Jacob and Abraham Smith

Jacob Smith

There is no known birth or baptism records to confirm that our Abraham is the son of Jacob; but both Paul Buralli, who I had the pleasure of workng with extensively back in the 60s, and Rev. Perry Smith, both noted historians, have stated unequivocally that Abraham is the son of Jacob Smith. Jacob’s will also identifies the relationship.

Jacob probably immigrated to this country about 1740. Immigrant records list two Jacob Smith arriving in Philadelphia. Jacob Smith on the ship ROBERT AND ALICE on 3 September 1839 and Jacob Smith on the MOLLY on 16 October 1741. (I. Daniel Rupp, 1876, Thirty Thousand Names of Immigrants in Pennsylvania)

The following information was received from Debbie Lewis in October 2004. It is included without comment. Debbie indicates that the information came from Perry Smith and was conveyed to her by an Aunt in a letter dated January 31, 1980.

“My sister Clara tells me she remembers Sydney Smith, one of the Patriarchs of Kunkletown, who used to visit my Pop and Mom, refer to Elsass, which is Alsace, France; and it was with reference to what apparently was the ancestral home of Smiths as well as Correll. Also I have a ‘rare’ European map on cloth, which my Aunt Lizzy, wife of Ulysses, Dads brother, gave me, out of appreciation of my budding interest in Family History. She said it used to belong to great grandfather Nelson, Julian’s brother. Elsass shows more fingerprint use than the rest of the map, - which is a clue of a kind; though it does not single out a single community; ALAS!! Another area for more research.”

The first specific record of Jacob Smith was a warrant issued for a survey on 25 March 1752. The survey was completed and included a tract of 193,9 acres and was located about 2 ˝ miles north east of the Indian village in then Towamensing Township (LRO Survey Book C Vol. 213 page 211). The fact that Abraham and Jacob acquired property close to one another, further supports the father son relationship. Jacob never returned the survey and this didn’t happen until July of 1822 when a subsequent owner, John Andrews completed the transaction.

A month later Jacob Smith obtained a second warrant for 25 acres with location “Forks of the Delaware”; but never followed through obtaining a survey. This could quite possibly have been located in Lower Smithfield Township where he later resided. Jacob had no other property documentation.

The first available tax list in 1761 was prior to the creation of Chestnut Hill Township and this area was in Towamensing Township. This first list does not include either Abraham or Jacob Smith. The next list, which was the last under Towamensing in 1763 included Abraham but not Jacob, but the subsequent tax list in Chestnut Hill Township for 1764, 1766, 1767 and 1768 all included both Jacob and Abraham Smith. In the 1765 and 1768 assessment lists, the word “Poor” was written in after the name of Jacob Smith. The word “poor” is not consistent with the inventory of Jacob’s estate in June of 1769. He had an extensive list of possessions including 17 farm animals. In the next tax list for the year 1769, Abraham is listed but not Jacob. Nor is Jacob listed in 1770 or thereafter. This would imply that Jacob Smith died during 1768 or before the taxes were collected in early 1769. This agrees with the date his will was confirmed at the Easton Court House on 25 April 1769. It is reasonable to conclude that Jacob Smith died in April of 1769.

There is no known burial marker for Jacob Smith. There had been an old burial ground south of Meniolagomeka, which could be the location for some of the early burials before St. Matthews was started in the 1770s.

One especially interesting group of items in Jacob’s estate inventory was the religious books. He had 1 Sermon Book, 3 small Prayer Books, 1 Psalm Book, and 2 small Bibles. This suggests that Jacob Smith may have been a minister but there is no other documentation of this assumption. Since he did not live near a church, and obviously had a good size farm, he may have been an itinerate minister.

This document may be quoted for local and family research but not for commercial use.
Credit must be given with name and date.
Bob Rowland
3 Cornell Drive
Camp Hill PA 17011
Goofybob@aol.com