RootsChat.Com
Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: TrinaMac on Monday 08 June 09 22:32 BST (UK)
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Hello my name is Trina and I am new to RootsChat.com
First let me tell you how fortunate I feel to have found this website. Secondly after wandering around the web site let me tell you how unfortunate I feel to be looking for a SMITH.
I am looking for information on my Grandmother Lena Margaret Smith, born approx 1893-1897, she had a brother Sydney who in 1943 lived at 34a South Street, Bourne, Lincolnshire and who was married to Molly and they had a daughter Elsie that was 15. My grandmother also had a sister Norah. I am not sure where they were born but I did find that Hastings, Sussex came up for the three names Lena, Sydney and Norah.
My grandmother was an English War Bride and immigrated to New Brunswick, Canada after WW1, she married Frederick Ward. Tragically my Grandmother died in a house fire in 1941 and all information/pictures of or about her was lost.
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Hi Trina, welcome to Roots Chat :)
The folks here will be more than helpful tracing your tree, but to look forward and find more recent descendants of your grandmother will be a little outside our scope. For that you should talk to as many of the family members as possible, especially the older ones, and look at web sites like Genes Reunited, which is great for finding living relatives. You may be surprised to find just how much your cousins will know.
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Hi,
I can get you back not forward :)
Lena Margaret Smith born 4th quarter 1897 Hastings, Sussex Vol 2b Pg 23
1901 census 7 Alexander Road, Hastings, Sussex
RG13; Piece: 870; Folio: 57; Page: 5
Charley Smith Head Mar 29 Joiner journeyman Born Hastings
Frances Smith Mar wife 34 born Lee Kent
Percy son 8 Born Hastings
Jessie dau 7 born Hastings
LENA dau 3 Born Hastings
SIDNEY son 1 Born St Leonards on Sea
Joan
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Hi Trina - welcome to Rootschat :)
They are still in Hastings in 1911
1911 census has
Charles E Smith, Male, 1872, 39
Frances M Smith. F, 1867, 44
Percy C Smith, M, 1893, 18
Jessie F Smith, F, 1894, 17
Norah M Smith, F, 1896, 15
Lena M Smith, Female, 1898, 13,
Sidney G Smith, M, 1900, 11
Winifred M Smith, F, 1903, 8
all living in Hastings Sussex
To find out more from this census requires a pay per view subscription.
I wonder where Norah was in 1901?
Regards
Nell
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Hi Trina,
Lena M. Smith arrived in Canada 24 Oct 1919 aboard the Metagama, Liverpool to Montreal.
She was 21, to be married to F. J.Ward.
Welcome to RootsChat
genie :)
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Got Norah 1901
RG13; Piece: 862; Folio: 35; Page: 9. Borough Sanitorium
Nora Smith 5 Patient Born Hastings Sussex
Must have been poorly - at least she recovered ;D
Joan
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FreeBMD also has these entries which tie in with the middle initials of the names in the 1911 census.
:)
Births Sep 1892
Percy Charles Smith Hastings 2b 28
Births March 1894
Jessie Frances Smith Hastings 2b 41
Births Mar 1896
Norah May Smith Hastings 2b 23
Births Mar 1900
Sydney George Smith Hastings 2b 42
Births Mar 1903
Winifred Miriam Smith Hastings 2b 38
Joan - so pleased you found Norah - I wonder if it was TB or Scarlet Fever? One of those awful notifiable illnesses that required a long hospital stay :(
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I am totally blown away, I have got more info from RootsChat in two hours than I have in weeks of searching. Thank you Thank you.
One small request, any way to get the actual birthday of Lena Smith
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Yes - if you send for the actual birth certificate this will give you her birthdate, names of parents, fathers occupation and address at time of birth.
There should be a thread somewhere on here about how to order a certificate - I will have a look and see if I can find it. :)
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The web site you need is:
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/
and the reference will be:
Lena Margaret Smith
Birth Dec quarter 1897 - Hastings 2b 23
Nell
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Thank you Nell, Jean & Genie. I shared this new found information with my Mom who will be turning 80 soon, after the fire in 1941 and during WW2 contact with relatives in England was minimal. My Mom and her sisters had very little info and their father didn't want to talk about the tragic event or of his beloved Lena. This is more info than they have ever known.
The info you have so kindly provided has raised a few more question. Is there a way to find out the maiden name of Frances M Smith b 1867 and is Lee Kent a town, what happened to the brothers and sisters of Lena Smith. It is thought that one of the brothers immigrated to Canada.
I hope I am not asking for too much.
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Hi Trina
Charles Ernest Smith married Frances Mary Jarman
1891 4th quarter Hastings Vol 2b Pg 62
Joan :)
PS
Lee fell within the Hundred of Blackheath. Its 19th century Registration District & Poor Law Union was Lewisham.
Probate Jurisdiction was Rochester to 1845, London 1846-57.
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Here they are Trina
1871 census Lewisham Village, Lewisham, Kent 24 Horton Street
RG10; Piece: 766; Folio: 59; Page: 33;
Lot Jarman Head Mar 38 Gardener Private born Churchill, Somerset,
Mary A wife 40 born Burmington??, Somerset
Percy W son 9 scholar born Greenwich, Kent
Alfred son 8 Born Greenwich, Kent
Frances M dau 4 born Greenwich, Kent
Selina dau 4months born Lewisham, Kent.
Joan
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Thank you againso much for the info.
Do you have any idea why Sydney G Smith would have been born at St Leonards on Sea in 1900 and the others siblings born in Hastings beforeand after him and still living in Hastings in 1911. Is St Leonards on the Sea close in miles to Hastings.
Not sure what to do next, should start a new post to look for each sister/brother of Lena Margaret Smith?
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Hi Trina,
St. Leonards, where Sidney was born, is only about a mile west of Hastings. So very close.
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Hello again Trina,
Well you could register with GR and put on the information you have. There is someone on there called Lena Marie who has in her tree a Norah Smith born 1896 Hastings and Lena Smith born 1903 Hastings ;)
Joan
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I have come a long way with my family tree, with thanks to the kind people who are forever helping me on Rootschat.
My ggrandfather Charles Ernest and Wife Francis Mary are on the Hastings 1911 census with their own family, I have since found my GGGrandfather Charles Smith 1841 and his wife Annie Manns 1845 on the 1901 Census in Hastings with two of their five children still at home. Annie C 32 and Sydney H 24. I was wondering if that is odd that Annie C would still be at home at 32 and if she was still there in 1911.
Thanks again
Trina