SMYTH or SMYTHE family and ESCOTT family, England

[Gill S]

A very big thank you for all this information.  I've been searching and running around in circles trying to find information.  I can now see where Harry Hector Pettit Escott gets his middle name from - his grandmother Annie Pettit.  South African records are not so easy to find online but with all the difficulties in South Africa some people who came from England, went back so it's quite possible that Harry Hector went back with his family.  My mother was only 5 when her mother Joan Mary Escott (married name Koers) passed away and I never had the chance to know who were they all were.  I will keep searching 

[jbml]

I've got some Escotts in my family line ... and they are VERY slippery customers who take a LOT of tying down!!

Here is what I have, from my family narrative, on my great x4 grandfather Thomas Escott (much of which is still fairly conjectural). The narrative itself (which is in a word document) is fully referenced, but the footnotes do not copy-and-paste into this MB. If you think this could be part of your family too, and would like to have the full text with footnotes, PM me with your e-mail address and I will send it to you as a Word document.

Thomas Escott

It appears probable that Thomas Escott, the father of Elizabeth Spooner (nee Escott) was born in about 1808 in Somerset; and I have identified three plausible baptism records which might be his. These are:

1.   Thomas Escott, son of Isaac and Joanna, baptised in Nettlecombe on 6 March 1803
2.   Thomas Escott, son of Hugh and Margaret, baptised in Dunster on 17 December 1805
3.   Thomas Escott, son of Richard and Elizabeth, baptised in Crowcombe on 3 August
1806

Of these three, it is possible to eliminate the second, as he married Elizabeth Bruford in St Decumens on 24 August 1825 , and it appears from the baptismal records of their children Isaac Winpenny Escott (baptised in Timberscombe on 28 January 1827 ), Elizabeth Winpenny Escott (baptised in West Monkton, age 5, on 10 September 1833 ) and Sarah Escott (baptised in West Monkton, age 3, on 10 September 1833 ) that this Thomas Escott was a baker / confectioner; whereas we know that my great x4 grandfather Thomas Escott was a shoe maker.

That does not, however, mean that my great x4 grandfather must necessarily have been one of the other two Thomas Escotts identified above. They are the only two showing up on the digital searchable records to which I have access – but research at the Somerset record office might yet identify further potential candidates.

I strongly suspect that my great x4 grandfather Thomas Escott was the Thomas Escott, Cordwainer of Tancred Street, Somerset who was married to Ann Escott. I have not located any record of this marriage (so I do not know Ann’s maiden name), but it would appear that they had at least three children:

F27A:   Eliza Escott, born in 1818 and baptised on 6 July 1834 in Taunton
F27B:   Jane Escott, born in 1821 and baptised in Taunton on 6 July 1834
E14:           Elizabeth Escott, born about 1830, probably in Taunton

By 1843 Ann had died, Thomas had moved to London (although possibly these events took place in the opposite order) and was living at 55 Baldwins Gardens Holborn, and he had a new wife Elizabeth Escott (nee Hollande). The census entries suggest variously that she was born in either Islington or Stepney. I have been unable to find any Elizabeth Holland baptised in Islington who fits the bill, but Stepney provides two plausible candidates: Elizabeth Holland, daughter of Elisha (a mariner) and Mary of John Street, St George in the East, who was born on 17 August 1817 and baptised at St George in the East, Stepney on 3 September 1817 ; and Betty Sarah Holland, daughter of Joseph (a salesman) and Ann of Ratcliff, who was born on 23 June 1811 and baptised at St Dunstan, Stepney on 20 October 1811  .

It is possible that the relevant marriage is that of Thomas Escott to Elizabeth Stone in 1842; however, for this to be so Elizabeth Stone would have to have been a widow, since the birth certificate of Thomas and Elizabeth’s first child gives her maiden name as Hollande. I have not yet managed to find any evidence for this; but it may be worth obtaining this marriage certificate all the same since if it is the correct marriage then it should confirm the identity of Thomas Escott’s father.

Thomas and Ann Escott had at least five further children:

F27d:   Walter Henry Escott, born at 55 Baldwins Gardens, Holborn on 29 October 1843
F27e:   Henry Vowles Escott, born in Lambeth in 1847
F27f:           Frances Eve Escott, born in Islington in 1848
F27g:   Arthur George Adam Escott, born in Islington in 1851
F27h:   George Charles Escott, born in Lambeth in 1855

It is evident from the children’s places of birth that Thomas and Elizabeth Escott moved around a bit. It also appears probable that they had further children in the 9 year interval between 1834 and 1843, and I have identified eight further children who might have been theirs:

1:   Richard Jenkins Escott, born in Shoreditch in 1837
2-4:   Triplets Emma, Margaret and Maria Escott, born  and died  in Bethnal Green in 1838
5.   Rose Escott, born in West London in 1839
6.   Harriet Escott, born in Stepney in 1840
7.   Rhoda Ide Escott, born in West London in 1841
8.   Henry Escott, born in Marylebone in 1843

It is highly unlikely that all of these are Thomas and Elizabeth’s children; but equally, it seems reasonably likely that at least some of them may be. It would be necessary to invest in a lot of certificates to find out which, however; and this is not a priority. In theory it should be possible to rule out some of these children (unless they all “belong”), by tracing them in the 1841 and/or 1851 censuses; but I have tried this, and failed to find any of them – so I fear that it will be necessary to invest in a few certificates to say for certain whether all of them were or were not the children of my great x4 grandparents Thomas and Elizabeth Escott.

[continues ... ]

[jbml]

[... continued]


I have been unable to identify my great x4 grandfather Thomas Escott and his family in the 1841 or 1851 censuses. It is evident from the birth certificate of Walter Henry Escott that in October 1843 Thomas Escott was a shoe maker living at 53 Baldwins Gardens ; and we catch a further brief glimpse of him when his daughter Elizabeth married the widower Edgar Spooner in Clerkenwell on 11 June 1849 , and Elizabeths’ father is named as Thomas Escott, Shoe Maker. Investing in further certificates might help to fill in the details for these missing years. Our next sighting of him in the census, however, is not until the 1861 census.

In the 1861 census we see 53 year old Thomas Escott, a Boot & Shoe Maker born in Taunton, Somerset, living at 1a Cloudesley Place, Islington with his 50 year old wife Elizabeth Escott, his 17 year old son Walter (whose occupation is listed as Porter), his 14 year old son Henry (whose occupation is listed as Errand Boy), his 12 year old daughter Fanny, his 10 year old son Arthur and his 6 year old son George. Fanny, Arthur and George are all listed as Scholars . Apart from Thomas, everyone in the household is said to have been born in Islington.

In the 1871 census, we see 65 year old Thomas Escott, a Bootmaker born in Somersetshire, Bath still living at Cloudesley Place, Islington, Finsbury along with his 59 year old wife Elizabeth, his 20 year old son Arthur (whose occupation is listed as Blacksmith) and his 16 year old son George (whose occupation is listed as Tea Warehouse Boy). Elizabeth is said to have been born in Middlesex, Stepney and both of the sons who are still living at home are said to have been born in Middlesex, Islington .

Thomas Escott was widowed for a second time when Elizabeth Escott died late in 1874 , and in the 1881 census we see Thomas Escott, Widower, 79, a Shoemaker Unemployed born in Bath, Somerset living by himself at 14 Denmark Grove, Islington .

It appears as though my great x4 grandfather lived long enough that he ought to appear on the 1891 census; but I have been unable to find him.

Thomas Escott, age 87, died in Islington late in 1891 . He does not appear to have left a will, or indeed to have had an estate which required a Grant of Letters of Administration .

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

This looks like the family in 1851,


HO107/1499    f.402    p.23    Islington
* 1 Litterton Terrace

Thomas    Head    42    Shoe Maker    Somerset  Taunton
Elizabeth    Wife    40                      Middlesex Stepney
Joseph        Son    20        "      "              "      Clerkenwell
John           Son    17         "      "              "          "
Jesse        Daur    15        "  Binder          "      St Andrews
Walter        Son     7    Scholar                 "             "
Henry         Son     4        "                        "             "
Frances    Daur     2                                  "           Islington
Adam     Son    3 Days                              "     
Edith Stevens    Neice    15   Shoe Binder        "    Clerkenwell

*There is no address next to their name but I've given the one on the previous page as they seem to be sharing no.1 with other families, the houseafter their listing is no.2

The image does say Adam so I think it must be Arthur George Adams ESCOTT.


Regards,
Daisy

[jbml]

Daisypetal - a BIG thank you. That does indeed look like the family. Well done you for uncovering them!


Hmmm ... Joseph, John and Jesse are all new great x4 uncles that I was previously unaware of - I shall have to amend my text, and it may be that I can find some baptisms fro them which will tell me a bit more.

Edith Stevens may also help me on this one.

GREAT find. Thank you so much. Just what I needed for Christmas 

[jbml]

Daisy -

I am unable to replicate your search!

I use FindMyPast, which is happy with Piece 1499, but denies any results for Piece 1499 Folio 402.

Could you have mis-transcribed the Folio number?

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

I'm pleased that I helped

I'm using Ancestry and the folio and page number are correct. I've tried using FindMyPast and you're right it doesn't come up. There seems to be a gap between folios 387 and 439, unfortunately they seem to be missing at FindMyPast.

Daisy

[jbml]

How odd.

Oh well - no matter. You've given me all the details so I'll import them into my family narrative.

I wonder how many of my other missing census entries are due to gaps in the FindMyPast coverage ...

[Daisypetal]

Have you seen this info about missing pages?

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/articles/census-for-england-wales-and-scotland-missing-pieces

It doesn't mention their 1851 Islington problem though.