Category: Unsolved

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Loyalist Nova Scotia Unsolved

The origins of Abraham Rhodes

Abraham Rhodes was my 6th-great-grandfather. Despite my research and many others, Abraham’s origins and ancestry remain a mystery.

As best as we can tell, he materialized out of thin air onto the muster rolls of the His Majesty’s 40th Regiment of Foot. He was at Staten Island on 14 July 1776, at Perth Amboy on 05 May 1777, at the Battle of Germantown on 04 October 1777 and at Philadelphia, 15 March 1778. The 40th was regularly stationed in England and Ireland before being sent to Boston to quell the rebellion in 1775. The regiment saw action in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey before being sent to the West Indies in late 1778. The regiment was returned to New York in 1781 and back to England at the end of the war in 1783.

Abraham, however, did not accompany the regiment back across the Atlantic. In 1784, Abraham, as a discharged soldier under the former command of Sgt. Hugh Gillespie, received a land grant in Clements, Annapolis Co. NS. He married Mary BARTON and appears to have remained in the Annapolis Valley the rest of his life. His date of death is unknown; however, it was after 1820, when he sold his original land to his son John. About as much is known of Mary as of her husband – she appears to been from a loyalist, not a planter family, and some have suggested that she is the same Mary Barton who was born 18 February 1758 in Warwick, Kent Co. RI to Rufus and Catherine (RHODES) BARTON. The evidence for this proposition, at least that which I have seen, is non-existent. Even if we could identify Mary, it is unclear how much that would help identify Abraham, given the influx of people from across the colonies into Nova Scotia at the time; there is no reason to assume the couple knew each other before exile.

Based on the muster rolls, it appears Abraham enlisted in the 40th between June to December 1775, when the regiment was headquartered in Boston. This might suggest that he was from the area, given the presumed difficulty of crossing British lines; no-one fitting his description has been found in Massachusetts records, however.

Other evidence suggests a connection to New York. In Granville, Abraham lived in close proximity to an Anthony RHODES, who can be proven to be a loyalist from Queens Co. NY. Both families had similar given names as well (but not such unusual or exacting names that a relationship is certain). Some researchers believe Abraham enlisted in Ireland, although this would not seem to be consistent with his later loyalist land grants.

It is difficult to make any solid conclusions about Abraham’s origins at all. Given the lack of any claims for property, etc. lost in America, one would think he didn’t come from money – but that same demographic often had the most to gain from the Revolution, so this is little more then speculation. If Mary was from Rhode Island, maybe her mother and Abraham were kinsmen. Maybe more research into Anthony’s extended family might show a connection beyond geographic proximity (which also raises the question of his dedication to the King, if he did enlist in Boston). It is all very frustrating.

Categories
Biographical Sketch Massachusetts Unsolved

The parentage of Constant Smith (1745-1835)

Constant was born say 1745.1  He died 07 February 1835 in Swansea, Bristol Co. Massachusetts.2  Constant married Martha GALUSHA, 06 September 1772 in Rehoboth, Bristol Co. Massachusetts, by Elder John Hix.3

His parentage and origins remain unclear. He may have been born in Rehoboth, given his early residence there, although no birth record is found in the published Rehoboth vital records.4  Early 20th century researchers claimed a family bible (perhaps the one mentioned in his will) gave a Rehoboth birthdate of 05 November 1743.5 The most common theory is that Constant was the son of Ephraim and his second wife, Abigail Bowen.6 This couple was present in Rehoboth in the time of Constant’s birth:

Ephraim, resident of Swanzey, and Experience Bowen of Rehoboth, [married] July 16, 1743.7
Experience, of Ephraim and Experience [born] Jan. 18, 1743-4.8
Experience, wife of Ephraim, [died] Feb 1, 1743-4.9
Ephraim and Abigail Bowen, both of Rehoboth, [married] April 27, 1745.10

There is no definitive proof beyond time and place correlation to suggest a connection between Constant and this couple, and nothing else of Ephraim, beyond the records above, is known. 11 If the birth date claimed from the family bible is correct, Constant was born too early to be a child of the marriage. Some change the birth date to 26 November 1745, which would fit with the marriage, but there is nothing offered for this later date.12

Two other hypotheses had been advanced by early researchers for Constant’s parentage, although both suffer from the same lack of evidence.

EIMP suggested that his father was also a weaver and came to Rehoboth from Yorkshire, England.13 The identity of EIMP is unknown, as are the reason(s) they held this belief.

Another suggestion was offered by Mary E. Stafford of Barrington, RI.14 In a letter dated 01 October 1911, she stated it is in my uncle’s papers that Constant Smith was born at North Swansea in 1746; died February 7th, 1835. He was the son of Peter Smith, a ship-builder at Barneyville, No. Swansea.15 This seems unlikely given that: (a) Constant is not known to have any connection to Swansea prior to 1774, and (b) the ship-building industry in Barneyville did not begin until the late 18th century.16

  1. Several specific dates, places, and parents can be found on the Internet and are discussed further below. [↩]
  2. His gravestone is Memorial 115227424, found in the Thomas Cemetery (Swansea, MA).  (Swansea, Bristol Co. MA). The death is also recorded in contemporaneous newspaper accounts, see Died.  [Worcester] Massachusetts Spy, 18 February 1835, page 3: In Swanzey, Feb. 7, Constant Smith, aged 90. [↩]
  3. Arnold, James N.  Vital Record of Rehoboth, 1642-1896. (Providence RI: Narragansett Hist. Pub. Co., 1897).  Page 333.  Hix was a Baptist Minister, suggesting Constant and Martha shared that belief.  See, i.e., Bliss, Leonard.  History of Rehoboth. (Boston: Otis, Broaders & Co., 1836).  Pages 187-9. [↩]
  4. Arnold, supra. [↩]
  5. Genealogical query (No. 9263) from the Boston Evening Transcript, 11 November 1929.  The will can be found at Bristol County (Massachusetts) Probate Files, case 23610, Constant Smith (1835). Bristol County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1686-1880. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2017. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives. Digitized images provided by FamilySearch.org). [↩]
  6. For instance, Preston, Eugene D.  Genealogy of the Barney Family in America.  (Springfield VA: The Barney Family Hist. Ass’n, 1990).  pg. 75; Helgemoe, Janet G.  Galusha-Galeucia Family.  (self-published, 1968). Page 9.    This theory is also endorsed by Saxbe in the new Bowen genealogy, see, i.e., Saxbe, William B.  Richard Bowen (1594?-1675) of Rehoboth, Massachusetts and His Descendants. (Hope RI: Rhode Island Genealogical Society, 2011) 4 vols. Vol. 3, page 18. [↩]
  7. Arnold, supra at 499. [↩]
  8. Id. at 745. [↩]
  9. Id. at 877. [↩]
  10. Id. at 499. [↩]
  11. Saxbe, supra at 3:17-8. [↩]
  12. See, i.e., Preston, supra at 75.  If Saxbe is correct that Abigail was brought up on fornication charges, this date would make sense, however.  See, i.e., Saxbe, supra at 3:18. [↩]
  13. Query 9263, supra. [↩]
  14. Her relationship to Constant Smith, if any, is unknown. [↩]
  15. Preston, supra at 75. [↩]
  16. Nebiker, Walter.  “Maritime History” in Warren 250th Anniversary Commemorative Book. (Springfield MO: Master Services, 1998).  Page 44. [↩]
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