Hello Devon,
Does anyone have SMINNEY alias Arnold c 1750 among their Devon (or Somerset) connections?
I have recently found James and Joan as the parents for my Ann SMINNEY m 1771 in Kentisbeare to Robert HOW.
This is a most unusual surname so I would have thought that would make things easy. No, of course not.
I was not finding a baptism for Ann c 1755 and so was searching on findmypast for Sminney, any variants, no forename and found Sminney alias Arnold activity.
Well a so a light came on in my head - that I should search just Arnold. Wow I found her baptism transcribed as Ann Arnold on 18 Jan 1753 dau of James and Joan.
The image has an ink splot over the all important Sminney, and by this time in their lives James and Joan were by known by surname Arnold, alias Sminney. Sminney is written in capitals within brackets above the splot.
When James marries Joan FROST 26 Feb 1738 he was just Sminney.
I cannot find any children for James and Joan from the marriage until my Ann 1753.
There are no other Sminney / Arnold in this parish except for these 3 people.
Because their marriage was so much earlier than Ann's baptism I felt unsure of any link but then I saw that when James dies and is buried 5 Dec 1756 he is James ARNOLD alias Sminney, and Joan goes on to marry again 1759 Kentisbeare as Arnold alias Sminney to John Trott of Uffculme 1759.
Maybe they moved away for a time and came back into the parish in time to bury James. My Ann is there to marry in 1771 and Joan (now) Trott is buried there 18 Dec 1785.
I have seen a few Sminney folks in Topham and Exeter and far away in Stogumber Somerset in familysearch and findmypast but I can't find baptisms for James or other children of James and Joan.
Any ideas for James?
Salute,
Janelle
