SMITHS (I'm afraid I'm back!)

[Hobbit Frodo]

Hi,

I have had loads of help with my SMITH family ancestors from lots on lovely people on here (thank you all!!!) but I'm afraid I'm back for more having visited the records office yesterday (sadly didn't have as long as I needed) and found an interesting couple of things, even though they weren't what I was after!

I am wondering if anyone has any magic ideas for how I can find the parents of my great grandfather (x6). His name is Nathaniel SMITH of Newton Peveril (NP) in the parish of Sturminster Marshall, Dorset. I have his will and it would appear that he was a man of money as he had property / land in NP, Lower Winslow in the parish of Broadwindsor, Blandford and Thorncombe (which was actually in Devon at the time.)

He married Margaret Viney in1732 in Thorncombe and then they moved back to NP where they proceeded to have 11 kids (one of whome died at birth). Luckily the Sturminster Marshall records are very detailed. Nathaniel died in 1748.

At the records office yesterday, when trawling through their cardex of wills, I saw Nathaniel's and spotted that there were two dates beside his name, 1748 and 1750 which seemed v odd. I got the copy of the will out and discovered that a paragraph at the end of the will (that I thought was for the next person's will) was actually an extra bit saying that as Nathaniel's wife Margaret had also died (at some point between 1748 and 1750) Nathaniel's extensive will had been left unadminstered. The children were now all in the care of their aunt, Betty Turke (I assume this was Betty Viney who I have as Margaret's younger sister) and her husband William Turke. I do not know however what happened to all the property in the will etc. and would love to find out something about this and about the Turkes as I can't find anything about them at all. Christopher Joliffe of Poole and George Trenchard jnr of Lytchett Matravers are listed as executors and they were big names in the area at the time.

The other will I have is of Nathaniel's brother Thomas SMITH from 1729. In it he refers to his mother Grace SMITH and this is the only link to a parent's name that I have. There are also siblings, John, (Nathaniel obviously) and Frances (a girl I think). Thomas's wife was Elizabeth. At the records office I found a document from 1720 that I am sure was for the right Thomas SMITH all about some house that was falling down on the Trenchard's land and what was going to happen to it and who owed who money.

Sorry, I know that's loads of info. But what I would love to find out is:

1. Who were Nathaniel's parents and where was he born (it could be Devon or Dorset with the close links to Thorncombe....and I have gone through quite a lot of records but to no avail)

2. What happened about administering the Will from 1748 given there was so much land and money listed.

3. Am I an heir to a great fortune and actually own most of Dorset 

If anyone has managed to stay awake reading this and has any ideas.....thank you in advance 

Frodo

[yondover]

Hi I have a copy of Nathaniel Smith's will in our farm deeds as Lower Winslow was part of this farm in the parish of Broadwindsor. According to an indenture I have after his wife's decease to 4 daughters Mary, Betty, Margaret & Deborah Smith.I also have info that says his executors George Trenchard the younger, Azariah Pinney (Gentry family of Broadwindsor/Bettiscombe), Christopher Joliffe refused to act so will of Nathaniel was proved by his wife alone. Winslow was then leased to Az Pinney by M Smith for 18 years at a yearly rent of £12. There was a mortgage 10 May 1759 between John Tucker and Mary his wife 1st part and Az Pinney of the other part. John Tucker has since married the said Mary Smith.  John and Mary granted the said Az Pinney all that undivided ... Lower Winslow otherwise Lower Winsland.
Hope this helps

[Hobbit Frodo]

Hi Yondover,

Thank you so so much for your post! I had to call my father immediately to pass on the information as neither of us have done any family historying for ages and were chatting about it at the weekend and saying that we might just have to admit defeat with getting any further with Nathaniel Smith's information as we seemed to have come to a halt....and then your message appears!

I have so many questions...but will try not to scare you off! The information you have is fascinating and helps to put a little more 'meat on the bones'. From the information you have would it be possible to work out where the land was that was rented out / left in the will? I live in Dorset as do my parents (us Smiths don't seem to have traveled far!) and it would be amazing to have a look at the setting where out ancestors owned land once upon a time.

I realised after posting my original rather garbled post that Betty and William 'Turke' should have been Tucker so I wonder whether the John Tucker that Mary Smith married was a son of Betty and William or perhaps a brother of William...anyhow, sorry, it's got me speculating and there's no reason you would know the answer to that!

In case you don't mind a bit of an email exchange about this I will private message you my email address. Sorry to sound quite so keen and eager but we really had given up hope of finding out anything else so this is brilliant!

Many many thanks

Frodo

[allibaker]

changing the subject slightly i see this burial and as both names match yours i presume she is in some way related to your couple?
margaret viney smith aged 18 years buried 7th jan 1814 poole st james

[Hobbit Frodo]

Hi allibaker,

So sorry for the slow response! The Margaret Viney Smith that you spotted is indeed an ancestor if I've tied all the right strings together! Many thanks for highlighting it. Rootschat has been invaluable in helping to find things out and point me in the right direction.

Thanks again

Frodo