William Smith of Ratho

[Tall Al]

Hi,

I currently think William who was my gg grandfather, was born 29 Sept 1787 - his parents being James Smith (Born 1768) and Helen Wilkie (born 1764) - they married on 9 Dec 1786 in Ratho.

My William joined the 71st Regiment of Foot on 3 March 1806 age 18 and he married in Chester in 1819 to Catherine Jenkins. His birth place is shown as Edinboro, Midlothian.

I am trying to establish if this is his family -

Parents - James Smith and Helen Wilkie
6 Siblings - Elisabeth (born 4 Sept 1789); Helen (born 10 Nov 1791; Mary (born 12 Jan 1794); James (born 22 March 1796); Anne (Born 13 Nov 1798); and Janet (born 7 May 1801).

William and Catherine had 10 children and the names repeat in several of his own children who were named William (twice), John (twice, after Catherine's  father),James, Mary Ann, Ellen, George, Arthur and Martha - William died in Hawarden Flintshire, Wales in 1860

Can anyone help with any members of the family (births, marriages, deaths etc) to help me establish if I am on the right track.

Many thanks

Alan
 

[ColC]

JAMES SMITH   Married    HELEN WILKIE   09/12/1786   Ratho   

Children:
Born Ratho
WILLIAM 1787, ELISABETH 1789, HELEN 1791 MARY 1794, JAMES 1796 (Mother noted as Nelly)
ANNE 1798, JANET 1801

Born Currie
MARRION 1804
MARGARET 1807

No death records pre 1855 in the period in Ratho on SP but there are at Currie where the family I presume moved to.

Possible burials Currie

JAMES SMITH age 37 (1796)  4/08/1833

WILLIAM SMITH age 51 (1787) 11/02/1838

MARY SMITH age 28 (1794) 16/01/1822

Did his Army papers note his parents names or just the father?

Colin

[ColC]

Was this the death of William registered Wrexham?

SMITH, WILLIAM       77  (Born 1783)?
GRO Reference: 1860  M Quarter in WREXHAM  Volume 11B  Page 284

Colin

[Tall Al]

Hello Colin,

Thanks for replying. William's death is on Free BMD - Dec Qtr 1860 Gt Boughton Vol 8a Page 234
age 72. The death you mention in 1838 isn't him as he is in the 1841/1851 Wales censuses but they only show his birth place as "Scotland". 

The regimental registers of service give me some details but unfortunately not any parental details - I only wish they would.

To enlighten you further I have an additional post "William Smith - 71st Regiment of Foot" on the Cheshire Board if you would care to take a look.

Alan

[ColC]

Hi Alan,
I note the death you mention:

SMITH, WILLIAM       72 
GRO Reference: 1860  D Quarter in GREAT BOUGHTON  Volume 08A  Page 234

The question is how do you know that the death of William in 1838 is not the son of James?

I also note your post in Cheshire, however I do not see, or I might have missed it, that Williams father was named James. It does seem that William & Catherine followed the naming pattern for Catherine's father but not mother. It does lead me to believe that Williams father would be William despite the fact neither of the first two of that name did not survive, there are two baptisms on SP for a William in Edinburgh 1786-1788, father William. 1786 mother Helen, 1788 mother Sophia.


Colin

[Tall Al]

Hi Colin,

I had found the 2 baptisms you mention in Edinburgh - the mother Helen Allison looked a possibility but that William was born Feb 1786 and my William was said to be c1788 - so thought not him.

The mother Sophia has a tree on Ancestry which shows that William dying March 1847 so not him either.

Originally I too thought his father would be called William as the first two children that died were called that, but discounted them as neither seemed to be an exact fit.  It seemed that the only alternative left could be the William from Ratho, and with the naming pattern, looked a good option but if its not him then I have reached a dead end.

Alan

[Forfarian]

I had found the 2 baptisms you mention in Edinburgh - the mother Helen Allison looked a possibility but that William was born Feb 1786 and my William was said to be c1788 - so thought not him.

I wouldn't write him off.

1786 is not so very different from 'about 1788'. Bear in mind that whoever registered his death might have got his age wrong.

In 1851 he gave his own age as 63, which implies that he was born in 1787 or 1788. One or two years of a discrepancy in people's ages in the census is not unusual.

[Tall Al]

Hi,

Thanks for your positive advice - its looking likely that the birth was between Dec 1787 and Dec 1788 as these times concur with the enrolment date of March 1806 (age 18), and his death (age 72) in Dec 1860.

If I follow the  potential 1786 birth, then on enrolment William would have been 20 and not 18 - doesn't really fit and would have no reason to make himself younger.

Having explored all potential avenues, I think I will have to admit defeat.

Alan

[Tall Al]

Hi,

I have just spotted another possibility (assuming William exaggerated his age at enrolment etc by a year).

There is a father William Smith and mother Jean Gardner who had a son William born 20 Sept 1789 in Edinburgh.

I know this is a long shot but have you any thoughts?

Alan