The more common the name, the more difficult the research can be, and my Smiths of Lewknor are right up there. Thomas Smith, a watercress grower, and his wife Eleanor “Ellen” Holland, raised a large family in Lewknor, Oxfordshire, in the mid 19th century. Smiths had lived in that area for decades, so Thomas’s brothers and cousins were also baptizing, and burying family members in the local church at the same time. There were also Smith families living in the nearby Postcombe, a hamlet so tiny it had no church of its own.
Here are the records of Smith baptisms and burials during the time Thomas and Ellen lived in Lewknor. I’ve taken them from the published parish registers. The next step of course is to order the FHL microfilms to view the parish registers themselves. Births and deaths after the date range here would come from records at the GRO or from the microfilms. In a later post, I will compare these records to census records, to see if it’s possible to recreate the various families.
Smith Baptisms (1820–1856) & Burials (1820–1884)
St. Margaret’s, Lewknor
Originally transcribed by Brigadier F.R.L. Goadby, 1982
1820 | 7 May | Bur. | Smith William 52 South Weston |
16 Jul | Bap. | TH Smith Thomas s James & Sarah lab Postcomb | |
1823 | 26 Jan | Bap. | Smith Anne d James & Sarah lab Postcomb |
25 May | Bap. | Smith Martha Heley d John & Mary lab Postcomb | |
1824 | 22 Jul | Bur. | Smith Sarah 10 yrs 7 mos |
28 Dec | Bur. | Smith John 44 | |
1825 | 6 Nov | Bap. | Smith Sophia d John & Mary lab Postcomb |
1826 | 29 Jan | Bap. | Smith Mary d James & Sarah (Mary incorrectly entered), lab, Postcomb |
1827 | 16 Sep | Bap. | Smith Mary d William & Sarah lab |
1829 | 11 Jan | Bap. | Smith Rachel s Robert & Mary lab Postcomb |
30 Aug | Bap. | Smith Richard s James & Sarah lab | |
1830 | 4 Apr | Bap. | Smith Rebecca d William & Sarah lab |
31 Jul | Bur. | Smith Rebecca 4 mos | |
1831 | 27 Jan | Bap. | Smith Phineal s Mark & Louisa travelling brasier |
3 Jul | Bap. | Smith Esther d John & Mary lab Postcomb | |
17 Jul | Bap. | Smith John s William & Sarah lab | |
13 Sep | Bur. | Smith John 3 mos | |
1832 | 23 Apr | Bur. | Smith Sarah 87 |
23 Sep | Bap. | Smith Henry s James & Sarah lab | |
1833 | 10 Mar | Bap. | Smith Ann d Thomas & Eleanor lab |
14 Apr | Bap. | Smith Mary Ann d James & Caroline lab | |
1834 | 1 Jun | Bap. | Smith Jane d John & Mary lab Postcomb |
22 Nov | Bur. | Smith Stephen 21 dislocated spine | |
1835 | 15 Feb | Bap. | Smith Elizabeth d Thomas & Ellinor lab |
21 Jun | Bap. | Smith Samuel s William & Sarah lab (entered into register in 1838) | |
25 Oct | Bap. | Smith John s John & Caroline lab | |
1836 | 24 Feb | Bur. | Smith Mary 79 typhus |
30 Oct | Bap. | Smith Mary d Thomas & elenerEleanor lab | |
18 Dec | Bap. | Smith Mary Anne d John & Mary lab Postcomb | |
1837 | 14 May | Bap. | Smith Jane d Thomas & Sarah lab Postcomb |
1838 | 6 May | Bap. | Smith George s Sophy lacemaker |
7 Oct | Bap. | Smith John s Thomas & Eleanor lab | |
11 Nov | Bap. | Smith Sarah d James & Caroline shepherd | |
1840 | 2 Feb | Bap. | Smith Sarah d William & Sarah lab |
8 Mar | Bap. | Smith Sarah Elizabeth d John & Mary lab Postcomb | |
19 Apr | Bap. | Smith William s James & Caroline lab | |
2 Sep | Bur. | Smith William 5 mos | |
1841 | 2 Jan | Bap. | Smith Joseph s Thomas & Ellen lab |
3 Jan | Bap. | Smith Susan d Sophia sp | |
19 Jun | Bap. | Smith Charles s Thomas & Sarah lab Postcombe ptely;recd Oct 31 | |
29 Aug | Bap. | Smith Susannah d James & Caroline lab | |
31 Oct | Bap. | Smith George s Thomas & Sarah lab Postcomb | |
1842 | 27 Mar | Bap. | Smith Louisa d Willm & Sarah lab |
18 Sep | Bap. | Smith Emma d Thomas & Ellen lab | |
25 Sep | Bap. | Smith William s John & Mary lab Postcombe | |
18 Sep | Bap. | Smith William s James & Caroline lab recd; pte bap a month before | |
1843 | 5 Jan | Bur. | Smith Susanna 16 mos |
9 Jan | Bur. | Smith William 4 mos | |
14 May | Bur. | Smith Esther 80 Postcombe | |
8 Oct | Bap. | Smith Thomas s Thomas & Sarah lab Postcomb | |
1844 | 7 Apr | Bap. | Smith Eliza d William & Sarah lab |
14 Apr | Bap. | Smith Octavia d James & Caroline lab | |
25 Dec | Bap. | Smith Paul s Thomas & Ellen lab | |
1845 | 23 Mar | Bap. | Smith Robert s Mary lacemr (diff ink-reputed father Henry Phillips) |
13 Oct | Bap. | Smith Hannah Keziah d Thos & Sarah shepd Postcomb | |
13 Oct | Bap. | Smith Eliza Louisa d Thos & Sarah shepd Postcomb | |
1846 | 12 Apr | Bap. | Smith Stephen s Willm & Sarah lab |
10 May | Bap. | Smith Thomas s Charles & Mary publican | |
28 May | Bur. | Smith Emma 3 yrs | |
1847 | 10 Jan | Bap. | Smith Kezia d James & Caroline shepherd |
2 May | Bap. | Smith Louisa d Thomas & Ellen lab | |
1849 | 21 May | Bap. | Smith Henry s Thomas & Ellen lab |
17 Jun | Bap. | Smith Alice d William & Sarah lab | |
30 Oct | Bur. | Smith John 48 Postcomb | |
1850 | 19 May | Bap. | Smith Ellen d James & Caroline lab |
22 Sep | Bur. | Smith Martha 27 Postcomb | |
1851 | 7 Sep | Bap. | Smith Emma d William & Sarah lab |
1851 | 21 Nov | Bap. | Smith George s John & Ann lab |
1 Aug | Bur. | Smith Wm 9 yrs Postcomb | |
1852 | 1 Feb | Bap. | Smith Mary Ann d Henry & Ellen lab |
1 Feb | Bap. | Smith Charles s Charles & Mary publican | |
26 Feb | Bur. | Smith Emma 8 mos | |
14 Mar | Bap. | Smith Ruth Ann d John & Mary lab Postcomb | |
15 Mar | Bur. | Smith Lydia 3 yrs | |
7 Apr | Bur. | Smith Wm 46 | |
1853 | 28 Mar | Bur. | Smith Helitia 2 mos Postcomb |
12 Jun | Bap. | Smith Lydia d Charles & Mary publican | |
17 Jul | Bap. | Smith Edward s Thomas & Elinor watercress mercht | |
11 Dec | Bap. | Smith Isaac s Caroline & James lab | |
1854 | 20 Jan | Bur. | Smith Isaac 2 mos |
11 Feb | Bur. | Smith Ann 72 | |
6 Aug | Bap. | Smith Mary Ann d Richard & Maria Elizth lab Postcomb | |
1855 | 23 Sep | Bap. | Smith Emma Alma d Charles & Jane publican |
1856 | 20 Jan | Bap. | Smith Anne Elizabeth d William & Rebecca lab |
13 Apr | Bap. | Smith William s Thomas & Ellen watercress mercht | |
19 Oct | Bap. | Smith Charles Frederick s Henry & Ellen lab | |
15 Dec | Bap. | Smith Ann d William & Rebecca lab | |
1857 | 9 Sep | Bur. | Smith Emma Alma 2 yrs |
1858 | 17 Jan | Bur. | Smith William 80 Aston |
8 Apr | Bur. | Smith Ellen 26 | |
1859 | 27 Jun | Bur. | Smith Thomas 81 Watlington |
Other, potentially relevant Lewknor burials are:
1869 30 Apr SMITH James 76, and 8 Jun SMITH James 66
1871 13 Apr SMITH Sarah 81
1874 11 Nov SMITH William 44
1877 29 Jan SMITH Caroline 68
1882 24 Apr SMITH Richard 53 Adwell, and 30 Oct SMITH Sarah 71
Transcripts for burials only go up to 1884, but we know from his death certificate that Thomas Smith, watercress grower died 4 February 1885. He is buried in Lewknor Churchyard…see a photo of his grave marker here.
(Surname Saturday is a daily blogging prompt hosted by Geneabloggers)
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