Smiths - Shoemakers in Tranent - Help!

[loopy26]

Hi there

I am new to all of this so hello to you all! I am getting myself tied up in knots and this seems to be the place to go, so I wondered if anyone could help me out.

I am a descendant of James Smith - a shoemaker from Tranent, who married Elizabeth Christie in 1802. He was living in Tranent from 1804 to 1809 when his children Jean, Alison and Isabel were born. The next note I have of him he was living in Lauder in 1831 when his daughter Alison Smith married James Turnbull (my great, great, great grandparents) There is a James Smith listed in the 1851 census as a shoemaker in Lauder, whose date of birth is estimated at 1781.

I have been trying to trace him back further and think he may be the James Smith born to John Smith and Janet Sharp in Tranent in 1781, brother of Margaret, William, Isabell, George, Adam, Robert and another Adam. However, I am making assumptions to get there (being that he was born in Tranent,  that John Smith is his father as he was also a shoemaker and also that the James Smith listed in the census of 1851 is my ancestor) I am looking for anyone's help in confirming this link!

What has also been sending me round the bend is that there seem to be so many men named Smith who are shoemakers in or around Tranent and am wondering if these are all the same family or not.

The other thing I am wondering is if James is the son of John and Janet Smith, was it his brother William Smith who was killed in the Tranent Massacre?

Any help anyone can give me would be hugely appreciated as my head is starting to hurt!

Many thanks
Louise

[MonicaL]

Hi Louise

Welcome to RootsChat 

Hopefully someone can help further. From the list of daughters that you have, have you come across the entry for a Mary chr. on 30 December 1803 in Carrington, Midlothian. Might help with clues on potential grandmothers' names.

Likely he died before 1855? Can't really see a death entry for him in Lauder from 1855.

Monica

[loopy26]

Hi Monica

Thank you so much for that - I didn't have a note of Mary. It is getting more and more interesting... considering they had Mary on 17th December 1803 in Carrington and then had Jean 5 and a half months later on 1st June 1804 in Tranent...!!

Their marriage was listed in the register in Tranent on July 1st 1804 as:
'James Smith of this parish and Elizabeth Christie of Ormiston compeased this day and produced marriage lines dated ___ 11th August 1802, having paid the usual dues and expressed regret for their conduct, they were rebuked and absolved'.

They also have two entries for Jean's baptism - one on June 21st (before providing marriage lines) and the other on July 5th (after) They also didn't list Mary's birth in Carrington until 1806.

What were they up to...?? Am wondering what the chances are of there being two shoemakers called James Smith married to Elizabeth Christie?! If not, there seems to have been something funny going on with the dates they have registered for either Mary or Jean.... I am wondering if they ran away to get married and moved to Carrington then decided to face the music and go home -  and got the date wrong when they registered Mary (maybe to cover the sound of a shotgun?!!)

Unfortunately the entry didn't give me any further clues as to any other names, but it has made the story a lot more intriguing!! I can't find a note of James Smith's death before or after 1855 in either Tranent or Lauder so not sure where to go from here - unfortunately there are hundreds of James Smiths out there so has scunnered me a bit!

Thank you so much for your help

Louise

[MonicaL]

Hi Louise

The date for Mary is a christening date rather than birth date. This will help! There were sometimes gaps in the christenings for all sort of reasons. Mary's birth certainly would fit as a first born for them.

You could check the Kirk Session minutes around the time of their marriage (given the rebuke by the Kirk elders around that time..). Not sure how possible this may be given your location. You would have to search to establish where kirk session minutes were held for the parish, the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh would be a first stop for a check.

On the wider issue of who was James Smith, hard for you  Likely Elizabeth Christie died relatively early? Have you figured out who the Janet Smith is who shows as living with James in 1841?

Not sure if you have followed through on all the daughters' marriages and children. Sometimes you will find while researching that grandparents names are used by siblings which can help in confirming families.

Monica

[loopy26]

Hi Monica

Elizabeth Smith nee Christie seems to have just disappeared! Can't find a record of her death anywhere. Nor can I find any information about Janet Smith either - they are a very frustrating family! I do, however, keep finding out various shoemakers called Smith from Tranent and sure that at some point they will come together, but at the moment they are just driving me potty!!

I'm not often down to Edinburgh (am in Aberdeenshire) but great idea about checking out the archives for my next trip down.

I have only really looked into my line for James and Elizabeth's children but think I will have to look further into the others to see what I can find. I did wonder if the fact that James was living with a child called Janet made it more likely that his parents were John Smith and Janet Sharp... Speaking of which, on my travels I found the death of a child called Janet Sharp Smith who was the daughter of Adam Smith...yep, shoemaker in Tranent!

I am quickly running out of funds to do birth, marriage and death searches on Scotland's People so need to figure them out as quick as I can!

Thank you so much for all your help - it is much appreciated

cheers
Louise

[Poppy10]

Loopy26

Hello Louise
I too am related to a shoemaker SMITH of Tranent and feel equally as frustrated as you !

My 3 x grt grandfather is the Adam SMITH you mentioned, married to Margaret SMITH in 1813.  I have no more information on them other than their 9 children so far discovered are:-
John 1814, my William 1816, Mary 1818, Anstruther 1820, Janet Sharpe (who you mention) 1821, Margaret 1823, Ann Dewar 1825, Adam 1828, and twins Walter Campbell and Charles 1831.

I have Margaret as widowed in 1841 living in New Row, Tranent which to me means that husband Adam probably died between 1831 (date of last born) and 1841 but I can't find it. Then Margaret is still living at the same address until 1861 (I can't find the family on the 1871) then Anstruther (another shoemaker)  is on his own in 1881 still on New Row.

This Janet Sharpe is later than the one you have with your James.  My William (1816) I think must have died between 1881 and 1891.

Any info on my Adam would be gratefully received or any of the others.  Who knows we may eventually link up.
Cheers,  Poppy10