Walter Lillywhite Smedley b.1849 Arundel

[Dundee]

I've been tracing the Smedley's back and came to Walter Lillywhite Smedley who married Elizabeth b.1844  at Lynn, Norfolk.

His name was just Walter LILLYWHITE and you can follow him back easily.  I would think that either Walter wasn't Arthur's father or Walter was using an alias.  Both Walter LILLYWHITE and William SMEDLEY were bricklayers.

Elizabeth was a good bit older than Walter and they don't appear to have married.  Walter would have only been 18 when Arthur was born.

Debra 

[Bathonian]

Sorry I've been a little slow in replying, but I've been going through all the records to try and find where the Smedley name first appeared. It seems that that Arthur Henry was baptised in Paddington in July 1899, his parents were given as Arthur William and Agnes Smedley, but at his marriage to Rose Draper in August 1926, he was just Smedley, but his father was given as Lillywhite Smedley, but as witness to the marriage, his bother Harry was Lillywhite.  He was also Smedley on his army medal records, and in the 1939 record he, along with sister Nellie and his mother Agnes were all Smedleys, it seems that he didn't want anything to do with the name, Lillywhite, but his father couldn't make up his mind. So beginning with him all the families down to the present day have been named Smedley. I suppose there must have been some secret or other involving the father Arthur William that's going to remain a secret. But it still irks me that I'm unable to work out where  or why the name Smedley was chosen. Many thanks for your contributions, much appreciated.

[PaulineJ]

But it still irks me that I'm unable to work out where  or why the name Smedley was chosen. Many thanks for your contributions, much appreciated.

Well if you had given a census record, we'd have got a lot further a lot sooner.

It looks to me that the boys' mother probably married Mr Smedley, and then ditched him and  shacked up with Mr Lillywhite .

Pauline