Barnstaple/Torrington. SMYTH Births/Marriages

[Old Bristolian]

Nicki

I've found some people very accurate with their birthplaces in the 19th century - & others just as vague. Allen has Torrington as his POB in 1851, but he was brought up in Barnstaple. As far as the seaman's ticket is concerned, he may have given Barnstaple as it was a port & Torrington is several miles inland - it might have seemed more "suitable" to give a port town. he obviously considered Torrington as his birthplace, judging from the fact that his house was named after it.

Steve

[Old Bristolian]

Nicki

I meant to say in my previous post that I've dug a little into the Ancestry records. It seems that their family trees are constructed by a computer!!! (using submissions from real people). So I would be careful - like George's baptism, where we know the PR is missing. Of course, it may be that the Bishops Transcripts survive, but I doubt it

Steve

[Minniej]

Thanks Steve, I went and had a look too and those world trees  do seem a bit odd.

alot of the info seems okay so i wonder how they source it and connect it up.

I had wilmot lock down with a ? in mine. and it says hr on there aswell.

Ive printed it out and will look further into it

(Quote)
I've found some people very accurate with their birthplaces in the 19th century - & others just as vague. Allen has Torrington as his POB in 1851, but he was brought up in Barnstaple. As far as the seaman's ticket is concerned, he may have given Barnstaple as it was a port & Torrington is several miles inland - it might have seemed more "suitable" to give a port town. he obviously considered Torrington as his birthplace, judging from the fact that his house was named after it.

Steve

Oh okay/ I have some vague maps of places over there but didnt known barnstaple was a port.  That could make real sense.

lol he was an ellusive man this one.  He was in the merchant navy so ive found out from his records under John smith

i reckon he knew we would search him one day and hes giving us a hard time

Question about Torrington. Which one  ive found 3 differnet ones o n the map?   

[Minniej]

Sorry another quick question. What section on here do i use to ask for assistance with merchant navy ?

He was on the Cadmus in the west indies from 1860-62
He started his career in about 1854.

i dont know which section

[Old Bristolian]

Hi Nicki

I can't help with the naval question - you could try "occupations", or perhaps contact a moderator to ask.

There are 3 Torringtons - Great Torrington is an ancient market town (& probably the one in question, as everyone refers to it as "Torrington"). Little Torrington is a village just to the south of Great Torrington, and Black Torrington is further south still - halfway to Dartmoor. The villages are always referred to with their qualifier.

Pilton Street (where the family was in 1851) is still much as it must have been in 1851 - would you like a photo?

Steve

[Minniej]

thanks Steve. Ill put it in occupations and see how i go

okay  Great torrington . I thought it would be one of the first 2 as the othr on the map was a bit away..

And a photo  oh that would be fantastic.

im off to the library today.  i have no idea what im doing  ive never microfished before so this could be fun 

[Old Bristolian]

Best of luck with the library Nicki

If you want to send me your email address (in a PM) I'll send on a photo in the next week or so - I've also found one of Pilton Street c 1900 which is more atmospheric

Steve

[Minniej]

well the library gave me a photo and a death notice but im hopeless

Soo many micro fish thingies and the indexing is shocking. so not much sucess today...  but ill go back again
ill pm you my addy Steve

[Blackmore]

I'm trying to figure out if Ann Blackmore b 1802 in North Huish is the brother of my GGG Grandfather Richard Blackmore b 1801 in North Huish.  I've noticed that you've said Ann Blackmore's fathers name was Richard Blackmore so it makes sense that these two are siblings.

I've hit a brick wall! 

Karen, Vancouver, BC, Canada


Moderator Comment: email address removed as per RootsChat Policy. Please use our secure PM (personal message) system to share email addresses and other personal information. Thank You.