Blackmore: Searching for Thomas Smyth

Received 21 May 2014

Mr. Smith:

I live in the United States and am trying to gain membership into the Jamestown Society.  I have a family history that was written in the early 1970’s.  The lady that wrote the history is long gone and I have no source documents.  I am trying to document a Thomas Smith that left England for Virginia ca 1623.  My history shows the following lineage:

1.  Thomas Smith Sr. Born 1518 married Margaret Turner

2.  Arthur Smith born 1560 Married Anne Milword

3.  Thomas Smith Sr. born 1590 came to America ca 1623 aboard the Margaret & John

         Roger Smith (Brother of Thomas) also came to America ca 1623

I saw somewhere on your blog where you listed a brother of Thomas as being Arthur Smith. 

Do you have any information of my ancestor Thomas Smith Sr. who sailed for Virginia in ca 1623.   I would love to have a source document of his birth and his passage on the Margaret and John.

When I have my history completed, I plan on coming to Blackmore and toasting my Smith ancestors with a Beer in your local pub.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kenneth Smith

Replied 24 May 2014

Dear Kenneth

Thank you for your e mail.  Thomas Smyth (d. 1592, not 1594) is commemorated on a tomb in the south east corner of the Priory Church of St Laurence.  One of his six sons and four daughters of his second marriage to Margaret Turner was Arthur who was the next Smyth in the Blackmore family line.  I did not have his birth year (1560?) but a note that he married Anne Milward (born 1592 – is this plausible?) in 1602 and died 7 March 1622/3.  They had, it seems, 5 children the second being Thomas born 1605 at Braintree who emigrated to Virginia. A Roger Smyth is not one of the 5 children.  This is all I have about Thomas Smyth.

My booklet on the Smyth Family at Blackmore was produced in 2008, so I have to say that this is a topic I will not have pursued since then.  Occasionally I receive an e mail from Smyth descendants and am always happy to publish correspondence on the blog. 

I had never heard about a Jamestown Society. How interesting.

Regards

Andrew Smith (no relation)

Blackmore Area Local History