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- Sources
William & Mary Quarterly
Ancestors and Descendants of Smiths by Linda G. Clark, 1987. ISBN 0-89308-622-3. Page 151
At least we know that Obadiah Smith and his sister Mary were close to 21 years of age in 1689 when their father John Smith of Charles City County, Va. wrote his will. That gives us an APPROXIMATE date of birth for both of them in the late 1660's.
Two records name the wife of John Smith. One is a hand-written record in an old Smith Bible which is found as "Bible Record #2866" at the Library of Virginia (Archives Dept.) That record says that John's wife was Hannah Dwarf. The other record is a deposition taken in Henrico County, Va. in 1680 that says "Hannah, now wife of John Smith is age 36." I have never been able to prove with legal records that she was Hannah "Dwarf." For possible theories of her heritage, see Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. I, page 59.
A John Smith was transported to Virginia by his sponsor Richard Cocke ca. 1639. Whether this was our John Smith, I do not know. But it is a fact that our John Smith's son Obadiah Smith married Mary Cocke, granddaughter of this Richard Cocke. [Richard Cocke came to Virginia in 1636, or earlier, from England. He was a member of the House of Burgesses from Henrico in 1644 and 1654, and was sheriff in 1655. He was also County Commandant, or Lieutenant-Colonel of the County. His first wife was probably (but not proven) Temperance Baily.] Mary Cocke was the daughter of William Cocke. William Cocke lived on Turkey Island Creek. He was born ca. 1657, the son of Richard and his second wife Mary Aston, daughter of Walter Aston of Charles City County. After Richard Cocke died in 1665/6, his widow Mary Aston Cocke married Col. Daniel Clark of Charles City County. Mary Cocke Smith's great grandfather Walter Aston was born in England and came to America in 1626. He and his son Walter Aston, Jr. are buried at a site just west of and adjacent to Westover Plantation on Route 5 in Charles City County. These graves can be viewed by the public, and are well marked and maintained.
Walter Aston, Sr. patented 1040 acres in Charles City County (recorded on) August 12, 1646, with 200 acres near Shirley Hundred. Walter Aston's first wife was named "Warbowe." He later had a wife named Hannah who married Col. Edward Hill when Aston died.
Back to William Cocke, father of Mary Cocke Smith: William Cocke (born ca. 1657) wrote his will October 13, 1693. He had a son William and two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. There is some controversy about the identity of William Cocke's two wives, discussed in the Va. Magazine, Vol. CI-Fi, page 259. The mother of his children, however, was probably Jane Flowers, who died before William Cocke died. As stated in the Virginia Magazine article, William Cocke made ample provision for his widow. The will was recorded in February Court 1694. It is clear that his mother Mary Aston 1)Cocke 2)Clark was still alive when he died, because he stated that she or his present wife should be the caretaker of his children. On April 6, 1705, Obediah Smith and Mary his wife of Henrico County, Va. deeded land to Lanslott (sic) Woodward and Elizabeth, his wife of James City County, Va.
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Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties
Abt 1624 - Abt 1691 (~ 67 years)