William Smith, citizen and woodmonger, Limehouse

[akissling]

Recently I posted a question regarding the marriage of Fortune Smith in 1652: https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=871884.msg7431275#msg7431275
I am continuing the hunt for more information about her. I know that her father was a citizen and woodmonger who lived in Limehouse, Stepney from this record in the National Archives https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/82cb410e-14f2-4698-92bc-43575f03bf05. She was also listed in the London archives in their Court of Orphans collection https://search.lma.gov.uk/scripts/mwimain.dll/144/LMA_OPAC/web_detail?SESSIONSEARCH&exp=refd%20CLA/002/04/360. Both documents were from 1652 (marriage and Court of Orphans) and both refer to Wm's will. The documents do not say when he died. I have been looking for a will for William Smith/Smyth/Smythe but haven't found one in Limehouse or Stepney or a will that states a William Smith as citizen and woodmonger between 1632-1652. I assuming he could have died when Fortune and her brother Johan were very young. I am wondering if there might be a resource that lists woodmongers in London during this time or if there might be other names for this area of London to help me find this needle in a haystack. I do have names of other citizens involved in the orphan documents if this might help but I can't find any obvious family connections to help. Thanks.

[Novak20]

I can fill in some details from the Court of Orphans records and the probate record:

8 April 1651: Anne Smith (widow of William Smith, woodmonger), now married to John Haslegrave of Limehouse, are bound to provide an inventory of WS's estate.
15 Jul 1651: Felix Wombwell, mariner of St Giles Cripplegate, is additionally bound to provide an inventory of WS's estate.
31 Jul 1651: all the above (Anne, John and Felix) -- having supplied the inventory -- are bound to secure the portion for the orphans
30 Mar 1652: the estate is secured (£737 and £562 legacy money) for two orphan daughters Joan and Fortune. (Note that Joan is likely the older of the two)
8 Mar 1652/3: Fortune is licensed to marry John Dorrington, mariner, subject to his providing her with a jointure.
23 Nov 1654: Fortune and John declare satisfaction of her portion.

The early inventory bonds indicate that WS left an administration rather than a will. There is a PCC administration for a William Smith of Stepney for 1649 which says "renounced and will pr. Oct 1650". So I checked the online PCC index, and there is a will for WS dated 23 Oct 1650. So you're in luck!

It's not clear what happened with probate, but possibly the Anne took out an administration and subsequently discovered that a will had been made.

The Woodmongers' Company was dissolved relatively early and unfortunately no company archive survives.


cheers,
Mike

[akissling]

Thank you so much! This is very helpful and now the reference to Haselgrave makes sense. I really appreciate all the extra details as well! I do not think I would have ever made these connections. Again thank you so much!!!!

[akissling]

I wanted to add this information in case someone else is following this family. William Smith can be found in the UK Archives using this "Will of William Smith, Mariner and Clerk Mate of the Ship Minty" (ship was actually Amity/Amitie) and in another large website that starts with an A using the date Mike kindly supplied and the location as Stebbonheath,Middlesex,England. I was not familiar with the old way to refer to the area Stepney so I was ignoring this will (and his occupation is a mariner, not a woodmonger-I am assuming he was both). Again, big thanks to Mike for the breakthrough!