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Smithers Genealogy
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22 August 2006 |
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view SMITHERS family tree |
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Dr G.M.W.Mann. Baytrees Burnhams Rd, Lt.Bookham Surrey, U.K. KT23 3AU |
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8 Thomas SMITHERS c1650-1708
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m Elizabeth c1675
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There were SMITHERS in Worplesdon from at least 1587 to 1659 when the last member of the family, Thomas SMITHERS (NOT Thomas SMITHERS-8), married to Eleanor, sold the 18 acres of land with orchard and cottage left to him by his father. He received £60 (worth about £3600) in today’s money and left the parish for London. For twenty years there were then no further records of SMITHERS in Worplesdon. The London Thomas had a son Thomas born there in 1647 and it is possible that he married Elizabeth and returned to his father’s parish. But SMITHERS is a common Surrey name, and Thomas 8 may well have been a newcomer to the parish, possibly born in Bramley in 1643 or Guildford in 1636 or 1663 The first records of Thomas – 8 are the baptisms of ten children to Thomas & Elizabeth at Worplesdon between 1679 and 1701. In all probability, they were married about 1675 and Thomas was born around 1650. However neither his marriage record nor his baptism has been found. Thomas was buried at Worplesdon in 1708 and Elizabeth in 1731. |
C=Christened
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age DATE RS EW |
EVENT |
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? 1650 ? 1675 25 20 28Mar1679 29 24 16Sep1683 33 28 2Apr1686 36 31 6Apr1686 36 31 14May1687 37 32 7Oct1688 38 33 8Dec1691 41 36 2Feb1693 43 38 8Dec1694 44 39 5Oct1697 47 42 23Feb1702 52 47 3Jul1708 58 53 23May1731 76 |
Thomas born? Thomas & Elizabeth
married? son Thomas baptised at
Worplesdon dau Elizabeth C at
Worplesdon twins Mary and Ann C at
Worplesdon dau Ann buried at
Worplesdon dau Mary buried at
Worplesdon son William C at
Worplesdon son James C at
Worplesdon son John C at Worplesdon son James C at
Worplesdon son Richard C at
Worplesdon dau Mary C at Worplesdon Thomas buried at
Worplesdon Elizabeth buried at
Worplesdon |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
Thomas baptised his first son Thomas at Worplesdon in 1679 so he was probably born about 1650. There is no suitable baptism at Worplesdon, though SMITHERS were present there from at least 16C. The last record of a SMITHER in the parish before 1679 was the death of Thomas SMITHER in 1659. He surrendered his land (Little Pidle) to his eldest son Thomas married to Eleanor. Thomas and Eleanor promptly sold the land for £60 and seem to have left the parish. No SMITHERS recorded in the parish in the 1662 and 1664 hearth tax
The Thomas who sold his father’s land was baptised at Ash, Surrey in 1615. His marriage to Eleanor has not been found (Surrey m index, IGI, Boyd etc) but a Thomas & Eleanor SMITHERS baptised children at St Botolph’s Bishopsgate London from 1645 to 1662 which is a suitable period for a man born 1615. The unusual combination of names and suitable timing suggests strongly that this is the man from Worplesdon. They had a son Thomas baptised at St Botolph in 1647. Could he have returned to his father’s parish? It must be a possibility, and the London family did include twins as did the Worplesdon family. But the London family used the unusual names of Elinor, Leonard and Bridgit, which were not repeated at Worplesdon; (Leonard married and baptised in London before he went to sea).
A family tree for the SMITHERS of Worplesdon in the 16/17C incorporating the London St Botolph’s Bishopsgate family has been constructed (see SMITHERS-TW)
SMITHERS is a common Surrey name however, and Thomas 8 was possibly a newcomer to the parish with no connection to the previous Worplesdon family
Possible Thomas baptisms near Worplesdon include
C 14Aug1636 s Thomas & Jone SMYTHER at Guildford Holy Trinity
C 26Feb1643 s William SMITHER (& Ann) at Bramley
C 29Jul1663 s William & Ann SMITHER at Guildford Holy Trinity
A 16/17C SMITHERS tree TG has been constructed for the Guildford Holy Trinity family but it has not been possible to prove or disprove either Thomas baptisms as the Thomas who moved to Worplesdon. Parents William & Ann look promising, since Thomas used these names for his own children, but he would have baptised his first child at Worplesdon when he was less than 16 years old which is rather unlikely.
The Bramley family can probably be discounted since the 1687 will of William of Bramley refers to his grandson James, son of Thomas; but Thomas of Worplesdon had a son Thomas by this date, and his son James not born until 1694. This could be resolved if there were a C and B of James son of Thomas before 1687 but this has not been found; only record at Bramley is the burial in 1681 of Elizabeth d of Thomas.
Thomas & Elizabeth baptised children between 1679 and 1701, so their m was probably about 1675. No suitable m found in Surrey m index; IGI on CD for all England, IGI for SRY, LND, HAM, BRK, KEN, SSX; Boyd for MDX and misc.
IGI has m15Apr1678 Thomas SMITH and Elizabeth GIBBS at Merstham, SRY, but this m was not found in the printed transcript of Merstham PR nor in a microfilm of the original. IGI source is a temple record and states Elizabeth GIBBS was of Haselor Warwick. There were two baptisms to these parents at Haselor: Thomas in 1686 and Elizabeth in 1689 and this marriage is almost certainly not relevant. There are other Thomas SMITH/Elizabeth marriages in IGI for London, eg 11Jan1679 at St James, Dukes Place, which should be examined in the original in case of transcription error
from Worplesdon register:
C 28Mar1679 Thomas s Thomas SMITHER
C 16Sep1683 Elizabeth d Thomas SMITHARD
C 2Apr1686 Mary twin d Thomas SMITHARD; B 14May1687 Mary d of Thomas SMITHER
C 2Apr1686 Ann twin d Thomas SMITHARD; B 6Apr1686 Ann d of Thomas SMITHER with affidavit
C 7Oct1688 William s Thomas SMITHARD
C 8Dec1691 James s Thomas & Elizabeth SMITHER
C 2Feb1692+John s Thomas & Elizabeth SMITHER
C 8Dec1694 James s Thomas & Elizabeth SMITHER
C 5Oct1697 Richard s Thomas & Elizabeth SMITHER
C 23Feb1701+Mary d Thomas SMITHER
there are possible burials of Thomas & Elizabeth at Worplesdon with no suitable alternatives, but no confirmation that these are correct:
B 3Jul1708 Thomas SMITHER
B 23May1731 Elizabeth SMITHER
Worplesdon
Manor 1653-1662 ref:G97/6/2 (Guildford Muniment Room)
Court
Baron 20Dec1653; no SMITHER on jury
Court
Baron 24Jul1656, jury: John MARTYN, Wm OAKELY, Wm CLIFTON, Henry BAKER, Richard
NAKER, Henry MARTYN, Abraham ESTEED, Thomas COX, Richard HUNTINGFORD, Edward
HEATHER, Stevn SMYTH, Thomas LOVELAND, Richard HAREWOOD, John GYLES, Robt
KINGE;
Thomas
SMITHER the elder one of the customary tenants of the manor did on 1Jun1655
surrender to the lord by the acceptance of Robt KINGE and John GYLES two customary
tenants of the manor all the part of a messuage or cottage and one parcel of
land with the app. commonly called Little Pidle to the use of the said Thomas
SMETHER the elder for his life and after his decease to the use of Thomas
SMETHER the younger, son of the said Thomas SMETHER, and his heirs. The said Thomas the elder and Thomas the
younger being present in court desired admission to the premises to whom the
lord did grant the premises; fine 5/- both admitted
Cout Baron
27May1658; Tho SMETHER on jury
Court
Baron 20Jul1659: no SMITHER on jury
Court
Baron 15Aug1662 (in latin) Thomas SMITHIER surrd...Robt KING, Johis
GILES...Froggrowe...Thomas SMITH de Milford
Foot of
Fine ref:PRO CO/25/2/602/1658H
Final agreement
made in court of Common Bench Westminster, 8 days of Purification of Mary
1658. Thomas SMYTH gent plaintiff,
Thomas SMITHER and Elenor his wif deforc. 1 messuage, 1 garden, 1 orchard, 8 acres land, 4a meadow, 6a pasture, common
of pasture for all manner of cattle, common of enbary with app in Worplesdon remised and quitclaimed from the said
Thomas Smither & Elenor....Thomas Smith hath given £60 sterling to Thomas
Smyther & Elenor.
On
reverse: 1st 12Feb1658, 2nd 2May1659, 3rd 7June1659, 4th 26Oct1659