Edward Smith & Sarah Clarke

Newport's oldest Producer of Rum

Edward Smith, my wife's 5th great grandfather and father of Elizabeth Smith was born January 7, 1730 in Newport, Rhode Island Colony.  Newport was a center of naval trade in the 1700's, including Pirate activity.  Several pirates (at least 26) were arrested, hung and buried on Goat Island (part of Newport).

Regretfully, Newport at that time was a leader in the slave trade.  Rum was distilled locally, shipped to West Africa, exchanged for slaves, then the slaves were sold to sugar plantations in the Caribbean who used them to produce sugar for more rum production in Rhode Island (aka Triangle Trade).

I have no indication that Edward was directly involved in any of these activities, but then again I have no evidence of any of his activities.  I do know he married a woman also from Newport, Sarah Clarke, on October 21, 1750.  Sarah was born July 7, 1734.

The only child they had was Elizabeth.

I have not found any data on their death dates or ages.  Other researchers feel they died early and I tend to believe that since one child is unusual in that time and because they don't seem to appear on any other records.  I'll keep looking for further facts.

Gideon Barker & Elizabeth Croade

Newport's original town common, the Parade, is now known as Washington Square.
The Colony House - Rhode Island's state house until 1901 - is in the background.

Gideon Barker, Father of Nathaniel Barker, and my wife's 4th great grandfather was born in Middletown in the colony of Rhode Island on December 4, 1751.  He lived in Middletown and Newport throughout his life.  Newport was founded in 1639 by people who embraced the separation of church and state (unlike the puritans).  Most of the original residents were Baptist, but there was significant Quaker and Jewish representation in Newport.  By the time of Gideon's birth, Newport was one of the largest ports in America.  Gideon, at the age of 35, witnessed the beginning of a three year British occupation of Rhode Island.  The French later occupied Newport after the British left, and it was from here that the French began their march to Yorktown (1781). 

On October 25, 1781 (6 days after the American and French victory at Yorktown, which was the last major battle fo the Revolutionary war), Gideon married Elizabeth Croade at the Second Baptist Church by Rev. Gardiner Thurston.  They had two children, Nathaniel, and Cynthia.  I have no information on his occupation.  Elizabeth was born on June 1, 1756 also in Middletown. 
Gideon lived to age 82 (September 11, 1834).  Below is his gravestone, along with that of his wife, who died at the age of 90 (December 30 1846).

Gideon Barker (Middletown Cemetery)

Elizabeth Barker (Croade), (Middletown Cemetery)