The Ancestors of
Arthur Henry Smith

Family History Pages

Arthur Henry Smith, my grandfather, came to Mountnessing (Essex) in 1909. This webpage publishes my family history research. I would be delighted to hear from any of his many descendents.

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Research
1901 census

Our starting point is the 1901 census taken in April that year. Here we find the following entry in Little Burstead parish:

Ninges Farm

Name	Relation to head of household	Condition as to marriage	Age last birthday	Profession or occupation	Employer, worker or own account	Where born
George Smith	Head	M	39	Farmer	Employer	Essex Stock
Jane	Wife	M	38			Essex Great Burstead
Arthur	son		15	F. Ret.		Essex Buttsbury
Susannah	dau		14			Essex Buttsbury
Edward	son		12			Essex Buttsbury
Fredrick	son		10			Essex Buttsbury
Lancie	son		8			Essex Buttsbury
Ernest	son		7			Essex Great Burstead
Percy	son		3			Essex Little Burstead
Nelson	son		9 mo.			Essex Little Burstead

Arthur was the eldest of what was to become ten surviving children. His employment was described as ‘Farmer Retained’ rather than ‘agricultural labourer’.

His father, George, was a farmer.

George Smith: the 1881 Census

A full twenty years earlier (on 3^rd April 1881) we find George living at Stock prior to marriage.

Stock The Village

Name	Relation to head of household	Condition as to marriage	Age last birthday	Profession or occupation	Where born
Eliza Smith	Head	Widow	42		Stock
George	son	Single	18	Agricultural Labourer	Stock
John	son	Single	15	Agricultural Labourer	Buttsbury
James	son		8	Scholar	Stock
Harriet	dau		5	Scholar	Stock

The census shows his father having died and George (Arthur’s father), as the eldest son, being a principal breadwinner for the family. He was an agricultural labourer.

To establish his father’s name the Parish Register for All Saints, Stock records that Harriet Eliza, daughter of Daniel and Eliza, was baptised on 15^th August 1875.

George was baptised, at Stock, on 31^st August 1862.

Daniel Smith

The Burial Register for All Saints Stock reveals that Daniel was buried on 10^th December 1874 aged 37. He never lived to see his youngest daughter.

Daniel had been married for 13 years. The Marriage Register for the parish shows that he married Eliza Clark, aged 23, a spinster with occupation as a servant, on 19^th October 1861. He was also 23. Daniel’s occupation was given as [agricultural] labourer.

Daniel’s father was George Smith, a labourer by profession, who acted as a witness to the marriage. Eliza’s father was Thomas Clark, also a labourer. Being the same age and from the same parish it is possible that Daniel and Eliza had known one another for a lifetime.

Several generations of the Smith family were baptised, married or buried at All Saints Church, Stock

Both Daniel and Eliza signed the register with a “X”, indicative that both were illiterate. George (senior) also signed with ‘his mark’, a “X”.

Was Daniel living at home until the time of his marriage?

George Smith (senior): the 1861 census

Stock

Name	Relation to head of household	Condition as to marriage	Age last birthday	Profession or occupation	Where born
George Smith	Head	Mar	55	Agricultural Labourer	Essex Stock
Maria	Wife	Mar	50	Agricultural Labourer’s wife	Essex Stock
Charles	Son		25	Agricultural Labourer	Essex Stock
George	Son		18	Agricultural Labourer	Essex Stock
Benjamin	Son		15	Agricultural Labourer	Essex Stock
James	Son		13	Agricultural Labourer	Essex Stock
Ellen	Dau		10	Scholar	Essex Stock
Mildread	Dau		8	Scholar	Essex Stock
Emma	Dau		4		Essex Stock
Frederic	Son		10m		Essex Stock

Daniel was not living at home when the census was taken in the spring of 1861.

If we move back to the 1851 census we see Daniel then aged 13 working as an agricultural labourer. Maria, not listed on the 1861 census was Daniel’s immediate younger sister, then aged 11 and a scholar. I have not established Maria’s whereabouts during this research.

The 1851 census also shows an Eliza Clark (aged 13) living at Stock with her father (Thomas, aged 58), mother (Sarah, aged 42) and three siblings (ranging from 4 to 21 years old).

The entry in the Parish register shows Daniel was baptised on 1^st October 1837. His oldest brother, Charles was baptised on 19^th July 1835.

George’s marriage, again at Stock, is recorded as follows:

“George Smith of this parish Bachelor and Mary Polley of this parish Spinster were married in this Church by Banns with Consent of --- this Eighth Day of June in the Year One Thousand eight hundred and thirty four By me Edward John Edison Curate.
This marriage was solemnised between us George Smith his mark, Mary Polley.”

No ages are given in marriage registers prior to 1836. The first census recording names was in 1841 so lines of enquiry prior to these dates frequently run cold.

Pre Victorian records

Fortunately two legible entries appear in the Parish Register for Stock prior to 1812. This Register is a list of Burials at the beginning and Baptisms at the end.

In the Baptisms section we find under 1810:

“George Smith son of Henry and Sarah Smith. Sept 16^th.”

Under 1806 we find:

“James Smith son of Henry and Sarah Smith. Sep 21^st.”

Henry Smith was married, at Buttsbury, on 10^th April 1806.

‘Banns of marriage between Henry Smith Bachelor of the parish of Butsbury and Sarah Fitch Widow of the parish of Stock were published on March 23^rd 30^th and April 6^th 1806.
Henry Smith Bachelor of this Parish and Sarah Fitch Widow of the Parish of Stock were married in this church by Banns this tenth Day of April in the Year One Thousand Eight Hundred and six by me George Thos. Edison Minister.
The marriage was solemnized between us (the mark of Henry Smith
(the mark of Sarah Fitch
In the presence of Ann Turnstill. Thomas Atherton.

We do not know where Henry Smith was baptised. He is Arthur’s Great Great Grandfather so we can conclude that the Smith family have lived in this part of Essex for at least eight generations.

Moving forward
Arthur’s childhood and George’s influence on the Smith family

Arthur’s father, George, was a single man, aged 18, in 1881.

On 25^th October 1884 George Samuel Smith married Jane Francis, a spinster, at St Mary and St Edmund Church, Ingatestone. He was 22. She was 21.

George was a labourer on 11^th October 1885 when Arthur Henry, his eldest child, was baptised at St Mary’s Church, Buttsbury.

He was a Bailiff when his daughter Susannah Jane was baptised at Buttsbury, on 20^th February 1887.

George was a Farm Bailiff when Frederick George was baptised at Buttsbury on 24^th September 1890.

The 1891 census reveals where George and his family were living and working.

Imphey Hall, Buttsbury

St Mary’s Church, Buttsbury:
where Arthur Henry Smith was baptised in 1885

Name	Relation to head of household	Condition as to marriage	Age last birthday	Profession or occupation	Where born
George Smith	Head	Mar	28	Farm Bailiff	Essex Stock
Jane	Wife	Mar	27		Essex Great Baddow
Arthur H	Son		6	Scholar	Essex Buttsbury
Susannah	Daughter		4		Essex Buttsbury
Edward	Son		3		Essex Buttsbury
Frederick	Son		7m		Essex Buttsbury

George’s next son, Lancie Bertram, was baptised at All Saints’, Stock, on 4^th August 1892. The Register states the place of residence as ‘Impey Hall, Buttbury’ with George’s profession expressed as ‘Farm Bailiff’.

The family moved to Great Burstead by 1894, where George became a ‘Dairy Farmer’, then to Little Burstead during 1896. We find his daughter, Edith Maud, was buried at Little Burstead, aged 11 months, on 11^th November that year. However, she was baptised at Great Burstead on 15^th March 1896.

Nelson was baptised on 12^th August 1900, at Little Burstead. The margin note states that he was born on 2^nd July 1900.

We have therefore come full circle to the starting point of our research, the 1901 census.

1911 census

The recent release of the 1911 census to public inspection enables us to learn a little more about the Smith family. It was taken on 2^nd April.

Arthur Henry Smith was living alone at Begrums Farm, a place with five rooms. He is 25 and describes himself as a farmer (born in Stock). He gives his postal address as Jordons Farm.

At that time Begrums Farm formed two properties. His neighbours were Ernest Sucking, a 30 year old born in Little Burstead, whose profession was horseman, and his wife, Elizabeth, to whom he had been married for two years.

On 30^th October 1911, Arthur Henry Smith (than aged 26) married Elizabeth May Wait (a spinster, aged 24) at the newly consecrated Christ Church in Great Warley. Theirs was the tenth wedding to be held at the church, the first marriage was on 1^st June that year. Elizabeth lived at Junction Road. Her father, Sadler Wait was a joiner by profession.

The remainder of Arthur’s family lived at Great Burstead Grange, close to the church in that village. Since 1901 there had been two further additions to George’s family: Sidney, then aged 8; and Ronald, then aged 6. There were therefore four sons at school and four sons described as “Farmer’s son. Working on farm”. This was truly a family business with George’s sons serving a kind of apprenticeship before being found farming work elsewhere. Susannah, George’s only daughter, single, aged 24, was living at home. The family employed a domestic servant, Jessie Amelia Francis, aged 17, who was born in Stratford.

Great Burstead Grange, Great Burstead

Name	Relation to head of household	Condition as to marriage	Age last birthday	Profession or occupation	Where born
George Smith	Head	Married	48	Working Farmer	Essex Stock
Jane	Wife	Married	47		Essex Galleywood
Susannah Jane	Daughter	Single	24		Essex Buttsbury
Edward George	Son		22	Farmer’s son working on farm	Essex Buttsbury
Frederick	Son		20	Farmer’s son working on farm	Essex Buttsbury
Lancie Bertram	Son		18	Farmer’s son working on farm	Essex Buttsbury
Ernest Walter	Son		16	Farmer’s son working on farm	Essex Buttsbury
Percy	Son		13	School	Great Burstead
Nelson	Son		10	School	Little Burstead
Sidney	Son		8	School
Ronald	Son		6	School
Jessie Amelia Francis	Servant		17	Domestic Servant	Stratford

Family Photograph taken at Burstead Grange in 1906. At the centre is Jane and George Smith. Arthur Henry Smith is to their left leaning on the back of a chair.

Back row: Lancie, Cissie (Susannah), Fred, Ernest. Middle Row: Nelson, Arthur, Jane (mother), George (father), Edward. Front row: Percy, Ronald, Sidney.

The Essex Record Office has a sale catalogue dated 28^th June 1926 which describes Grange Farm, South Green, as having 295 acres.

Research time has been limited so this is where the story ends. We do not know what effect the First World War had on the family. George Smith stayed at Grange Farm, South Green, until 1921. He then moved to White Posts, Great Burstead, where he stayed until 1929. George died in 1936.

Other information

Following Daniel Smith’s death and George’s marriage, Eliza remarried. She was betrothed to William Booty, a bachelor living in the parish of Stock, aged 37. She was 50 by the day of the wedding: 27^th October 1889. When he died in 1903, the Rector, E P Gibson added as a footnote to the Burial Register entry (dated 8^th March), “50 entered as certificate real age 45 or 46”. William Booty seems an interesting character!

George Smith (senior) died at Stock, aged 80, and was buried 21^st August 1887.

Mary Smith (his wife) died, again at Stock, aged 77. She was buried 3^rd February 1887. The Rector relates a sad tale in the footnote to the Register: “She died of some burns caused by upsetting a lamp over herself when in a fit”.

George Smith was farmer at Burstead Grange throughout the First World War. On the night of 23^rd/24^th September 1916 a German Zeppelin crashed at nearby Snail’s Farm killing all those on board.

Conclusion

Within the space of ten years or so George Smith had risen from the profession of agricultural labourer to farmer. He seems to have been a determined individual who faced up to his responsibilities of looking after the family following the death of his father, Daniel, at the age of twelve. His background made him equally zealous to ensure that his sons followed him into the farming business. Arthur, the eldest, came to Mountnessing in 1909 to make his fame and fortune!

Last updated: 20 January 2010

The Ancestors of Arthur Henry Smith

Family History Pages

The Ancestors of
Arthur Henry Smith