Martha May

Now working on assumption that Maria (from census 1851) is a miscoded Martha.

---

Birth possibilities - Berkshire Baptisms Index

---

[1]
Martha May
Baptism = 25 Apr 1819 Brimpton
Church = St Peter
Father = Hugh May

• residence Brimpton
• occupation Labourer

Mother = Sarah May
Additional notes
[Officiating Minister] Edward COVE, Vicar County Berkshire
[2]
Berkshire Baptisms Index
Martha May
Baptism = 04 Jun 1820
Brimpton Church = St Peter
father = William May

• residence Brimpton
• occupation Labourer

Mother = Sarah May
Additional notes
[Officiating Minister] Edward COVE, Vicar County Berkshire
[]

---

1838 - Marriage

---

[]
23rd September 1838 <

---

[he would have to be 19 for this to be correct]
St John Paddington
FreeBMD calls this Kensington
The district Kensington spans the boundaries of the counties of London and Middlesex
[]
William Smith

• minor [fits, see above]
• shoemaker
• 40 Praed St

[]
father

• William Smith
• a painter (or printer?)

[]
Martha May

• minor <

  ---

  [implies birth year later than 1818]
• 28 Praed St.

[]
Father

• ?William? May
• a Sawyer

[]
Witnesses

• James Bott - James Bott was a regular witness.
• Sarah Smith
• Jane Smith - marked with cross rather than signed. <

  ---

  [how are the witnesses related to William?]

[]
William signed his name, Martha made a cross.
[]

---

1839 - Daughter Martha

---

Baptisms at St James Westminster
[]
born Jany 31
baptism 24 Feb 1839,
Martha,
parents William + Martha Smith,
Litt. Windmill St,
father a Shoemaker
[]
GRO
SMITH, MARTHA
mmn = MAY
1839 M Quarter
OF SAINT JAMES WESTMINSTER
[]

---

1840 - Son William

---

Baptisms at St James Westminster
born April 25
baptism 31 May 1840,
William,
parents William + Martha Smith,
Upper Rupert St, Servant
[]
GRO
SMITH, WILLIAM
mmn = MAY
1840 J Quarter
in SAINT JAMES WESTMINSTER
[]

---

1840 - Possible death of son William

---

[]
SMITH, WILLIAM
AAD = 0
1840 J Quarter in WESTMINSTER
[]

• *** Too late if 1841 correct

SMITH, WILLIAM
AAD = 0
1841 M Quarter in THE SHOREDITCH DISTRICT
[]

---

1841 - Death of young Martha? (No)

---

[]
Probably wrong person as inconsistent with 1841 census entry
[]
Martha Smith

• buried 8 Feb 1841 [before 1841 census]
• age 2 [implies birth before 8 Feb 1839, consistent with birth record shown above]
• at St Margaret Westminster
• address was Gardeners Lane.

[]

---

1841 possible

---

Martha Smith
St Mary Lambeth, Surrey Pitt Street
Age 22-26
Occupation Null
Birth Year 1815-1819
Institution <<<<<<===================
[]
Mary Lacey 50-54 Surrey
Eliza Lacey 20-24 Surrey
Henny Lacey 15-19 Surrey
Samuel Lacey 11 Surrey
Mary Paul 20-24 Surrey
John Neal 25-29
Elizh Neal 25-29
John Neal 4 Surrey
William Neal 2 Surrey
[]
Martha Smith 22-26 [1814-1818] [born elsewhere]
Martha Smith 2 [1838] [born elsewhere]
William Smith 1 [1839] [born elsewhere] [should be 2yo]
[]

[2]
Margaret Street
Tinsbury Clerkenwell
[]
William Smith 20 [1821] "Last Maker" born this county
Martha Smith 17 [1823] born this county
[]

---

1851

---

Saint James, Middlesex
82 Regent Street
Westminster
[]
Age 31
Married
Wife
Birth Year 1820
Birthplace Berkshire
[]
Household
[]
William Smith Head 31 Lambeth occ Billard Table Keeper
Maria Smith Wife 31 [1819] Berkshire
[]
Edd O'Hard Servant 17 Lambeth,
[]

---

1854 - Birth of Henry James Smith

---

Henry James Smith
born = 8th June 1854
Baptism

• Apr 1855
• Shoreditch St Leonard, Hackney Father:
• William Smith
• occ Gentleman

Mother = Martha
abode 2 Hamilton Cottages Dalston
[]
GRO
Henry James SMITH
mmn = MAY
1854 S Quarter
THE SHOREDITCH DISTRICT
[]

---

1861 - William & Martha

---

[]
7, Picket Street, St Clement Danes, Strand, London & Middlesex
[]
William Smith Head Mar 41 1820 Lambeth, Surrey Billiard table keeper
Martha Smith Wife Mar 38 1823 Brimpton, Berkshire
Henry Jas Smith Son Unm 6 1855 Dalston, Middlesex
Charlotte Smith ... Unm 48 1813 Middlesex Domestic servant
Margaret Stewartson Servant Unm 14 1847 Greenwich, Kent Nursemaid
[]

---

1861 - william and Elizabeth

---

12, Greek Street, St Anne, Strand, London & Middlesex
[]
Sv = Servant
WestM = Westminster
MSX = Middlesex
SUR = Surrey
[]
Smith, William Head Mar 41 [1820] SUR, Lambeth, Proprieter Of Billiard Room
Smith, E M Wife Mar 34 [1827] MSX, Hackney,
Smith, B G Son Unm 3 [1858] MSX, St James, WestM,
[]
Bean, M A Visitor Unm 4 [1857] MSX, St James, WestM,
Watkins, Elza Sv Unm 19 [1842] MSX House Servant
[]

---

1863 - Younger Henry James Smith - genuine coincidence

---

SMITH, HENRY JAMES
MMN = MAY
1863 J Quarter
NEWINGTON
[]

---

1871 - Martha ***** with grandson

---

St Mary Newington London Cooks Road Lambeth
[]
BRK = Berkshire
MSX = Middlesex
[]
Martha Smith wife 47 1824 BRK, Brimpton, occ Annuitant
Henry son 16 1854 MSX, Dalston no occupation
William Richards grandson 9 1861 Islington
[]
From Rootschat
Couple of baptisms in Islington St Mary
[1]
William bap 18 Oct 1863 parents William and Elizabeth
Possible birth reg Sep 1863 Islington MMN Giles
[2]
William John bap 3 Feb 1861
parents William and Jane
Possible birth reg Mar 1861 Islington MMN Brookes
[]

---

1871 - William & Elizabeth

---

SV = servant
MSX = Middlesex
SUR = Surrey
[]
Thames Street, Sunbury, Staines, Middlesex & Surrey
[]
Smith, William Head 51 1820 SUR, Lambeth Licensed victualler
Smith, Elizabeth Wife 42 1829 MSX, Hackney,
Smith, Benton Gooch Son 13 1858 MSX, St James, Westminster,
[]
Mehew, William SV 29 1842 Oxfordshire, Coachman
Fox, Mary Ann SV 19 1852 Huntingdonshire General servant
Wells, Richard SV 10 1861 Kent,
[]

---

1881 - William & Elizabeth

---

Windsor Villas, Twickenham, Brentford, Middlesex
[]
MSX = Middlesex
ESX = Essex
SUR = Surrey
OXF = Oxfordshire
wdw = Widow
ADS = adopted son
[]
Smith, William Head Mar 61 1820 SUR, Lambeth, Club Manager
Smith, Elizabeth Martha Wife Mar 51 1830 ESX, Shackawell
(Smith), Herbert Herbert ADS Sg 7 1874 SUR, Thames Ditton,
[]
Manstone, Rose Domestic Sg 18 1863 Dorset, Dorchester, General Servant
Bennett, John Lodger Sg 34 1847 MSX, Hampton Merchants City
Hadland, Elizabeth Visitor wdw 74 1807 OXF, Heston, Retired Bakers Wife
[]

---

1881 - Martha

---

Lodging in Walworth.
[]
Martha Smith
Newington, London, Surrey, St Saviour Southwark Chapter Ter
Age 57
Marital Status Widow
Occupation None
Lodger
Birth Year 1824
Birthplace Brompton, Berkshire,
Household
[]
MSX = Middlesex
SUR = Surrey
[]
Hill, William F Head 38 MSX, Shoreditch,
Hill, Rachel Wife 36 MSX, London,
Hill, Walter Son 8 MSX,
Hill, Jessie Daughter 6 SUR, Newington,
Hill, Owen Son 0 SUR, Newington,
Hill, Charity J Mother 63 MSX, London,
Hill, Rebecca Sister 25 MSX, St Dunstan In West,
[]
Smith, Martha Lodger 57 [1823] Berks, Brompton <<<<<<<<<<<
Smith, Henry J Lodger 26 [1854] MSX, London occ Postman (C S Mess)
[]
Guppy Joseph Visitor 22 Somerset, Langford
[]

---

1891 - William & Elizabeth

---

Grosvenor Terrace, Twickenham, Brentford, Middlesex, ST MARYS Brentford
[]
MSX = Middlesex
SUR = Surrey
SRV = Servant
Sg = Single
Grd-dgtr = granddaughter
[]
Smith, William Head, Mar 71 1820 MSX, London, Clerk Plume Club London
Smith, Elizabeth Wife, Mar 63 1828 Hackney, Shackelwell
Smith, Elizabeth Grd-dgtr 7 1884 SUR, Camberwell
[]
Brown, Sarah SRV Sg 21 1870 MSX, Twickenham, Domestic Servant
Barton, Thomas Lodger Widower 73 1818 MSX, London, Retired Journalist
[]
The Plume Club was at 11 Leicester Place, Leicester Square. (from rootschat)
[]

Dalston is an area of East London, in the London Borough of Hackney.
It is 4 miles (6.4 km) north-east of Charing Cross.
Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane,
and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas
including Kingsland and Shacklewell,
all three of which being part of the Ancient Parish of Hackney.

---

1891 - Martha *** Henry wrong birth year

---

London City, Newington St Mary
[]
Martha Smith Head Mar 68 [1823] Brimpton, Berkshire
Henry son Sg 27 [1863] Darlston occ supernamary = at theatre
[]
Supernumerary actor, appear in the background, more commonly referred to as an "extra"
[]

---

Death possibilities (GRO)

---

Pretty sure Martha and her son Henry died after 1881 census.
No census records for 1891, 1901, 1911.
Possibilities in chronological order
[]
SMITH, MARTHA
1881 M Quarter
AAD = 59
IBY = 1822
CHELMSFORD [30 miles from Shoreditch]
[]
SMITH, MARTHA
1886 D Quarter
AAD = 64
IBY = 1822
FULHAM
[]
SMITH, MARTHA
1892 J Quarter
AAD = 68
IBY = 1824
PANCRAS
[]
SMITH, MARTHA
1894 D Quarter
AAD = 70
IBY = 1824
SHOREDITCH

• **** NO! This is the other Martha with the 1863 Henry

[]
SMITH, MARTHA
1896 D Quarter
AAD = 72
IBY = 1824
PANCRAS
[]
SMITH, MARTHA
1897 J Quarter
AAD = 73
IBY = 1824
CAMBERWELL
[]

William is reported to be grandfather to a boy named William Richards in 1871.

Be warned that there is another Henry James Smith born 1863 in very much the same area,
to a mother Martha Smith mmn May, the mother from Berkshire 1822!
This is the level of coincidence that exists in the data.

[extracts of a conversation on Rootschat]

The William Smith at 82 Regent Street in 1851 is a Billiard Table Keeper b c 1820 Lambeth.
In 1861 he was with a Martha 38 [1822] b Brimpton Berks
the same county as the Maria in 1851 Residing Picket Street. Westminster
Census ref RG09/180/57/5

Maria is not Maria Hunt.
The parish register for Holy Trinity Church, St Mary Islington shows that
the pairings for that reference combination were:
James Figg/Maria Hunt, 15 May 1844
John Dyson Anderson/Ellen Addicott, 22 May 1844
William Nosworthy/Susan Brind, 8 June 1844
William Smith/Mary Ann Johnson, 9 June 1844.

William the billiard table proprietor b c 1820 Lambeth seems to have two families in Westminster in 1861
- this one with Martha b Brimpton Berks (is this Maria in disguise?)
and a separate one with E.M. Smith born Hackney.
The latter one is consistent with Elizabeth's Hackney birthplace when they are together in 1871.
Leading a double life?

Henry James Smith born 8 June 1854 was baptised in April 1855 at St Leonard, Shoreditch.
Parents: William (gentleman) and Martha.
Abode: 2 Hamilton Cottages, Dalston.

---

[death?]

---

[]
SMITH, MARTHA
AAD = 85 [born 1824]
1909 J Quarter
ST GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE

[]
SMITH, MARIA
AAD = 63 [born 1815]
1878 M Quarter
ST GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE

[]
SMITH, MARIA
AAD = 65 [b 1817]
1882 S Quarter
ST GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE

[]
SMITH, MARIA
AAD = 57 [ b 1820 ]
1877 S Quarter
KENSINGTON

[]
SMITH, MARIA
AAD = 52 [b 1820]
1872 D Quarter
SAINT GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE

[]
SMITH, MARIA
AAD = 46 [b 1820]
1866 M Quarter
NEWINGTON

[end]