RootsChat.Com

This has bugged me since I started five years or so ago - curious to know people’s thoughts on this:

1861 census for Sheraton showing my 2xGG Mary Jane Firby and parents includes her 6-y-o brother Charlton Robert (Charlton being Mary Jane’s grandmother’s MMS).

Quickly found Charlton’s bapt record – 7 Aug 1854 Monk Hesleden.

Searching for birth certs for kids born to Firby & Patterson around that time only brings up one – for an Edmund Firby (same name as the father). Order it – he is clearly born to the correct parents. Shows a birth of 8 July 1854, recorded 11 Aug (ie 4 days after CR’s bapt).

But no other evidence of Edmund Jr exists – I have scrolled PRs for burials from 1854 up to 1858, searched more generously for one online, plus censuses. There’s plenty of evidence for CR though, right into adulthood. In fact, when he married, the announcement said “the only son of Mr J Firby of Shearton” (mind, that’s a mistake, it was E Firby, and they spelled Sheraton wrong too). Obviously, they would still probably say that if the only other son had died in infancy though, I guess?

So my question is – was there a mistake on the birth cert, or did his name change in the four days between baptism and registration? Or is there any chance there was a second brother?

I haven't found any reason to make such a sudden name change – his grandmother Charlton was still alive at the time, and although her parents are still a bit hazy ATM, I don’t see any Charlton burials in Aug 1854 that would trigger a sentimental change of name…
I'm not sure how common a naming mistake like that was on the cert, but as old man Firby (informant) was literate, you’d think he might have said summat if it was wrong?

Well, as reluctant as I am to even look at other people's versions of my family trees (much less copy them) on Ancestry etc, I have been fascinated by a pedigree of my Smithson ancestors some kind RootsChatter alerted me to the other week:https://smithson.org.uk/2002/03/smithson-notes-and-memoirs/

I'm adding them to my tree in pink text as a framework until I can verify them, as even though the book was published over 100 years ago, it doesn't mean it's accurate. (Though as it states my probable 13x G-grandfather was a man-at-arms at Agincourt, I'm really hoping it is  )

Anyway, I've been struggling to understand the author at various points, most notably the following section. Can anyone tell me what relation the first bloke, William Le Smythsonne, is to Peter at the end pls? And any generations in-between? I think I'm right in saying Peter was descended from the second-mentioned William, but that par is a bit 'sludgy' - any thoughts?

"William Le Smythsonne of Thornton Watlas, near Bedale, who was defendant in a plea for depasturing cattle at Thornton Watlas in 1265 (49 Hen. III.), had two sons, of whom:

Robert Smytheson was residing at Thornton Watlas in 1286 (14 Ed. I.).
Wm. le Smytheson lived at Kerperby in 20 Ed. I., was married, and had issue.
The elder son, Robert Smytheson of Thornton Watlas, who married – -, and had issue (together with two other sons, Wm. of Ainstable, Co. Cumberland, who paid subsidy 1 Ed. III., and was a defendant in a plea of debt 18 Ed. III., and Roger Smithson of Lynton, 1 Ed. III., living 18 Ed. III., whose son, Thomas Smithson – married, and had issue – plaintiff in a plea of land, 40 Ed. III.) an elder son, viz.:

Peter le Smytheson of Thornton Watlas, who paid subsidy in 1 Ed. III. (1327) ‘ married –, and had issue two sons"

(I'm assuming things like 40 Ed. III mean 'in the 40th year of the reign of Edward III', but pls correct me if I'm misinterpreting that too).

So I have just received a copy of a 1747 Chancery Court doc from TNA which has at long last helped me pin a Middleton Tyas baptism to my 6x G-Grandma Eleanor Humphries, nee Smithson, and started me thinking I'd broken through one of my many brick walls.

However, it is determined to stay standing – the doc is effectively the response to a legal claim from her sister in law, and mentions the last will of her father Thomas Smithson, who died in Feb 1742. I've been through the YKS Probate records via Ancestry (both scrolling and searching), but frustratingly there's nowt there (the 1747 records are for her brother Thomas, and the 1748 records are - unusually - regarding his infant son Thomas, and were compiled by his mother, the complainant. The 1697 records are almost certainly of her grandfather Thomas.)

I've also checked the Durham probate site as Eleanor lived in West Auckland after her marriage.

All I can think is that, given the will was the cause of all this aggro, the Chancery Court had it brought down to argue over, and then it was misplaced or never sent back to the depository or wherever it came from? Or is there anywhere else to look that might be a possibility? So frustrating when you think you're up and running again, only to hit another wall...

EDIT: Have also checked TNA for the will.

You can't Cmd Z on a headstone...