John Smith - genealogist hell! *COMPLETED*

[Wred]

My other half has a John Smith and other Smiths but they are not a problem because there are only a few Smith families in the whole county of Caithness, Scotland.
On the other hand the Mackays are a real pain and they all have the same first name. .

[taonga1]

JColeman - sorry, I don't think I have any Michaels!  On the other hand, I do have South Island Crook forbears - I wonder if we have any in common.

Wred - wouldn't you know it, I am suspecting that my John Smith might have got to Caithness to marry his Anne Cameron!  Just a hunch based on a shred of evidence.

[JColeman]

My partner is a Crook. So I did his line along time ago. If I remember correctly it was a John Crook who came out to the North Island from England as part a Govt scheme. I will dig out the papers tomorrow.

[Wred]

Ok Taonga

Cameron is not particularly Caithness name and no Ann on 1841 census that I can see.

There are 20 John SMITHS in 1841  interesting one staying at toll collectors house , Thurso, age 25, not born in county, no occupation given.

[taonga1]

Just had a look at my Crook info:

My forebear was Samuel Thomas Crook, who came out from Wiltshire, I think.  He may have been born around 1861, and would have immigrated around 1881/2. 

His probable father is John Crook, who was a blacksmith at the GWR works in Swindon, Wiltshire.  I don't know if he immigrated or not.