Family of Samuel and Margaret (Mead) Smith

[Peedee]

I am trying to establish if I have this Smith family correct.  William Samuel Smith went by his middle name Samuel.  He was born 1725 or 1731, baptised at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, Middlesex, London.  He married Margaret Mead (born 1730) Dec. 21, 1749 at Collegiate Church of St. Katherine by the Tower, London, City of London.  I have found the following children which I think might be theirs.  All bapt. at St. Botolph, Bishopsgate: William Oct. 1751, Joseph Nov. 1752, Mary Oct. 1753,( died Feb. 1754/55, buried St. B&B), Margaret Feb. 1756, Samuel July 1758, Elizabeth Oct. 1760, and Mary Jan. 1763.  Was there a census for this time period?  Hoping to locate more information on the son William 1751, his spouse and children. Thanks for viewing...Penny in Canada

[Jomot]

Why do you think he was called William Samuel?  The marriage bond in 1749 gives his name just as Samuel Smith, aged 24, so born c1725, occupation Sider (?) Maker.

Other trees have linked him to a baptism at St Botolph on 29 Sep 1731 - Samuel Smith s/o Benj & Mary (transcribed as 25 Oct 1731), but given the age at marriage I don't think that's right.  Also worth noting that none of Samuel's sons were named Benjamin.

There were several other Samuel Smith marriages around the same time, at least three to women named Margaret, so although St Botolph does seem to be the link I think you need to do your own careful research rather than relying on other trees, many of which have just been copied from each other.

A possible birth for Samuel could be 8 Aug 1725 at St Mary's, Watford, s/o Samuel & Mary, although there are a number of other possibilities.

If your interest is in William b1751 but you don't know his spouse or children, who are you trying to connect him to in your existing tree?

[Peedee]

Long story short...I came across various trees showing my 4x grt grandfather, William Robert Smith (he took on the middle name of Robert when in Canada) and tried to go backward to see if I could connect him to the Prudens of Edmonton, Middlesex, as the HBC York Factory Journals mention a relationship between William and John Peter Pruden.  John P. Pruden was the son of Peter Pruden and wife, widow, Margaret Fraser, nee Smith, born 1756. The goal was to see if this Margaret Smith was a relative of some sort to William R's Smiths.  First thing was to find records showing Margaret's parents and whether she had a brother who could possibly be the grandfather of William R.  Her parents appear to be Samuel and Margaret (Mead) Smith with a sibling being William bapt. Oct. 1751.  Some trees have this William married to Ann and having a son William born 1770/1 who could be William R's father who married Hannah Woodman Sept. 1796.  There was no documentation proving this on various trees.  As you said and I also realize that several people just copy without doing their own research.  Some of the trees are so mixed up that it's ridiculous.  One even said "Margaret Mead was married to Margaret Mead"!  I always need documentation before I will enter any information. From records I know the marriage of  William R's father, residence, have his will, know of his second marriage, he had four sons, etc.  But there is that generation gap that I'm unable to fill.  Penny in Canada

[ciderdrinker]

Extra son for Samuel and Margaret at St Katherine Cree 21.1.1749 ?

There's a possible apprenticeship for William Smith.
William Smith son of Samuel of St Botolph Bishopsgate London ,labourer to Thomas Russell blacksmith 7.3.1765.

Could that fit?
Also Samuel son of Samuel smith gentleman of St Botoplh Bishopsgate 4.11.1772 to Thomas Holdsworth of the Vintners company

Ciderdrinker

[BarbVH]

Hi Penny,

We've communicated before.  And you've pointed out some of the errors on my ancestry.ca page, and thank you for that.  I agree that many people 'copy' (I've done that as well), but an additional problem is that ancestry gives people too many repeated 'hints' for anyone that one has listed in their genealogy.  So for William Smith and Samuel Smith in London (18th century) many people use similar 'hints' in various ways in their own genealogy.  At any rate I'm taking on a London based genealogist to help me find the appropriate 'Smith' families in London.

And I looked for JP Pruden's website to find information about Samuel, Margaret (Mead), and Margaret.  I use those dates as a result.  But to make the point once again, moments ago I received another "hint" for Samuel Smith (1725) marrying a Margaret "Hoy".

And I did find a marriage record for a William Smith and a Margaret "Pemble", but I've sent it to the genealogist for verification.

Barb