William Bold Smith
Born about 1730, Long Island, New York.
Died: unknown, Shongum, Morris Co., New Jersey
Parents: Peter Smith,
Jr. & Rebecca Nichols
Buried: Rockaway
Cemetery, Rockaway, Morris Co., New Jersey
Marriage: 1750, Shongum, Morris Co., New Jersey
Wife: Christiana Derling
Born: about 1750, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Buried: Rockaway Cemetery, Rockaway, Morris Co., New Jersey
Children:
Samuel SmithBorn: Feb. 8, 1749, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: Apr. 20, 1817, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Daniel SmithBorn: about 1750, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
David Smith
Born: Aug. 26, 1755, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
Amy SmithBorn: 1760, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: May 29, 1845, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
buried in Rockaway Cemetery, Rockaway, Morris Co., New Jersey
Marriage: unknownHusband: William Cox Van Kerk
Born: Oct. 26, 1761, Freehold, New Jersey.
Died: May 22, 1855, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
buried in Rockaway Cemetery , Rockaway, Morris Co., New Jersey
Parents: Thomas Van Kerk & Catherine Cox
Garrett SmithBorn: May 15 1762, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: May 12 1842, unknown
John Smith
William Smith
Born: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
Christina SmithBorn: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknownMarriage: unknown
Husband: Mr. Hiler (first name unknown)
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
Joseph SmithBorn: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
Ruth SmithBorn: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
Joanna Smith
Born: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey.
Died: unknown
Marriage: unknown
Husband: Mr. Freeman (first name unknown)Born: unknown
Died: unknown
.
Patty SmithBorn: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknownMarriage: unknown
Husband: Mr. Martin (first name unknown)
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
Peter Smith.
Born: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New JerseyDied: unknown
Millie Smith
Born: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
Charity Smith
Born: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey.
Died: unknown
Polly Smith
Born: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
Katy Smith
Born: unknown, Pigeon Hill, Denville, Morris Co., New Jersey
Died: unknown
Marriage: unknown
Husband: Mr. Cranford (first name unknown)
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
Two views of Shongum Lake, in Randolph, New Jersey, near where William Bold Smith lived and died.
ABOUT THE SMITH FAMILY
From "Rockaway Records of Morris Co., New Jersey Families by J. Percy Crayon (Rockaway, N.J., Rockaway Publishing Co.,
1902)
The progenitor of the Smith family at Franklin and Union N. J., is said to have come from Vermont, another version is that he came from Long Island and was known as "Bold Smith." The Vermont version has a bit of romance that may be a matter of history. His name was William and he had been engaged to a girl in Vermont, and the day was set, and the hour appointed on which they were at once to proceed to the dominie's as was the common custom, on horse back, both riding the same horse. As there had been nothing said as to which would take the front seat, as, if two ride on one horse one must necessarily take a back seat. Tradition does not relate as to the real causes, but the effect was they did not get married.
Being somewhat disappointed in this love affair, he proceeded at once on a long and lonesome journey
though the the wilderness. This must have been as early as 1750, and it is not related that he stopped until he reached the wilds of Shongom, where he met a Dutch girl, who was willing to take a back seat, and they proceeded at once to the Dominie's where the two were made one. Her name was Christiana DERLING.
William Smith purchased lands, built a log house and set up housekeeping, and is said to have had nineteen children. The old homestead is located where his son Gerrett lived, afterward his grandson John, now as the residence of Cornelius L. Smith. William and his sons owned at one time nearly all the lands between Shongom and Franklin, then called Pigeon Hill. It was not out of the order of the day, at that time, for an ordinary hunter and trapper to keep the table well supplied with bear, deer and turkey, and in the season, many of the broad acres of the Smith farm were literary covered with pigeons, hence the name Pigeon Hill, it was a paradise to the early settlers.
While at work many years after on the Shongom Pond, in getting out timber and crossing the lake on the ice, he was accidentally killed, and probably buried at Rockaway, as tradition has it that his wife was buried at Rockaway a few years after, which would naturally be by the side of her husband. As there is no monument or other records the precise date is unknown.
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