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- Richard "Bull" Smith
The Legend of the Bull Smith has been compared to Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan. It is probably the most farfetched legend in the country but tells a great story.
Indians made a pact with Richard Smith, an English settler. He was told that he could keep all the land that he could circle in one day riding his bull named "Whisper".
So in 1665 Smith began his trek. The days before he took out one of his cows and rode it around to mark a scent trail for the bull to follow. The scent of the cow was sure to make Whisper move quickly. Off he went on the 55 mile trip to create the borders of Smithtown. He rode the wild Wisper from the east end of Smithtown, then down to Lake Ronkonkoma. >From there he went west to Hauppauge. Then north and to present day downtown Smithtown. It only took till noon for Smith to finish the trip. He rested and ate Bread and Cheese at a hollow. Hence the naming of Bread and Cheese Hollow Rd.
The truth is that the land was given to Smith by Lyon Gardiner in 1663. Gardner was a wealthy land owner and high member of Southampton society. Gardner had been given the land by Wyandanch the Indian Chief when Gardner had resued his daughter. Smith was said to have been a very strong man, both physically and intellectually. That is likely why he is called "Bull Smith".
The Bullrider's Other "First"
Was Richard "Bull" Smith the first Quaker on Long Island??
John Shiel - 1966
Richard Smith, the founder of Smithtown, appears to have been, not only the first Quaker on Long Island, but the first Quaker in what is now the United States and Canada. Quaker is a nickname for a Friend; a member of the Religious Society of Friends.
Richard Smith, probably from Yorkshire, England, came to New England and bought land in Narragansett County in 1641. By 1643 he had come to Southampton. Here he was an important man. He was a full Proprietor and in 1647 was one of five men to lay out the land and in 1648 he was a member of the General Court. In 1648 and 1649 he was on a committee to lay out the "Great Playnes" "Mr." and "Gent" were used with his nam
In the Records of Smithtown, we find that "probably the first breach of promise suit occurred in 1650" and that, Mr. Richard Smith was an arbitrator. In 1650 he was chosen Constable and given additional lan
In 1654 he left Southampton to visit England. Here he met one of the "Publishers of Truth", the Quaker Wm. Dewsbury, and became a Friend.
Ann Austin and Mary Fisher arrived in Massachusetts Colony in July, 1656. The Colony leaders knew about Quakers from correspondance with Old England and from Puritan Immigrants, so when one of the women said "Thee" the authorities knew they were Quakers. As heretics and blasphemers they were arrested and promptly banished.
On April 7, 1656, about 2 days after the women were banished from Boston, a ship with eight other Quakers and Richard Smith of Long Island arrived. This ship had picked up Smith at New York. The Boston Authorities hurried him back to N. Y. by ship "that he might not contaminate or infect anybody by a land journey."
The arrival of this ship started six years of terror. Quakers were beaten, had their ears cut off and four suffered death. Charles the II, a friend of Wm. Penn, in 1661 ordered that "the laws against the Quakers be suspended." While it is possible there may have been Quakers in Salem or other parts of New England, there were none known to the Puritan Authorities. Of course Rhode Island was different.
The Dutch Ministers, at New Amsterdam, in 1658 reported that "The raving Quakers have not settled down -- for altho our government has issued orders against these fanatics, nevertheless they do not fail to pour forth their venom. There is one place in New England where they are tolerated and that is Rhode Island, which is the caeca latrina (sewer) of New England."
Our Long Island Meetings stem from the arrival of the ship Woodhouse at New Amsterdam on 1st day, 6th, month of 1657. This was about 25 years before William Penn's settlement of Pennsylvania and about 20 years before Burlington, N. J. was settled by Quakers. Robert Hogdson, who came in the Woodhouse, held a Meeting at Deborah Moody's in Gravesend in 1657. A few days later he preached at Jamaica, from his prison window, while his jailor was at church. These were the first public meetings on Long Island.
James Bowden in the History of Friends says "except for Rhode Island and Shelter Island, there was in 1658, not a rock in the Colonies of North America on which a Quaker could stand without exposing himself to severe suffering." From Friends in the 17th Century we learn that "Capt. Sylvester became a Friend at the time of purchase of Shelter Island or soon thereafter." 1659 appears to be soon thereafter, for from Mallmans Shelter Island, "as early as the 3rd. Mo., 1659, he is referred to as one who has adopted our (Quaker) principles. This is the opinion of his descencents who live on the estate today." Incidentally, some say Shelter Island was so called because Quakers were sheltered there but it was called by this name before any Quakers were around.
To return to Richard Smith as mentioned in the Smithtown Records. In 1656 he was expelled from Southampton because of "irrevend carriage toward the Magistrates." Perhaps he wouldn't take off his hat to the magistrate; this being an old, democratic, Quaker practice. No man is to be reverenced above another and the hat would be removed to God alone. For this reason, and to keep warm, men wore their hats at Meetings. If someone prayed aloud, men removed their hats during the prayer.
"No monument marks Richard Smith's Grave", showing his sons were lacking in filial reverence." This was also Quaker Practice. There was not to be a large monument for a wealthy person and a field stone or a wooden peg for the usual grave, as all are equal in death. There were to be no markers but a burial place record was kept by the Meeting. However notice that when 0badiah, Richard Smiths son died "a substantial tomb was erected" by his father.
Also from the Smithtown Records. "The son of Samuel Smith was known as Quaker Smith" and "Quaker (Richard) Smiths deed from Col.
Nichols bears the date March 7, 1665." In the Southampton Records Richard Smith is called "an emissary of Sathan, a Quaker."
Richard Smith probably had Meetings at home, with his family. There does not seem to be much information about the Quaker Meetings in Smithtown; but Setauket is occasionally mentioned.
A travelling Quaker, John Burnyeat, in his journal tells of a "meeting at Richard Smiths in New England" (1671, L. I. ?)
From the above we know that he was not only a Quaker but an active one. That he was the first Quaker on Long Island, was pointed out some years ago by Rufus Jones, a modern Quaker writer.
Follow-up:
Patentee Richard Smith
The article by John Shiel of Glen Head THE BULLRIDER'S OTHER FIRST, concerning the founder of Smithtown. Mr. Shiel's conclusion was that "Bull" Smith was also "Quaker" Smith.
The article brought a prompt and vehement rebuttal from Rufus B. Langhans, Smithtown librarian and longtime student of Smith genealogy and lore. His initial reaction was completely negative. There followed an exchange of correspondence. A few members of the Smith family also contested Mr. Shiel's findings.
Both the primary protagonists in the matter took the original article, paragraph by paragraph; Mr. Langhans first spelling out his objections, the author then defending his position and, finally Mr. Langhans commenting in a conclusion.
Mr. Langhan's final comment: "I do not see that we can come to a historical fact based on shaky primary evidence and then go on to
prove out' these primary sources by the conclusions of others .... We may at some future date be able to prove that Richard Smith of Smithtown was indeed a Quaker but we are going to
have to uncover primary evidence in order to do it".
Mr. Shiel does not seem to have altered his conclusion. However, we have the feeling that if he had the article to do over he might have presented the matter as documented speculation, rather than historical fact.
First appearing in the LI Forum 1966 No Copyright Information Data Found
Smith's Castle is the site of 17th century trading posts established by Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, and Richard Smith. Destroyed during King Philip's War, it was rebuilt by Richard Smith, Jr. in 1678 and bequeathed to Lodowick Updike in 1692. Expanded in 1740 by Daniel Updike, Attorney General of Rhode Island for 26 years, it became a thriving 18th century plantation. Following a brief 20th century revival as a dairy enterprise, the property was purchased and restored by the Cocumscussoc Association in 1949. Today, an award-winning restoration, with an 18th century style garden, it provides a look at four centuries of Rhode Island history (Wickford.com)
RICHARD SMITH.
Richard Smith, whose daughter Catherine became the wife of Gysbert Opdyck in 1643, was a man of wealth, character, activity and energy, and was prominent in Massachusetts, New Amsterdam and Rhode Island. He Was born 1596 in Gloucestershire, England, and came to New England for the sake of religious freedom, bringing with him his daughter Catherine and other children. He "was a most acceptable inhabitant and prime leading man in Taunton in Plymouth Colony." About 1639 he bought from Narragansett Sachems 30,000 acres on the west side of Narragansett Bay, erected there a house for trade among the thickest of the Indians, and gave free entertainment to travellers. It was on a very ancient path, often referred to in the old Deeds as the "Pequot Path," which was adopted by the early settlers as the great road of the country, all the travel from Boston and the North and East to Connecticut and New York passing by Smith's trading-house. His was the first purchase and the first house for many years in the Narragansett country. Very little was done however towards the settlement of the country by the whites for many years afterward. Richard Smith did not probably occupy this house with his family for any length of time, although he kept coming and going with his children and servants. It was a trading post, 50 miles from any settlement; and in a neighborhood abounding with dangerous savages.
Not finding in Plymouth Colony the religious freedom which he sought and the Narragansett country being as yet too lonely and dangerous a residence for his family, Richard Smith came to New Amsterdam, where he was gladly welcomed by the Dutch. With him came from Taunton others, who too sought freedom of conscience; among them was John Smith, probably a brother of Richard, and Rev. Francis Doughty, a dissenting clergyman who, while preaching at Cohasset, Mass., had been dragged out of the assembly for venturing to assert that " Abraham's children; should have been baptised. "Director Kieft immediately (1642) granted to them an absolute title to more than 13,000 acres of land at Mespath, now Newtown, Long Island. The Patent was made to "Francis Doughty and companions," and gave them full power to build villages and churches, to exercise their own form of Christian religion and church discipline, and to administer their own laws, subject only to their acknowledging, during their possession of the land, the sovereignty of the Dutch West India Company, Doughty had no means of his own and had merely acted as agent for Richard Smith and his associates, who were to prepare for him a farm in the new colony, on the proceeds of which he might live, in return for his services as their preacher. But Doughty assumed high authority and attempted to collect for his own use rents from the settlers ; compelling Richard Smith to complain to Director Kieft and his Council, who decided that Doughty should be content with the farm reserved to him and that the associates should have full control of the land granted by the patent. Doughty undertook to appeal to Holland, but Director Kieft would not allow permit this, and imprisoned and fined him. Kieft's action was sustained afterward by his successor, Director Stuyvesant, who would not allow Doughty to return to Europe until he promised not to complain of what had befallen him in New Netherland.
There were eighty settlers at Mespath during the first year, and the colony was prospering, when the war broke out in 1643 between the Dutch and Indians. The savages attacked the settlement, destroyed houses and cattle, and killed John Smith and others of the colonists. The settlers fled to Manhattan (New York). The next year a Dutch force of eighty men marched to Mespath and slew one hundred of the savages. The following year peace was concluded with the Indians, and the English colonists returned to their ruined homes. The subsequent history of the settlement is not well known, on account of the destruction of the early records by a British regiment who were in full possession of the town for several years during the Revolution. We know however that Richard Smith continued to own land at Newtown until 1662. Adjoining the Mespath colony on the east, there had been made, under Patent from Stuyvesant in 1652, a new settlement called by the Dutch " Middleburgh " but more familiarly 'known as "Newtown," which soon absorbed Mespath into its jurisdiction and records. We find Richard Smith appealing successfully in 1662 from a decision of the court of Middleburgh to the Director and Council ; and the same year we find him assessed the tenth of the produce of his lands in that neighborhood.
During the greater part of these twenty years, Richard Smith had his family-residence among the Dutch on Manhattan Island. Here his daughter Katharine married Gysbert Opdyck in 1643; and at the baptism of their first son in 1646, Richard Smith acted as sponsor with the Fiscal and others. His daughter Joan married Thomas Newton at Flushing in 1648, a romantic runaway marriage to which her father was soon reconciled, although the imperious Governor Stuyvesant vindicated the majesty of the law by fining the bridegroom and the Sheriff who had solemnized the marriage without the consent of the bride's parents. Thomas Newton himself became Sheriff of Flushing five years later, and the Rhode Island Updikes trace their descent from a daughter of this marriage and her husband, Gysbert's son Lodowick. In 1645 Richard Smith was elected one of the "Eight Men," appointed to devise ways of protection against the Indians, and meeting once a week for that purpose. His son-in-law Gysbert Opdyck was one of this important Committee, and they signed together the great Treaty of Peace, Aug. 30, 1645, between the Dutch and all the River Indians in the presence of the Mohawks. It is probable that this Treaty was secured by the efforts of these "Eight. Men," as all the eight attached their signatures; the original document is preserved among the archives in Holland. In 1645 Richard Smith received a Patent for a lot on the East River, a portion of which he sold in 1656, holding the remainder still later. In 1651, being temporarily absent, he sold through his son a house and lot on Manhattan Island; but he still owned the lots on the East River above described, as well as one near the Strand in 1656 or later, and perhaps possessed or hired another house.
During all this time he continued his Narragansett Indian trading-house, making frequent visits there with some of his family, being himself skipper of his good sloop Welcome, and occasionally appearing before the Dutch Council at New Amsterdam for protection of his rights or on questions connected with his trading.
The records of Rhode Island do not mention him, after his first appearance there about 1639, until 1659 when he appears as witness on an IndianDeed, from which we have taken our facsimile of his signature. The same year he joined Governor Winthrop of Connecticut and Major Atherton of Massachusetts in the purchase of a large tract of land from a Narragansett Sachem, who confirmed in this Deed the previous large sale to Smith. The jurisdiction over the Narragansett country being claimed by Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, in this unsettled state of affairs Richard Smith with his son and others of Narragansett requested in 1663 the protection of Connecticut. This action resulted in his receiving the next year from the Governor of Rhode Island, by the authority of the General Assembly at Newport, a very respectful and rather plaintive letter urging loyalty to that colony upon the ground of old friendships, and hinting at compulsion if necessary. Richard Smith had no intention of complying and wrote to his friends, Captain Hutchinson and Captain Hudson, to urge Connecticut to prompt action. The Rhode Island Gen. Assembly in October or November 1664 ordered that he and Captain Hudson be arrested; we have no knowledge whether this order was carried out. There soon arrived a letter to the Colonies from King Charles II, commanding that Richard Smith and his friends in Narragansett be no longer molested "by Certaine unreasonable and turbulent sperits of Providence Collony."
Two years later, Richard Smith died at his Wickford trading-house, dividing his large Narragansett tracts, by his will, among his children Richard and Elizabeth (Vial), and the children of his "deceased Katharine sometime wife to Gilbert Updike,"and the children of his "deceased daughter Joan sometime wife to Thomas Newton." (Charles Wilson Opdyke, American Descendants of the Wesel Family 1889)
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1596 - Bef 1692 (95 years)
