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John Ellis Smith, "Rock" ^^{[1, 2, 3, 4]}
1831 - 1912

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• Suffix	"Rock" ^
  Birth	18 Aug 1831  [3, 5]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1858	Fire Place (now Brookhaven Hamlet), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [6]
  	249 South Country Rd. (modern address, Historic Structure Inventory ID Br11)
  	[Map indicates J. Smith; John E. seems the likely candidate, although it could also be his father, Jacob Baldwin who lived next door.)
  Census	1860	Fire Place (now Brookhaven Hamlet), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [1]
  Occupation	1860  [1]
  	house carpenter
  Possessions	1860  [1]
  	real estate valued at $700
  Census	1880	Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [7]
  	In addition to his wife, there are eight sons and daughters in his household.
  Occupation	1880  [7]
  	carpenter
  Died	19 May 1912  [3]
  Buried	Brookhaven (Oaklawn Cemetery), Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY   [8]
  	Address: Lot 50-52
  Person ID	I3612	Brookhaven & South Haven Hamlets
  Last Modified	20 Dec 2012

  
  

  Father	Jacob Baldwin Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 17 Jun 1807, NY ,   d. 28 Apr 1876, Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY
  Mother	Eliza Davis, ^,   b. 11 Mar 1810,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Documents		Jacob Baldwin Smith homestead. Amy B. Smith de Arcas's "Fire Place Inn" .. This document is the Brookhaven/South Haven Historic Site Data Sheet Br08 for this site, including a link to a photo album. It was operated as a guest house by Amy B. Smith de Arcas, probably in the early 20th century, who called it "Fire Place Inn."
  Family ID	F276	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Louise N. Seaman, ^,   b. 5 Nov 1834, NY ,   d. 8 Jun 1890, Brookhaven, Suffolk, NY
  Married	11 Nov 1855  [2, 3, 4]
  	Leming manuscript indicated: "John E. and his wife Louise N. S. Smith had nine children born to them."
  Children	1. Sanford (Sandford) Ellis Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 24 Aug 1858, NY ,   d. 11 Nov 1933   2. Edgar F. Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 23 Nov 1860,   d. May 1920, {TX}   3. John M. Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 15 Jan 1862,   d. 14 May 1862   4. George M. Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 11 Apr 1865,   d. 6 Jun 1918   5. Mary Evelyn Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 15 Jan 1867, NY ,   d. 1940, {MA}   6. William Preston Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. Abt 1869–1871, {Brookhaven, Brookhaven, Suffolk}, NY ,   d. 17 Mar 1945   7. Amy B. Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. Abt 1873, NY ,   d. 26 Mar 1945   8. Frances (Fanny) L. Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 7 Feb 1875, NY ,   d. 17 Apr 1951   9. Nina Smith, "Rock" ^,   b. 16 Dec 1877, NY ,   d. 31 Aug 1949
  Headstones		#021.050/052.Smith01: John E. & Louise N. Smith gravestone Status: Located Plot: 050/052. W. Preston Smith & John E. Smith
  		#021.050/052.Smith00: Smith Family plot. .. All the Smiths in this plot are descended from John Smith ("Rock Smith") of the Town of Hempstead, NY. 'The Town of Hempstead had a large quota of Smith families from it's earliest days, probably none of these related to one another originally. Among the town's proprietors and those who paid toward the patent were no less than six John Smiths. Very naturally, they were often distinguished by an added appellation. ... John Smith "Rock" (one of these six men) and his family became known as the "Rock" Smiths. This word might be spelled Rock, Roc, Rox, R or r; it might appear instead of a first name, as a middle name, as a word or symbol following the surname, and even between surname and Junior or its symbol J. This diverse usage shows it was not an alias or second surname or mother's maiden name, but merely an identifying term.' (Bailey). Other early Long Island Smith families had similar appellations, therefore "Tangier" Smith (of Mastic and Manor of St. George), "Bull" Smith (of Smithtown,) "Black" Smith (of Merrick,) and "Blue" Smith (of Hempstead.) As to be expected, these early Smith families often intermarried, making research complicated. The origin of the appellation is uncertain, engendering much speculation among various commentators. Much of the lineage recorded here, showing the descendancy from John "Rock" Smith to the Brookhaven Hamlet Smiths derives from a "Smith" Cedar Grove cemetery monument, Patchogue, NY. This eccentric monument, erected in 1909, purports to show the "complete" genealogy of the "Rock" Smiths from early Colonial days to Mrs. Ruth Newey Smith, who erected the monument. Hundreds of names are inscribed on the monument. This monument was transcribed by Mrs. Caleb M. Edwards, and appeared in the Long Island newspaper, Newsday, 16 Sep 1993. However, I believe this record inscribed on this monument to be fundamentally flawed -- see John Smith "Rock," Jr. This plot is a merging of two lots (lots 050 and 052), originally assigned to W. Preston Smith and John E. Smith. William Preston Smith was a son of John Ellis Smith, but apparently was not interred here. Mrs. Preston Smith is interred at lot 116. Status: Located Plot: 050/052
  Family ID	F1944	Group Sheet

  
  

• Sources

  [S61] 1860 Census, p. 209. [S175] Death Certificate: Louisa M. Smith. [S176] Leming: Rock Smith. [S177] Smith Monument: Cedar Grove Cemetery. [S61] 1860 Census, p. 209. Age 28.. [S57] 1858 Chace Map. [S42] 1880 Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Brookhaven, Suffolk, New York; Roll: T9_934; Family History Film: 1254934; Page: 132C; Enumeration District: 315; Image: 0819.. [S196] Oaklawn Cemetery.