Revisiting brickwalls and "backburners".

[coombs]

My ancestor known as George Hood of Selby with no Baptism or Birth record, rented two of his properties 1812 to 1835 from Ld Petre (per Land Tax), then along with several others in 1835-6 was involved in a Bargain & Sale with the Rt. Hon. William Henry Francis Lord Petre and Henry Charles Howard the Earl of Surrey and the Hon. Edward Robert Petre late of Stapleton Park, but now residing in Brussels, (Registered at Wakefield).

Petre and Surrey and George Hood, sign.

We went to Lancs Archives, Hull University Archives (Hist Centre) and enquired at Essex Record Office about the Petre Stourton Rental records for the Manor of Selby Township, but none found for the years wanted.
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George Hood, Cooper, took over Richard Gibson's business premises (rented from Lord Petre), but we can't use Gibson's Bankruptcy file 1807 - 1810 to check if there was a family relationship with Gibson, because not all files were preserved in the 'B 3' Series (TNA).

We are thwarted by being unable to check other records, due to their non-survival.

I have followed your other posts about George Hood with great interest and I know the feeling of being stuck at what seems to be a permanent brickwall, or semi permanent. You keep chipping away but just go round in circles.

One ancestor of mine is James Smith, yes Smith, died 1849 and "not born in county" in 1841 census which was Oxfordshire. I am hoping he was just from a surrounding county like Berkshire, Gloucestershire or Buckinghamshire. But he could have originated further afield, he was a tin plate worker. No known settlement records for him have been found, and I am not sure if he was a freeman or did an apprenticeship, if so it may have been a pauper one. The witnesses to his wedding hard back to London and Bucks but no definite link however the Bucks born witness had an aunty who wed a Smith.

And Sarah Bradford, previously Coombs, unknown maiden name (c1791-Feb 1851) died in London, not born in county in 1841. Died just before the 1851 census. Her first husband was George Coombs, and the 1810 Axminster marriage of Geo Coombs to Sarah Davy has been ruled out due to further research.

[BushInn1746]

Oxford University, City and County Herald, 3rd March 1849
"Feb. 24, aged 59, Mr. James Smith, tin plate worker, Queen street."

Oxford Chronicle and Berks and Bucks
Gazette, 3rd March 1849
"Feb. 24, Mr. James Smith, tin plate worker, Queen street, aged 59."

Second Notice - indexed as the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette. Seems it covers neighbouring counties?

[BushInn1746]

Around the time of your James Smith's death, an Administration was applied for in 1850, "Court where granted" "C. Durham", by

Timothy Smith, 2 St Giles St. Oxford, Accountant, Son,
John Martin, Surgeon, same city and
Samuel Evens, Tailor, same city.
for:-

James Smith, Gentleman, late of 2 St Giles Street, Oxford.

Those who also signed were:-
Widow, Ann Smith,
John Smith, Oxford.
Joseph Austin, Oxford.

North East Inheritance Project website
https://familyrecords.awh.durham.ac.uk/nei/data/simple.php

Not saying he is related to your James Smith?

[BushInn1746]

James Smith, Gentleman of Oxford, Probate 1850, in the Index to Death Duty Register (search on f m p) :-

IR 27/132 around 76 (76 & 96 PRO Printed numbering)
IR 27/59 around 96

The above IR 27 indexes give Folio numbers 550 and 506, usually in IR 26

IR 26 search for Surname S 1850 to 1850 returns all folios and several Register types ...

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_ep=S&_cr=IR%2026&_dss=range&_sd=1850&_ed=1850&_ro=any&_st=adv
The Cat Refs required should be amongst these.
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We ordered a TNA Reproduction Estimate giving the full IR 26 Will Register reference AND folio number with Year, Name and Place and they found it (for the Estimate fee fortunately) and gave us an image fee cost.

[BushInn1746]

The Admin possibly:-
1850, D Qtr, James Smith, 83 years
Registration District Oxford.

[coombs]

Thanks for the info BushInn1746, not sure if they are related but worth checking out.

I wonder if DNA testing will help crack our James Smith and George Hood cases, or give us some leads.

[coombs]

Oxford University, City and County Herald, 3rd March 1849
"Feb. 24, aged 59, Mr. James Smith, tin plate worker, Queen street."

Oxford Chronicle and Berks and Bucks
Gazette, 3rd March 1849
"Feb. 24, Mr. James Smith, tin plate worker, Queen street, aged 59."

Second Notice - indexed as the Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette. Seems it covers neighbouring counties?

Excellent find, thanks. Oxford Chronicle and Berks and Bucks sounds interesting, covering 3 counties. Age at death give a 1789/1790 year of birth, however as we know ages can be inaccurate in records. I have him in 1841 aged 45 (rounded down). From my research I have, the 2 witnesses to his 1819 Oxford wedding were Andrew Carney and Hannah Hawkes. Hannah's father was Jonas Hawkes, whose sister Elizabeth born 1767 wed Joseph Smith in 1786 in Marsh Gibbon, Bucks. Andrew Carney was a gold plate setter, living in Oxford in 1819. He seems to have been a Londoner as I traced him in the 1841 census in Clerkenwell, Middlesex (born in county). Wonder if he was related or a pal who worked in a similar trade?

[cwatterson]

Finally got back 1939 registry entries from NI, one family member date of birth confirmed a "possible" birth record I already had (but without enough info on its own). Alas the other date of birth for the couple doesn't help - even manually going through the records. Though bizarrely it's the same DOB as the next entry after the "possible" birth record I have for that individual (theoretically a swap in transcribing the lines could be possible - but really another piece of info would then be needed to really confirm).

[BushInn1746]

James Smith, Gentleman of Oxford

Oxford Chronicle and Berks and Bucks Gazette, 16th November 1950
"Nov. 9, aged 83, Mr. James Smith, St. Giles’s Street, St. Mary Magdalen."

Oxford University, City and County Herald, 16th November 1850
"Nov. 9, aged 83, Mr. James Smith, St. Giles's Street."