Ethan Smith was born in Belchertown, Ms., Dec. 19, 1762, and while
young, was a soldier for one summer in the Revolutionary war, and
was at West Point when the traitor Arnold sold that fortress to the
British. Having attended to the preparatory studies, he entered
Dartmouth College in 1786, and graduated in 1790. Soon after taking his
degree, Mr. Smith was licensed to preach, and spent the first Sabbath
of October, 1790, at Haverhill, N. H., where he was first settled
in the ministry. In about a year from that time, he was married to
Bathsheba Sandford, second daughter of Rev. David Sandford, of Medway,
Ms. He remained at Haverhill nine years, and was then dismissed for
want of support. He was installed in the ministry at Hopkinton, N.
H., March 12, 1800, and continued there about eighteen years, during
sixteen of which he was Secretary of the New Hampshire Missionary
Society. He was afterwards settled at Hebron, N. Y., about four years;
at Poultney, Vt., about five years; at Hanover, Ms., a number of years;
and then spent a season as a city missionary in Boston. Occasionally,
he has since preached as a supply, but has now retired from the labors
of the ministry, and resides with his children. Mr. Smith has always
been a laborious, and, in many respects, a very successful minister
of Christ. His publications are as follows; namely, 1. A Dissertation
on the Prophecies, 2 editions; 2. A View of the Trinity, 2 editions;
3. A View of the Hebrews, 2 editions; 4. Lectures on the Subjects
and Mode of Baptism, 2 editions; 5. A Key to the Figurative Language
of the Bible; 6. Memoirs of Mrs. Abigail Bailey; 7. A Key to the
Revelation, 2 editions; 8. Prophetic Catechism; 9. Two Sermons on
Episcopacy; 10. Farewell Sermon at Haverhill, N. H.; 11. First Sermon
after Installation at Hopkinton; 12. Two Sermons on the Vain Excuses
of Sinners, preached at Washington, N. H.; 13. Sermon on the Moral
Perfection of God, preached at Newburyport, Ms.; 14. Sermon on the
Daughters of Zion excelling, preached before a Female Cent Society; 15.
Sermon on the happy Transition of Saints, preached at the funeral of
Mrs. Jemima, consort of Rev. Dr. Harris of Dunbarton; 16. Sermon at the
Ordination of Rev. Stephen Martindale, at Tinmouth, Vt.; 17. Sermon at
the Ordination of Rev. Harvey Smith, at Weybridge, Vt.
The Genealogy of this branch of the Smith family is as follows;
namely, Joseph Smith removed from Wethersfield, Ct., to Hadley, Ms.,
about the year 1659. He had four sons, who lived to maturity; namely,
Joseph, _John_, Jonathan, and Benjamin. _John_ was born 1686, settled
in Hadley, and died 1777, aged 91 years. He had five sons, and five
daughters. The sons were, John, Abner, father of the late Rev. Abner
Smith of Derby, Ct., Daniel, Joseph, who was father of Rev. Eli Smith
of Hollis, the late Rev. Amasa Smith, and the late Rev. Dr. John Smith
of Bangor, Me., and also _Elijah_. _Elijah_ was born 1723, was married,
in 1751, to Sibil, daughter of Daniel Worthington of Colchester, Ct.,
and had by her six sons and three daughters. He served as Captain in
the French war, in 1756, under Gen. William Johnson, in the Regiment
of Col. Ephraim Williams. He was deacon of the church in Belchertown,
Ms., and died April 21, 1770. He was "a man," says Rev. Mr. Forward,
in the Church Records, "of sound judgment, ready utterance, pleasing
deportment, and ardent piety." His children were Asa, father of Rev.
Asa Smith of Virginia, and Rev. Theophilus Smith of New Canaan, Ct.;
Sibil, wife of the late Joseph Bardwell of South Hadley, Ms.; Sarah,
wife of the late Elijah Bardwell of Goshen, Ms., and mother of Rev.
Horatio Bardwell of Oxford, and of Sarah, wife of the late Rev. Wm.
Richards of the India Mission; Elijah, Elisabeth, _Ethan_, Jacob, now
deacon of the church in Hadley, and father of Elisabeth, wife of the
late Rev. William Hervey of the India Mission, of Esther, wife of Rev.
Mr. Dunbar of the Pawnee Mission, of Martha, wife of Rev. O. G. Hubbard
of Leominster, Ms., and of Miranda, wife of Rev. P. Belden of Amherst,
Ms.; William and Josiah;--all of whom lived until the youngest was 56
years of age, and all had large families of children, and their mother
saw of her descendants of the fifth generation, before she died, at the
age of 101 years, May 26, 1827.
_Ethan_, the particular subject of this Sketch, married, as stated,
Bathsheba, daughter of the late Rev. David Sanford of Medway, Ms.
Their children were Myron, born at Haverhill, N. H., 1794, and died
1818, aged 24; Lyndon Arnold, born at Haverhill, 1795, graduated at
D. C., married a daughter of Rev. Dr. Griffin, and is now settled as
a physician, in Newark, N. J.; Stephen Sanford, born at Haverhill,
1797, and is now pastor of the Congregational church, Westminster, Ms.;
Laura, who died in infancy; Carlos, born in Hopkinton, 1801, graduated
at Union College, and is now pastor of the Presbyterian church in
Massillon, Ohio; Grace Fletcher, wife of Rev. Job H. Martin, died in
Haverhill, Ms., 1840; Sarah Towne, 2nd wife of Rev. J. H. Martin of
New York; Harriet, wife of Rev. William H. Sanford of Boylston, Ms.;
and Ellen, wife of C. B. Sedgewick, Esq., of Syracuse, died May 23,
1846, aged 33.
The wife of Mr. Smith died in Pompey, N. Y., April 5, 1835, aged 64; he
is still living.