Joseph and Jane Smith and family, Providence, Rhode Island.

[Althea7]

Following on from this thread from Derbyshire, England
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=813391.9

I am looking for any further information about the family of Joseph and Jane Smith, in Providence, Rhode Island.  There are a lot of connections that make me think I might have the right family.

The son I was looking for, Joseph Smith, died age 15 in Johnston, Providence, Rhode Island on 10th July 1874, parents Joseph and Jane Smith.  Source:  familysearch.org, Rhode Island Deaths and Burials.

The 1875 Rhode Island census gives the youngest sibling, Edith Smith, born 1872, birth location England (at odds with the 1880 United States Federal Census which says she was born in Rhode Island), living with parents Joseph and Jane Smith and siblings Sarah, Frances and Jane.  Johnston, Providence, Rhode Island.

The 1880 United States Federal Census has Joseph Smith born about 1821, England, with wife Jane and children Jane, Fanny, Sarah and Edith M.  North Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island.  Edith's birth date is given as about 1873.

Before emigrating, Joseph Smith, the father, was a Cotton Spinner, and both Joseph and Jane were cotton workers.  They lived in Stockport, Cheshire, and in another thread I was told that the Lancashire Cotton Famine of the 1860's was actually worse in Cheshire than Lancashire.  Shipping companies were offering cheap passages to New York for cotton workers.  I haven't yet found any emigration information for exactly when this family emigrated, but I think there were so many poor cotton workers doing this that ship passenger records could be thin on the ground.

[oldohiohome]

I thought I'd post this much while I have it. I haven't connected the dots on Fannie's marriage or looked for Edith or the parents.

-- Edith was born in RI - there is a Warwick, Rhode Island, as well as the one in England, and the next column on the 1875 Census was "parentage" not place of birth. It doesn't look like their son Joseph came to the US, or Joseph's son William.

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SMITH, SARAH  mmn: GREENWOOD     
GRO Reference: 1855  J Quarter in MANCHESTER  Volume 08D  Page 318

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1861 Census Stockport
44 Hollins Fold

Joseph 39, born Lancashire, Heaton Norris, occ: a [something or other] cotton spinner
Jane 29, b Manchester, occupation: card woven hand ?
Sarah 5, b Lancashire, Beswick
Jane 8m, b Cheshire, Marple
Joseph 2, b Derbyshire, Charlesworth

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1885 RI Census, North Smithfield
 June 1, 1885

for some reason, the images are of an index of sorts, I think. but at least in alphabetical order of first letter of surname. Males separate from female. The district number and family number tie the family together:

District Number, Family Number, # people in Family

image 44
151, 31, 6
Joseph Smith, head, born in England, no occupation, alien

image 98
151, 31, 6
Jane Smith, wife, 50, born in England, cotton weaver
Fannie Smith, daughter, 20, born in England, cotton weaver
Sarah Smith, daughter, 28, born in England, cotton weaver

image 99
151, 31, 6, Edith R Smith, daughter, 12, born in Smithfield, parentage: Eng, 10 months in school


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Record of a death, State of RI
March 26, 1930
Fannie Sharp, born October 26, 1872, England
died at Westerly Hospital, RI
usual residence: Pendleton Hill Road, Stonington, CT
married, housekeeper, husband: George W Sharp
parents: Joseph Smith, Jane Greenwood, both born in England
buried: River Bend Cemetery, Westerly RI
informant: George W Sharp, husband

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8HM-DW5

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Certificate of Death, RI
Sarah Smith
June 27, 1941
at 15 Main Street, White Rock, Westerly
white, female, single, born May 21, 1865, Manchester, England
father: Joseph Smith, born in Stockport, England
mother: Jane Greenwood, born in Manchester, England
informant: Mrs Edith Gildea, sister, same address
buried: River Bend Cemetery, Westerly

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F8H5-MX9

[oldohiohome]

Joseph and Jane in River Bend Cemetery with photo
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83332116/joseph-smith

Joseph d 1887, Jane d 1899.

[Althea7]

Thanks Oldohiohome, that is great information, and almost certainly proves it is the right family.

[oldohiohome]

Yes, I think you have them. It is so easy when you have people on both sides of the Atlantic working on the records. I did an Irish family from Cork, in Massachusetts, a few days ago.

It's usually difficult working backward to the UK, although in this case the specifics on Sarah's death record would have done it.

I live in Northern RI, so knew my way around the records a bit. Lots of local color background on Slatersville and the mills there, if you are interested in that end. Just Google the village name - it is where they were in 1880  if you look at the image. It is a village within North Smithfield,  a couple miles or so from us.

Here is a bit more, glad to be of help.

1930 Westerly RI
Edith, widow,
Sarah Smith, sister

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XM88-85L

1936 Westerly Directory
Gildea Edith widow of Mark F r 15 Main White Rock

same address in 1956

I didn't find Edith or Mark's death or burial place

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Fannie, husband George, and daughter Hazel Sharp, b about 1906, Rhode Island:

1910
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MP6T-X88

1920
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJK3-P3M


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1940 Stonington Connecticut

Hazel M Coan? Coors?, 35 b Rhode Island
Husband John
5 children
1 step son, Robert F Beattie
father in law George W Sharp,
husband's uncle George [same unreadable last name]

same house in 1935 for all

-----
the Social Security records for her son John T say the name is Coon

[RJ137]

I didn't find Edith or Mark's death or burial place

Edith R Gildea

Providence Journal
Providence, Rhode Island
October 4, 1956

Obit: http://www.rootschat.com/links/01nuh/

[RJ137]

Narragansett Times
Wakefield, Rhode Island
December 23, 1887

==

[Althea7]

I didn't find Edith or Mark's death or burial place

Edith R Gildea

Providence Journal
Providence, Rhode Island
October 4, 1956

Obit: http://www.rootschat.com/links/01nuh/

Thank you, that is useful information, gives the name of her son Earl, her only survivor.

[Althea7]

Thank you for all this information.  I am still sifting through it.