Reuben/ Rodney Smith

[vince smith]

Hello all,

I am a Gypsy Smith and my Grt Grandfather Guilroy, son of James Smith and Sarah Lock appears on the census in the late 1800's in Leonard Stanley Glos.

I know ( thanks to RG1) that Guilroy had a brother Gypsy Reuben Smith a preacher.  This is a great family enigma.  No one knows if this man is related to Rodney Smith.  Over generations tales of the men have become interintwined according to the illiterate,oral tradition of my family.  My great uncle Luke Smith told of meeting one of the preachers on the frontline.  When he introduced himself,the preacher had him sent home because he was too young to fight.

My Grandad thought that the two men were one and the same but this now seems unlikely.  I know that Rodney's Grandad was a James Smith and that hehad a multitude of children from more than one woman. 

Please could anyone shed any light at all on this 50 year old family mystery.  My Dad is in his late seventies and i would love to find the answers for him as well as myself.

[social-butterflies]

hello vince
seems like eveyone has read the thread but you got no answers. 
im not much help either   the info i have is from a collection of records including the books by terence lee, rodney smith's own book on his life and other helpful roots chatters who have kindly shared their info with me. but i will tell you what i have on rodney
married ann elizabeth pennock, dec 1879 at whitby had 2 sons and 1 daughter. married mary alice shaw 02/06/1938 in hollywood usa he was 78yr and she was 27yr. rodneys father was cornelius smith. rodney died on board a ship on its way to/from america (i can check that if you need me to) 1947.
no reuben anywhere that i have found but the smiths are not my main line and i have only a little info on them. good luck though.
there is a tree on ancestry "bowman" who have a long line associated with the smiths, thye may be able to help.

[vince smith]

Thanks for the reply aa1 Webb,

At least i know the answer is not in the Terrence lee books.  I wonder if it will ever be solved because some very well informed people have had a crack at it for me.  I would be very grateful for any imfo that anyone has on the Gloucester Smiths, that along with the family anecdotal evidence just might spring a surprise. 

Thanks again.

[Luckyjo]

Hi Vince, I have the Worcestershire Gypsys in my line they are the Smiths. Sounds like they would be too far away to be yours. However just incase they did travel north I have a Reuben Smith 1816 married Ann.. probable surname Coles. I have found nine of their children. not much help I know. cheers Joy

[social-butterflies]

hi again vince,

i did'nt mean that there was'nt any info in t.lee's books    i meant that the info (well, some of it) i obtained came from his books, it may be that there is something in his books, i do not know myself, but i do know he has 3 or maybe 4 books and 1 is for mainly smiths.

as i said the smiths are not my main line and so i did not need to follow this line they just appeared sometimes through marriages.

it might be worth you contacting the author to see if he has this line of smiths in his books??
kushti bok

[vince smith]

Thanks for the replies, aa1 Webb and Lucky Jo.

I think that I need to get the Terrence Lee books. I mean to get serious about Gypsy genealogy as a whole and it would be a good start.   

I think that there is a fair chance that there is a connection with the worcester Smiths. There are so many Reubens in the family and I know that they stopped all over the west of England.

Thanks to RG1, I know that My Grt Grt Grandad Guilroy also had brothers called Josiah and Reuben as well has half brothers, this particular James Smith having had more than one woman.

Thanks again for your help,   Vince.

[Merlin222]

I have a couple of head and shoulder drawings of a Reuben Smith made in the mid 1980s by a friend, the artist Richard Walker. They are described as 'Reuben Smith, the Gypsy.' Richard lived in Croydon and my guess is that he came accross Reuben in the South Downs area.

[Shainiebath]

Hello i am Guildroy Smiths great great grandaughter, his boy willie/ william smith married my great granny Rosena coles, my dad told me about how they had their paintings and portraits took, is there any more information on Guildroy smith and his family and has anyone got the portraits of guildroy and his family.

[vince smith]

Hello Shanie.

Which William Smith are you talking about ? 
Is it Willem who lost an eye to a peg knife?
My father is Cudal Smith some of your family might know him. We have photos here of guldroy and family. I’m happy to send to you and your family. All the best. Vince Smith.