James SMYTH

[Greaves]

James SMYTH - if the census is to be believed - was born in Orford in 1812.

He married Susannah GILBERT in 1843 in Lambeth. According to the marriage certificate, he was an iron founder. His father was named as Henry SMYTH, a wheel-wright.

He died in 1865 in Greenwich, described as an iron moulder.

I can find no record of his birth, by which I mean his baptism. Nor can I find him prior to his marriage, in the 1841 census.

I have tried looking for his father in 1841, also without success..

Any help appreciated.

[QueenoftheWest]

Hmm...

There is a Henry Smyth, wheelwright, who had several children in Orford around this time (1815-1824), but no sign of a James. I also note that a witness to James' marriage was a William Smyth (perhaps a brother?), but no sign of a baptism for him either.

Queenie 

[trish1120]

Deleted

[trish1120]

Nearest I can find?

1851 Census
Leiston, Suffolk
Henry Smith   65, Head, Widr, Journeyman Wheelwright, born Farnham
Mary Ann Smith   27 Daug
Hannah Smith   17 Daug
Mary Smith   6 Daug
William Smith   2 Son
John Ludbrook   21 Visitor
Eliza Emeny   19 Visitor

Younger children more likely to be Daughters children.

1861 he is a Lodger

1841 Census
Henry Smith 55 Wheelwright
Mary Smith 55
Henry Smith 30
Robert Smith 20
Daniel Smith 13
Luke Smith 11
Hannah Smith 9

[Suffolk Mawther]

As well as the parish church of Saint Bartholomew, there were two chapels in Orford, one to Independents and the other Primitive Methodists. I know the latter is still there, will have a look for the Independent next visit.
SM

[Greaves]

Many thanks for the efforts, which unfortunately - lie my own - have not yielded the answer.

I suppose he could have been a non-conformist. Records for such people are harder to come by compared to Anglicans, so I would be very grateful for any help from those with access to such records.

Talking of non-conformists, what is the best site for searching their records? I know both Ancestry and FindMyPast have some records, but they are anything but comprehensive and I have rarely found missing relatives in those collections. Is the Genealogist better for non-conformists? Or is there another site I haven't considered?

[gobbitt]

The Genealogist's Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial BMDs would be easier to search with a subscription but James is unlikely to be found there if he was a son of Henry SMITH and Mary LARTER. Following their marriage at Farnham in 1806 they appear to have had children christened in at least four Anglican parishes:

1807 William at Farnham
1809 Henry at Butley
1815-1824 John, George, Robert & Mary Ann at Orford
1827-1833 Daniel, Luke & Hannah at Leiston

Was the family in Orford by 1812, as James claimed? This was the era of the Napoleonic and North American wars but there is no mention of any military service in the obituary of Henry SMYTH (1784-1863) in the Halesworth Times (24 Nov. 1863, p. 4). He had reportedly been employed at Garretts' Leiston Works for 40 years when he fell ill there on his 79th birthday, a few days before his death.

David

[gobbitt]

Suffolk Archives' settlement examination (FC168/G/4/2/34) of Henry SMYTH from Farnham at Orford in 1817 may reveal details of his family.