Individual Details

The Comstock books have this family very confused. John's wife Ruth, born 1724, could not have been the mother of the younger children ascribed to this family. Yet when John died, his widow was Ruth. I believe it is likely that John married twice, both times to a lady named Ruth [probably Ruth Aldrich] and the second Ruth was much younger resulting in a second family. Any descendants of this family should obtain the original records for clarity.

John Comstock of Smithfield was admitted to vote 5 May 1752. He was on a list of freemen from Smithfield, 1753

1774 Census of Smithfield. John Comstock had 4 males over 16, two males under 16, and 4 females over 16. Since this is just the number of people in the household, it is impossible to determine if all were one family, or some were servants, or other relatives. By 1774, Ruth was surely past child-bearing age.

12 Jul 1788 John deeded 1/2 of the home farm to sons William and Levi. Later records of theirs indicate they were very young and were not counted in 1774. John would have been quite old and may have been guaranteeing this property for the sons born to the second wife.

Ruth Comstock, widow, and Wanton, her son, presented John's inventory 21 Jun 1790. [My question her is did this record actually state that Wanton was Ruth's son, (he was her stepson!) or did it refer to Wanton as a son of John Comstock, deceased. Here is what one record actually says and it does NOT state that Wanton was anyone's son, just that he was Administrator and Ruth, Widow, was administratrix.
LDS Microfilm #0959526
Council & Probate Journal 1770-1797
Central Falls RI Filmed at City Hall 15 Mar 1974
Item #1 on film
No index; few page numbers:
Town Council in Smithfield June ?blot AD 1790
Present: Joseph Farnum, Presd. Jesse Jenks, James Appleby Jun.
Arnold Pain, John Man, Enos Smith
Ruth Comstock Widow as Administratrix & Wanton Comstock
Administrator upon the personal estate of John Comstock late of
Smithfield Yeoman Deceasd Exhibited an Inventory of Said Estate
Who on Engagement Declared they had Set forth all the personal
Estate of the said Decsd That Did Belong unto him at the Time of his Death
that had come unto their hands or Knowledge and If anything more
hereafter Should come unto their hand & Possession they would add the
Same unto Said Inventory. And Stephen Comstock, John Sterett
Daniel Smith Junr the prizers of the Goods, comprised in Said
Inventory On Solemn Engagement Declared that they had mad
a True Apprisal thereof. According to the best of their judgment
Therefore the Said Inventory is Accepted of as a Lawfull Inventory
and is Ordered to be Recorded their giving Bond According to Law &c
Administration granted.

After John's death, Ruth (Aldrich) Comstock married Francis Hamilton. Apparently they were in Oneida Co, NY by 1800 - please read second wife Ruth Aldrich's notes.

22 Feb 1805. William & Levi Comstock of Paris, Oneida Co NY, deed Stephen Charles Mowry 1/2 of a farm in Smithfield, RI, where our father John lived and died excepting the dower of Ruth Hamilton out of said deed. [Although this deed states that John was the father of William & Levi that lived in Oneida Co, it apparently did not say that the dower of Ruth Hamilton was that of their mother, although I believe she would have been.]

3 Sep 1810. William Comstock & Patty his wife, Kanah Mills & Joanna his wife, all of Paris, Oneida Co NY. Oliver Gillette & Rhoda his wife of Hamilton, Oneida Co NY, are seized in fee of land late in possession of John Comstock, dec'd. The said William, Joanna, & Rhoda being natural heirs of Nancy Comstock, dec'd who was heir of John Comstock, they appoint Levi Comstock their attorney to lands of our sister Nancy, dec'd.
[This is probably regarding the property of their sister Nancy - perhaps a half-sister - that had died in 1795. It doesn't include other siblings, but it does include those living in New York that appeared to be the younger, second family of John Comstock, dec'd. They were likely all minors at the time of Nancy's death and could not have taken possession of their inheritance then.]

Birth	16 Apr 1724	Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island
Marriage	19 Jan 1746/47	Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island - Ruth Comstock
Marriage		Ruth Aldrich
Death	16 May 1790	Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island

Spouse	Ruth Comstock (1723 - )
Child	Zibiah Comstock (1750 - 1820)
Child	Nancy Comstock ( - 1795)
Child	John Comstock (1755 - )
Child	Wanton Comstock (1760 - 1833)

Spouse	Ruth Aldrich ( - )
Child	William Comstock (1780 - 1842)
Child	Levi Comstock (1783 - 1859)
Child	Joanna Comstock (1780 - 1843)
Child	Rhoda Comstock (1789 - 1852)

Father	Hazadiah Comstock (1682 - 1764)
Mother	Catherine Pray ( - 1728)
Sibling	Susanna Comstock (1707 - 1736)
Sibling	William Comstock (1708 - 1745)
Sibling	Gideon Comstock (1709 - 1801)
Sibling	Rachel Comstock (1711 - 1806)
Sibling	Catharine Comstock (1713 - )
Sibling	Hazadiah Comstock Jr. (1715 - 1801)
Sibling	Penelope Comstock (1717 - 1736)
Sibling	Anthony Comstock (1719 - 1762)
Sibling	Andrew Comstock (1721 - 1738)