1642 A James Smith rented land and livestock from Burger Jorisz on the Mespat Kill, later Newtown Creek, near its mouth at the East River. [1] [2] A James Smith also bought land with William Brown in 1642 from Harmen Meyndertsen van den Bogaert on the island of Manhattan. [3] These transactions suggest James Smith was born about 1620-25.
"This location [Mespat Kill], later known as Dutch Kills and now Long Island City, was not far from [James'] eventual residence at Middelburg, later Newtown, and now Elmhurst. He was a resident of Hempstead for an unknown period beginning sometime after the initial settlement of the town in 1644 and probably before 1649. His two known sons were apparently born about 1650-1655. He joined with other Hempstead residents in the settlement of the area that became Newtown in 1652-1655, and his name appears on a list of Newtown men who contributed to a purchase of Indian land rights dated 12 April 1656." [4]
1661 James died and his widow Martha married Richard Owen before 7 March 1661/62 (new style), when Owen "husband to Martha Smeth" received £40 from the estate of James Smith through "John Smeth inhabitant of Hempsted brother and overseer of the deseased," to be kept for the benefit of Smith's children (not named or numbered) until they came of age. Owen acknowledged himself bound by "three score pound starling," and signed his obligation with his X mark." [5]
[1] Frederick C. Hart, Jr., "James Smith of Newtown, Long Island, His Descendants in Huntington,and his Brother John Smith of Hempstead," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 134 (2003), 163-174, 289-299, at 164.
[2] Arnold J. F. Van Laer and Charles T. Gehring, Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1642-1647 (New Netherland Research Center and the New Netherland Institute, 2011), 44, item [21], [NewNetherlandInstitute].
[3] Arnold J. F. Van Laer and Charles T. Gehring, Register of the Provincial Secretary, 1642-1647 (New Netherland Research Center and the New Netherland Institute, 2011), 40, item [19b], [NewNetherlandInstitute].
[4] Frederick C. Hart, Jr., "James Smith of Newtown, Long Island, His Descendants in Huntington,and his Brother John Smith of Hempstead," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 134 (2003), 163-174, 289-299, at 164.
[5] Frederick C. Hart, Jr., "James Smith of Newtown, Long Island, His Descendants in Huntington,and his Brother John Smith of Hempstead," New York Genealogical and Biographical Record 134 (2003), 163-174, 289-299, at 164, citing Historical Records Survey, Transcriptions of Early Town Records of New York, Town Minutes of Newtown 1656-1688 Volume 1 (New York, June 1940), 43.