Arthur Smith, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

ARTHUR¹ SMITH, HARTFORD FOUNDER was born abt. 1620 in England, and died bef. 29 Nov 1655 in Hartford, CT (inventory). He married MARGARET ______ bef. 1643 in prob Hartford, CT. She was born abt. 1622 in England, and died bef. 12 Jan 1693/94 in Farmington, CT (inventory).

The ancestry and origin of Arthur Smith is unknown, as is when and where he emigrated to the American colonies. He was in Hartford by at least 1637 as he was a soldier in the Pequot War of that year. He was listed as an original proprietor of Hartford, where in the land inventory of February 1639/40 he held: two acres on which his dwelling house stood with other outhouses, yards, and gardens located on the road from the Mill to the South Meadow along the south bank of the Little River; five acres of upland on the road from George Steele’s to the Great Swamp; another five acres of upland also on the road from George Steele’s to the Great Swamp; four acres on the east side of the Great River; two acres also on the east side of the Great River and one acre of swamp abutting on the South Meadow.

He was chosen Hartford constable 21 January 1640.

His inventory was taken 29 November 1655.

Genealogy: none known