1761 Nathan Smith of Stamford and Elizabeth Betts of Greenwich were married on July 6 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. [1]
1762 Elizabeth Smith, daughter of Nathan Smith of Stamford, was baptized on August 1 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. [2]
1765 Ralph Smith, son of Nathan and Elizabeth Smith of Stamford, was baptized on June 2 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. [3]
1767 Rufus Smith, son of Nathan and Elizabeth Smith of Stamford, was baptized on January 4 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. [4]
1769 Fanny Smith, daughter of Dr. Nathan and Elizabeth Smith of Old Town at Vineyard, was baptized on May 7 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. [5]
1771 Polly Smith, daughter of Dr. Nathan and Elizabeth Smith of Old Town at Vineyard, was baptized on September 8 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. [6]
1775 Thomas and Henry Smith, children of Dr. Nathan and Elizabeth Smith of Stamford, wer baptized on December 26 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Stamford, Connecticut. [7]
c 1776-1783 Nathan Smith was the surgeon of a Loyalist troop, De Lancy's 1st Battalion, in Oyster Bay, Long Island, during the American Revolution.
1783 "Nathan Smith, M.D., a surgeon of one of the Loyalist regiments, the famous De Lancy's brigade, ... settled in St. John in 1783, received half-pay, and practiced his profession in that city till his decease." [8]
In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Smith started a drug store in St. John. [9]
1791 Nathan Smith was a vestryman of Trinity Episcopal Church. [10] [11]
1796 Nathan Smith was chosen one of the city members of the House of Assembly. [12] [13]
1818 The Saint John City Gazette reported, "d. This morn., 23rd, age 81, Nathan Smith, Esq., half pay, Surgeon, H.M. Regt. Employed in American Revolutionary War. Came with other Loyalists, ever since resided in this city" [14]
1819 "Smith, Nathan. City of St. John, St. John County, Surgeon. Will dated 25 May 1817, proved 13 January 1819. Wife Lucy Smith one-third of personal estate and use of all real estate for life for the benefit of her and children begotton by her of me. To my children Elizabeth Demill, wife of Abraham Demill, Rufus Smith, the heirs of Fanny Howard, Polly Sayer and Henry Smith, also William Howe Smith, each 10 shillings, each 10 shillings when called for. After wife's decease, all real estate to son Thomas Smith and daughter Fanny Smith, and the other two-thirds of personal estate to son Thomas Smith. Wife Lucy Smith and James Partelow executors. Witnesses: John Chaloner, Jehiel Partelow, Ewen Cameron." [15]
A biographical sketch states, [16]
When the war commenced Dr. Smith was a physician at Rhode Island, and through it Surgeon in the First Battalion DeLancey's Brigade, and at its close settled at St. John. The disbanded officers of the first and second battalions of DeLancey's Brigade were assigned lands for settlement upon the St. John river, in what is now the Parish of Woodstock. Surgeon Smith received a grant of 550 acres just below the site of the old Indian village of Meductic, and another grant of 350 acres just above. There is nothing to show that Dr. Smith ever did anything to improve his estate, and it is probable he disposed of it for a very small consideration to those who became actual settlers. Today it would be a valuable property indeed. In addition to his medical practice in St. John, he had an apothecary shop in Lower Cove, as appears from his advertisement below :
JUST IMPORTED.
In the Brigantine Polly, Capt. Boyd, from London, a
General Assortment of Medicines,
To be sold by the subscriber in St. James' Street at the most
reasonable rate.ALSO PATENT MEDICINES.
Godfrey's Cordials - Friar's Balsam
Bateman's Drops - Essence of Pepperment
Balsam Honey - Daffey's Elixer
Jesuit Drops - James Powder
Turbington Balsam - British Oil
Pungent Smelling Bottles - Essence of Burgamont
Count Plaster - Essence of Lemon
St. John, 9th July, 1795.
Nathan SmithOpposite his store and residence was a pond, where in summer the boys caught frogs, and in winter skated. It was called "Dr. Smith's Pond." At the election for the House of Assembly, in 1790, Dr. Smith was elected one of the City members. During the session of 1798, being at the time a widower, he wrote the following, possibly the only letter of its kind of the last century to be found in New Brunswick. It certainly is not of the kind members are supposed to write to their constituents while in attendance on their "Parliamentary duties." -FREDERICTON, 10th February, 1798.
Dear Madam-
This will acquaint you of my safe arrival at St. John, on the 7th January last in perfect health, and I had the happiness to find my family and friends in good health, I hope you and your little daughter are in the like good health. I hope you have been happy since I left you, and so continue until I have the happiness of once more seeing you, and that I shall not have occasion of leaving you so long again, for I was not sensible of the attachment that I had for your person before I left you, for my anxiety and regard for you increases every hour since I left you, and never was I more sensible of a desire of seeing any person since my remembrance than of seeing you, and that for several reasons which you must well know. But I hope by the blessing of God, I shall see you in the spring, as I mentioned to you, when I left you; so must remain your sincere friend and very humble servant.
Nathan Smith.
Mrs. Lucy Martin,
Cushing, District of Maine.Dr. Smith at this time was 61 years of age, and the Widow Martin 29 years younger.
" Within his heart unceasing tumults rolled,
And various thoughts perplexed his anxious soul,
Nor aught could soothe, nor aught his pains remove,
Save the soft bands of Hymen and of Love."The marriage took place, and the year following a son was born, Thomas M. Smith, for many years Chief of the Fire Department, and father of George F. Smith. Dr. Smith resided at his old home in St. James Street, Lower Cove, until his death in December, 1818, in his 82nd year. Eight years later his widow, then in her 57th year, entered wedlock the third time ; the happy groom was Walter Bates, Sheriff of Kings County, then in his 67th year.
On the death of the Sheriff in 1842, his widow returned to the old home at St. J ohn, it having been left to her by her second husband, Dr. Smith, enjoying at the same time a pension as his widow. Her death took place in December, 1864, at the age of 95 years.
In 1883 George F. Smith, Esq., placed in the "Old Grave Yard" a fountain in memoriam of his grandfather, Dr. Nathan Smith, and also planted a tree on Queen Square on Arbor Day to his memory.
The old homestead, a modest one-story wooden building, was one of the city landmarks up to the great ?re of 1877. From it the old door, with its antique knocker, both brought from New York in 1783, was saved by a grandson, William O. Stewart, and at the exhibition of 1883 was seen in the department of old relics in charge of the Historical Society.
Research Notes:
Louer provides a summary, with sources, of this family. [17]
A biosketch of Dr. Nathan Smith reports:
Quite a number of officers and men of De Lancey's first and second battalions drew lots in Parrtown, and amongst them were Major Joseph Green, Captain Jacob Smith, Captain Thomas French, Surgeon Nathan Smith, Quarter Master George Everett, Lieut. Benjamin Lester, Ensigns Nicholas E. Old, Ralph Smith, Geo. Brewerton and Henry Ferguson; Sergeants David Newman, Daniel McSherfry, Patrick McNamara, Thomas Fowler and Edward Neil; Corporals Richard Rogers, Thomas Stanley, Jonas Highby; Privates James Craig, Daniel Cummings, Lawrence McDonald. Most of their lots were side by side extending along the south side of Britain street from Wentworth street eastward to Canterbury bay and also including adjoining lots on Broad street where the "Old Ladies Home" now stands. [18]
Surgeon Nathan Smith, who was a grantee of Woodstock, settled at St. John where he was for years a prominent physician and at one time a member of the house of Assembly. He died in 1818 aged 82 years leaving one son Thos. M. Smith, father of the late George F. Smith. Dr. Smith's widow, who was a Mrs. Martin when he married her, some years after became the second wife of Sheriff Bates and at his death in 1842 was for the third time left a widow. She survived her last husband twenty-two years and died in December 1864 at the age of 95 years. Up to the day of her death she continued to receive a pension as a widow of Surgeon Smith of De Lancey's brigade. During the war Dr. Smith saw plenty of active service in the South and doubtless frequently was called upon to perform the duties of his profession. The intense mid-summer heat of Carolina proved more fatal than the field of battle; even so stout and vigorous an old campaigner as Capt. Jacob Smith is returned in one of the muster rolls as "sick in quarters," where doubtless he gladly received attention at the hands of the Surgeon of his corps. Dr. Smith is returned in one of the muster rolls as "prisoner with the rebels;" however he soon obtained his release and turning his back upon his rebellious countrymen sought a home in New Brunswick. But as we have already noted the doctor was not yet free from Yankee toils, he was again captured by the young widow Lucy Martin of Cushing Maine. One of the doctor's love letters is still in existence and is very entertaining reading. Surgeon Smith drew lot No. 4 in the Woodstock grant (just below the farm of A. R. Hay) and it was in his possession as late as the year 1803, and probably some years afterwards. [19]
1795-1802 A Biosketch of James Sayre notes that James' wife Polly Smith "was a daughter of Dr Nathan Smith, a physician who would serve as mha [member of the house of Assembly?] for Saint John City from 1795 to 1802." [20]
[1] Frederic William Bailey, Early Connecticut Marriages as Found on Ancient Church Records Prior to 1800, Book 7 (New Haven: Bureau of American Ancestry, 1906), 16, [InternetArchive], [InternetArchive].
[2] Spencer Percival Mead, Abstract of Church Records of the Town of Stamford, County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut: from the Earliest Records Extant to 1850, FHL film 1013277 Item 1, DGS 7831827, St. John's Episcopal Church, p. 206, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[3] Spencer Percival Mead, Abstract of Church Records of the Town of Stamford, County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut: from the Earliest Records Extant to 1850, FHL film 1013277 Item 1, DGS 7831827, St. John's Episcopal Church, p. 213, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[4] Spencer Percival Mead, Abstract of Church Records of the Town of Stamford, County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut: from the Earliest Records Extant to 1850, FHL film 1013277 Item 1, DGS 7831827, St. John's Episcopal Church, p. 219, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[5] Spencer Percival Mead, Abstract of Church Records of the Town of Stamford, County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut: from the Earliest Records Extant to 1850, FHL film 1013277 Item 1, DGS 7831827, St. John's Episcopal Church, p. 225, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[6] Spencer Percival Mead, Abstract of Church Records of the Town of Stamford, County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut: from the Earliest Records Extant to 1850, FHL film 1013277 Item 1, DGS 7831827, St. John's Episcopal Church, p. 229, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[7] Spencer Percival Mead, Abstract of Church Records of the Town of Stamford, County of Fairfield and State of Connecticut: from the Earliest Records Extant to 1850, FHL film 1013277 Item 1, DGS 7831827, St. John's Episcopal Church, p. 237, [FamilySearchImage], [FHLCatalog].
[8] Isaac Allen Jack, ed., Biographical Review, Leading Citizens of the Province of New Brunswick (Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1900), 108, [HathiTrust], [InternetArchive].
[9] Edith Billing Miles Todd, "Ancestors of Edith Marian Billing Miles," Manuscript, FHL Fiche 6004403, [FHLCatalog].
[10] Family Document, Evelyn Miles Krase Notes.
[11] Edith Billing Miles Todd, "Ancestors of Edith Marian Billing Miles," Manuscript, FHL Fiche 6004403, [FHLCatalog].
[12] Family Document, Evelyn Miles Krase Notes.
[13] Edith Billing Miles Todd, "Ancestors of Edith Marian Billing Miles," Manuscript, FHL Fiche 6004403, [FHLCatalog].
[14] Daniel F. Johnson, New Brunswick Vital Statistics from Newspapers, Volume 2, Number 458, December 23, 1818, City Gazette, Saint John, [NewBrunswickArchives].
[15] R. Wallace Hale, Early New Brunswick Probate Records, 1785-1835 (Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2007), 418, [GoogleBooks].
[16] W. 0. Raymond, "Old Townships on the River St. Joseph W. Lawrence, "The Medical Men of St. John, in its first half Century," Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society Vol. 1, nos. 1-3 (1894-1897), 273-305 at 285-287, [HathiTrust].
[17] Robert Louer, "The Smith Families of Stamford, CT: Part 5," Connecticut Ancestry 46 (2003), 9-29 at 27-29.
[18] William Odber Raymond, R. Wallace Hale, ed., Rev. W.O. Raymond's scrapbook of columns from the Woodstock Dispatch: A Revision of an Original Volume in the Raymond Collection of the L.P. Fisher Library, Woodstock (New Brunswick: Poverty Press, 1983), [NewBrunswickArchives], [GoogleBooks].
[19] William Odber Raymond, R. Wallace Hale, ed., Rev. W.O. Raymond's scrapbook of columns from the Woodstock Dispatch: A Revision of an Original Volume in the Raymond Collection of the L.P. Fisher Library, Woodstock (New Brunswick: Poverty Press, 1983), [NewBrunswickArchives], [GoogleBooks].
[20] Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (University of Toronto/Université Laval, 1987), Biosketch of James Sayre, [CanadianBiographyOnline].