Mary was baptized at St. George's Church, Hempstead, Nassau County, NY on 29 May 1745. She was the first of her parents' eleven known children (they were married in Jan. 1743/44 in Hempstead. On her 17th birthday, 29 May 1762, Mary married Maurice (Morris) Smith (abt. 1740-1779). The couple had four known children: Margaret (Peggy) (1763-1821), Issac (b. 1769 and died young), Samuel W (1771-1830), and Uriah (1774-1845).
Mary was the only one of her siblings who did not remain in New York or otherwise in the north. She and her husband settled in Poughkeepsie but later migrated to what was then West Florida at the time of the Revolutionary War. In April 1766, Morris was among those contributing to the glebe purchase for Christ Church, Poughkeepsie. Morris was a merchant in partnership with John Pettit, in "lower Manhattan." In 1768, they suffered bankruptcy and their estates were assigned to Isaac Smith of Hempstead (Mary's father) and William Post of New York City. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm
The couple remained in Poughkeepsie several more years. according to tax records. they lived there from 1767 to 1774, Samuel Smith, presumed as Morris’ father or brother, also lived there 1765-78. In 1773, Morris contributed to the fund for building Christ Church; Samuel Smith, probably Morris' father but perhaps a brother, also contributed to both. Mary's parents moved to Amenia, 26 miles away, about the same time.
On 21 September 1777, Morris Smith, a Tory, was granted by Britain a large tract (200 acres) along the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain in West Florida . The property was surveyed on 15 January 1779 by the Spanish surveyor Carlos Trudeau. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm Morris died about this time there. His death appears to coincide with the single-day Battle of Lake Ponchartain (10 Sept. 1779) during the Anglo-Spanish War, in which a U S Navy Schooner captured a British sloop-of-war, ending British naval control of the lake. Mary Smith was among the British citizens who signed the surrender papers, swearing allegiance to the new United States. That her husband did not sign indicates he was not alive on 16 Oct. 1779, the date of the surrender treaty. See image of the treaty, attached to this memorial. Since this site does not allow long caption for images, I provide a note (below) which describes and transcribes it.
A letter dated 1792 from Mary to New York indicates that she lived at "Castel Boyne" as a widow living with two children (Samuel and Uriah); the letter also names Peggy (who was then married). This indicates that Mary was still on the land grant at that time, as the land was on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain just west of Bayou Castein, where Mandeville, LA is today.
Mary's son Uriah married Frances George about 1807 in the Shady Grove community in Louisiana (at the time, in St. Tammany Parish - in 1820 it became part of the new Washington Parish). His mother died in 1809, most likely in Shady Grove.
NOTE concerning the Treaty of Surrender (16 Oct. 1779) to William Pickles, captain of the US Navy schooner Morris, which captured the British sloop-of-war HMS West Florida on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain on 10 Sept. 1779:
From the Papers of the Continental Congress, a contemporary copy made of the surrender of the lakeside residents, who mostly considered themselves British, French, or Spanish subjects of West Florida. to Capt. William Pickles after the one-day Battle of Lake Pontchartrain in Sept. 1779. Mary Smith signed in her own right, as she was a widow by then. These signers are considered the first people in Louisiana to pledge allegiance to the United States. On Oct. 16, 1779 after raids by so-called patriot John Willing into the British West Florida settlements of Natchez, Baton Rouge and Manchac, 19 landowners signed oaths of allegiance to the "United Independent States of North America" in the presence of Capt. Pickles who had captured the British armed vessel on Lake Ponchartrain.
"We whose names or marks are here unto set and subscribed, being settlers and inhabitants on Lake Ponchartrain between the Bayou LaCombe and the River Tanchipaho, do hereby acknowledge ourselves to be natives as well as true and faithful subjects to the United Independent States of North America. An whereas on the tenth day of last month, William Pickles, captain of the navy of the said States, did arrive in this lake and made prize of the English armed sloop West Florida who had kept possession of the lake for near two years before, and the said William Pickles, Esquire, did on the twenty first of the same month, land some of his people, and take possession of this settlement and gave us all the protection against Indians and others that his force would admit of, and suffered us to remain on our possessions till further orders; we, therefore, consider ourselves belonging to the said States, and are willing to remain here and enjoy our property and priviledges under them, the said United States. October 16, 1779." "Gerard Brandon, Alex McCollough, James Mosely, Samuel Smith, James Farro, Abel Goffegon, Edward Foreman, Wm. Dakimore, Jacob Ambrose, Frederic Spell, Benj. Curtis, Wm. Fisher, Paul Pigg, Mary Smith, Daniel Tuttle, Matt McCollough, Francis Fisher, John Spell, Wm. Steel" --Source, Mississippi as a Providence, Territory, and State, Claiborne, 1880.
Mary was the only one of her siblings who did not remain in New York or otherwise in the north. She and her husband settled in Poughkeepsie but later migrated to what was then West Florida at the time of the Revolutionary War. In April 1766, Morris was among those contributing to the glebe purchase for Christ Church, Poughkeepsie. Morris was a merchant in partnership with John Pettit, in "lower Manhattan." In 1768, they suffered bankruptcy and their estates were assigned to Isaac Smith of Hempstead (Mary's father) and William Post of New York City. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm
The couple remained in Poughkeepsie several more years. according to tax records. they lived there from 1767 to 1774, Samuel Smith, presumed as Morris’ father or brother, also lived there 1765-78. In 1773, Morris contributed to the fund for building Christ Church; Samuel Smith, probably Morris' father but perhaps a brother, also contributed to both. Mary's parents moved to Amenia, 26 miles away, about the same time.
On 21 September 1777, Morris Smith, a Tory, was granted by Britain a large tract (200 acres) along the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain in West Florida . The property was surveyed on 15 January 1779 by the Spanish surveyor Carlos Trudeau. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm Morris died about this time there. His death appears to coincide with the single-day Battle of Lake Ponchartain (10 Sept. 1779) during the Anglo-Spanish War, in which a U S Navy Schooner captured a British sloop-of-war, ending British naval control of the lake. Mary Smith was among the British citizens who signed the surrender papers, swearing allegiance to the new United States. That her husband did not sign indicates he was not alive on 16 Oct. 1779, the date of the surrender treaty. See image of the treaty, attached to this memorial. Since this site does not allow long caption for images, I provide a note (below) which describes and transcribes it.
A letter dated 1792 from Mary to New York indicates that she lived at "Castel Boyne" as a widow living with two children (Samuel and Uriah); the letter also names Peggy (who was then married). This indicates that Mary was still on the land grant at that time, as the land was on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain just west of Bayou Castein, where Mandeville, LA is today.
Mary's son Uriah married Frances George about 1807 in the Shady Grove community in Louisiana (at the time, in St. Tammany Parish - in 1820 it became part of the new Washington Parish). His mother died in 1809, most likely in Shady Grove.
NOTE concerning the Treaty of Surrender (16 Oct. 1779) to William Pickles, captain of the US Navy schooner Morris, which captured the British sloop-of-war HMS West Florida on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain on 10 Sept. 1779:
From the Papers of the Continental Congress, a contemporary copy made of the surrender of the lakeside residents, who mostly considered themselves British, French, or Spanish subjects of West Florida. to Capt. William Pickles after the one-day Battle of Lake Pontchartrain in Sept. 1779. Mary Smith signed in her own right, as she was a widow by then. These signers are considered the first people in Louisiana to pledge allegiance to the United States. On Oct. 16, 1779 after raids by so-called patriot John Willing into the British West Florida settlements of Natchez, Baton Rouge and Manchac, 19 landowners signed oaths of allegiance to the "United Independent States of North America" in the presence of Capt. Pickles who had captured the British armed vessel on Lake Ponchartrain.
"We whose names or marks are here unto set and subscribed, being settlers and inhabitants on Lake Ponchartrain between the Bayou LaCombe and the River Tanchipaho, do hereby acknowledge ourselves to be natives as well as true and faithful subjects to the United Independent States of North America. An whereas on the tenth day of last month, William Pickles, captain of the navy of the said States, did arrive in this lake and made prize of the English armed sloop West Florida who had kept possession of the lake for near two years before, and the said William Pickles, Esquire, did on the twenty first of the same month, land some of his people, and take possession of this settlement and gave us all the protection against Indians and others that his force would admit of, and suffered us to remain on our possessions till further orders; we, therefore, consider ourselves belonging to the said States, and are willing to remain here and enjoy our property and priviledges under them, the said United States. October 16, 1779." "Gerard Brandon, Alex McCollough, James Mosely, Samuel Smith, James Farro, Abel Goffegon, Edward Foreman, Wm. Dakimore, Jacob Ambrose, Frederic Spell, Benj. Curtis, Wm. Fisher, Paul Pigg, Mary Smith, Daniel Tuttle, Matt McCollough, Francis Fisher, John Spell, Wm. Steel" --Source, Mississippi as a Providence, Territory, and State, Claiborne, 1880.
Mary was baptized at St. George's Church, Hempstead, Nassau County, NY on 29 May 1745. She was the first of her parents' eleven known children (they were married in Jan. 1743/44 in Hempstead. On her 17th birthday, 29 May 1762, Mary married Maurice (Morris) Smith (abt. 1740-1779). The couple had four known children: Margaret (Peggy) (1763-1821), Issac (b. 1769 and died young), Samuel W (1771-1830), and Uriah (1774-1845).
Mary was the only one of her siblings who did not remain in New York or otherwise in the north. She and her husband settled in Poughkeepsie but later migrated to what was then West Florida at the time of the Revolutionary War. In April 1766, Morris was among those contributing to the glebe purchase for Christ Church, Poughkeepsie. Morris was a merchant in partnership with John Pettit, in "lower Manhattan." In 1768, they suffered bankruptcy and their estates were assigned to Isaac Smith of Hempstead (Mary's father) and William Post of New York City. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm
The couple remained in Poughkeepsie several more years. according to tax records. they lived there from 1767 to 1774, Samuel Smith, presumed as Morris’ father or brother, also lived there 1765-78. In 1773, Morris contributed to the fund for building Christ Church; Samuel Smith, probably Morris' father but perhaps a brother, also contributed to both. Mary's parents moved to Amenia, 26 miles away, about the same time.
On 21 September 1777, Morris Smith, a Tory, was granted by Britain a large tract (200 acres) along the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain in West Florida . The property was surveyed on 15 January 1779 by the Spanish surveyor Carlos Trudeau. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm Morris died about this time there. His death appears to coincide with the single-day Battle of Lake Ponchartain (10 Sept. 1779) during the Anglo-Spanish War, in which a U S Navy Schooner captured a British sloop-of-war, ending British naval control of the lake. Mary Smith was among the British citizens who signed the surrender papers, swearing allegiance to the new United States. That her husband did not sign indicates he was not alive on 16 Oct. 1779, the date of the surrender treaty. See image of the treaty, attached to this memorial. Since this site does not allow long caption for images, I provide a note (below) which describes and transcribes it.
A letter dated 1792 from Mary to New York indicates that she lived at "Castel Boyne" as a widow living with two children (Samuel and Uriah); the letter also names Peggy (who was then married). This indicates that Mary was still on the land grant at that time, as the land was on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain just west of Bayou Castein, where Mandeville, LA is today.
Mary's son Uriah married Frances George about 1807 in the Shady Grove community in Louisiana (at the time, in St. Tammany Parish - in 1820 it became part of the new Washington Parish). His mother died in 1809, most likely in Shady Grove.
NOTE concerning the Treaty of Surrender (16 Oct. 1779) to William Pickles, captain of the US Navy schooner Morris, which captured the British sloop-of-war HMS West Florida on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain on 10 Sept. 1779:
From the Papers of the Continental Congress, a contemporary copy made of the surrender of the lakeside residents, who mostly considered themselves British, French, or Spanish subjects of West Florida. to Capt. William Pickles after the one-day Battle of Lake Pontchartrain in Sept. 1779. Mary Smith signed in her own right, as she was a widow by then. These signers are considered the first people in Louisiana to pledge allegiance to the United States. On Oct. 16, 1779 after raids by so-called patriot John Willing into the British West Florida settlements of Natchez, Baton Rouge and Manchac, 19 landowners signed oaths of allegiance to the "United Independent States of North America" in the presence of Capt. Pickles who had captured the British armed vessel on Lake Ponchartrain.
"We whose names or marks are here unto set and subscribed, being settlers and inhabitants on Lake Ponchartrain between the Bayou LaCombe and the River Tanchipaho, do hereby acknowledge ourselves to be natives as well as true and faithful subjects to the United Independent States of North America. An whereas on the tenth day of last month, William Pickles, captain of the navy of the said States, did arrive in this lake and made prize of the English armed sloop West Florida who had kept possession of the lake for near two years before, and the said William Pickles, Esquire, did on the twenty first of the same month, land some of his people, and take possession of this settlement and gave us all the protection against Indians and others that his force would admit of, and suffered us to remain on our possessions till further orders; we, therefore, consider ourselves belonging to the said States, and are willing to remain here and enjoy our property and priviledges under them, the said United States. October 16, 1779." "Gerard Brandon, Alex McCollough, James Mosely, Samuel Smith, James Farro, Abel Goffegon, Edward Foreman, Wm. Dakimore, Jacob Ambrose, Frederic Spell, Benj. Curtis, Wm. Fisher, Paul Pigg, Mary Smith, Daniel Tuttle, Matt McCollough, Francis Fisher, John Spell, Wm. Steel" --Source, Mississippi as a Providence, Territory, and State, Claiborne, 1880.
Mary was the only one of her siblings who did not remain in New York or otherwise in the north. She and her husband settled in Poughkeepsie but later migrated to what was then West Florida at the time of the Revolutionary War. In April 1766, Morris was among those contributing to the glebe purchase for Christ Church, Poughkeepsie. Morris was a merchant in partnership with John Pettit, in "lower Manhattan." In 1768, they suffered bankruptcy and their estates were assigned to Isaac Smith of Hempstead (Mary's father) and William Post of New York City. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm
The couple remained in Poughkeepsie several more years. according to tax records. they lived there from 1767 to 1774, Samuel Smith, presumed as Morris’ father or brother, also lived there 1765-78. In 1773, Morris contributed to the fund for building Christ Church; Samuel Smith, probably Morris' father but perhaps a brother, also contributed to both. Mary's parents moved to Amenia, 26 miles away, about the same time.
On 21 September 1777, Morris Smith, a Tory, was granted by Britain a large tract (200 acres) along the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain in West Florida . The property was surveyed on 15 January 1779 by the Spanish surveyor Carlos Trudeau. See http://jliptrap.us/gen/ismith.htm Morris died about this time there. His death appears to coincide with the single-day Battle of Lake Ponchartain (10 Sept. 1779) during the Anglo-Spanish War, in which a U S Navy Schooner captured a British sloop-of-war, ending British naval control of the lake. Mary Smith was among the British citizens who signed the surrender papers, swearing allegiance to the new United States. That her husband did not sign indicates he was not alive on 16 Oct. 1779, the date of the surrender treaty. See image of the treaty, attached to this memorial. Since this site does not allow long caption for images, I provide a note (below) which describes and transcribes it.
A letter dated 1792 from Mary to New York indicates that she lived at "Castel Boyne" as a widow living with two children (Samuel and Uriah); the letter also names Peggy (who was then married). This indicates that Mary was still on the land grant at that time, as the land was on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain just west of Bayou Castein, where Mandeville, LA is today.
Mary's son Uriah married Frances George about 1807 in the Shady Grove community in Louisiana (at the time, in St. Tammany Parish - in 1820 it became part of the new Washington Parish). His mother died in 1809, most likely in Shady Grove.
NOTE concerning the Treaty of Surrender (16 Oct. 1779) to William Pickles, captain of the US Navy schooner Morris, which captured the British sloop-of-war HMS West Florida on the north shore of Lake Ponchartrain on 10 Sept. 1779:
From the Papers of the Continental Congress, a contemporary copy made of the surrender of the lakeside residents, who mostly considered themselves British, French, or Spanish subjects of West Florida. to Capt. William Pickles after the one-day Battle of Lake Pontchartrain in Sept. 1779. Mary Smith signed in her own right, as she was a widow by then. These signers are considered the first people in Louisiana to pledge allegiance to the United States. On Oct. 16, 1779 after raids by so-called patriot John Willing into the British West Florida settlements of Natchez, Baton Rouge and Manchac, 19 landowners signed oaths of allegiance to the "United Independent States of North America" in the presence of Capt. Pickles who had captured the British armed vessel on Lake Ponchartrain.
"We whose names or marks are here unto set and subscribed, being settlers and inhabitants on Lake Ponchartrain between the Bayou LaCombe and the River Tanchipaho, do hereby acknowledge ourselves to be natives as well as true and faithful subjects to the United Independent States of North America. An whereas on the tenth day of last month, William Pickles, captain of the navy of the said States, did arrive in this lake and made prize of the English armed sloop West Florida who had kept possession of the lake for near two years before, and the said William Pickles, Esquire, did on the twenty first of the same month, land some of his people, and take possession of this settlement and gave us all the protection against Indians and others that his force would admit of, and suffered us to remain on our possessions till further orders; we, therefore, consider ourselves belonging to the said States, and are willing to remain here and enjoy our property and priviledges under them, the said United States. October 16, 1779." "Gerard Brandon, Alex McCollough, James Mosely, Samuel Smith, James Farro, Abel Goffegon, Edward Foreman, Wm. Dakimore, Jacob Ambrose, Frederic Spell, Benj. Curtis, Wm. Fisher, Paul Pigg, Mary Smith, Daniel Tuttle, Matt McCollough, Francis Fisher, John Spell, Wm. Steel" --Source, Mississippi as a Providence, Territory, and State, Claiborne, 1880.
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