| Name |
Smith, Grace |
| Suffix |
Mrs |
| Birth |
1614 |
England  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Death |
1711 |
Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA |
|
| author |
1712 |
Boston, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA |
| The dying mothers legacy. Or The good and heavenly counsel of that eminent and pious patron, Mrs. Grace Smith, late widow to Mr. Ralph Smith of Eastham in New-England (1712) |
- 20260511GHLn-
The dying mothers legacy. Or The good and heavenly counsel of that eminent and pious patron, Mrs. Grace Smith, late widow to Mr. Ralph Smith of Eastham in New-England (1712)
by Smith, Grace Mrs.
Printed and sold by Timothy Green, at the lower-end of Middle-Street
Second edition of The Good and Heavenly COUNSEL by Mrs. Grace Smith, published in 1712. The only recognized religious book by a Puritan woman in Colonial America. Original Edition transcribed by Reverend Samuel Treat, Graduate of 1669 Class of Harvard University. Reverend Treat paid a visit to his congregant, Mrs. Grace Smith, who was ninety-six. She had been his faithful congregant for almost forty years, yet he discovered she had an entirely different approach to the same verses he had taught. This book is a collection of the COUNSEL Grace Smith wanted to leave for her children. These are moral lessons with concern for their souls. She had written two poems, which still have merit, as well as twenty teachings with correlating biblical verses. Reverend Treat carefully chose his descriptive words for her. The Good and Heavenly COUNSEL Of that Eminent and Pious Matron, Mrs. GRACE SMITH Late Widow to Mr. RALPH SMITH Of Eastham in New England. He made his own dedication and commitment clear by his declaration: “Left as a perpetual Monitor to her Surviving Children; as it was taken from her own mouth a little before her death, by the Minister of that Town where she died.” He then chose the biblical passage that sets the context for her teachings as the moral authority of a mother, as differentiated from that of a father. Prov 1.8 My Son, Hear the Instruction of thy Father and Forsake not the Law of thy Mother Reverend Treat understood the lessons of this aged, alert woman had a gentle, loving approach. This was quite different from the hell, fire and brimstone teachings that were customary from the ministers of the time. She was concerned about the souls of her children. She had the moral authority. Timothy Green was the preeminent publisher of his time. Thus The Good and Heavenly COUNSEL had the approval and dedication of Reverend Treat and Publisher Green, who were highly respected authorities. The careful transcription has been done by Lynn Keller, her tenth generation descendant. This is an important tome for American history, religion in America, women's studies, and Cape Cod lore. The teachings are as relevant today as they were three hundred years ago. Indeed, the authority of wise old women is often the missing voice in our society. A bright and alert 96 year old, Grace had the perspective of living through the entire first century of America. She was a respected member of the generation that forged our society. Having come to America in 1635, she knew the changes in her tightly knit community and through her own family. Many of her great-grandchildren were teenagers when she died in 1710. This book represents the religious viewpoint of the mothers who pass on their moral teachings from one generation to the next.
https://www.amazon.com/Good-Heavenly-COUNSEL-published-Counsel/dp/1490945970
https://provincetownindependent.org/community/2021/11/17/amazing-grace-a-mothers-legacy/
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!Amazing-Grace-Mothers-Legacy_MrsGrace-Smith_LDS.jpg
20260511GHLn-
The dying mothers legacy. Or The good and heavenly counsel of that eminent and pious patron, Mrs. Grace Smith, late widow to Mr. Ralph Smith of Eastham in New-England (1712)
by Smith, Grace Mrs.
Printed and sold by Timothy Green, at the lower-end of Middle-Street
Second edition of The Good and Heavenly COUNSEL by Mrs. Grace Smith,… |
| LDS |
11 May 2026 |
| • 9XPX-G52 ***Grace is an UNKNOWN***. She was not Lewis or Hatch. She was born circa 1614, probably in England, where her husband Ralph Smith was born. Her birth estimate is derived from an article in the Provincetown Independent (Memories tab) in 2021. The article was about a 1712 published work of Grace\'s own words, titled \"The Dying Mothers Legacy\", & where Mrs. Grace Smith of Eastham is described as being 96 years old in 1710. |
- 20260511GHLn-
Grace
Female
about 1614 – about 1711
• 9XPX-G52
Sources (3)
Collaborate (2)
Memories (2)
Notes
***Grace is an UNKNOWN***. She was not Lewis or Hatch. She was born circa 1614, probably in England, where her husband Ralph Smith was born. Her birth estimate is derived from an article in the Provincetown Independent (Memories tab) in 2021. The article was about a 1712 published work of Grace's own words, titled "The Dying Mothers Legacy", & where Mrs. Grace Smith of Eastham is described as being 96 years old in 1710.
She was married to Ralph Smith, circa 1639-40. In the "Great Migration Begins", by Robert Anderson, Vol. 2, p. 1698, Mr. Anderson states that there is evidence in the records for only ONE wife, Grace.
Researchers have also suggested that Grace was the widow of Thomas Hatch, of Barnstable, but given that Thomas & his Grace came to New England with their children, one being Jonathan, born circa 1627, & given that Grace Smith was born circa 1614, Grace Smith would have been 13 years old when Jonathan Hatch was born. This is what the above Anderson states:
"Most sources claim that Ralph Smith had two wives, and the children were by the first. There are also claims that his wife Grace was widow of Thomas Hatch of Barnstable, but his widow had apparently died by 1662. The ****only wife**** seen in the records for Ralph is ****Grace*****."
Grace & her son, Samuel, are granted administration rights on Ralph's estate, the 27th of October, 1685, at Eastham. (attached as a source.)
Grace UNKNOWN Smith died at Eastham circa 1711, just before publication of the above mentioned "The Dying Mothers Legacy" in 1712. The cover states Eastham is where she died.
Less
Last Changed: April 2, 2026
D
DONE DO WHAT YOU WANT.
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!Amazing-Grace-Mothers-Legacy_MrsGrace-Smith_LDS.jpg
20260511GHLn-
The dying mothers legacy. Or The good and heavenly counsel of that eminent and pious patron, Mrs. Grace Smith, late widow to Mr. Ralph Smith of Eastham in New-England (1712)
by Smith, Grace Mrs.
Printed and sold by Timothy Green, at the lower-end of Middle-Street
Second edition of The Good and Heavenly COUNSEL by Mrs. Grace Smith,… |
| FSID |
9XPX-G52 |
| Person ID |
I118899 |
WetzelAncestry |
| Family |
Smith, Ralph /Smythe, b. 1610, Hingham, Norfolk, England d. 14 Sep 1685, Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA (Age 75 years) |
| Marriage |
1639 |
Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA |
| Children |
| | 1. Smith, Samuel Sr Capt, b. Jul 1641, Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA d. 22 Mar 1697, Eastham, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA (Age 55 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural] |
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| Family ID |
F66407 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
1614 - 1711 (97 years)
