Hi Community
I was wondering if anybody could help me and point me in the right direction, as I am unfamiliar with tracing roots in the UK. I'm lookinf for information on the Sinnett Smiths. From what I could find out, the family started adding Sinnett to the Smith name in my great grandfather's generation. Sometimes Sinnett is used as a second name, sometimes part of the surname, written with and without a hyphen.
My great grandfather was Percy Sinnett Smith (about 1852 - late 1890s) , apparently born in Sheffield. My mom gave me his birth and death dates (no paper docs unfortunately). His birth certificate is missing and I can't find a trace of his birth in the BMDs. However, my grandfather's marriage certificate includes a remark, that his claim to citizanship is his father being born in Sheffield.
He emigrated to Alexandria, Egypt where he met Eugenie Jorelle, his wife. She was French. I can't find any records of their marriage however. The only thing I found on the internet was a Percy Sinnett Smith who "may" be married to a Stephanie Jorelle. I don't have any data on these two women and they are pretty elusive. I only know Eugenie/Stephanie was still alive when my mother was born (1924) and for a while thereafter. However my mother and her parents had no contact with my great grandmother Jorelle, due to a fight between her and my grandmother.
Percy and Eugenie had five children, all born in Alexandria, Egypt:
James, my grandfather (1887 - 1947)
Ethel m. to William A. Wright June 1920), lived and died young in England, children Enid (1822) and Ida (1925)
Henriette m. to a nameless Syrian, had a nameless daughter, b. on 23. March (around 1900)
James (d. 1946), m. with ?, died in Alexandria, Egypt
Arthur (1894 - 1959), married w. died in Hackney, England
James, my grandfather, m. to Elisabetta Maria de Mattia (I), children were Percy (1920), Daisy m. Keysell (19?), Dolly (1924).
Dolly is my mother, m. to Hermann Wechsler (A) (1925- 2008).
I also came accross two further Sinnett Smiths Elizabeth and Margaret, however don't know how or if they are connected to the family.
Thanks for any pointer in the right direction.
Mildura