Hey Barbara,
I happened to run into this will today, so thought I'd poke at this puzzle again.

NJA Wills vol.30 1730-1750; p. 443
(I changed some spellings and shortened a bit, so see original.)
1737 10 mo. (Dec.) 5 da. Smith, Sam'l, Esq of Mannington, Salem co, will of; Son, Pile Smith the plantation I live on and L50. The plantation purchased of Roger Sherron to be sold to pay charges of the law-suit now depending about Pile Grove and what remains equally divided among daughters, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary Ann
Wife Hannah, lot in Salem where John Turner lives, use of the plantation where I live during widowhood to share equally with daughters in rest of moveable estate.
Executors wife Hannah, John Kinsey, atty. at law in Phila. and Isaac Sharp of Pilesgrove.
wit; John Powell, Joseph Ward, Richard Bradford. Affirmed 27 Dec 1737.
1738 May 30. Letters granted Hannah Smith and Isaac Sharp, in the absence of John Kinsey Lib. 4. p. 139.
1737-8, 12 mo (Feb) . 15 da. Inventory L1,396.19.16 (includes law books and other books, L5. Negroes Dick and Toby L55; 6 other Negroes L100. cattle L98. sheep and hogs L42.18. horses L50. pair of oxen L48, etc) Appraisers, William Hunt, John Powell.

You probably already have the kinfolks figured out, so I'll test what I think against what you have.

Samuel Smith Esq had m. Hannah Hall, dau of Wm. Hall Esq and Elizabeth Pile , so granddaughter of the original Thomas Pile/Pyle who had purchased 10,000 acres of Fenwick before leaving England...which meant he was NOT subject to quit rents.


1682, June 20 Fenwick's Surveys, 1676-1705 To Thomas Pyle of London, citizen and upholsterer, of 10,000 acres, bought by him in the name of Richard Guy of the Parish of Stepney, co. of Middlesex, cheesemonger, who by a deed of trust, conveyed the same to John Eldridge, Joseph Hemseley, Richard Noble, Edward Champneyes and Edmond Warner; of said tract 7, 905 acres are bounded by Fenwick's River, CANNONS Creek, which goes through part of it, Pyles' Mount, Masseksey alias Oldmans alias Berkley Creek, Pyles Bounder Creek, the balance in Necomusses Neck, between Mecomusses run, now called Fenwick's Grove Run, and Fenwick's River. Pg. 545 NJ Archives, 1st Series, Vol. XXI NJ Colonial Documents


Samuel Smith, Esq. was son of Samuel, and they were the Smithfield Smiths of Mannington. (I have to keep them straight by location, too many Smiths in this county).

I don't know what was going on when the above will was written in 1737 - but obviously a law suit of some sort. I didn't find the name Samuel Smith in the Supreme Court index in that time frame, but here are the later entries under Piles Smith:

23542* Smith, Piles (Defendant) Peter Louderback v. Piles Smith Trespass & Ejectment Salem 1762 - 1763
Select 14667 Smith, Piles (Defendant) John Green v. Piles Smith Trespass & Ejectment Salem 1762
Select 23542 Smith, Piles (Defendant) Peter Louderback v. Piles Smith Trespass & Ejectment Salem 1768 - 1769

If you see my earlier email - Louderback was sold some lands that were resurveyed and 'found to be beyond the supposed Pilesgrove line". So SOMETHING had to have changed, and looks like they were trying to have Smith's claim erased, even though he had inherited from his maternal great grandfather and their family had laid claim at that point nearly 100 years.

I don't know if I will find anything in local court records that early, but I'll try to look next chance I can get to Salem. I really want to see that copy of a survey of Pilesgrove supposed to have been done for Piles Smith, that SCHS has listed now too. Did you ever get a copy?

My main interest is not so much the families, but the land. Not that I'm not interested in the people, half of them are kin, or will likely be if I work at it long enough. But I've been working over 20 years now trying to get to first comers in what is now Auburn, in what would have been UPN and I think at least the south end was part of these disputed lands. Explains why I could NOT find sufficient chain of title past a certain point in some cases.

One thing does occur to me...when I've looked at early court cases in the past...if it wasn't for debt, about half the time it was heirs spoiling over shares. You have any clues that might be the case?

Val