Tennant Smith, North Aston, 1798

[Sasha]

Hi,

I’ve had a Eureka moment tonight, but it has led me to a brickwall.  It concerns a Smith travelling family who ended up in Lincolnshire, headed by a Tennant Smith, who seemingly originated in Oxfordshire sometime around 1793, going from his age at his burial.

One of his children’s baptisms (from freereg) was:

Cornelius Smith s/o Dis Eagle Tenant and Beech Annie Smith, 7 Feb 1836, Nether Heyford, Northants, vagrant gipsies

I’ve been pondering over ‘Dis Eagle’, and tonight made the connection to a snippet I found from the Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society on a google book search:

(JGLS 1926 p.24) Ezechiel Tennant Smith son of a travelling man and woman baptized at North Aston Oxon June 3 1798 is the earliest Gypsy instance I know…..

I’m pretty sure that ‘Dis Eagle’  should read ‘Ezechiel’.  So, off to the IGI to check the baptism and sure enough there it is, an extracted entry for Ezekiel Tennant Smith, but no parents named.

Now, with neither of the sources naming any parents I’m pretty sure that the original entry does not either, but would someone please be able to check, just in case.

(And in case you’re wondering about ‘Beech Annie’, the name generally seems to be listed as Bechina, and she was buried as Bettina). 

Thanks for any help,

Jo.

[toby]

Sorry the disc I have the births start at 1839.

[DebbieG]

Hi Sasha

I just checked the transcripts and I am afraid it does say exactly what the book quoted 'son of a travelling man and woman'   

There are a few other Smith mentions in the registers around that time,  but none of them mention travellers - the most possible interesting was a burial in 1817 of a Register Smyth aged 6 years - there was no baptism for him I could see,  but again no parents mentioned

 

DebbieG

[Sasha]

Hi Debbie,

Thanks for checking.    I did think that it was likely that the parents names hadn't been entered.

However, the mention of a Register Smith is interesting.  I knew I'd come across that name before, and there was a Register Smith born 1840 at Cherington, Warwickshire.  She's on the 1841 as a 6 month old at Tadmarton with a family that I do know about.  So the 1817 burial may yet be a clue to link the two families together.

Thank you,

Jo.

[GypsyLin]

Hi Ezekiel Tenant Smith, was my Great , Great Grandfather  & Cornelius Smith his son was my Great Grandfather & his Daughter Abigail was my Grandmother , it would be great if anyone has any photos to share on this side and more of the relatives ty