April 14, 1871; Sussex Co. Deeds, Bk.D, p77)
On October 04, 1755, Hezekiah was listed as a Tax Assessor for Sussex County and on October 16, 1762, he and Constant HART made an inventory of the estate of Samuel ROGERS of Newton. Hezekiah's signature appears on many wills in early Sussex County but this one is of particular note because Constant was Pastor of the Wantage Baptist Church. Also, a witness to this will was Isaac HULL who, according to Orra E. MONNETTE was in some way related to Hezekiah's wife Sarah. Diligent search, however, fails to reveal a Sarah HULL that fits (NJA:33:362).
Hezekiah was on the Board of Freeholders in Newton 1769-73 and he paid a householder's tax in 1774 of L1:1:0 on 75 acres of land and 22 horses and cattle. He was a member of the Sussex County Grand Jury for the term beginning the 4th Tuesday in November 1776 (Sussex Co. Freeholders' minutes, v.1, p. 1753; NJA:33:362; Monnette's, First Settlers of Piscataway & Woodbridge, N.J. p. 1587).
On March 24, 1779, "Hezekiah SMITH of Newton, Sussex County, NJ" purchased 2331/2 acres of land in Piscataway, formerly the property of Fitz Randolph DRAKE, through Ebenezer FORD and William MANNING, commissioners of forfeited estates. One hundred acres of this tract was an original grant to George DRAKE on December 15, 1686 and conveyed by will to Andrew DRAKE and again by will to Fitz Randolph DRAKE, from whom it was confiscated and sold to Hezekiah SMITH (Deed. Bk. 73, p.225 et seq. at New Brunswick, NJ; Loyalists' Transcripts, v.40,p.484, in N.Y. Pub. Library). The property lies about 3 miles northeast of New Brunswick at the junction of Metler's Lane (formerly Raritan Landing Road) and Sutton Lane. Only the foundation of some of Hezekiah's out buildings remain today, but the old house is still in use and is situated on a branch of Ambrose Creek about one city block in from Metler's Lane on Zirkel Avenue (Lots 95 & 96 on Map 18, made January 06, 1917, by Mason & Smith of Perth Amboy, NJ in New Brunswick Hall of Recs.)
On the 2nd day of May 1780, Hezekiah was granted an earmark at Piscataway for his cattle, sheep and swine; it was two half pennies the under side of the right ear and one on the under side of the left. Also, during that same month, he paid taxes there of L101:10 on 230 acres of land, six horses, 14 cattle and three hogs. Although he was nearly sixty-five years of age when he moved to Piscataway, he took the same active part in church and community life as he had done while in Sussex County. In 1781, be became one of the Overseers of Roads and in the following year, one of the Commissioners of Appeal (Microfile of Piscataway Twp. Minute Bk. & Reg. Of Earmarks; Box 100, Tax Rolls 1005-07, Perth Amboy, N.J.; Ruben A. Guild, Chaplain Smith & His Times, 1885).
Hezekiah was also interested in the practice of medicine. In Peter's book, "The Indian Doctor's Dispensatory", published in Cincinnati in 1813, his son, Peter SMITH, wrote of him: "My father, old Hezekiah SMITH of Jersey, was always, since I could remember him, a homely old man or Indian Doctor, with whom in my raising, I contracted ideas, practices, and experience, that have never left me."
In 1782, Hezekiah prepared a will in his own hand, apparently unrecorded, which was found in 1949 by a descendant, Mrs. Margaret Steel POOL in a secret compartment of an old chest, believed to have been Hezekiah's which she had inherited. Along with the will was found a receipt (also in Hezekiah's hand writing), from Phebe OGDEN, dated November 09, 1770, with an acknowledgment of November 13th by Robert OGDEN for £36 in payment on Hezekiah's mortgage of 44 78/100 acres recorded in 1766 at Newton, Sussex County. This property was on the so called "old road" running somewhat parallel to the south bank of Paulins Kill, east of U.S. Highway 206. In a later will, dated June 22, 1799 and proved November 07, 1801, Hezekiah mentioned his wife Sarah; Jonathan and Peter (son of Timothy) SMITH and Hezekiah PRICE; and his granddaughter, Jane KILPATRICK. The executors were his son Hezekiah and friends, George DRAKE and Reune RUNYON and it was witnessed by Samuel STELLE, David STILLWILL and William DRAKE (NJA:39:410-11)
A record of his children appears in Hezekiah's Family Bible owned by a descendant, William W. KEIFER of Springfield, OH.
Children: 5 (the 1st 2 prob. by his 1st wife):
TIMOTHY b December 08, 1736
ESTHER b January 16, 1746; died May 09, 1799. She married John PRICE who
died prior to January 07, 1782, the date of her father Hezekiah's
unrecorded will, referred to above. One provision of that document reads:
"To my daughter Esther Price 1/6 part of my land & mortgages and
investments and salt meadows while she continues to be the widow of John
Price." She had one son mentioned in Hezekiah's later will:
HEZEKIAH PRICE b___; he is prob. the
Hezekiah Price who was a party to a mortgage with Benjamin Brown:
"Land being near Middlebrook in Bridgewater Township on road leading
from Middlebrook to the mountain called Mountain Road...63 1/2 acres with
allowance for road." Dated March 31, 1794 and signed
by Hezekiah and Anne Price, the latter of whom may have been his wife
(Mort. Bk. D, p.31, Somerset Co. NJ)
PETER5 b February 06, 1753 (Rev. Peter Smith)
HEZEKIAH5 b April 21, 1755
SAMUEL b December 08, 1759; died November 27, 1763
Excerpt from The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, Middlesex County
Gravestones
"In 1870 the incorporation of part of Piscataway and Woodbridge Townships to form Raritan Township, placed the church in the latter municipality. The name Stelton, applied to the neighborhood in which the church is located, derives from the Stelle family, prominent in that vicinity since the early days of the church".
page created by jo hubbard 1999