JOHN SMITH lived in Erwarton, Suffolk, England. His will, dated June 16, 1542 and proved Oct. 10, 1542, asks that he be buried in the church of Erwarton. He gave his properties, called Brownes Marlars and Sparhawkes, to his oldest William, unless William died without heirs, in which case they would pass to second son, PHILIP. The later must have happened, as PHILIP inherited the properties and bequeathed them in his own 1587/88 will.

Tracing back through the ancestry of JOHN SMITH^[G15], (JOHN^[G16] "the younger", WILLIAM^[G17], and JOHN^[G18]), shows that the father, JOHN SMITH^[G16] "the younger" , lived in Stratford St. Mary, Suffolk, England, before coming to Erwarton. Erwarton is about 10 miles downriver east of Stratford on the estuary River Stour.

The father of JOHN SMITH^[G15] was known as JOHN^[G16] "the younger" to distinguish him from his half-brother John "the elder", born of a previous marriage.

The grandfather of JOHN SMITH^[G15] was WILLIAM SMITH^[G17] , who had two wives. The firstborn of each wife was named John. They are referred to as John "the elder" (of the first wife) and JOHN^[G16] "the younger" (of the second wife, KATHERINE BROWN^[G17]). The grandfather WILLIAM^[G17] was born about 1438 probably in Stratford St. Mary. He lived in Stratford but had properties in other places as well. He also had a mill and a dye-house mentioned in his will. He instructed burial "in the church at Stratford", although years later his wife and several children were buried in Erwarton.

KATHERINE BROWN's^[G17] will describes herself as a widow and instructs that her burial be at Erwarton. It mentions her daughter Jane, sons Robert and JOHN^[G16] and wife MARGARET^[G16] , along with her late husband WILLIAM^[G17] in Erwarton. She also mentions her mother ANN BROWN^[G18] and her brother John Brown. KATHERINE^[G17] is called Dame KATHERINE SMITH in the 1510 will of her son, Sir Robert.

The great-grandfather of JOHN SMITH^[G15] was JOHN SMITH^[G18] . He is the earliest ancestor listed in a will dated May 27, 1586. His own will was dated Mar. 3, 1467/68 and proved Oct. 2, 1468. This earliest ancestor was born about 1412, probably in Stratford St. Mary parish, Suffolk, England. Stratford was given as his residence in that 1467/68 will. The will named two wives, Cristyn and Cicely and two children, WILLIAM^[G17] and Cicely. Which wife (or wives) is the mother of each child is unknown.