John Smith, Esq., of Shooters Hill

Biography

John Smith, son of Augustine Smith and his wife Sarah Carver, was probably born at the Smith family plantation, "Purton" in Gloucester County, Virginia, on 13 November 1715; Augustine built his "Shooter's Hill" plantation in Middlesex County in about 1724. John lived at Fleets Bay plantation on Indian Creek, Northumberland County for many years, and finally settled at 'Cabin Point' in Cople Parish, Westmoreland County. John Smith, Sen,, of Shooter's Hill, died November 19th, 1771, at 3 in the morning, aged 56 years, at Harewood, the home of Samuel Washington, near Winchester, to which he was on a visit.

" 'Shooter's Hill,' the home of the Smiths in Middlesex county, was situated on the Rappahannock River, not far from the town of Urbanna. The house was a large three-story brick, covered on the top with lead, and had a fish-pond in it, where a mess of fish might be caught at any time. John Smith, the proprietor, lived in style, with his coach-and-six, and three postillions in livery. The place descended to Dr. Augustine Jacqueline Smith, son of Augustine Smith, eldest son of John Smith and Mary Jacquelin, and was burned while the owner was in Europe." - Mrs. Mary Smith Mutter, granddaughter of Rev. Thomas and Mary Smith. (W&MQ, Vol. 25, #3, Jan. 1917. Page 191 < Jstor.org >)

A wealthy planter, he was burgess for Middlesex in the assemblies of 1761-1765, October, 1765, 1766-1768. He was nicknamed "old John Smith the Innoculator" in correspondence between Phillip Ludwell Lee and his brother William, after he opened a smallpox inoculation hospital in 1767 at Fleets Bay.

John Smith married twice:

1. Mary Jaquelin (1714-1764), daughter of Edward Jaquelin, of Jamestown - married 17 November 1737 at James Town.
2. Mary Smith (bef. 1720 - bef 24 Jan 1803) - married Abt 31 May 1769 at Cople Parish, Westmoreland County. Mary was his first cousin, the daughter of Phillip Smith of Fleetwood Bay (brother of Augustine Smith) and his wife Mary Matthews. She was the widow of first, Jesse Ball and second, Col. John Lee (1724-1767). She had no known children.

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The following register of John Smith, son of Augustine Smith and Sarah Carver, was copied by Edward Jaquelin Davison from the original Bible register. Spouses added.

John Smith and Mary Jaquelin were married the 17th day of November, 1737, by the Rev.Wm Dawson at James Town. Issue:

1. 17. I. Augustine Smith was born the 3 of Jany at 5 o'clock in the evening at Yorktown 1739 Christened on the 15th of Jany by the Revrd Mr. Fountain (Fontaine.). Married Mildred Booker.
2. 18. II. Martha Jaquelin Smith was born 12th Novr 1740, it being on a Wensday about 11 o'clock in the forenoon, her Aunt her Godmother M. S. (?) (This was the aunt for whom she was named, Miss Martha Jaquelin.). Married Thomas Reade Rootes.
3. 19. III. Sarah Smith was born the 11th of Nov1" 1742 about 9 o'Clock at night, her Aunt Cook E. Smith with Mr. Phillip Grymes Godfather and Mothers. (never married)
4. 20. IV. Mary Smith was born the 17th Sept1" 1744 at 6 o'Clock in the morning. Richard Ambler Esqr Majr Berkeley Godfathers, Mrs. Berkeley and Milld Willis G. M. (Godmothers.) Mary Smith, married Rev. Thomas Smith (d. 1789) of Cople Parish (son of Gregory Smith and Lucy Cooke)
5. 21. V. Jaquelin Smith was born the 2nd of July 1746 about 4 o'Clock in the morning and died the 24th Feb. 1747.
6. 22. VI. Elizabeth Smith was born the 29th Decr 1747 ab* 3 in the morning and died the 10th September 1748. (died young)
7. 23. VII. John Smith was born the 7th of May 1750 about five in the morning. (This is General John Smith, of "Hackwood."). Married Animus 'Anna' Bull.
8. 24. VIII. Edward Smith was born the 11th of June 1752 about i in the morning. Married Elizabeth Bush, daughter of Philip Bush of Winchester.
9. (not in the register) Mathew Smith, died at the battle of Germantown. (omitted from the earlier article)

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Notes

From “[Diary entry: 31 August 1768],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-02-02-0003-00.... [Original source: The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 2, 14 January 1766 – 31 December 1770, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, p. 88.] "Dined with Mr. Jno. Smith who was marryed yesterday to the widow Lee."

John Smith (1715–1771) of Fleets Bay plantation on Indian Creek, Northumberland County, was a second cousin to GW. He had previously been married to Mary Jaquelin (1714–1764) of Jamestown and had lived for many years at Shooter’s Hill plantation, Middlesex County.

The widow Lee: Mary, daughter of J. Philip Smith and widow of both Jesse Ball (1716–1747) of Lancaster County and Col. John Lee (1724–1767) of Essex and Westmoreland counties. The newly married couple were now living at Cabin Point, and it was probably there that GW dined with Smith on this day.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114911068/john-smith

John Smith was called upon to pay a large security debt for his friend and relation, Speaker John Robinson. (See Wirt's "Life of Patrick Henry.") To meet this debt Capt. Smith was compelled to throw into market a large amount of property, including his home, "Shooter's Hill."

References

1. Postilion A postilion or postillion is a person who rides a harnessed horse that is pulling a horse-drawn vehicle such as a coach, rather than driving from behind as a coachman does. This method is used for pulling wheeled vehicles that do not have a driver's seat, such as many ceremonial state coaches and artillery limbers and caissons. Postilion riders are generally arranged one rider for each pair of horses, riding the left horse.[1][2][3]: 373 
2. page 326 of Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Under the Editorial ..., Volume 1 edited by Lyon Gardiner Tyler
3. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=114911068
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114910718/mary-susanna-smith
5. Reference: WikiTree Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jan 9 2020, 15:02:43 UTC
6. Dorman, John Frederick. 2004. Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia, 1607-1624/5. Genealogical Pub. Co. 4th edition. Vol 1, Page 332, book lookup by Hill, C. [03/18/2024]
7. “[Diary entry: 31 August 1768],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-02-02-0003-00.... [Original source: The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 2, 14 January 1766 – 31 December 1770, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, p. 88.] George Washington [Diary entry: 31 August 1768] 31. "Dined with Mr. Jno. Smith who was marryed yesterday to the widow Lee."
8. Tyler, Lyon G. “The Smiths of Virginia.” The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, vol. 25, no. 3, 1917, pp. 184–91. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1915024. Page 187-188. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
9. “The Smiths of Virginia: I. Family of John Smith of Purton.” The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine 4, no. 2 (1895): 95–101. https://doi.org/10.2307/1915049. Page 95-101. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025. "Mathew Smith appears to have been omitted in the list of the children published in the last issue."
10. "Portrait of Major John Smith of Shooters Hill, Jefferson County, W. Va." < West Virginia History On View > Note: this is not an image of "this" John Smith (1715-1771). It's a portrait by the artist St. Memin, born 1770, who worked in America 1793-1814. < National Portrait Gallery >
11. https://www.colonial-settlers-md-va.us/getperson.php?personID=I1093...
12. "The Papers of Bushrod Washington" < link > Cabin Point was a house and property in Westmoreland County about 3 1/2 miles east of Bushfield, and near the mouth of Lower Machodoc Creek. Cites:
    1. Washington, Diary Entry, 31 Aug. 1768, in The Papers of George Washington Digital Edition (Charlottesville, University of Virginia Press, Rotunda, 2008), https://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/GEWN-01-02-02-0003-002...… [accessed 22 Nov 2021]
    2. Founders Online, (National Archives), https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-02-02-0003-00....
13. "The Smith Family, Early Settlers in Gloucester and Middlesex Counties." (2022) < The Middlesex County Museum & Historical Society > ... Augustine Warner “Gus” Smith (1687-1756 ) was like his father, born at Purton, and moved to “Shooters Hill plantation” in Middlesex, about 1724. His father probably acquired that 1256 acres in Middlesex, on the Piankatank River in the late 1600s. Augustine married Sarah Carver in 1711, their son was John Smith (1715- 1771). When operated by the Smith’s, Shooters Hill plantation had a very large three story brick home with lead roof. There was a fish pond on the lead roof all of which made it exceptional for that time. The home burned sometime before 1797.
14. Chowning, Carroll C. “Some Colonial Homes of Middlesex County.” The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, vol. 22, no. 2, 1942, pp. 144–60. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1925295. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025. (Free membership needed to view). Page 156-157. SHOOTER'S HILL. One of the finest places of the Pianketank River area was Shooter's Hill, the home of Augustine Smith, who came to Middlesex from the neighboring country of Gloucester, where their home was known as Purton. "Shooter's Hill" was a three story house with lead roof, and upon the roof was a fish pond. Augustine Smith was a man of wealth and it is said that he traveled with his coach and six, with postilion in livery. The house as burned while the family as in England. This is another family whose name has been written high among memorials of the great of Middlesex.
15. http://www.crossedbrushstudio.com/windowsintoourpast//Vol2/smith.htm