Presteigne - Kington (and back again)

[Welsh Girl]

I've been tracing my line of Smiths for some years now, and I know the frustrations of finding them bobbing back and forth across these borders .... but now I am a bit stuck!!  I thought I'd found all the Smiths I could, but then discovered what I think is the next line back .....

I've not gone back that far in comparison, due to the commanailty of the name    but I've managed to get back to JAMES SMITH born circa 1812 in Kington.  I've found a Christening for a James Smith for 27 January 1813 in Kington, where the Parents are John Smith & Rebecca.  There is also a Thomas Smith for 20 October 1809 to the same Parents.

One of James' children was John Smith who married Elizabeth Muscott (now, THAT's another story!!!) and one of the witnesses is a Catherine BEAVAN.  I believe to have found the 1848 marriage for Catherine to a John Beavan, and she is a SMITH (well, they are on the same page in 1848, but I'll have to get the certificate to confirm 100% they married each other - but there are a Catherine and John Beavan on the 1851 and 1861 census returns.  She had died by the 1871 census, and he's there with his Daughter in Kington.

I can't find a Catherine Smith on the IGI's for Kington circa 1825 (shown on the census returns), and I can't find the IGI's for Presteigne which I thought came under Radnorshire ....  

Any suggestions please    

[Welsh Girl]

just to muddy the waters here .... I think I have found THREE possibilities for James and his siblings:

James Smith Christened 17 August 1812 in Brilley, Hereford to James & Mary

James Smith Christened 22 April 1810 in Kington, Herefordshire to James & Elizabeth

James Smith Christened 27 January 1813 in Kington, Herefordshire to John & Rebecca

All 3 give other siblings that follow with the names that James himself used for his own children ..Thomas, Mary, William (and so on) so that doesn't help, I don't think!

If I check with the Register Office tomorrow, and as long as the 2 names shown on the BMD site are both on the certificate, it should narrow the search down ... I don't REALLY know what relationship Catherine is to John (James' Son) but I suspect she's his Aunt ..... he does have a Sister Catherine too, but she'd be under 10 at the time of the wedding, so not the witness here.

[Welsh Girl]

me again ..... I've just had a bit of a lightbulb moment .... I looked again at the address for Catherine & John Beavan on the 1861 census (RG9; Piece: 4230; Folio: 46; Page: 10), and I *KNEW* I'd seen that address before, so on closer inspection - and I don't know why I didn't spot this before (sorry) living next door is JOHN SMITH and his Wife Elizabeth (who Catherine was one of the witnesses for in 1856)

The address looks like Much ... the address just above is Montford Place, Kington.

Catherine is 35 ... John is 23 .... they could be 1st Cousins ?