Somerset County MDGenWeb Letter from Rev. Henry Smith

This is a copy of original letter written by Rev. Henry Smith of Alfred, Maine, between 1820 and 1823, apparently addressed to relatives in Maryland. This letter was found at the library in Princess Anne by Ed Smith, who generously provided it for use here.

My father's name was Archibald Smith, born in the state of Maryland in the County of Somerset and Parish of Coventry in October 7th, 1717. He died May 30th, 1790, in his seventy-third year of his age. His father's name was Henry Smith and his mother's maiden name was Sarah Taylor. My father had three brothers, namely William Smith, Thomas Smith and Henry Smith.

His brother William lived with his father on his farm. And the said William Smith had two sons, one of them named Archd. Smith and the other named Elijah Smith, and two daughters, one named Metilda and the other Sarah Smith. Archd. come to the State of New Hampshire and lived with his uncle Archd. and followed the sees and married to Dorothy Leavitt. And the said Archd. died in the City of London. And his wife had one child, a daughter whose name was Sally Smith, born November the first in the year 1763. And her grandfather William Smith of Maryland sent his son Elijah Smith to the state of New Hampshire to the town of Somersworth where she was born to carry her to the state of Maryland to her grandfather William Smith at the age of about six years. Was carried by one Captain Trefotherin, sailed from Piscataqua, and her uncle Elijah. And one of William's daughters married a gentleman by the name of Peacham. I understood that his son Elijah had left his father and he knew not where he had gone.

My father Archd. Smith had a letter about the beginning of our Revolutionary War and my uncle wrote that his granddaughter Sally was well and that he was agoing down to Northampton County (Virginia) to prepare a plantation for her, the same that he intended for his son Archd. had he not died.

My uncle Thomas Smith came to the state of New Hampshire and followed the sea; was the Captain of a vessel and coming from the land of Barbados was drowned at sea. He had a wife but no children. Uncle Henry Smith settled in Maryland and had, as I was informed, a large number of children. He was said to be a man of a small stature. And as we have not heard from any of them or of their family, I send if possible to have an answer from them.

My mother died in her forty-fifth year of her age. My parents never had but three children and they are all living, one daughter by the name of Sarah aged a little over seventy-four, and my name is Henry aged almost seventy-two years, and my youngest brother named Arch. Smith is in his sixty-second year. My sister Sarah married to one David Stevens and has had a large family but has lost five and has three sons and three daughters living. And my wife has had ten children and five of them are dead and five are living, all married and gone from me but one. My youngest son named Archd. lives with me, aged thirty-seven years. He had two wives and has two children living. My youngest daughter is married and has two children. She is about twenty-eight years (Polly). And my sister and brother are in the Judgment of Charity Pious Persons and greatly esteemed by all that they are acquainted with.

I hope that I have experienced the Grace of God in my own Soul as much as forty-four years ago, and have been trying to preach the Gospel of the Son of God to dying man for the space of thirty-seven years. I joined the Calvinist Baptista. And I hope if any of the relations above mentioned are in the land of the living I wish them to send me a letter and, expressly, if my cousin Sally is living I hope that she will send me the state of my relations. And direct your letter to the Post Office in Alfred in the County of York in the State of Maine.

(By notation on the back of this document, items for collection of county fees, the date was between 1820 and 1823.)

Henry Smith

Note: Revd. Henry Smith retained written copies of his letters. His hand written copy of the above letter was handed down by his descendants from generation to generation and is now in the possession of Mildred Agnes (Smith) Richardson, daughter of Percy Smith. Percy Smith and his family lived on the Archibald Smith homestead in Alfred, Maine, in the home built by Revd. Henry Smith circa 1773.

The above was typed from Revd. Henry Smith's hand written copy by Harry Hague Smith, descendant of Revd. Henry Smith, in November, 1983.

Thursday, 24-Aug-2023 19:12:18 EDT