I've got some information on a couple of marriages that I'm sure will be of interest to a couple of people who visit here, so thought I'd post it. Also, some of the information on them has surprised me and it's raised a few questions.
7th November 1859, Fledborough, Nottinghamshire
Okey SMITH, full age, bachelor, gypsy, residing at Fledborough, father Lazarus BOSWELL, gypsy to Meraniel BOOTH, full age, spinster, gypsy, residing at Fledborough, father Sydney SMITH, gypsy, witnesses were Magnus and Mary Ann SMITH.
OK, Lazarus Boswell is Elijah Boswell who married Harriet Metcalf, and then had liaisons with Alice, Charlotte and Delizanna Smith. Meraniel Booth's father is a surprise.
Re. Sydney Smith. I also have an Edingal (sometimes Mary Ann) Smith, father Sidney Smith (nothing more known about him, info from Edingals marriage) who married Sidney Gray, son of William Gray.
Edingal was born c.1830-1836, Thimbleby or Boston, Lincolnshire and she married Sidney Gray in 1873. She had a son born about 1865, not sure if the father is Sidney Gray or not, William Thomas Gray, who seems to use the surname BOOTH in later life. So I'm wondering if Sydney Smith, father of Meraniel Booth is also the father of Edingal? Also Edingal seems to be travelling with Philistia Smith who is another son of Elijah Boswell, so more links back to that family.
14th November 1859, Fledborough, Nottinghamshire
Magnus SMITH, full age, bachelor, gypsy, residing at Fledborough, father Lazarus BOSWELL, gypsy to Mary Ann SMITH, full age, spinster, residing at Fledborough, father William GRAY, gypsy, witnesses were Meraniel SMITH and Samuel SMITH.
Now
William Gray as the father of Mary Ann Smith is a real surprise. William Gray and Tabitha Smith had a daughter, Mary Gray baptised 1st May 1836 at Welton by Lincoln, who would be sister to the Sidney Gray who married Edingal. But if this is her, why is she going by the surname Smith?
Magnus Smith and his wife are on the 1861 census at Stanley cum Wrenthorpe, Yorkshire, along with a Harkles Smith born c.1830 Rutland, and his family.
Magney Smith head mar 28 peg maker master Derbyshire
Mary wife mar 24 basket maker Lincolnshire
Albert E. son 1 Lincolnshire (deaf)
There's a death for Magnus Smith, aged 30, Gainsborough, Jun qtr 1870.
Magnus dies in 1870, and Edingal, who is sometimes Mary Ann, marries Sidney Gray in 1873??? But the Edingal who married Sidney Gray, and the Mary Ann who married Magnus Smith can't be the same person, (can they?) as their fathers are different.
Okey and Meraniel I can't find on the census before 1901. They had one child, Mezanuel, baptised 28th September 1854 at Scotter, Lincolnshire.
1901 – Claythorpe, Lincs
Hookey Smith head mar 64 brush maker and rag/bone dealer Retford
Maraniel wife mar 75 nk
Charles son unm 26 Lincoln (imbecile)
William Booth son unm 40 rag and bone dealer Upton(?) Haxey
Hannah Sykes d-in-law unm 35 Crowle
Albert Smith g/son 12 Treswell Notts
Hookey Sykes g/son 8 Crowle
Sementie Sykes g/dau 2m Goole
1911 and William Booth is camping near Goole, he's married Hannah Sykes and his children are Hookey and Senimenty Booth, and his sister Mezaniel Booth aged 56 and unmarried is living with him. Okey and Meraniel Smith are living at Retford. Their son Charles is with them and a 51 year old unmarried daughter, Edingirl, born Morton, Gainsborough. Also a couple of grandsons, although from the age of one I think he should be a son (not sure how much info from the 1911 I'm allowed to post, can post or PM more details if required). They say they've had 11 children so there's a fair few baptisms still to be found out there.
There's a Cinamenta (or Minta) Smith on the 1881 and 1891, travelling with her aged father James Booth who I can't help but think are connected somehow, with Okey's grandaughter being named Senimenty Booth. (Cinementa born c.1828 Thursby Lincs and James Booth born c.1791-1797 Blisworth Northamptonshire) I was actually expecting Meraniel Booth's father to be James.
A couple of newspaper extracts from the JGLS found via a google book search:
1909 - Another decrepit horse was the cause, a few days later, of Hookey Smith, a Gypsy of Spital Hill, Retford, suing a local hawker for thirty shillings, the amount for which the animal had been purchased. Smith, who was a very old man and a cripple, had to be carried in and out of the court.
A very late instance of wayside burial by Gypsies is mentioned in the Lincoln Gazette of April 17, 1917. ' Henry Smith, Albert Smith, Okey Booth, Cinaminta Smith and Mary Ingram, or Blade,' were camping at Haxey three weeks earlier, when Mary Ingram gave birth to a still-born child, which Henrietta Smith, Albert Smith, and Okey Booth buried in the lane at night. Next morning these various Smiths and Okey Booth departed, leaving Mary Ingram with Gertie Smith; and later in the day, when Gertie ' called her,' Mary decided to tell the police what she had done, or caused to be done. Subsequently the child was disinterred, and there...........
(Think Albert Smith, Okey Booth and Cinaminta Smith are the children of William Booth, and therefore grandchildren of Okey and Maraniel)
Any help in untangling this very gratefully appreciated.
Jo.
