Find Ancestors

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Quick Search

Single word search

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

Trying to find

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

JET48

JET48 Report 2 Feb 2009 18:43

Hi I am trying to find any info on this family.
Thomas Henry Smith died 21 Aug 1910 at 34 Brick Street U.D., aged 59 years, general labourer. Declared by Annie Smith (Upton) widow of the deceased. (from a certiticate) in the sub district of St Philip and St Jacob in the county borough of Bristol

Annie Smith died in 1918, aged 61 years (no certificate)

Their children:

A family story/rumour - very vague of 2 older sons who went to South Africa
Elsie Smith - born about 1894
Bertha Smith - born about 1898
Marguerite Joan Smith - born 29 Aug 1907 at 24 Lamb St. U.D. to Thomas Henry Smith and Annie Smith, formerly Upton in the sub district of St. Philip and St. Jacob, county burough of Bristol. (From a certificate)

Thomas had a sister - Mary Smith who gave birth to an illegitmate daughter 28 Apr 1889, 12 Herbert St. USD named Nelly Hastings, no father listed, mother Mary Smith. They lived at 12 Herbert St. sub district of Fenton, county of Stafford, registration district Stoke upon Trent. (from a certiticate)

This Nelly came to Canada in 1913-1914 with her cousin, Marguerite Joan Smith (this is the mother of the lady that I am trying to help) and settled in North Battleford Saskatchewan. Nelly had married a Robert Ferrie by this time.

I have found Nelly and Marguerite arriving in Quebec Canada on 12 Jun 1914 aboard the Calgarian, but no other useful information. The vessel sailed from Liverpool 5 June 1914.

That is about all the detail that is available. No one has ever found the marriage of Thomas Henry Smith and Annie Upton, nor the births of their children, other than Marguerite.

Joan

Andrew

Andrew Report 2 Feb 2009 18:56

1911 census. looks like this gamily moved about a bit.

Name: Relationship to head: Marital Status: Years married: Sex: Age in 1911: Occupation: Where born: Report error View Original Page
SMITH, ANNIE HEAD WIDOW F 55 CHAR WOMAN DOVERIDGE DERBYSHIRE
SMITH, ELSIE DAUGHTER SINGLE F 15 CHOCOLATE MOULDER STAPLE HILL BURTON ON TRENT
SMITH, BERTHA DAUGHTER F 10 SCHOOL WINGHAM KENT
SMITH, MAGGIE DAUGHTER F 4 BRISTOL


SMITH MAGGIE (RG14PN15014 RG78PN906 RD319 SD6 ED17 SN42)
Address 34 BRICK ST County Gloucestershire
District Bristol Subdistrict St Philip and St Jacob
Enumeration District 17 Parish

JET48

JET48 Report 2 Feb 2009 19:22

Thanks for that Tony thats great. I can not find this family in the 1901 census.

EvieBeavie

EvieBeavie Report 2 Feb 2009 20:17

Looks like there was probably a blended family and no marriage -- the children could have been children of either partner before they formed a household ...


Tracking Annie a bit could help.

http://www.freebmd.org.uk

This is the only Annie Upton born in the right neighbourhood, 1854-1860:

Births Sep 1858
Upton Annie Bingham 7b 296

The district Bingham spans the boundaries of the counties of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire


Now, that's assuming she was born Upton.


Going off in another direction ... daughter Bertha was born in Wingham, Kent, which is in Eastry registration district.

Berthas registered in Eastry 1900-1901 include this one:

Births Sep 1901
PRESTON Bertha Eveline Eastry 2a 1055

and in the 1901 census, we have:

Name: Annie Preston
Age: 36
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1865
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Thomas
Gender: Female
>> Where born: Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England

Name: Hetty Preston
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1896
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: Thomas
Mother's Name: Annie
Gender: Female
>> Where born: Burton-Upon-Trent

Name: Thomas Preston
Age: 40
>> Estimated Birth Year: abt 1861
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Annie
Gender: Male
Where born: Manchester, Lancashire, England

Civil Parish: Milton
County/Island: Kent
Registration district: Gravesend

Thomas Preston 40
Annie Preston 36
Molly Preston 13
Hetty Preston 5
Beatrice Preston 2


That Hetty bears a strong resemblance to Elsie in the 1911. That Annie's place of birth matches Annie Smith's, and that Thomas's age matches Thomas Smith's.

Gimme 5 minutes since I'm still on dial-up consequent on my ISP frying my modem, and I'll check the census image ...

EvieBeavie

EvieBeavie Report 2 Feb 2009 20:37

From the 1901 census image, Thomas Preston is an Engine Driver (Traction Engine) and Annie is a Silk Weaver.

However, they are surrounded on the page by a host of general labourers, agricultural labourers, dock workers, and hawkers, one list of which looks to be transient workers.

The 2-yr-old daughter Beatrice in the household was born in Leicestershire. The mobility of the household certainly fits with the Smiths in 1911!

I can't find a birth to match daughter Hetty in the 1901 household.

There were a couple of Beatrice Prestons born in Leicestershire in the general time frame; this one is a match:

Births Mar 1899
Preston Beatrice Elizabeth Leicester 7a 265


Here's an approximate Elsie ...

Births Sep 1897
Preston Elsie Mabel Burton 6b 429

The district Burton is an alternative name for Burton upon Trent and it spans the boundaries of the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire


No Annie Upton - Thomas Preston marriage, or Annie Preston - Thomas Smith marriage.




EvieBeavie

EvieBeavie Report 2 Feb 2009 21:04

Just doing some fact checking ...

"Thomas had a sister - Mary Smith who gave birth to an illegitmate daughter 28 Apr 1889, 12 Herbert St. USD named Nelly Hastings, no father listed, mother Mary Smith."

What are U.D. and USD, please?


There doesn't seem to have been a Nelly Hastings born in that timeframe. In the June quarter there is no Hastings birth for which Nelly would be an obvious nickname.

I don't find the marriage of a Robert Ferrie to a Hastings or Smith or Nell* ...

How was Nelly registered with the surname Hastings if her mother was a Smith and no father was named? Or was she Nelly Hastings Smith? No birth for Nell* Smith in Bristol, either.

-- oops, I get it. Born and lived in Fenton, Staffordshire, reg dist Stoke on Trent. Still not finding a birth ...



For ref:

Births Dec 1907
SMITH Marguerite Joan Bristol 6a 92

Mother's birth name on the certificate is Annie Upton?



EvieBeavie

EvieBeavie Report 2 Feb 2009 22:07

Trying various angles ...

Unfortunately, 12 Herbert St was occupied by another household in 1881 (the only census searchable by address at Ancestry):

Joseph Wilding 32
Sarah A. Wilding 29
Joseph Wilding 6
Registration district: Stoke Upon Trent
Sub registration district: Fenton

Trying to find Nelly and her mother Mary Smith in the 1891, to get a fix on Mary's personal details, to try to find a household with Thomas and Mary Smith as children ...

Andrew

Andrew Report 2 Feb 2009 22:34

Nell's birth

Surname First name(s) District Vol Page

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Births Jun 1889 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smith Nelly Hustings Stoke T. 6b 261


Andy

EvieBeavie

EvieBeavie Report 2 Feb 2009 23:09

I have no idea why I didn't find that.

So where are they in 1891?? If Mary married after the birth, could be anyone/anywhere ... Can't find 'em.


Annie's birthplace in the 1911 is Doveridge. It's in Uttoxeter reg dist. There are Upton births in the 1850s, but no Ann*. There are two Upton households in Doveridge in the 1871-81 censuses, but no Ann*. No Ann* born in Doveridge in any other census appears to match.


Andrew

Andrew Report 2 Feb 2009 23:15

This is a tricky family. I've looked at all the Nel* born in Staffordshire 1889 +/- in 1891 and nothing fits. I suppose its possible Mary was living with someone else and took that name for the census.

Can't find her in 1901 as well, and can't find marriage to Robert Ferrie. Help!

Andy

mgnv

mgnv Report 2 Feb 2009 23:23

You might keep an eye out for the 1916 Sask census. It was released last month for a few days, then withdrawn. I'm sure it'll reappear soon.
From http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp select Search Records - Record Search Pilot

EvieBeavie

EvieBeavie Report 2 Feb 2009 23:26

Veering off down the Hastings trail ... there was only ever one Hastings household in Fenton. In 1871 -- transcribed twice slightly differently, for some reason.

John Hastings 57
Ann Hastings 56
Thos Hastings 19
Maria Hastings 17


Interestingly, a Maria with brother Thomas, whose DOB matches our Thomas Smith.

Smith is such a ... convenient ... surname. ;)



I know I have a tendency to go off into weird theories ;) ... but 1871 was the last time my own gr-grfather and his younger sister were seen by their birth surnames, having inexplicably adopted a different surname after that ...


No births that match (Kingsley is in Cheadle reg dist, Staffordshire).


EvieBeavie

EvieBeavie Report 2 Feb 2009 23:53

Well, that household is Austin in 1861 -- at least per Ancestry, and I unfortunately just can't keep downloading images at low speed.

John Austin 41
Ann Austin 40
William Austin 20
John Austin 18
Mary Austin 16
Jervis Austin 11
Thomas Austin 9
Maria Austin 6
Mary Austin 84
Civil Parish: Kingsley


But. Thomas actually seems to have been a son of that Ann, by a relationship twice removed.

The 1871 household has an unintelligible William Bart* in it, aged 66.

Interesting is this household in 1861:

James German 31
Ann German 27
> Thomas Bartlein 7
John German 8 Mo
Edward Dinon 31

Marriages Dec 1859
Bartlam Ann Cheadle 6b 403
German James Cheadle 6b 403

Births Dec 1853
BARTLAM Thomas Cheadle 6b 187
Births Jun 1854
BARTLAM Thomas Cheadle 6b 234

and then in 1891 in Stoke upon Trent:

Name: Thomas Bartlam
Age: 27
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1854
Relation: Son in Law
Spouse's Name: Harriet (Wytcherly)
Where born: Fenton, Staffordshire, England

but no other Thomas Bartlam. And no obvious death for the other one.

Oh, but there is a marriage:

Marriages Sep 1878
Bartlam Thomas Stoke T. 6b 279
BICKERTON Edith Ann Stoke T. 6b 279
SHAW Mary Stoke T 6b 279
STANWAY Thomas Stoke T. 6b 279

Right, and here he is in 1881 in SuponT:

Name: Thomas Bartlam
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Mary
Where born: Kinsley, Staffordshire, England


Just tracing the many and likely completely unrelated possibilities!

In this case, just because "Hastings" has to have some significance. Ordinarily I would think it was the surname of Nellie's father, since that was common practice, but there isn't a Mr. Hastings to fit the bill in the vicinity.

JET48

JET48 Report 4 Feb 2009 19:34

I would just like to say thankyou very Much for all your help.
Of all the names it had to be "Smth" Its odd that we can not find Thomas and Annie on the 1901.

Thanks again Joan