Should I give up due to the common name?

[jomcd967]

GRO shows a death for a John Smith, M Qtr, 1839, St Neots, Vol. 14, p. 162, age 48 (C.1791).

Jo 

[coombs]

John Smith, Brazier of St Neots, Huntingdon. Date of Probate: 29 Jan 1839.

....bequeath to Martha Hart of St Neots, with whose mother I now lodge, a legacy of $50 to be paid within six months after my death and payment thereof and of my just debts, funeral and testamentary expenses. I give and bequeath the ? residue of my property of whatever fund the same may consist at my decease unto my two brothers James and Robert, share and share alike and I appoint Mr John Carrington of St Neots executor of this my will....

Proved at London on 25 Feb 1839 by John Carrington, executor.

May be worth looking into....

Jo

Thanks. Certainly something to look into. St Neots PR's are not online it seems, well only from about 1815 and they seem to be nonconformists. So John Smith was 48 when he died, so born c1791 so would be similar age to my James Smith.

I received your email with the 1841 census Smith's who were tin men. I shall have a proper look later on and see if I need any further details.

[coombs]

On the flip side, I have done some digging into the other witness to the wedding of James Smith. Her name was Hannah Hawkes. She was born in Byfield, Northamptonshire in 1800. She had an older brother Jonas Hawkes born in 1797 in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Children of Jonas Hawkes and Mary.

A Jonas Hawkes born c1797 is in the 1841 census in St Peter Le Bailey, Oxford, a tailor. Same parish that my James Smith was living at.

A Jonas Hakes is in Oxford St Peter In The East in 1841, born c1761-1766. A Jonas Hawkes was baptised in 1764 in Marsh Gibbon, Buckinghamshire. Seems the Hawkes family moved from Bucks via rural Oxfordshire to Oxford city.

In 1785, an Elizabeth Hawkes married a Joseph Smith in Marsh Gibbon.

[Peter L. Mitchell]

GRO shows James Smith died aged 59 in Oxford in 1849.
Volume 16 Page 78 (M Quarter).

Does this help?

[coombs]

GRO shows James Smith died aged 59 in Oxford in 1849.
Volume 16 Page 78 (M Quarter).

Does this help?

Thanks. This means James Smith was born c1790. Makes you wish he had hung on for just 2 more years so as I could get his birthplace.

Hannah Hawkes and Andrew Carney are the 2 big leads as they witnessed his marriage in 1819.

[Peter L. Mitchell]

Are these possibilities? They are from FamilySearch.

[coombs]

Hi, none of them seem to ring a bell. James Smith did say in 1841 he was not born in Oxfordshire. He wed Sarah Inkpen in 1819 in Oxford city. Witnesses Andrew Carney and Hannah Hawkes. James was a tin plate worker.