Mary Jane Smith's Ancestry:
Notes & Sources

These items are in no particular order.  Please use Our Smith Line and associated family pages to relate these items in a meaningful way.  However, there are a few items listed below that are not referenced in the family pages, e.g., in cases in which they refer to documents where no information was found, or they are sources not yet assimilated -- these have been marked as such, below.  This is a work in progress!


295.  Birth registration #192 in 1853 for Mary Jane Smith, parents John Smith, hairdresser, and Eleanor (nee Andrews) Smith, residing Scotgate, Saint John's, Stamford [Lincolnshire].
Obtained from the General Register Office, England c.7/2004.
[2.3MB]

324.  1891 Census for District 96 North Norfolk Co., Middleton Twp., Ontario (FHL microfilm #1465780) lists Family 106, consisting of:
    John Smith, 60, b.England, Baptist, (no occupation listed)
    Marey[sic]  "     , 60, <ditto>
    Fanny,  "     , 24, <ditto>
    George, "   , 11, b.Ontario
[360KB]
[BWB:  Don't know where Hannah lived, but probably married by this time.]

346.  Marriage registration #62 obtained from the General Register Office in England, dated 7/2/1851, and solemnized at the Register Office in the Stamford District, Lincolnshire ENG:
John Smith, 21, Confectioner, resides All Saints Place, Stamford, father Benjamin Smith, Hair Dresser.
Eleanor Andrews, 25, resides All Saints Place, father James Andrews, Cordwainer.
Witnesses:  Alfred Andrews and Sarah Andrews.
[95KB]
[BWB: Alfred and Sarah were siblings of Eleanor.]


347.  Birth registration #236 obtained from the General Register Office in England, dated 7/27/1856:  Hannah Smith, parents John Smith, Hair Dresser, and Mary (nee Stafford) Smith.
[134KB]
[BWB:  This proves John had just one surviving child by first wife Eleanor Andrews (our Mary Jane Smith Beals, wife of Robert), and the rest of the children were Mary Stafford's.] 348.  A short history of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England in the 1800s, obtained from http://www.visitoruk.com/stamford/history/timeline_19th.htm ca.9/2004, indicates the town was on the decline in the 1860-1870 timeframe, which may have been the motivation for John Smith and his family emigrating to Canada about 1872.
[Local Copy]

349.  1841 Census for Deeping St. James, Lincolnshire, ENG (LDS' Family History Library microfilm #438757) lists the birth family for our John Smith living on Bridge Street:
       Benjamin Smith, 35, Hair Dresser, b. Lincolnshire
       Catherine, 30, not b.Lincs
       John, 11, b.Lincs
       Harrison, 9, b.Lincs
       George, 7, b.Lincs
       Joseph, 5, b.Lincs
       William, 3, b.Lincs
[248KB]


350.  1841 Census for Stamford, Lincolnshire, ENG (LDS' Family History Library microfilm #438760) lists the birth family for our Eleanor Andrews living on All Saints Place:
       James Andrews, 40, Shoem J [Shoemaker Journeyman?], not b.Lincolnshire
       Ann, 40, not b.Lincs
       Alfred, 20, Carpenters J, b.Lincs
       Eleanor, 15, b.Lincs
       Sarah, 13, b.Lincs
       Emma, 7, b.Lincs
       George, 4, b.Lincs
       Ann Gassier[?], 75, b.Lincs [BWB: is this the wife's mother?]
[237KB]


351.  1851 Census for Deeping St. James, Lincolnshire (LDS' Family History Library microfilm #87724) lists:
351a. Family 117
       Benjamin Smith, 49, Hair Dresser and Glover, b.Lynwood, Lincolnshire
       Catherine, 43, b.Morbora, Northamptonshire
       George, 18, b.Deeping St. James, Lincs
       Joseph, 15, b.Deeping St. James, Lincs
       William, 13, b.Deeping St. James, Lincs
       Jane, 6, b.Deeping St. James, Lincs
[91KB]
351b  Family 126
       John Smith, 21, unmarried, Confectioner, b.Deeping St.James, Lincs
[158KB]
[BWB: Harrison, son of Benjamin Smith, was not listed in Deeping St.James.]


352.  1861 Census for St.John's Parish, Stamford , Lincolnshire (LDS' Family History Library microfilm #542952) lists our John Smith's family living on Red Lion Square:
       John Smith, 30, Cutler, b.Deeping St.James, Lincs
       Mary, 29, b.Freeby, Leicestershire
       Mary Jane, 7, b.Stamford, Lincs
       Hannah, 4, b.Stamford
       Catherine, 3, b.Stamford
       Harrison B., 2, b.Stamford
[246KB]
Items [346] and [347] prove that Mary Smith was John's second wife.


353.  1871 Census for St.John's Parish, Stamford, Lincolnshire (LDS' Family History Library microfilm #839342) lists our John Smith's family living at #1Red Lion Square:
       John Smith, 40, Cutler and Glove Maker, b.Deeping St.James, Lincs
       Mary, 39, b.Freeby, Leicestershire
       Mary J., 17, Dressmaker, b.Stamford, Lincs
       Hannah, 14, b.Stamford
       Catherine, 13, b.Stamford
       Harrison B., 12, b.Stamford
       Henry H., nephew, 12, b.Stamford
       Louisa M., neice, 8, b.Stamford
       Fanny E., 4, b.Stamford
[194KB]


354.  1881 Census for the township of Middleton, North Norfolk county, Ontario, Canada (LDS' Family History Library microfilm #1375899) lists our John Smith's family
       John Smith, 50, b.England, Baptist, Cutler
       Mary, 49, b.England, Baptist
       Hanna[sic], 24, b.England, Baptist
       Fanny, 14, b.England, Baptist
       George, 1, b.England, Baptist
[256KB]
[BWB:  Mary Jane married Robert Beals in 1875 and they were living in Grand Valley at this time.  In 1875, Harrison B. was living in Guelph -- don't know where he was in 1881.  Don't know where Catherine lived, and don't know if the nephew and neice immigrated as well.  The 1 year old George is a mystery -- was he a very late child of Mary, or was he an adopted (perhaps Home Child) son?]


356.  Headstone transcriptions for the Courtland Fellowship Baptist Cemetery (LDS' Family History Library microfiche #6125292) lists various members of John Smith's family, in a family plot:
       Fanny Elizabeth Smith, dau. of J. & M. Smith, 1866-1935
       Catharine, dau. of J. & M. Smith, 1857-1936
       Mary, beloved wife of the late John Smith, died Aug. 30, 1921, aged 90yrs
       John Smith (in memory of), who died March 2, 1901, aged 72yrs.
There were a few other Smith's listed, but presumably no relation.
[Cover of booklet, 27KB]  [Our Smiths, 29KB]  [Map, 27KB]  [other Smiths, 29KB]


362.  A letter from the General Register Office in England, dated 18 Oct 2004, states that they could find no death registration for Eleanor Smith (nee Andrews) over the [quarters] ending Dec 1853 to Sept 1856.  
[BWB:  This leaves in question what happened to Eleanor after the birth of our Mary Jane Smith Beals 11/20/1853, and before the birth of John Smith's second surviving child Hannah on 7/27/1856,  by a second wife Mary Stafford; see below.]
***** NEED COPY *****


363.  1855 Marriage registration #134 for the marriage solemnized at the Independent Chapel (Congregationalist), Stamford, Lincolnshire on 10/17/1855 between:
-- John Smith, 25, Widower, Hairdresser, resides Scotgate, Stamford, father Benjamin Smith, Hairdresser, and
-- Mary Stafford, 24, Spinster, Servant, resides Scotgate, Stamford, father Robert Stafford, Labourer;
witnesses George Smith and Jane Ringham.
[96KB]


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