pg 565689
pg 338642
Family 40-pg 43641
Elkanah served under Capt Samuel Knowles against Crown Point during the period 1756-1757, when he was 22 years old. In 1760, a group of settlers came from Cape Cod to Barrington and settled all around the area. By 1794, they had become restless and, for various reasons, decided to move down the coast. One group, consisting of Caleb and Richard Nickerson, Elkanah and Joseph Smith, John Thomas and others, landed at Coot Cove. It had a fine beach looking out to sea, which must have been calm enough that day for landing. They set immmediately to work to build houses and, eventually, the Coot Cove community had 27 houses, the cellers of most of which can still be seen. They led a difficult and strenuous life and prospered in proportion to their catches of fish. In the 1770 Census, Elkanah was identified "...Elkony Smith...one man, four boys, one woman, and one girl..." Records show that the inhabitants petitioned for a grant of land several times and, by 1818, were granted a license of occupation for the entire area of 265 acres. They built several large ships for trading along the coast. Crowell shows slightly different birth and marriage dates from that recorded. Caleb Nickerson and his family, and Elkanah Smith and his family, along with John Thomas, made up the greater number of settlers. Gradually, the fishing grounds moved further off-shore and larger boats were needed. At first, they moored their boats in Shallop Cove and in Indian Harbour, overland from Coot Cove, but soon many of the families began to move closer to the sheltered waters. Some bought land from settlers already there and others received land grants. Elkanah was a Grantee in Barrington Township. His First Division lot was No 6 on Sherose Island near his brother, David; the Second Division was at Lyle's Bridge where he lived for several years. He and his family eventually sold off their holdings and moved to Sambro.