Suffield [Conn.], July 11. 1848Mr. [Harvey D.] Smith, Sir,
Yours of May 9. arrived while I was on a journey in Vermont. I was called home on account of the sickness & death of a beloved child, my eldest daughter, aged 17, who died suddenly before we, her parents, arrived, while at the Mt. Holyoke Fem. Seminary, South Hadley Mass. This severe affliction, with other cases & labors, & the absence of the Town Clerk, who has just returned from the session of our State Gen. Assembly of which he was a member, have caused a long delay in answering your letter. I have not obtained all the information which can probably be elicited, but have carefully searched the Town Records. I have not seen Mrs. Warner, the former wife of Enoch Smith. I am told she is yet intelligent & active & quite communicative, but have never seen her. She is over the mountain 6 or 7 miles from my travels. I will endeavor to see her soon & if I can get any information which I think will aid your researches will immediately communicate it to you.
I have made enquiries of several aged people, who generally say there were formerly so many Smiths that they get confused in tracing out the different families.
The earliest record of births in our town books commences in 1679. I can find no record of the decease of your grandfather or grandmother. I think I discover the record of your Gr. Father's birth in what I suppose is your Gr. Gr. Family. viz.
"Ebenezer Smith." Ebenezer Smith the son of Eben'r Smith which
Sarah his wife bore to him, born April 2d, 1699
Nathaniel [his wife bore to him, born] March 3d. 1701-2
Johanna his daughter born June 8, 1703
Jonathan born Aug. 1. 1705
Dorcas born Nov. 19. 1707
Mary, Mar. 26. 1710 & Died Aug. 26. 1711
Mary, the 2d of that name July 24, 1713 & Died Ap. 10 1716
Ebenezer Smith himself died Sept. 15. 1728.I find no other record of Mercy Smith except her marriage, altho I examined all the records of a multitude of Smith families from the commencement of records to the time of her marriage.
"Dea. Samuel Smith died Sept. 1, 1723." This I suppose is the Sam'l Smith Sen'r who was rec'd to this chh in 1718, from Northhampton, but there is no other record of him or his family. Nor was he deacon of this Church. "Gideon, son of Sam'l Smith Jun'r late of Northampton was born Oct. 23, 1717 & died Nov. 3d 1717." He was baptized Oct. 27. 1717. Chh. Record. This Sam'l Smith Jr. could not have been the son of Sam'l, son of Ichabod for that Sam'l son of Ichabod was born May 16. 1700 & was married Nov. 8 [...] I copy the following record of Ichabod's family, no [other] record of Ichabod, who I suppose was the son of Rev. H[...] This I infer from a remark in your letter.
"Samuel, son of Ichabod Smith born May 16, 1700
Ichabod[, son of Ichabod Smith born] Jan. 1. 1707-8
James[, son of Ichabod Smith born] Mar. 15. 1710-11
Joseph[, son of Ichabod Smith born] Jan. 1. 1716["]
Samuel, son of Ichabod Smith married Jerutha Mather Nov. 8. 1725. Their children were Elizabeth, Dan, Cotton Mather, Simeon & Paul. None by the name of Sam'l Jr. Samuel Smith died Aug. 25. 1767 aged 67.
The first record of Smiths which I found was the marriage of Thomas Smith & Joanna Barber March 18. 1684-5[.] Their children were, John, Thomas, Mary, Sarah, Joanna, Eleazer & Experience, Twins, Obedience, Ruth, Hannah & Ruth. I [...] no copy of my last letter & some of this may [be] a repetition, but I think not.
I have again examined the old Chh. Records with reference to your last letter but do not discover any thing important. Two or three parts may help you some.
"Daniel, son of Samuel Smith 3d. was bapt. Oct. 27. 1728."
"Martin, son of Nathan'l Smith bap'd Dec. 22. 1728.
"Simeon Smith son of Sam'l 2d. August 12, 1733.
"Elizab, daughter of Ichabod Jun'r. Feb. 2d. 1734-5.
"Mercy, [daughter of] James, [Feb. 2d. 1734-5.]
"Ruth Smith, [daughter of] Ichabod Jr. Nov. 28. 1736.
Sarah Smith [daughter of] Nath'l Aug. 21. 1737.
Ichabod, son of Ichabod Jr. March 26. 1737-8.
I hope the above may be of some use to you. Any further enquiries I will answer as far as I am able.
Yours respectfully
A. [Asahel] C. Washburn.Accept my thanks for your liberal present. I have not time to copy this. Yours A.C.W.
[The genealogical data in this letter can be found, with some differences, in the book Genealogical and Family History of the State of Connecticut: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of a Commonwealth and the Founding of a Nation, Volume 2 by William Richard Cutter, Edward Henry Clement, Samuel Hart, Mary Kingsbury Talcott, Frederick Bostwick, and Ezra S. Stearns.]