Smith Genealogy

21 August 2006

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Dr G.M.W.Mann.      Baytrees

Burnhams Rd,    Lt.Bookham

Surrey, U.K.           KT23 3AU

geoff.mann@btinternet.com

 

 

 

 

 

6 John SMITH 1775-1849?

 

 

m Ann Martha SPEAKMAN 1799

 

 

 

 

John was christened at Lt Waltham in 1775, eldest son of John SMITH a yeoman of Stonage farm, Lt Waltham.

 

He was left property in Lt Waltham, on the road from Waltham to Braintree and £100 in his father's will when he was 21, and 3 years later he married Ann Martha SPEAKMAN in nearby Boreham parish church.

 

John & Ann baptised at least 6 children at Gt Leighs, Ann's parish.  In 1813, John was a farmer of Gt Leighs, but in 1841 he was at Scurvey Hall close to the border of Gt & Lt Waltham, probably the property left to him by his father.  Scurvey Hall Lane leads past Stonage, his fathers home.

 

John died in 1849 aged 73 and was buried at Lt Waltham.  After his death, his wife moved to Bermondsey possibly to live with one of her children.  She died there but was also buried at Lt Waltham in 1854.

 

 

 

 

EVENTS

C=Christened

 

           age

   DATE   JS AS

 

EVENT

17Dec1775     

 1Jul1796 21  

17Apr1799 24 20

25Jan1801 26 22

 9May1802 27 23

 9Mar1803 28 24

 8Sep1803 28 24

20Jan1805 30 26

19May1806 31 27

28Dec1807 32 28

29Jun1813 38 34

 6Jun1841 66 62

 3Sep1849 73 70

14Oct1854    75

22Oct1854    75

John C at Lt Waltham son of John & Ann SMITH

will of John's father proved; £100 to John plus property in Chatham Hall manor, Lt Waltham

John of Lt Waltham m Ann Martha SPEAKMAN at Boreham; w: Peter SMITH, Ann SPEAKMAN

dau Ann Martha C at Gt Leighs

dau Sarah C at Gt Leighs

dau Sarah buried at Gt Leighs

son John C at Gt Leighs

son Thomas C at Gt Leighs

son Francis Speakman C at Gt Leighs

dau Sarah C at Lt.Leighs

son Peter C at Gt Leighs; John a farmer of Gt Leighs

at Scurvey Hall, Gt Waltham; John a farmer

John SMITH of Gt.Waltham buried at Lt.Waltham

Ann Martha died of hepatitis and old age at 2 New Street Bermondsey; registered by daughter Ann Martha

Ann Martha of St James Bermondsey buried at Lt Waltham

 

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL RECORDS

 

 

b=born  m=married  d=died

C=Christened      B=Buried

 

BIRTH

 

At his m in 1799, John SMITH was of Lt.Waltham, but he C his children at Gt.Leighs, his wife's parish.  At the last baptism in 1813, John was a farmer of Gt.Leighs.  By 1841 however he was at Scurvey Hall (in Gt Waltham but close to the boundary with Lt.Waltham) aged 60 so b1776-81.  The probable burial at Lt.Waltham and his death certificate age gives John a birth date of 1776.

 

There is no suitable baptism at Gt Waltham or Gt Leighs.  However there is just one suitable C in the Lt.Waltham parish register:

 

C 17Dec1775 John  s John  & Ann SMITH

 

Further evidence that the above is the correct baptism is given by the address of John (6) in 1841 – Scurvy Hall Lane; the parents of the above baptism, John & Ann SMITH, lived at Stonage farm (see John SMITH-7) which lies on Scurvey Hall Lane.    Note also that witnesses to the marriage of John were Ann and Peter SMITH; Ann could be John's mother, while Peter is probably another son of John & Ann, one year younger than John-6

 

 

MARRIAGE

 

Francis Speakman SMITH-5 was C 1806 at Gt Leighs son of John and Ann Martha.  Other baptisms to these parents at Gt.Leighs commence in 1801. This is preceded by a suitable marriage at neaby Boreham:

 

m 17Apr1799 John SMITH bch of Little Waltham & Ann Martha SPEAKMAN otp minor by licence; [both signed]  w: Peter SMITH, Ann SPEAKMAN

 

This is undoubtedly the correct m because of the use of Speakman as a forename for Francis.  Ann Martha was C1779 at Terling so was a minor; the licence was not found at ERO

 

DESCENDANTS

from Gt Leighs parish register and BT:

 

C 25Jan1801 Anne Martha      d John  & Anne SMYTHE

C  9May1802 Sarah            d John  & Anne SMITH; B  9Mar1803 Sarah SMITH infant

C  8Sep1803 John             s John  & Anne SMITH

C 20Jan1805 Thomas           s John  & Anne SMITH

C 19May1806 Francis Speakman s John  & Anne SMITH

C 28Dec1807 Sarah            d John  & Anne SMITH at Little Leighs

C 29Dec1810 Elizabeth        d John  & Anne SMITH

C 29Jun1813 Peter            s John  & Ann Martha SMITH of Gt Leighs farmer   [BT]

From Lt.Leighs register:

 

C 28Dec1807 Sarah  d John  & Ann SMITH of Gt Leighs

 

DEATH

 

Gt.Leighs burials searched to 1869 but no suitable b of John or Ann Martha found; Lt.Waltham b searched to 1860 and Gt.Waltham only to 1810.  Possible burials found were:

 

B 2?Dec1800 John SMITH at Gt.Waltham

B  3Sep1849 John SMITH 73 of Gt.Waltham [b 1776] at Lt.Waltham

B 22Oct1854 Ann Martha SMITH 75 of St James, Bermondsey [B 1779] at Lt.Waltham

 

certificates:

 

d 28Aug1849 John SMITH male, 73, farmer, at Great Waltham, of dropsy

r 29Aug1849 by Mary x SORRELL pad, Great Waltham, at Great Waltham, Chelmsford, ESX

 

d 14Oct1854 Ann Martha SMITH female 75, 2 New Street, widow of John SMITH, farmer, cause: hepatitis and old age

r 16Oct1854 by Ann Martha SMITH pad of 2 New St, Bermondsey at St.James, St.Mary Magdalen SRY

 

Ann Martha was C1779 so aged 75 in 1854; she also had a dau Ann Martha so her b and certificate are undoubtedly correct.  As she was a widow, John died between 1841 and 1854.  The 41 census identifies him with confidence as a farmer of Gt Waltham, living at Scurvy Hall close to the boudary with Lt.Waltham.  Even though the burials at Gt.Waltham have not been examined for this period, the burial at Lt.Waltham is almost certainly correct: this John is a suitable age, he was a farmer of Gt Waltham, and his wife was also buried at Lt W.

 

CENSUS

 

1841 Gt.Waltham, Scurvey Hall HO107/326/9 f12

 

John       SMITH              60  1781    farmer                                          y

Ann        SMITH       wi     60  1781                                                    y

Peter      SMITH              25  1816    ag lab                                          y

 

other families at Scurvy Hall: George 25 & Martha 25 MILLER; Robert 50 & Elizabeth 50 MILLER; Mary NORTH 65; Daniel 75 & Elizabeth 70 BARNARD

 

previous entry: Braintree Rd

 

Sally      SIMONS             70  1771   independent    y

Hephzibah  SIMONS             10  1831                  y

 

Sally is unmarried sister of Ann SMITH's mother (Ann Martha SPEAKMAN nee SIMONS); this Sally was C1764 Terling so aged 77.  Her presence here and the son Peter confirms this census as the correct reference.

 

1851

 

Ann Martha not found in the Walthams   There are several New St's in Bermondsey street index, but none of them are in St James parish and Anne Martha not found in any of them; there is a New St in St James parish in 1861, not yet seen.

 

 

 

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