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Individual:
Chileab Smith, the third son of Lieut. Samuel and Elisabeth Smith was born in Wethersfield, C
onn. about 1635 and died March 7, 1731 at age of 95; m. Oct. 2, 1661, Hannah Hitch , b. in Wethersfield about 1645; d. in Hadley, Mass., Aug. 31, 1733. She was a daughter of Luke and Elizabeth (Gibbons) Hitch who, according to "Savage" arrived in Wethersfield from New Haven Conn. about 1644. Luke Hitch was born in England and died in Wethersfield Nov. 1, 1659. He was a Townsman (Selectman) in 1653 and 1656 and was one of the 59 who met at Goodman Ward's house April 18, 1659 in Hartford and agreed to move to the new plantation in Massachusetts, that later became Hadley. He seems never to have moved to Hadley, however. He married Elizabeth Gibbons a sister of the prominent and wealthy William Gibbons of Hartford. She was born at Fenny Compton, Warwickshire, England. Elizabeth (Gibbons) Hitch married secondly Oct. 2, 1661, (the same day, apparently, their daughter Hannah married Chileab Smith), Mr. William Warriner of Springfield, Mass., survived him and married, as her third husband, Joseph Baldwin of Hadley, Mass. who had removed from Milford, Conn. to Hadley about 1663. Chileab Smith was too young while living in Wethersfield to come into the records there. He is listed as a new proprietor in Hadley in 1663. His lot of 8 acres is shown on the town map of that year. (Judds "Hadley" page24). The value of his lot was stated at 100 pounds against 150 pounds for the lot of his brother Philip and 200 pounds for the lot of his father Samuel. He was appointed, Jan. 27, 1663, Surveyor of Highways together with Edward Church. Some of the present day roads in and near Hadley owe their location to his early work, He signed the petition, Feb. 19, 1669, to the Governor which opposed imposts and customs on goods imported into the Colony after March 1, 1669. His father and brother Philip signed also. Together with his brothers Philip and John and 35 others he signed a petition to the Oct. 1672 session of the General Court that requested an addition to the plantation sufficient to make it equal a total of 8 miles square. The court granted a portion, only, of both requests. When tithingmen were ordered in Massachusetts by the General Court in March of 1678 he was one of the first four appointed for Hadley. Tithingmen were peace officers or constables and were required to watch over the conduct of Sabbath breakers, liquor sellers, night walkers and tipplers and present the names of offenders to the magistrates
"Chileab Smith seems to have prospered and it is regrettable that so little is known or wha t his business was. It is probable that, like his father and brothers, he was engaged in fur and shipping pursuits and in buying and preparing farm and meat products for the markets farther down the river. At any rate he was Hadley's highest single tax-payer in 1686 as his father who died in 1680 and his brother Philip who died in 1685 had been before him.
"He strongly upheld the General Court in its decision Sept. 28, 1686 that required the new gr ammar school, (Hopkins), to remain as a grammar school and not be expanded into an "English" school separate from the grammar school. He was already a "Feofee" or Trustee of the school having been appointed June 8, 1686. (See Judds Hadley p. 53)
"In 1687 Chileab Smith succeeded his late brother, Philip, as Philip had succeeded their fath er Lieut. Samuel, as a member of the "Hadley School Committee for 50 Years". In 1675, 1681, 1690 and 1696 he served as a townsman (selectman) of Hadley. In 1692 he was made an Ensign in the Hadley Militia. In 1714 Chileab Smith and his nephew Deacon John Smith, son of Philip, with 5 others were chosen to perform the then important and delicate job, considering the social implications involved, of "seating persons in the new meeting house" which was nearing completion. This church replaced the one built in 1667 and remained in use until late in October of 1808.
"On the 25th of January 1720 the town of Hadley voted to lay out the Hadley land on the sout h side of Holyoke. This was the beginning of South Hadley. Ensign Chileab Smith being of great age let his sons draw his share and for that reason his name does not appear on the original list of proprietors. His sons Corporal Chileab, Lieut. John, Luke, Sergeant Samuel and Ebenezer all took up their land. So did Philip's sons, Deacon John, Jonathan, Icabod and Joseph. So did John's sons, Orphan John and probably his sons Joseph and Benjamin. Thus did the descendants of Lieutenant Samuel Smith get a head start in South Hadley right at the beginning.
"Judd on page 242 of his "History of Hadley" says that only 5 gravestones of the original set tlers, before 1663, in Hadley were found by L. M. Boltwood who copied the inscriptions in 1849. One of these marks the grave of Chileab Smith which is still legible in 1952. Near by are the stones of his wife Hannah and of his sons Chileab, Jr. And Samuel and Chileab Jr's son Chileab who d. at age 22."
Sources: Smith genealogy quoted above; LDS Ancestral File
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