Elijah Smith

  Noted events in his life were:

• Church: From East Lyme, Our Town and How it Grew by Olive Tubbs Chendali, 1989, Page 115, 23 Apr 1753, East Lyme, Connecticut. Following on the heels of the Great Awakening, came dissention in the ranks, which coincided with the appearance of several new religious groups in the Colony of Connecticut. In 1748 Samuel Smith of East Lyme organized a Separatist movement and gradually the membership of the East Society dwindled. Finally, we have a record of 25 of the Church members being "read out of the Church" to join the Separatists who had been meeting at a home on Meetinghouse Hill, now known as Niantic Hill on the Boston Post Road.

This list appears in the Minutes of the Society Records:
Joseph Lee Joseph Tubs
Quorle Smith Isaac Tubs
James Smith Wm. Tubbs
Elijah Smith Aaron Huntley
Stephan Smith Richard Beckwith
Simon Smith Benjamin Beckwith
Samuel Smith John Beckwith
Daniel Smith Joseph Way
Joseph Smith Samuel Austin
Nicodemus Miller Peter Tubs
Elisha Miller Silas Smith
Nathan Miller Philip Oc- (Occuish?)
John Lewis

These men were to form the beginning of the First Baptist Church in our whole area. They were organized under Ebeneezer Mack and records show that Elisha Miller "at sundry times officiates as a Publick teacher among ye Separatists". Their meeting place was the home of Silas Smith who lived on what is now known as Stone's Ranch Road.

Elijah married Elizabeth Beckwith, daughter of John Beckwith Jr and Mehetabel Chappell, on 28 Nov 1738 in Lyme, New London, Connecticut.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage: East Lyme Society, 28 Nov 1738, Lyme, New London, Connecticut. November 28, 1738, Elijah Smith and Elizabeth Beckwith were married together (pg. 2)

Source Citation
[East Lyme Society]. Record of baptisms, marriages, and persons who owned the covenant, 1737-1761, MS 83382, Connecticut Historical Society (CHS), Hartford, Connecticut. Transcribed by Julia Morrow, CHS Collections Associate, February 2022.