Research Smith

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Another reason for this apparent problem might be that Clara was known by more than one surname. eg maybe she married as a Smith as that was her step-father's surname and her birth surname was Cook. (there are lots of other possible scenarios)

[tivvyblue]

Does Muriel E K Smith ring any bells?

Sorry Merry sent you the wrong information. Regarding Muriel she deos not ring a bell just yet. Again I will contact my mum to find out.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

OK!

I do feel that 1914 birth is likely to be the right one, even if the mmn is "wrong"! I expect there is a reason for it, just we don't know what it is yet!

[tivvyblue]

Will get back to Mum in the morning to dig a little deeper. I have a minor thought that there might have been an Aunty Murial but not 100% sure - it just rings a little bell.

[tivvyblue]

I have had another chat with my mum and she has come up with a few things about Muriel E K Smith. She was Ronald Thomas Smith sister and was born on Dec 21st about 1900 or so. She married an Abner Fifield - do not know when that was.

Hopefully this might help me in the search for Ronald Smith Jan 1914 (Gloucestershire)

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I think we found the parents didn't marry until 1912 (see post 9)

There are these two births with mmn Cook in Dursley district:

Births Sep 1912
Smith Muriel E K Cook Dursley 6a 461

Births Mar 1914
Smith Ronald T Cook Dursley 6a 448

Yet the parents married as Smith and Smith, so it would seem there is something more complex in Clara's history.

You need to get one of these birth certs (check no one in the family has them!) which may well tell you more about Clara.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Would this be Muriel's death reg in 1996?

Name: Muriel Evelyn Fifield
Birth Date: 3 Jul 1912
Death Registration Month/Year: Apr 1996
Age at death (estimated): 83
Registration district: Gloucester
Inferred County: Gloucestershire
Register number: C49
District and Subdistrict: 4831C
Entry Number: 79

Note the date of birth matches up with the Q3 1912 birth reg in post 26, rather than a Dec birth.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

We might be able to do more with this if we knew when and where Clara Kate Smith died. I don't suppose anyone knows that? She was your mum's grandmother, wasn't she?

[tivvyblue]

Spoken to my mum regarding Clara Smith. She still does not think she was married twice. But she did come up with some information regarding her. Her mother died when she was 6 years old and then she went ot an orphanage in Dursley. I have also been given 2 items about her, One is a copy of her marriage to Harry Thomas Smith (Merry you were correct on detail). The second was an old Bible, and in the back cover are a lot of dates about family members passing away.
Still not got any conection with COOK as a maiden name though.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

What are her father's details from the marriage cert? and her age?

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Do you have the birth cert for either of her children? (Muriel or Ronald)

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Does the bible give any details of Clara's parents?

[tivvyblue]

With all the names in her Bible it just gives that Mother and father died.

Mother died 25th Feb 1913 - Father died 12th April 1916

Marriage cert:- Spouse Harry Thomas Smith age 22 - His Father Harry Thomas Smith (senior I expect) deceased.

Clara Kate Smith age 24 - Her father Albert Smith also deceased.

Do not yet have any copies of there births cert.

[Tom Tom]

If their marriage was in 1912 then her father wasn't dead when she married which conflicts with what you have in the bible?


I think that you need to get one of Harry and Clara's children's birth certificates.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Now I'm confused!

Clara Smith's father, Albert was dec'd on Clara's marriage cert in 1912, but her father died 12th April 1916 (from the bible)

Also if her mother died when Clara was six then she can't have died in 1913 as Clara was old enough to get married in 1912!

Maybe those dates are someone elses parents?

Anyway, now I have Clara's age and father's name I'll see what I can do with that!

[Tom Tom]

This could be Clara' birth ref:

Name: Clara Kate Smith
Year of Registration: 1889
Quarter of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar
District: Highworth
County: Wiltshire
Volume: 5a
Page: 7


EDIT: don't think this is your one... have found this one and her father is John

and then in 1891:



1891:

Source Citation: Class: RG12; Piece: 2008; Folio 6; Page 5

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Just to muddie the waters whoever we find there is still going to be one Clara Smith in Dursley area who is listed as Cousin in 1901 and Niece in 1891 despite living withe the same head of house! (George Smith). So, we don't know who her father is. Like Tom, I looked at birth regs and found the same one he did and the same problems with it, so as Tom said, I think you will have to get the birth cert for Ronald or Muriel to see what Clara says about her surname.

Harry is easier!

Births Mar 1890
SMITH Harry Thomas Dursley 6a 227

1901 ref: RG13; Piece: 2414; Folio: 128; Page: 10

1891 ref: RG12; Piece: 2001; Folio 125; Page 4

[tivvyblue]

Sorry but what does 1901 ref: RG13; Piece: 2414; Folio: 128; Page: 10

1891 ref: RG12; Piece: 2001; Folio 125; Page 4 mean?

I expect it is quite simple

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Do you have access to Ancestry?

[tivvyblue]

Yes I do have access to Ancestry