Surname Saturday: Ralph Smith of early Plymouth Colony

Is there a more common surname than Smith? Much of my information on my Smith ancestors is a bit iffy, because even in 17th century Plymouth Colony it was hard to discern one Smith from another!

My 8^th great-grandfather, Ralph Smith/Smyth, was likely born in Hingham, Norfolkshire, England circa 1610.  He may have come on the ship Lincoln or the ship Elizabeth Bonaventure in 1633. He is listed in the 1848 NEHGR article as one of the First Settlers of Hingham, Massachusetts, settling there in 1637. During that year, he drew a house lot there on Bachelor Street, now Main Street. Many of the early Hingham settlers were from Old Hingham.

Hingham Norfolk, UK (source: Hingham History Centre)

Ralph Smith removed to Eastham. He is listed in the 1852 NEHGR article on the First Settlers of Eastham, on what is now Cape Cod, May 22 1655. In 1657 he took the Oath of Fidelity at Eastham.

Ralph’s first wife is often seen as Martha or Rebecca Hobart, although I have not found any proof of her identity.

Ralph’s children with his first wife:

1.      Samuel who was baptized Hingham 11 July 1641; married Mary Hopkins, granddaughter of Mayflower Passenger Stephen Hopkins

2.      John baptized Hingham 23 July 1644; married HannahWilliams

3.      Daniel baptized Hingham 2 March 1646/47; married Mary Young

4.      Possibly Elizabeth born about Sept 1648; married Jabez Snow, grandson of Stephen Hopkins, and William Merrick (James Hawes places her as daughter of Ralph; Susan Roser states her maiden name may be Smith)

5.      Possibly Thomas born about 1650, married Mary _____

6.      Deborah born Eastham 8 March 1653/54; married John Hurd

I descend through Ralph's son Daniel and then through Daniel's daughter Content Smith who married Thomas Howes.

Ralph was constable at Eastham in 1660. On 7 May 1661, he was fined 20 shillings for "lying in and about the neglect of his duty, about a warrant directed to him, and concerning the seeing or not seeing a whale, and other misorderly carriages tending to disturbance in the town."

On 3 Mar 1662/3 "Ralph Smith, of Eastham, for breaking the peace in striking of William Walker, is fined 3s. 4d. He was trading with Josias Hubbert of Hingham in 1664. In May 1665, "Ralph Smith, of Eastham, was fined, for telling of a lie, 10s."

Ralph’s first wife died before 1660 and he married second Grace _____.

Ralph died at Eastham before 27 October 1685, when administration of his estate was granted to his widow Grace and his son Samuel, both of Eastham. His Inventory included "1 Bible & Psalm Book."

He is buried at Cove Burying Ground, where his descendents erected a monument in his honor in 1946.

TO THE MEMORY OF
RALPH SMITH
BORN AT HINGHAM ENGLAND 1610
LEADING FIGURE IN FOUNDING
HINGHAM MASSACHUSETTS, 1633
REMOVED TO EASTHAM ABOUT 1654
DIED THERE 1685
A PIONEER OF DISTINCTION
ERECTED BY THE ASSOCIATION
OF DESCENDANTS OF RALPH SMITH
JUNE 1946

Resources not listed above:

James Savage, A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, 1860

John Austin, Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Stephen Hopkins, 1992

Susan Roser, Mayflower Increasings, 1995

James W. Hawes, Nicholas 1 Snow of Eastham and Some of His Descendants, Library of Cape Cod History & Genealogy, 1916

Leonard Smith, Early Settlers of Eastham, Library of Cape Cod History & Genealogy, 1916

Thomas Smith, The Family of Ralph Smyth of Hingham, Mass., NEHGR, 1874

If anyone has resources on Ralph Smith I have not included, I'd love to hear from you!