Hi all - long time no post!
Can I correct bookwormtilley's case of mistaken identity that Cornelius Smith (father of famous evangelist Gipsy Rodney Smith) had a daughter, Lavina, who married Obadiah Gray?
In his memoirs, written in 1901, Rodney says ""My second sister, Lovinia, is Mrs. Oakley, and lives at Luton, a widow."
In my tree notes I have Lovinia, aged 19 marrying Edward Oakley, a Horse Dealer (b 21 Mar 1857, Fenny Stratford, Buckinghamshire, son of William Oakley & Sarah Nash), on 26 Dec 1876 in Luton, Beds. I've got a copy of their marriage cert. showing Lovinia was the daughter of Cornelius Smith, Hawker. Lovinia & Edward had 7 children, all born in Luton:
Sarah Oakley b. 17 Feb 1877
Matilda Oakley b. abt. 1879
Edward Oakley b. abt. 1882
Beatrice Oakley b. abt. 1885
Emily Oakley b. abt. 1887
Minnie Oakley b. abt. 1890
May Oakley b. abt. 1874
... and she remained in Luton until her death on 30 Oct 1908. I was in touch for a while with Lovinia and Edward's great granddaughter Jackie (via their daughter Emily) over in New Zealand, and she knew all about the connection with Gipsy Smith.
This is just to scotch that particular rumour (which bookwormtilley states they found somewhere online) and would suggest that An65's 13 Oct 2010 23:41 post containing the info re the Lavaina who married Obadiah Gray is much more likely to have hit the nail on the head.
Anyway, I've really enjoyed reading the threads on here with the info on the Grays ... I have a slender link to them in that my ggg grandmother Naomi Buckley (b. abt. 1841, d. of Joiner Buckley and Seni Smith) had a brother, Hercules Buckley (aka Dud / Arkless / Arthur who often used the Smith surname), who was briefly married to Genty Gray (b. 1835, d. of Osiri Gray and Eliza Heron). Genty's younger sister Keomi (the Pre-Raphaelite model) seems to have had a really interesting life (does anyone have a clear photo of her, by any chance?) and the more I read about the Grays / Herons (Hearns) the more I feel they're bound to be further connected to my Smiths (and Buckleys and Taylors) by more than marriage. I should add Naomi and Hercules' big sis Justinia Buckley was married to the aforementioned Cornelius Smith's brother Woodlock ... and Cornelius & Woodlock's brother Bartholomew is my ggg-grandfather ... whose daughter Naomi Smith married the aforementioned Naomi Buckley's - and James Taylor's - son Algar ... phew
- so interwoven, these Romanies!