Relatively Speaking

Obituary for Julia Smith
Hartford Times of March 11, 1886
Mrs. Julia E. Smith Parker died at her house in Parkville at 8:30 o’clock on Saturday evening, March 6, at the age of 93 years—almost 94.

On the 7th of last November, without any apparent cause, she fell upon the floor and broke her hip, and for many weeks was a great sufferer; but for the past few weeks she had but little pain, and passed away at last as peacefully as though dropping into a dreamless sleep.

Her old neighbor and long-tried friend, Mrs. Kellogg of Glastonbury, was with her, and the only one who to her was linked with the past.

Julia Evelina Smith was the last of her race and the last of a remarkable family. She was born May 27, 1792, in Eastbury, that part of Glastonbury now called Buckingham. Her mother named her Julietta Abelinda, but her father afterward improved the name by change it to Julia Evelina, from Miss Burney’s three-volume novel so popular in those days.

She was the fourth child of a family of 5 daughters, Abby Smith being the youngest. Julia studied Heberw and translated the Bible when she was over 50; she resisted taxation without representation and made herself famous at the age of 80 or over; she published her bible at the age of 84, and married at 87. These are the prominent points in her life.
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A Bride at Eighty-Seven
Hartford, Conn., April 10
Miss Julia Evelina Smith of Glastonbury, the only survivor of the Smith sisters, celebrated for their resistance to taxation without representation, was married, yesterday to Amos G. Parker of New Hampshire. Both Bride and groom are in their 87th year.

To see the news article and read the 1879 letter of Aida Austin to her sister Emma, go to Julia Smith, Bride at 87

Glastenbury, CT, May 16, 1869
Dear Cousin,
When your letter came to hand, I was suffering with tooth ache and swelled face or I should have answered it immediately.

We were very sorry to hear of your grandmother’s death, one of the three cousins left of our mothers. We had much to say respecting her and her father’s family. My sisters remember her coming here once while they lived in Hartford. Our mother calling there on her return form Southbury, brought her home with her, but they said her sisters came for her the next day.

Truly you must miss her very much if she was always so busy seeing to everything as she was when we were there. I became much attached to her. Your grandfather was living then with whom my sister and I were much pleased. He possessed? so much intelligence. He died about the time she did, I think. You may not remember him, I cannot think of your place without them. I thought I should see them again, especially your grandmother. I am glad you girls are grown to take her place with your mother who was always feeble like our mother, but our mother knew how to contrive for the benefit of her family as I believe yours does and this is quite as necessary as working with the hands.

I hope her grandchildren can do both. There is no comfort in anything without health is certain and very little I do believe without work.

I was much pleased with what you wrote about the newcomer. Nothing can be more amiable in a young girl than to give a welcome to the little ones…but they will love them well enough in a short time for ‘tis said they pay their way as they go, but I have known some much displeased at first making it very hard for their mother.

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Glastenbury, January 31, 1868
I have just received your letter and to show how much interest I still take in your mother, I have seated myself, immediately to answer it.

You say you would like a situation to teach, next summer and I think it would be very improving for you. But we are now so advanced, that we have not felt that interest in the schools that we used to years ago, and I should not know where to apply.

Had we descendants or near relatives, we should have retained it longer and known much more about them as it is I am unacquainted with any of the instructors.

I was glad your father thought of coming to see us. Tell him he must not wait till he gets time. but he must take time and take your mother, too; and then we shall be sure to see them and that before a great while.

You older girls can take care of the children meanwhile and the baby too, I know. I like his name, but you don’t tell us how old he is and whether he can run about and call your names.

I should like much to look in upon you and see all the children and among them your grandmother, perhaps, the most interesting to me, but since our last sister died, I have never expected to go so far from home as your house.
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Glastenbury, March 17, 1866
Dear Cousin,
It is four weeks since I received your last letter, and should have answered it before, but I have been gone sometime to New Haven, 39 miles from here, where we have many acquaintances among them a granddaughter of Dr. Warren Mitchel of Southbury.

Her brother Henry Johnson came over to accompany me home and left here last Wed. Almost the first thing his sister said to me was, “Are you not ashamed of your Johnson blood?” (Our grandmother was a JOhnson). And truly I believe every Republican, Johnson or not, is ashamed of our president since his speech to that rebel, copperhead, drunken mob.

His disagreement with congress is the general topic of conversation here, and I suppose it is all over the country.

When I read your last letter and learned how many children you have had to take care of, I excused you wholly for not writing before, but they will be a great…that is if you bring them …up to obey their father and mother which would indeed be a wonderment in these days of misrule, where all laws and authority seem to be set at nought.
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Glastonbury, January 29, 1855
Mary Ann Austin, Lumberland
Dear Cousin,
I though you should not wait again so long to hear from me and besides, I was so much pleased with your letter that I wanted to set down immediately and acknowledge it. It contained a little about all our cousins there, just what I wanted to know.

It must have been very hard for your mother to sit so long, but from what I saw of her, I should say, she was one that does not complain, but makes the best of things as they are; which if everyone would do, it would save much trouble in many families.

I was glad to hear of your father’s journey and improved health and that your husband thought he would like to bring you here, for I am apt to look on the bright side, and think perhaps he will come, some day.

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Last year, my newly found Austin cousin shared with me the Austin letters, info and photos saved by her grandmother Lillie Austin Calkin.

Among the items was an 1855 letter from an Abby Smith to my great-grandmother Mary Ann Eldred Austin.

The letter was about how Abby’s sisters had been so sick and what they did to get better. As I typed up the letter, I found myself wondering why in the world I was typing up a letter from 1855 about some very sick people I had never heard of.

But then the names of Abby’s sisters—Cyrinthia, Laurilla, and Zephina—were so unusual, that I thought perhaps even with Smith for a last name, I would do a google search including Glastonbury, where the letter was from.

Abby Hadassah Smith and her sisters—Hancy Zephina, Cyrinthia Sacretia, Laurilla Aleroyla, and Julia Evelina—were the daughters of Hannah Haddasseh Hickok Smith and Zephaniah Hollister Smith.

Hannah Haddassah Hickok Smith was a first cousin to my great-great-grandmother Hannah Hickok Eldred.

The Zephiniah H. and Hannah H. Hickok Smith Family
The Zephaniah Smith daughters came from an accomplished and nonconformist family. Zephaniah Smith was a lawyer and former minister. Their mother, Hannah Hickok, was an amateur mathematician and poet.

Zephina was an inventor; Laurilla was an artist; and Cyrinthia was a poet and horticulturist. Julia knew classical languages and translated the Bible into English.

In 1873, Abby, 76, and her sister Julia, 81, lived in their family home, Kimberly Mansion, in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Kimberly Farm had the most valuable property in town. The Smith sisters were being exploited by the town tax collector, because they were women and at that time, had no vote or voice in their taxes.

Abby and Julia refused to pay their tax until they were given representation. Abby took their concerns to the town council where she said:

The motto of our government is ‘Proclaim liberty to all inhabitants of the land!’ and here, where liberty is so highly extolled and glorified by every man in it, one-half of the inhabitants are not put under her laws, but are ruled over by the other half, who can take all they possess.

How is Liberty pleased with such worship?

The town seized their beloved Alderney cows, auctioned them off and attempted to auction their farm as well.

The sisters were able to buy the cows back and fought the town in court, ultimately winning.

More information on the Smith Family
Abby, Julia, and the Cows
Fascinating, well written article by Elizabeth G. Speare.

Kimberly Mansion.

Glastonbury, CT history

The Smiths of Glastonbury

Olinda Ann Austin was the daughter of Alonzo Eugene and Isabelle Camp Austin. Around 1880, Alonzo Eugene and Belle Austin and their children, Olinda and Henrietta, and probably Alonzo Eugene Austin jr. went to Alaska where they were Presbyterian missionaries in Sitka.

Olinda Austin married Joseph Garrish Ayers. Here is Olinda with their two sons, Joseph Garrish and Charles Haines Austin.

Could this be Mary Ann Eldred Austin? The photo below is Mary Ann Austin with her ninth child.

Could this be Aida?

Could this be great-great-grandma Hannah Hickok Eldred? She died
in 1869. Great-great-grandma Fanny Knapp Austin died in 1861.

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