Research Forum

What happened to Noah SMITH?
published by Pat Hase on Sun, 01/09/2019 - 17:58

My great grandmother born Mary Susannah WATTS (known as Susan) was born 18th June 1848 in Cam, (near Dursley) Gloucestershire. She was married twice - the first time to Stephen Hadley SMITH in Cam on the 6th April 1866. According to FreeBMD Stephen's birth was registered with both surnames in 1843

Births March qrt 1843

HADLEY Stephen Dursley 11 317

SMITH Stephen Dursley 11 317

Stephen and 2 of his brothers, Walter (registered as Walter SMITH in 1841) & Charles, were all christened on the 12th June 1848 at Cam Parish Church as the sons of Stephen and Sarah HADLEY.

Stephen HADLEY Senior had married Sarah SMITH, a widow, on Dec 6th 1846 at Cam. Sarah's father was Joseph HORWOOD. Sarah HORWOOD had married a Noah SMITH 1st Nov 1829 and I have found two children for them - Esther SMITH in 1829 and another Noah SMITH in 1832 - But what happened to their father?

Except for his wedding, Stephen Hadley SMITH was always known as Stephen HADLEY and he and Susan had 6 children. He died in 1876 and after his death, in 1879, Susan HADLEY (nee WATTS) married John HILL and they had 2 children, the first one born in 1878, before their marriage, and the last being my grandfather Ashton Bertie HILL in 1880.

But I am still curious about Noah SMITH - not a blood relation - but did he die between 1831 and 1841 or did she just leave him?

Comments ..

Submitted by daveerasmus on Mon, 02/09/2019 - 18:06

I like a mystery. Do you know where Sarah and the children were in 1841? Do you know whether either of the children married? Any marriage certificate might show the status of their father and his occupation.

Dave Erasmus

Submitted by Pat Hase on Mon, 02/09/2019 - 22:50

That's fantastic - Thank you Dave. But the mystery deepens!

Looking at the 1841 Census, Sarah SMITH is with her mother Ann HORWOOD, in Cam and she has with her a 1-year-old Stephen SMITH. This isn't her son Stephen who married Susan - he was born in 1843. Who was this Stephen and what happened to him?

No sightings of her husband, Noah SMITH or their two children Esther and young Noah yet. All help gratefully received.

Submitted by daveerasmus on Tue, 03/09/2019 - 20:36

Ok.

I've scoured the GRO looking for a possible Stephen SMITH or HORWOOD born around 1840 but without success.

I can't find Esther anywhere.

I think Noah junior (born 1832) was in the Dursley Workhouse in 1841 and was an apprentice mechanic in Bristol St George in 1851. I think he married Elizabeth MOSTON in 1852 in Bedminster and they had a son John in 1854. In 1861 and 1871 they were in Bristol (St Philip & St Jacob) and he died in 1877 in Dursley.

One of the witnesses to Noah senior's marriage was Enoch SMITH. This might have been his father. There is a marriage of Enoch SMITH and Ann DAINTON in Dursley in 1806, Enoch was baptised in Dursley in 1786.

I've put all of the relevant sources in a mini tree on Ancestry. If you'd like an invitation let me know. Or you should find it (with many others!) if you do a search on my username (daveerasmus).

This doesn't answer all of your questions unfortunately, but it might take things forward a little.

Dave Erasmus

Submitted by Pat Hase on Wed, 04/09/2019 - 22:58

Wow, Now why didn't I think that Noah SMITH junior, might have been in a Workhouse? I'm sure you've found the right one - thank you. I wonder why he was in there? The marriage to Elizabeth MOTSON looks promising too. Another puzzle is why he returned from Bristol if it was him who died in the Dursley area in 1877. I think I'm in danger of getting bogged down with this SMITH family when I should be concentrating on my own SMITH connections in this area! Many thanks for your help Dave - you are always so generous with your time and I am grateful. I'll let you know when I start a one-name study of the SMITHS in the Dursley area!!

Submitted by daveerasmus on Fri, 06/09/2019 - 19:32

It's nice to be able to give something back, Pat. And - let's be honest - a diversion from banging my head against my own brick walls. A one name study of SMITHs from anywhere strikes me as a very scary prospect.

Dave