SMITON / SMYTON / SMITEN family of Errigal Keerogue

[Katharine75]

Hi Liz. Are you a descendant of this family too? Would love to see what you have on them. Thanks for the tree Mandy. Do you have any photos of the older generations that you could email me?
Have to go through the information you sent me. I have been busy working on a few of my own lines this fortnight.
Not enought time to go round. LOL.
Where are you Liz - Ireland?
Katharine.

[Liz167]

Hi Katharine

Mandy & I are cousins - our grandfather was Joseph Smiton and our great-grandparents were Curren Smiton and Rebecca Jane McCoy.

Before he married, our grandfather moved to England to find work, and the family still live in England (bar one cousin in Wales).

I've not made it any further back with tracing the line than Curren Smiton and Mary Anne Little, but in saying that I haven't tried for a few years. I only googled 'Smiton Rough Hill' yesterday after my mum mentioned family history during a phone conversation.

Liz

[Katharine75]

Thanks for reply Liz.
As far as the name Curren goes, I thought it could have been a family connection to a Curran/Curren family. That seems to be a surname up that part of Ireland. Perhaps it was one of his grandmother's maiden name.
Katharine.

[Ray32cmk]

Hi Liz,

I have just come across your post regarding the Smiton family. You mention Aunt Margaret and aunt Sarah, my grandmother was their sister Mary. I too have been told that curren was a shortened version of Cornelius but in the will it uses the name curren.
When aunt Margaret passed away in 2013 I learned that she had been involved in the war and was wondering if you had any info about this.

Raymond

[Liz167]

Hi Raymond

I'm wondering if we might have met? - your name rang a bell. Back in 1983, We were staying at Aunty Sarah's and we went to see Uncle John - and I think it might have been your family he was staying with at the time?   

On a later visit I remember going to see your grandmother as well, and the farmyard there.

I haven't done anything with family history for a while as I'm doing a history degree with the OU, but plan to have another look once that's finished.

I know that Aunty Margaret was posted to Egypt in the war and when she came back she applied for jobs in England and Northern Ireland. She joined the Post Office as a telephonist in Belfast (they were the first ones to offer her a job) and was there until she retired. I believe that she was engaged to be married but unfortunately her fiance died in the war.  I'll ask my mum if she knows any more details about Aunty Margaret's military service.

Liz

[Ray32cmk]

Hi Liz,

Good to hear back from you so quick.
We quite possibly have met as Uncle John stayed with us until his death.

I did some searches in the military list but I don't have an accurate DOB and wasn't sure when she would have signed up.
 
I have attached the second page of the will this time.
All the best with the OU degree.

Raymond

[Liz167]

Hi Raymond

Thank you very much for the 2 pages of the will. I wonder what 2 of his sons had done to be bequeathed a shilling each!

Apparently Aunty Margaret was a telephonist in the army, hence looking for the same kind of work afterwards. As for a date of birth, I'll dig out my copy of the family tree and see what's on there, but rumour has it that the records in Ballinsaggart church weren't always written down right at the time, so what I have might not be spot on.

Liz