John Smith, Mariner, born c 1833 at Whitehaven

[Woodsd]

I appreciate that this is a long shot.  But I am looking for any information about John Smith, my great-great-great-grandfather.
 
Based on census returns, John Smith was born around 1833 in Whitehaven.  On 9 April 1850, John Smith married Mary Watkins at St Andrew’s Church, Dublin.  The family story is that Mary Watkins was the daughter of an innkeeper, and John Smith met her while a customer at the inn.  Another version is that Mary Watkins was the daughter of a ship-owner, with John Smith working for her father.  In any event, John Smith was a mariner working in a merchant service.

Apart from that, my favourite family story is that John Smith could spit without opening his mouth.  Apparently, he had suffered some form of cancer which had resulted in part of his lip being cut out.

As shown on the census returns, John Smith’s children were all born in Workington (the 1881 census wrongly listed Ireland as the place of birth for John Smith and his children).  Also, his wife’s sister Elizabeth Watkins (wife of Evan Jones, mariner) settled in Workington, along with John Smith’s mother-in-law.  As I cannot find John Smith or his wife on the 1901 census, I am guessing that both died between 1891 and 1901 (by 1901, his daughter and son-in-law Joseph Stewart had relocated to Glasgow).  I am still to order all the possible death certificates for John Smiths and Mary Smiths during that decade!
 
I am particularly wanting to trace back this family as DNA results indicate that I have some non-European DNA.  One test called Chromosome Painting shows that I have chunks of African-Asian DNA on 16 out of 22 chromosomes inherited from one parent.  And apparently that DNA would stop showing after about 6 generations.  I have researched my family-tree fairly extensively, and I conclude that this DNA has come through the Smith branch.  I know that Whitehaven played a significant role in the slave trade, which resulted in larger-than-normal numbers of slaves or ex-slaves being brought to the area.  So I am speculating that this could be the source for my non-European DNA.

I have obtained copies of various birth, marriage and death records relating to John Smith and his family, as well as census returns.  I will copy those below this message.

Anyway, I thought that I would post here on the off-chance that anyone has been researching this Smith family or may do so in the future.
 
Many thanks
 
David

[Woodsd]

Following my post above, here are the birth, marriage and death records, as well as census returns.

BIRTH CERTIFICATE
James Smith (son of John Smith)
born 21 December 1867 at Martin’s Lane, Workington
father: John Smith (seaman merchant service)
mother: Mary Smith formerly Watkins
registered by Mary Smith (mother) of Martin’s Lane, Workington
registered: 8 January 1868
 
MARRIAGE RECORDS
John Smith & Mary Watkins (marriage of John Smith)
married 9 April 1850 at St Andrew, Dublin
witnesses: John Byrne & Elizabeth Watkins
[per church records website – no marriage certificate at GRO]
 
Evan Jones & Elizabeth Watkins (sister of John Smith’s wife)
married 24 August 1850 at St Mark, Dublin
Evan Jones (mariner) widower of George’s Quay
father: John Jones, Ship Broker
Elizabeth Watkins (no occupation) spinster of James Place
father: James Watkins, Mariner
witnesses: John White (for husband) & Edward Fox (for wife)

Joseph Stewart & Mary Smith (daughter of John Smith)
married 24 September 1883 at Church of St John
Joseph Stewart (bricklayer) bachelor aged 21 years of 12 John Street
father: James Stewart (mason)
Mary Smith (no occupation) spinster aged 21 years of Pinfold
father: John Smith (sailor)
witnesses: James Stewart & Bridget Stewart [left her mark]

DEATH CERTIFICATES
Mary Watkins (John Smith’s mother-in-law)
died 27 July 1875 at 16 Iron Works, Seaton
aged 75 years
widow of James Watkins (seaman, merchant service)
cause: vascular disease, dropsy 3 months
registered by Mary Smith [left mark] (daughter) of 2 Beck Side, Workington
registered: 28 July 1875
 
Mary Smith (daughter of John Smith)
died 27 September 1931 at 1.40 am at 109 Parliamentary Road, Glasgow
aged 71 years
widow of Joseph Stewart (brick layer)
cause: cerebral haemorrhage 1 day
father: John Smith (seaman, merchant service) deceased
mother: Elizabeth Smith ms Watkins, deceased
registered by Arthur Stewart (son)

CENSUS RETURNS
1861 – 59 Finkle (?) Street, Workington (wife of John Smith and children)
Mary Smith, Wife, Married, aged 29 years, Mariner’s Wife, born Ireland, Dublin
John Smith, Son, aged 8 years, born Workington
Elizabeth Smith, Daughter, 3 years, born Workington
Mary Smith, Daughter, aged 1 year, born Workington
 
1871 – 2 Beck Street, Workington (wife of John Smith and children)
Mary Smith, Head, Married, aged 37 years, Mariner’s Wife, born Ireland
Elizabeth Smith, Daughter, aged 13 years, born Workington
Mary Smith, Daughter, aged 11 years, born Workington
Christopher Smith, Son, aged 7 years, born Workington
Rossaman Smith, Daughter, aged 5 years, born Workington
James Smith, Son, aged 3 years, born Workington
Catharine Smith, Daughter, aged 1 years, born Workington
Michael McClean, Boarder, Unmarried, aged 38 years, Labourer at Iron Works, born Ireland
 
1871 – 19 Bell Street, Workington (sister of John Smith’s wife, and mother-in-law of John Smith)
Elizabeth Jones, Head, Widow, aged 38 years, Spirit Sales, born Ireland
Betsy Ann Jones, Daughter, Unmarried, aged 16 years, born Ireland
Evan Jones, Son, aged 10 years, born Workington
Mary Watkins, Lodger, Widow, aged 78 years, born Ireland
Jonah Lewis, Lodger, Widower, aged 44 years, Labourer Iron Works, born Cardiganshire
James McGrah, Lodger, Unmarried, aged 20 years, Labourer Gas Works, born Ireland
 
1881 – 2 Beck Side, Workington (John Smith, wife and children)
John Smith, Head, Married, 48 years, Labourer at Iron Works, born Ireland
Mary Smith, Wife, Married, 47 years, no occupation, born Ireland
Mary Smith, Daughter, Unmarried, 19 years, Servant Domestic, born Ireland
James Smith, Son, aged 13 years, Scholar, born Ireland
Kate Smith, Daughter, aged 11 years, Scholar, born Ireland
Betsy A Smith, Daughter, aged 9 years, born Ireland
Margaret A Smith, Daughter, aged 7 years, born Ireland
Clara Smith, Daughter, aged 1 year, born Workington
 
1881 – 8 Bell’s Lane, Workington (sister of John Smith’s wife)
Elizabeth Jones, Head, Widow, aged 52 years, no occupation, born Ireland
John Jones, Son, Unmarried, aged 23 years, Furnace man at Iron Works, born Workington
James McQuirk Boards, Unmarried, aged 40 years, Labourer, born Ireland
 
1891 – 128 John Street, Workington (John Smith, wife and children)
John Smith, Head, Married, aged 60 years, Mariner, born Whitehaven
Mary Smith, Wife, Married, aged 62 years, no occupation, born Ireland
James Smith, Son, aged 22 years, no occupation, born Workington
Margaret Smith, Daughter, aged 16 years, born Workington
 
1891 – 128 John Street, Workington (son-in-law, daughter and grandchildren of John Smith)
Joseph Stewart, Head, Married, aged 28 years, Bricklayer, born Workington
Mary Stewart, Wife, Married, aged 29 years, no occupation, born Workington
Clara Stewart, Daughter, aged 11 years, born Workington
Margaret Stewart, Daughter, aged 7 years, born Workington
Mary Stewart, Daughter, aged 5 years, born Workington
Ethel Stewart, Daughter, aged 2 years, born Workington

[Woodsd]

After ordering several Death Certificates, I have finally found the death of John Smith, my great-great-great-grandfather:

John Smith
Died: 9 December 1896 at Union Workhouse, Cockermouth
Age: 67 years
Occupation: Seaman, Merchant Service, of Workington
Cause of death: Chronic heart disease; Atheroma; General Anas[something]; Congestion of Lungs
Informant: James Smith, Son, 5 Hunter Street, Workington

[andrewalston]

Congratulations!

When I first realised that one of my 6xg gfs was a John Smith, my heart sank. Despite him being in a very rural part, there were three John Smiths of about the same age, and two of them were shoemakers. I have not been able to sort them out yet, but I have a good estimate from the names of the children.
It was some months after hitting this wall that I realised that, in my despair, I had forgotten all about his wife, who turned out to have a distinctive maiden name. In an hour I had worked her family back another 5 generations, to a marriage in 1588!