hi
i'm reseaching a family that settled in buckhurst hill, essex, but who were originally travellors.
sydney smith was a cutler and lay preacher. he was baptised in shillington, beds in 1848 to sydney and pheobe smith. i have been unable to find out any information on this couple at all.
the first record for sydney is the birth certificate of his daughter pheobe, born 1867 in a field in norland road in kensington - can anyone tell me if this was part of the potteries?? phoebe's mother is down as catherine, formerly carey
sydney had 7 other children, but on each certificate the mother's name is slightly different:
jane b 1874 in kensington mother catherine nee haymer
emily b 1877 in buckhurst hill mother catherine harner
sidney b 1880 in buckhurst hill mother katherine amos
william b 1882 (certificate not found)
alice b 1886 in buckhurst hill mother catherine carey
frederick b 1889 in buckhurst hill mother catherine hamor
kathleen b 1892 in buckhurst hill mother kathleen amier
i know that all these children had the same mother, and her death certificate (died 1929 age 80) gives name as 'catherine'.
sydney died in 1934
i can't go any further back... the only glimmer of hope i've found is that one of the daughters married in woodford bridge in 1894 and that christopher smith was a witness... he was the traveller known as critty smith... i just can't find a link between his family and sydney's.
in the 1871 census sydney, catherine and pheobe are living in a caravan on kensal road, chelsea and he's listed as 'chair maker'... there are no other smiths with them but a few taylors.
i'm decended from their first daughter pheobe. in later years she named her home 'romany rye'.
if any one can help me in any way to find relatives for sydney smith i'd be very grateful
daran
