I have some distant ties to New Hampshire, one of them being my seventh great-grandaunt, Esther Webster, daughter of Jonathan and Esther (Judd) Webster. Esther married about 1724, Timothy Smith, son of Samuel and Mary (Smith) Smith. Sometime in the 1760s, Esther and Timothy settled in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Not much work has been done on this family and the framework was built from the Webster genealogy.1 Unfortunately, I don’t have too much time to dedicate to this family right now, but I did do a little digging and found some sources that I have added as “need to review” to my to-do list. Perhaps they will be of help to you if you also have Hanover, New Hampshire ancestors.
- The Records of the Town of Hanover, New Hampshire 1761-1818 (Google Books)
- Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709-1886 (Google Books)
- A History of Dartmouth College and the Town of Hanover, New Hampshire, Volume 1 (Google Books)
- A History of Dartmouth College and the Town of Hanover, New Hampshire, Volume 2 (Google Books)
- Colonial Gravestone Inscriptions in the State of New Hampshire (Ancestry.com—I’m not sure if this is a free resource or if you need to have a US subscription) – Hanover on pages 59-62.
- A History and Description of New England, General and Local (Google Books) – Hanover discussed on pages 516-519.
From what I’ve learned, just briefly looking through these sources, Timothy Smith was involved with the founding of Dartmouth College. The Hanover town records indicate that he contributed 100 acres of land. I’m not sure if he was involved any further than that, but hopefully one day I’ll find out. So I’ll close this post with a sketch of Dartmouth College, found in the book A History and Description of New England, General and Local on page 518.
1. William Holcomb Webster and Rev. Melville Reuben Webster D. D., History and Genealogy of the Gov. John Webster Family of Connecticut With Numerous Portraits and Illustrations (Rochester, New York: E. R. Andrews Printing Co., 1915)
Genealogy By the States is a theme created by Jim Sanders over at the Hidden Genealogy Nuggets blog.
Let me know if you need help with New Hampshire resources. That’s where I live!
I am related to the Wentworth clan from Carroll County and can help anyone with research. Genealogy is a great way to get to know who you are and where you come from. It helps your roots to grow strong and gives you a sense of where you belong on this great big blue marble. Start talking to your family and writing the family stories down. Once the story teller is gone, so is the story.
I’m a distant relative of Timothy Smith and Esther. Would love to connect with you.