Author Topic: Looking for Bernard William Smeed  (Read 5300 times)

Offline Lynntomkins

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #27 on: Friday 14 April 17 14:52 BST (UK) »
So that makes us "cousins" ;-)
My first cousin is Susanne Smeed Scamurra and she has three grown children. I do not have kids but am married, Tomkins is my maiden name, which I kept as I had been practising my profession (dentistry) for five years when I married.
Susanne's sister Nancy has two children but I have lost touch with them. My mother is still alive and well at 92. Her brother, Bernard Lancelot, (father of Susanne and Nancy) known as "Bus" died around age 79 in 2000 or 2001.
Agnes lived to 96 (in 1989) and Bernard lived to 82 (1977) and they were happily married for almost 65 years.

Offline Lottie1987

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #28 on: Friday 14 April 17 21:21 BST (UK) »
Lynn this information has been so helpful! Thank you so much. Are you on ancestry? If so feel free to get in touch and you can see the family tree that I have been working on. I am Charlotte_Shepherd64

I'm sat putting you all into the tree now to see how many times removed we are as cousins  ;D ;D

Edit: We are second cousins once removed :)

Offline Lynntomkins

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #29 on: Saturday 15 April 17 22:21 BST (UK) »
My mother has always kept a gold link bracelet that belonged to my grandmother (but was never worn)and wondered why the initials on it were JLS and AB.
John Lancelot Smeed and Agnes Baigrie. It has a date on it- 10-09-1918. Probably their wedding date. He must have come home to England to get married and then went back to the front. He was killed 28-09-1918, just 18 days later. My grandmother travelled to France by herself in June 1919 to find the graves of her brother William Baigrie and Grandpa's brother Jack (Uncle Jack) but now we know he was her first husband. She wrote some notes about this journey in 1977 just after Grandpa died but referred to Jack only as "Bern's brother". We used those notes and a map to locate the cemeteries and visited them last year. Very sad.

Offline Lottie1987

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #30 on: Sunday 16 April 17 20:05 BST (UK) »
My mother has always kept a gold link bracelet that belonged to my grandmother (but was never worn)and wondered why the initials on it were JLS and AB.
John Lancelot Smeed and Agnes Baigrie. It has a date on it- 10-09-1918. Probably their wedding date. He must have come home to England to get married and then went back to the front. He was killed 28-09-1918, just 18 days later. My grandmother travelled to France by herself in June 1919 to find the graves of her brother William Baigrie and Grandpa's brother Jack (Uncle Jack) but now we know he was her first husband. She wrote some notes about this journey in 1977 just after Grandpa died but referred to Jack only as "Bern's brother". We used those notes and a map to locate the cemeteries and visited them last year. Very sad.

Hi janet (sorry i have assumed lynn in the past because of your username!).

That was indeed their wedding date. The whole situation is very sad x


Offline Lynntomkins

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #31 on: Sunday 16 April 17 20:54 BST (UK) »
You assumed correctly, I am called by my middle name, Lynn.
Janet is a Baigire family name, my grandmother's sister was Janet. She lived in Dalkeith Scotland her entire life. Agnes had another sister named Alice, who lived in Belleville Ontario and married Tom Horton, also a WWI veteran.

Offline suemay

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #32 on: Friday 21 April 17 10:46 BST (UK) »
Hi there cousins!,
Thank you both so much for the info.  I have been on some hunt looking for my granddad's family.  I did find Ralph's first son John Charles Smeed (my mum Brenda's half brother).  I took my mum  to Hayward's Heath to meet him in 2015.  He sounded so much like Ralph. He was deaf and very frail and died a few months later.  His mother was Violet Perry.  He had Graham (and Roselyn who sadly died at 18).  So emotional but so lovely they met as he never knew what happened to his father.
My granddad Ralph (referred to as 'Jack'!) left to work in Newcastle - met my grandmother Helen and never went back home.  He didn't like his own dad John William Smeed and said he was nasty and beat him so lived with his granddad Charles and worked on Hopkins farm.  His father John may have driven all his kids away by the sounds of it.  Granddad Jack was the total opposite considering he left his family, as he had a lovely nature! He always wanted to take my mum to Sussex but never got around to it. He died in 1984 of bowel cancer.
My mum had 5 of us - Helen, Anton, Mark, me (Susan) and Christopher so Ralph has left his mark on Geordie-land.
It would be great to connect somewhere where its more private and share photo's. I am also ancestry but think you have to pay to connect with members. I am also on familysearch.org and its free.  All of my info will end up on there.  Or facebook group otherwise I'm not sure how we'd do it?
Thanks again Sue x

Offline Lottie1987

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #33 on: Friday 21 April 17 10:59 BST (UK) »
Hi sue

Facebook would be a good idea. I have seen family tree websites but facebook would be more private i guess.

I can easily set that up now. Next time you're on try searching for smeed family tree and I will try and get as much on there before my youngest wakes up from his nap 😀

Lynn are you on facebook to join us?

Offline suemay

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #34 on: Friday 21 April 17 11:51 BST (UK) »
Hi Lottie,
Thanks for the quick response.  I will have a look on facebook now and start uploading some photo's.  I  was unlucky in finding whether Clarice had children so this if great!  I was last on here in Nov 16 and then looked last night and gained cousins in an instance.  What would 'they' all say if they were here?  Just told my mum and she is glad that the puzzle is coming together!  She would love to see pictures of her Uncles so Janet/Lynne, get uploading!!   

Anyway will look on FB now

Sue x

Offline Lottie1987

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Re: Looking for Bernard William Smeed
« Reply #35 on: Friday 21 April 17 12:06 BST (UK) »
Its all set up with just myself and my dad as members. Unfortunately my 4 year old then starting demanding lunch  ;D xx