SMITHWICK  

SMITHWICK

Hugh Smithwick (c. 1625-by 1674) was born in England and arrived in Virginia in 1642, one of 15 men brought from England by William Eyres. He married Elizabeth Windley (before 1627-1694/1702), daughter of Robert Windley (?-1688), in Virginia sometime before 1647, when their son Edward was born. In the 1660s, Hugh and his family moved from Nansemond County in Virginia almost due south into northeastern North Carolina, then to Albemarle County. The location of the Smithwick land was choice - bounded on the south by Albemarle Sound, on the west by Edenton Bay, and on the north by Mattacomack Creek, which is today called Queen Ann's Creek.

Besides his son Edward, three other children of Hugh Smithwick were born before the 1669 move to North Carolina - Hugh, Ralph, and Eliza - but there is no further record of these children. Another son, John, was born after 1669 in North Carolina. He married Hannah Kent (daughter of Thomas and Ann Kent) and died in 1696. His will mentions his wife and two daughters: Sarah and Ann.

Edward Smithwick (1649-1715\6) was married before 1680 to Elizabeth-Lydia Shearing.  After her death, he married Africa Jones , the widow of David Jones, who died  in 1703.  His third wife was Sarah Philpot Woolard Gillam. His children were Edward, who married Grace Hobson; John, who married (second) Sarah Speller; Elizabeth, who married Martin Griffin; Sarah, who was unmarried when her father wrote his will, later married John Stansell;  Asia, who married Daniel Smith and had a daughter named Africa;  and two sons named Edmond, who married Hannah ______   and Samuel who married Mary Warren.

Edward increased his holdings in North Carolina lands by inheritance, grant, purchase, and by transporting individuals to America, for each of whom he received fifty acres of land. He finally owned over 4000 acres. He was present at the 1701 organization of St. Paul's Parish, Chowan District, served on its vestry for many years, and gave the land for its first church building - the first church building in North Carolina. At the meeting of 3 January, 1714\5, which he attended, he requested to be dismissed by reason of his age and infirmities. Edward sold his plantation on Albemarle Sound and was living in Bertie County on the Roanoke River when, on 21 January 1715, he signed his will. It was proved in the October court.

John Smithwick (c. 1670 - c.1762) was born in Bertie County, North Carolina.  In 1711-12, while his father Edward was a member of the North Carolina House of Burgesses, John was a member of the Militia. In 1713, John petitioned for and received 450 acres of land that had been patented to his father but not developed. John and his first wife had Mary, William, Edward and Elizabeth. With Sarah he was the father of Luke, Joel, Martha, Sarah and Cloannah. The certified copy of John Smithwick's will is dated June 13, 1761, and the inventory was returned on July 12, 1762, by his son and executor William Smithwick, but it was not officially probated until 1797. It was then proven by the oath of John's daughter Cloannah, who had been one of the witnesses of the will.

His daughter, Mary Smithwick, married William Duggan and they received 125 acres from John in 1741, possibly at the time of their marriage. In 1754 Mary was left a widow with six children:  William, Pheraby, Clonnah (Chloe), Elizabeth, Sarah, and Martha.

 It was previously thought that their daughter Chloe was the wife of James Roberson. However, this has not proven to be true: the wife of James Roberson was Milicent Chloe Duggan, the daughter of William's brother John Duggan, born about 1718 in Tyrell County, North Carolina and his wife, Mary Lanier. This Smithwick family history is included in this collection for the information of Smithwick descendents.

This profile has been edited after receiving (in August of 2001) the research of Margaret Hensley of Garland, Texas.