The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-06
Voice of
the Pepole
General Baden Powell and Cap.
tain John Smith.

|
Sir,-1n your issue of Sunday, February
18th, read with great interest u letter
from Judge Charles Mayer to Gov. Swan
sou, rendering to the state of virginln
Governor Of wi virginia oa and s AdIrai Of New
England and stating that this bust had
pecn modelled by General Baden Powell,
OF the British army, the hero of Mafeking
/ hero.
In your Thursdays issue appears Gem
Graz Baden-Powell's letter to Judge
Mayer. on transmitting the bust, in which
interest in him, partly on account of his
character and actions, but more partcu-
larry becntsc he was my ancestor"
General Badcn-Powell adds a post
cnn be ascertalncd Captain Smith mar
ried while in America and his grandson,
BENJAMIN Smith Tor Stnythe) lived in New
Jersey (Sussex) and died In 1863. One of
ried and was the father of General
Hnden- powell's grandfather, Admiral W.
! w. Smith"
All OF this last must prove astounding
| for 1t is as sure as anything can be sure
tnat John Smith was never married and
consequently can be no ancestor of Cen
ernl Baden-Powel.
years and a half. was easily tho foremost
ng1re in It, and we can account for al
most every action of his during that time
tlnd lie married. we should have surely
known OF 1t from the narratives OF
Todkill and Bagnell or Mesters. Potts and
Fettyplace. No man had bittercr enemies
than Smith, and had he married aud
sailed away, abandoning wife and child
from Wingield or Master Archer. = :
! After Smith sailed for England the
h cine OF al stories to trun1pcd up against
/ mud y,,a L. Il; 4
| Nirginia" AS to the vague tradition of
MS having married on his returning to
| Enf England. that Is equally without foun-
The latest Life of Smith is that of A. q.
Bradley. published a. few months ago by
the Macmilans In their English Men OF
II or hs sooh MI Braa Ms whose
Ing e % aws 81 KSss as SsgY snd
sn and 1 of hs last aa asr Be- f Vie
tied home after his return to England.
he made London his headquarters, and
lonely bachelor as he was. stayed a good
de R,,t ~ / the h he house ';s Of his friehds
OF John Smith himself that seem to me
to dispose of the whole matter defnitiveiy,
and that make 1t difficult for one to see
how General Baden Powell can be in any
way related to our John Smith, though
do not doubt that he. as most OF us are.
is closely kin to some John Smith of
more or less repute.
George smith, father of John Smith. in
his. will nrade "the thirtyth day of March
thousand five hiIndrdeth nine-sx," after
bequests to Lincoln Minister, the poor of
Wilioughbie. and to I'VE Right Honorable
my Lord Willoughble." devises:
my Wvfe, se fcrme. Which q no@ d dweli
in which / hOulde by coppie of court
rowle as ye grant of yc Right Honorable
my atoresaide good Lorde duringe her
widow hoode according to We custome
of his Lordshppe manner Of WilIoughbie:
and II II shall please God that my sadie
wye doe marrye agayne and take n Sec
ond husband, then my will is that my
sadie fferme shall come to John Smyth.
my eldest some. whome | chardge and
command to honoure and love my fore
sadie good Lord Wiiloughbie duringe his
iyie.h CFhen follow requests to his wife
OF Itenne pounds of good and lawful
currant mony of England" bedstead and
feather-bed. sheets and blankets. bolster.
pIlI em an rtvs 10 p aIss smr benars
currant monte of England" (Then are
added requests to this daughter of bed
stead and feather.bed, sheets. blankets.
etc) Item. give TO the sadie Alice,
my daughter. halle of all my pewter and
brasse: and IL ye saidc Alice. my daugh-
ter doe dye before We age Of eightecne
Years, 1 will that all her .parte and
things. be equally divided between myne
executors Item give to John
smyth. mine eldest some, and to we heirs
OF OH MS body lawfully begotten. Seven
ritoare of Charleton Magne. Item. gcve
to Frauncis Smyth. my younger some,
and to we heires of his bodie lawfully
f., my two tenements and one Little
Close q Yin IN c,erteyn streete in Lowtte cali
dye without issue of his hodic lawfully
t1,i1I hot .,,<l1
and close RENAME 10 my said some, John
smyth. and his issue of his bodic law
fully begotten.
yeti given nor beaueathed, as We'll
movable as unmovable. my debts palde
and my bodie honestly brous,,: 10 We
betwixt my sadie two sonnes, John Smyti,
and FFrauncis Smyth, whom make CO.
executors of this my last va; anl rns-
lament etc.
Sc much s, for for George Smith and his will
issue of his bode lawfully begotten.' seems
certain from the will of John Smith.
made the one and twentieth date of June
God, King Of England, Scotland, France
and ireland. .defendour of the faith" etc,
for we find in that will that John Smith
leaves the tenements, etc, in Lowthc that
were to revert to him in case Francis left
no lawful issue, to Thomas Packer. The
will reads: First, give and bequcat
unto Thomas Packer. Esquior, one OF
the clerkes Of His NIajestes Privy Scale,
and TO his heirs forever, all my houses,
lands, tenements and hercditament.,.
whatsoever. scltuate lygene and heinge IN
the parishes of I1owthe and Greater Car
Teton, In the county Of Inconc. to-
gether with my Coate OF Armes
Item. To my sister, Smith, the Nvidowe
of my brother, the sum of tenn poundes
Item. To my cousin, Steven Smith, and
Ills sister, the somme (oD six poundes,
thirteen shillingcs and fowcr pence be-
tween Them
In this will Smith leaves lcgacies OF
money. wearing apparel books, etc, to
Sir Samuel Saltonstall Gn whose house he
stayed mucn; to Mistress Tredway, to
Thomas Packers wife. Joan. and to
nolds and others. but there is no men
ton of any wife, son, daughter, nephew
or niece.
To sum up: John Smith never married,
and his brother Francis, almost, GER
tainly left no lawful issue. AS to whether
his sister, Alice, dyed before we age
Of eighteen" I know not but the strong