Smith family tree

[LorraineJ]

If I'd known this was going to be a problem, I'd have picked your brains last week as I have had print outs of census records from 1841-1901, tracing one branch of my family.

I am trying to find out about my GGF Albert Smith, married to Helen, father of Lilias and they lived at North Street, Leatherhead. It may well be that the house at North Street was Helen's family home and had been for generations.

The story goes in my mother's family that my GGF was a self made man and Helen came from a family with money, position and have a family crypt in a churchyard somewhere in Leatherhead where their ancestors are buried right through from the 1400s. How can I get verification of this, where do I start or will I have to go the local records office in Leatherhead? I know this 'family' owned the half of Leatherhead the church didn't or so I have been told.

Smith is a really common name, there are some marriages that maybe my great grandparents but the wife's name is missing, first and second names and other registries I don't have access to. Albert was 40 and Helen 35 in the 1901 census, my grandmother was born around 1896 if that helps. Albert was the son of Richard & Sarah and has a brother called Ernest.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Have you looked at the North Street address in earlier censuses?

I take it you don't have this certificate yet?

Births Sep 1895
Smith Lilian Helen Epsom 2a 29

It would give you Helen's maiden name which would help with getting the right marriage cert.

[Phoenix]

Epsom is the Registration District for Leatherhead and there is the marriage of an Albert Smith to Caroline Ellen Watts in 1894.

As Merry says, you need to proceed one step at a time, especially with a name like Smith and as I can't find Caroline in 1881!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I think mum may have died:

Deaths Mar 1904
Smith Helen 38 Epsom 2a 35

and then Albert remarried - in 1911 his wife is Edith Susan Smith.

I can't find an obvious marriage for Albert to her either! lol

There don't seem to be any more children. Edith was born 1877.

[Elaine ..Spain]

I am trying to find out about my GGF Albert Smith, married to Helen, father of Lilias and they lived at North Street, Leatherhead. It may well be that the house at North Street was Helen's family home and had been for generations.

Difficult to find the same house with certainty on the 1891 census, but by following the neighbours and looking at the names of the shops/premises, I think it was occupied in 1891 by Sarah Clear and her daughter Beatrice - occ. for Sarah boot shopkeeper.

[samesizedfeet]

Think this is the cemetery you're after:

Details of grave number 31896 at St Mary & St Nicholas’s Parish Church Leatherhead, Surrey for

[samesizedfeet]

Hmmm - and this one too:

Details of grave number 31804 at St Mary & St Nicholas’s Parish Church Leatherhead, Surrey for


But that proves that the Helen Smith Merry found in 1904 was the wife of Albert/mother of Lilias

[LorraineJ]

I know that my GGF couldn't stand Lilias at any price, wouldn't have her in the house. Edith Susan must have been my Mum's step grandmother, who had a daughter Sybil. I know Lilias and Helen are buried together outside the family crypt, while the rest of the family are inside. Could it be that the plot was choc a bloc full, or had she as has been suggested 'brought disgrace to the family', thats a bit rich coming from my GGF; the female line of his side was peppered with illegitimate births, what a cheek!!

I think I will have to get some BMD certificates!!

[Penelope]

Property-wise, you need to find the wills for the period and the area, and root through! Also any surviving deeds. You may be able to sue the IGI to get some sense of where Helen's family were, prior to censuses. Trade directories in the area's reference library may give you a sense of the side of the family that were in business - and also Poll books, because only 'people of substance' had the vote and were listed in the poll books.