Peter
Smith of Jamaica, Long Island
In
his article, Peter Smith of Jamaica, Long Island, and Some of His
Descendants, published in the NY Gen. & Bio. Record, Vol. 85, 1954,
Samuel Stelle Smith mentioned most of the available records regarding the first
known Smith of this line on Long Island. The
records are few.
The
origins of Peter (1) Smith are unknown. He
was first noted in the 11 Oct 1671 will of John Hadden, Jamaica, where he was to
receive a horse. The will was
proved 27 Oct 1671, and there is no indication there was a family relationship.
An
order was issued to Peter Smith as under-sheriff to arrest Daniel Lane of
Brookhaven, Long Island, 21
Jun 1672.
In
1680, Peter Smyth with William Creed and Thomas Williams, were
witnesses to the 5 August will of William Ruscoe of Jamaica.
Two
letters were written by Peter Smith of Jamaica, to Secretary Nicholls. One included a copy of his commission and the other, 21 Sep
1680, was in regard to a supply of rum and sugar.
On
14 Jun 1681, he and Caleb Carman and William Creed, all of Jamaica, were given a
tract of land by a group of Indians.
He
served as Clerk of the Kings County (NY) Court in 1682-83.
In 1683, he and William Creed were executors of the will of Samuel Barker
of Jamaica. On 6 Feb 1683/84,
either he or his son Peter (2) Smith was witness to a Jamaica deed between
Samuel Dean and Jonas Wood.
Little
is known about Elizabeth, wife of Peter Smith.
Whether she was his only wife and/or the mother of all his children
cannot be determined.
Her
name appears once in the Jamaica Town Records when she testified as the wife of
Peter Smith, 5 Sep 1682.
The
children of Peter (1) Smith as given by Samuel Stelle Smith were Peter, Thomas,
Charles, Mary, and perhaps other daughters, however there is some question as to
whether Mary was a daughter.
Peter
died before 4 Jan 1690. On this
date, his widow Elizabeth married in the Flatbush Reformed Protestant Dutch
Church, NY, as his third wife, Jan Aerse/Aertsen, “of the Ferry”, Brooklyn. Although Elizabeth’s origins are also unknown, it is likely
the Dutch influence on the Smith family came about after this marriage.
The
first wife of Jan Aertsen is unknown. They
had at least one son, Jan Aertsen, Jr. His
second wife was Adriaentje Bleijck, widow of Johannes Nevius.
By her, Jan Aertsen, Sr. had four known children.
As
his wife, Elizabeth was mentioned with Jan in several 1694/95 Brooklyn land
records. She was named in his 1707
Brooklyn will as receiving a life-time interest in his house and other benefits,
all of which reverted
to his three sons with Adriaentje after Elizabeth’s
death. These three sons were also
bequeathed his 700 acres in Somerset Co., NJ.
A
list of freeholders and inhabitants taken 16 May 1713, ‘Brookland’, Kings
County, Nassau Island, did not include widow Elizabeth Aertsen.
Her step-sons Aert and Capt. David Aertse were enumerated.
If Elizabeth were living at the time, according to the terms of her
husband’s will, it is likely she would have been recorded.
The date of her death is unknown but believed to have been 1710-1713.
Sources: NYGB ‘Record’, Vol. 85, 1954 & Vol. 117, Oct 1986; NY Hist. Soc. Abstracts of Wills, Vol. 1, 1665-1707 (1892); Records of the Town of Jamaica, Long Island, New York, 1656-1751, ed. Josephine Frost (Long Island Hist. Soc.); Long Island Source Records, selected by Henry B. Hoff, (Genealogical Publishing Co.,1987); Records of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Flatbush, Kings County, New York, Vol. 1, 1677-1720, David William Voorhees, (The Holland Society, 1998); Joannes Nevius and His Descendants, A Van Doren Honeyman, 1900.
21 Jan 2000
transcribed by Judy Tooman