Smith, Samuel, 1720-1776

Samuel Smith, the son of Abigail Raper and Richard Smith (d.1751), was born in Burlington, New Jersey on December 13, 1720. Smith established himself as a merchant in Philadelphia before returning to Burlington where he became involved in politics. He served as the Treasurer of the Western Division of the Colony of New Jersey from 1750-1775, a Justice of the Peace, a member of New Jersey's Council from 1763-1775, and as Mayor of Burlington. In addition, he took a key role in the establishment of an Indian Reservation in Brotherton, New Jersey, was an active member of the Society of Friends, and an historian who gathered early documents for a history on New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the Society of Friends in those colonies. Samuel Smith married Jane Kirkbride, the daughter of Joseph Kirkbride, on November 13, 1741. The couple had four children together: Joseph, Abigail, Sarah, and Richard. Samuel Smith died in Burlington on July 13, 1776.