Smith
Genealogy
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14 January 2009 |
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Dr Geoffrey Mann
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5 Francis Speakman SMITH 1806-1862
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1m Susannah CORNELL 1827 2m Margaret McBEAN 1862 |
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Francis Speakman was baptised at Gt Leighs in 1806, son of farmer John SMITH. His name commemorates the maiden surname of his mother Ann Martha. Both the SMITH and the SPEAKMAN families were relatively wealthy, but little seems to have come Francis' way. He married Susannah CORNELL at Finchingfield when he was 21, and a daughter Susanna Speakman was born the following year at Waltham. For a while, Francis was a shoemaker at Braintree, but some time after, the family moved towards London, probably East Ham. Francis was a grocer there in 1848, but shortly after became a customs officer as a tidewaiter - officers who meet incoming ships. Francis was promoted to a first class tidewaiter and then in 1858 aged 52 he was appointed gatekeeper of the Victoria Docks in Canning Town, West Ham. For this post he had to be able to read and write and do arithmetic if necessary. The hours were from 6am to 8pm in summer and 7am to 6pm in winter; Sundays until relieved about 9am. He earned about £70 pa. In 1861, Francis now a widower, was living in Poplar with his older sister as housekeeper, and in Feb 1862 he married Margaret McBean. The same year however, he contracted TB and in August he died in the Bethnal Green Chest Hospital. |
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age DATE FS SC |
EVENT |
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19May1806 5Oct1827 21 21 9Oct1827 21 21 1828 22 22 1830 24 24 27Jul1832
26 26 12Dec1833
27 27 30Dec1835
29 29 7Feb1836 30 30 28May1838
32 32 13Dec1839
33 33 7Sep1840 34 34 6Jun1841 35 35 2Jny1845 39 39 1848 42 42 18Jan1848
42 42 1851 45 45 30Mar1851
45 45 25Sep1851
45 45 19Feb1858
52 52 7Apr1861 55 55 9Feb1862 56 11Aug1862 56 |
Francis Speakman baptised at Gt.Leighs son of John, a farmer, & Ann
Martha SMITH applied for m licence to marry Susannah CORNELL at Finchingfield Francis Speakman SMITH and Susannah x CORNELL m at Finchingfield; w:
Sarah SMITH, John SMITH son Francis born dau Susannah born at Gt or Lt Waltham ?Susannah and Alfred, children of Francis & Susannah SMITH of
Braintree, shoe maker, baptised at Braintree son Edward born dau Elizabeth born Edward and Elizabeth baptised at Rotherhithe dau Mary Ann born; baptised at Rotherhithe 28Nov dau Mary Ann buried at Rotherhothe son William born; baptised at Rotherhithe 1Nov Susannah at Coburg St, Rotherhithe with sons Francis, Edward, William,
daus Susannah, Elizabeth; Francis-5 not at home son George born;
baptised at Rotherhithe 20SepFrancis was “in the Customs” a Francis SMITH listed as a grocer at South End, East Ham dau Susannah m at Haggerstone; Francis described as a grocer but did
not witness the marriage a Francis SMITH listed
as a grocer at Hanningfield, Essex census not found Francis SMITH enrolled as a customs officer (tidewaiter) Francis appointed gatekeeper of the Victoria Docks, West Ham Living in Poplar with his older unmarried sister Ann Martha as
housekeeper married Margaret McBEAN
at Poplar Francis died of TB at the Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, Bethnal
Green |
b=born m=married d=died
C=Christened B=Buried
Francis'
death certificate gives a birth date of about 1806; and his daughter Susannah
was born at Waltham. There is a
suitable baptism in the neighbouring parish of Gt.Leighs. The unusual forenames identify this baptism
with confidence:
C 19May1806 Francis Speakman at Gt.Leighs son of John & Ann Martha SMITH
Francis'
daughter Susannah was born about 1829 at Waltham; 2 years previously a marriage
licence and marriage at Finchingfield was recorded of Francis Speakman
SMITH. Although Finchingfield is a few
parishes away from the Walthams, the timing and correct forenames identifiy
this marriage with confidence:
Francis Speekman SMITH bch of
Finchingfield age 21, and Susannah CORNELL of Finchingfield age 21
spinster. Susannah CORNELL had her
usual place of abode in Finchingfield for 15 days last. To marry at Finchingfield
m 9Oct1827 Francis Speakman SMITH otp
& Susannah x CORNELL otp by licence.
w: Sarah SMITH, John SMITH,
Francis
married again in 1862 after the death of Susannah:
m 9Feb1862 at Poplar parish church after
banns
Francis Speekman SMITH full age widower,
officer of Customs, 36 Manor St, & Margaret McBEAN, full age, of 36 Manor
St
fathers: John SMITH, farmer: Thos McBEAN
builder; wit: John WALLIS, Elizth SMITH
From the
1841 census (see below) Francis & Susannah had a son Francis born c1828 and
a daughter, Susannah-4, born c1830. From the 1861 census, Susannah-4 was born
at Waltham c1829 but no baptisms to Francis & Susannah have been found at
Waltham or at Finchingfield where they were married. It is clear that they left this part of Essex within a few years
of marriage, since five children were baptised at Rotherhithe in the dockland
area of London. Rotherhithe is south of
the river, so actually in the county of Surrey.
bc1828 Francis
bc1830 Susannah (bc1828/30 from 61 and 71
census)
C
7Feb1836 b 12Dec1833 Edward s Francis Speekman & Susanna SMITH of
Rotherhithe
C
7Feb1836 b 30Dec1835 Elizabeth d Francis Speekman & Susannah SMITH
of Rotherhithe
C 28Nov1839 b 28May1838 Mary Ann d Francis
Speekman & Susannah SMITH of Rotherhithe; B 13Dec1839
C
1Nov1840 b 7Sep1840 William s
Francis Speekman & Susannah SMITH of Rotherhithe
C 20Sep1845 b 2Jny1845 George s Francis Speekman & Susannah SMITH of
Rotherhithe
certificate:
George male b 2Jny1845 at 16 Coburg St
Rotherhithe
f: Francis Speakman SMITH “in the
Customs”; m: Susannah SMITH formerly CORNELL
r 28Jny1845 by Susannah x SMITH, mother of
16 Coburg St Rotherhithe, SRY
A possible
baptism of Susannah took place at Braintree:
C 27Jul1832 Susannah d Francis &
Susannah SMITH of Braintree, shoe maker
C 27Jul1832 Alfred s Francis & Susannah SMITH of
Braintree, shoe maker
Although
baptised on the same day, there was no note that these were twins and no
further references to these parents were found at Braintree. Braintree is some 5 miles north of the
Walthams and on the way to Finchingfield so it seems possible that these are
baptisms to Francis Speakman SMITH. No
further record of Alfred has been found so another possibility is that Alfred
is a transcript or register error for Francis (born about 1828 according to the
1841 census), thus accounting for both known elder children of Francis and
Susannah.
d 11Aug1862 Francis Speakman SMITH male
56, custom house officer, at Hospital for Diseases of the Chest, of phthisis in
left lung
r 16Aug1862 by H J LANCHESTER at Bethnal
Green (Green) MDX
the Christian names and age at death
identify this death with confidence
death of
Susannah has not been found; the Susannah SMITH whose death was recorded in
Rotherhithe in 2Q1846 is not she.
Susannah
SMITH 30 [1806/11] N
Francis
SMITH 13 [1828] N
Susannah
SMITH 11 [1830] N
Edward
SMITH 7 [1834] Y
Elizabeth SMITH 5 [1836] Y
William
SMITH 9m [1840] Y
Francis Speakman SMITH not found in 1841
census
51
census: not found
61
census: Poplar, 36 Manor St, RG9/305
f100 p37
Francis S SMITH he wdr 54 [1807] outdoor
Customs Officer London Gt. Leighs ESS
Ann M
SMITH si unm 60 [1801] housekeeper Gt.
Leighs ESS
25Sep1851 Francis SMITH and William HILTON
made the declaration required by law. [Francis signed in a good hand]
CUST 40/11(B) - records of promotions etc of customs
officers
19Feb1858 F.S.Smith and J.Wishart,
Tidewaiters of the First Class, appointed to take charge of the Gates of the
Victoria London Docks which are open from 6am to 8pm in summer and from 7am to
6pm in winter. Also that Smith and
Wishart may be relieved every Sunday by two officers to be sent from London by
the first train which usually arrives at the Victoria Docks about 9 oclock in
the morning.
Previous
note implied that these were new posts; Parliamentary papers summarizing wages
of customs gave gatekeepers wage as £68 pa, about the same as a 1st class
tidewaiter. Examination of candidates
required that they should read and write and do arithmetic if necessary; also
honest, healthy etc
Francis SMITH grocer at South End, East
Ham
Francis
was a grocer at the time of his daughter's m in Jul1848; Victoria Docks were in
East Ham, so this is possibly a correct reference. By 1851 however, the grocers at South End (=Church Rd) was not
occupied by SMITH
Pigots
London Directory 1839
Frances
Smith tobacconist 5 Chester Place, Bethnal Green
PO
Directory 1840
F Smith
tobacconist 61 Redcross St Barbican
Essex
Directory 1851
Francis
Smith grocer Hanningfield. Not found in
1851 census for Hanningfield