Smiths of Bury

[John Gourlay]

My search for one of my great grandfathers, George Smith, cabman, continues. George and his parents may have been adverse to paperwork as the only trace of him I can find after many certificate applications by my cousin and I have resulted in the wrong person, but a boost to the British economy; are census details. George has appeared in the 1851,1861,1871 and 1881 census. In the first two he was with his first wife Hannah Bacon Smith, probably nee Thurbon from March, Cambridgeshire. We have presumed that this was a childless marriage.
In the more recent two, George's wife was Susannah, but we don't know who. They had a daughter, also Susannah c 1864, my maternal grandmother. In all census George's age calculated back to 1820 and his birthplace always given as Bury, Huntingdonshire, except for one where it was transposed as Hampshire.
Any help greatly appreciated
John Gourlay
Melbourne, Australia

[Peter Goodey]

Have you considered or tried this birth:

Births Mar 1864
SMITH Susannah Mary Newington 1d 254

The right birth certificate will of course show the mother's maiden name.

For George's birth you'll need the parish registers. I believe transcripts have been published by the Hunts FHS.

[Geoffers]

My search for one of my great grandfathers, George Smith, cabman, continues.

Smith! - Do chose ancestors with easier surnames in future ;)



George and his parents may have been adverse to paperwork as the only trace of him I can find after many certificate applications by my cousin and I have resulted in the wrong person

What certificates have you tried to find and obtain?

Do I assume that this family appears in 1871 at:

RG10/623 f113 p15
Coltham St, Newington
George Smith, 51
Susannah Smith, 46
Susannah Smith, dau, 7

The difference in county might be explained by the enumerator making a simple error in reeding Hunts as Hants - or vice versa

Susannah the daughter was born about 1864 which was at a time when not all births were registered - if a birth certificate cannot be traced, you may have to look for a baptism in parish registers.

A couple of other thoughts spring to mind, for which I don't have answers but might bring some other lines of research to mind..........

Were George and Susannah definitely married before the birth of Susannah? Susannah's birth may have been registered under her mother's maiden name?

Was George definitely the father of Susannah?


but a boost to the British economy; are census details. George has appeared in the 1851,1861,1871 and 1881 census. In the first two he was with his first wife Hannah Bacon Smith, probably nee Thurbon from March, Cambridgeshire.

The 1861 census entry is presumably

RG9/344 f120 p45
Francis Street, Newington
George Smith, 41, Librarian, Cabman's Club
Hannah B Smith, 49, bn March Cambs

In which case do the other two people in the same household give any ideas to help trace this line..........

Thos POPE, Bro, widr, 52, Schoolmaster, bn March, Cambs
Susannah Pope, niece, unm, 23, schoolmistress, bn City, St.Anne's Blackfriars

Why Thomas POPE, brother?
Brother to whom? - George, or Hannah?
(Thomas and family may be in 1841 at HO107/81/8 f7 p8 in North Witchford, Cambs).

Do I take it that you have a marriage certificate for Susannah (bn c.1864) which records her dad as George also the occupation and age are consistent with earlier census returns? Any witnesses who were related?

I can't help feeling that (a possible long trawl through) parish registers may be the way forward.

[Jan1954]

The only "Bury" that I can see in Huntingdonshire is Bury-cum-Hepmangrove (http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/HUN/Bury-cum-Hepmangrove/index.html).

As Peter says, the Huntingdonshire Family History Society should be able to help.

Good luck,

[John Gourlay]

Dear Peter, Geoffers and Jan1954
Thankyou all for your prompt replies and information. Unfortunately my sole surviving brother died today, putting a stop to my research and enthusiasm for it on hold for a short period.
Peter I need to check my files and/or with a cousin's records if we had that particular birth. I think we been disappointed by that one before and there is evidence that Grandma was Susannah Jane Smith.
Geoffers, you are certainly correct about Smith and yes, that is certainly the family in the 1871 and 1881 census. Susannah Pope was a niece of George's first wife hence Thomas Pope is a brother in law, having been married to Susannah Thurbon b March Cams in 1806. At one time we thought that George had married this niece, but not so. I guess part of this quest is to ascertain if George married Grandma Susannah's mother or if was her father. We have Susannah and Grandpa Thomas Coster's marriage cert, but can't identify witnesses. After Monday's funeral I will pick up the threads again. Pity I can't tell Brother Gordon the final result.
regards, John Gourlay

[Geoffers]

Dear Peter, Geoffers and Jan1954
Thankyou all for your prompt replies and information. Unfortunately my sole surviving brother died today, putting a stop to my research and enthusiasm for it on hold for a short period.

I'm sorry to read this sad news, my commiserations to you and your family.

We're here whenyou feel able to pick up the pieces again.

With best wishes

[John Gourlay]

Dear All
I'm now back on the job, no further advanced in search of great grandparents George Smith and Susannah ???. I confirmed with my cousin that she had purchased the birth certificate of Susannah Mary Smith and it is not the girl who could have been my maternal grandmother.
I've put a note in the visitors book at Hunts FHS. Maybe that will help. I also purchaed the 1862 marriage certificate of George Smith and Susannah Mercer. Most unlikely it is them as George is shown a bachelor and waiter, whereas he was neither. Susannah Mercer, nee Bury was a widow. No ages; shown 'of full age'.
The search continues.
John Gourlay

[John Gourlay]

Dear Peter, Geoffer, Jan 1954 and anybody else symphathetic with Smith descendants. I can report a breakthrough. My great grandfather, George Smith who used the name Smith in the 1851, 1861, 1871 and 1881 censuses, married twice under the name of George Kent Woodcock and used Woodcock in the registration of the birth of his daughter, my grandmother, Susannah. Susannah, who married as Susannah Jane Smith was registered at birth as Susannah Jane Smith Woodcock. Shows the value of buying certificates. I'm still chasing George's roots with the leading theory being that he was born to an unwed Miss Woodcock who later married a Smith or vice versa. That is a hunt for another day.
The mysterious Great Grandmother turned out to be Susannah Harris, who married under her widowed surname of Lackington. She had a son Richard Lackington from that earlier marriage so consequently a half cousin has emerged on the scene along with at least 2 generations of descendants. Another journey for the future. Thanks for all your help, I'm delighted.
John Gourlay

[Jan1954]

Excellent news, John. |jumphappy

Keep chasing those certificates!

[John Gourlay]

I failed to mention in my last post that George gave his father's name as William Kent when he married his 1st wife, Hannah. How many surnames did he have to chose from?
John Gourlay