George and Julia Smith - Where did you appear from?

I’d hit a family history brick wall and then this little snippet turned up.

"Mother of German extract family name changed by poll from Schmidt" -30/6/76 Grace  Gadsby

Great Auntie Grace had written this comment when relating some of the family details to her niece, Airdrie shortly before she died. 

She was referring her mother, Selina Smith born 1869 in England. Selina had married Thomas Gadsby and had immigrated with her  9 children to Sydney in 1912.  Selina and Thomas were my great grandparents. Prior to arriving in Australia they had lived with their children in a not so salubrious, poor immigrant part of London. Having previously researched the names and occupations of their neighbours in the 1911 census I was not really surprised that there might have been “some German extract”.

My brick wall had stemmed from the fact that I couldn't trace her parents, known to be Julia Baker b 1834 to 1914 and George Smith b 1832 to 1915 before 1861. Certain knowledge that one or both of them were part German immigrants gave me something else to go on and the motivation to look for them more closely.

After all what was Selina's background? Did she have siblings? Had she appeared in earlier census documents prior to her marriage?

Bit by bit the picture of the family fell into place.

In 1871 the family is found with father, George a gas lighter living with his wife Julia and four of their children

Julia 10

George 9

Thomas 6

Selina 1. 

The three latter children were born in Marylebone Middlesex. Interestingly Julia's place of birth is listed as Brewers Green which is near Westminster in London. 

Ten years earlier in the 1861 census her parents and older sister Julia appear in the census living at 17 Great Titchfield Street. George is a horsehair weaver aged 29, Julia is 28 and little Julia is 11 months old. Both parents are identified as born in Islington Middlesex and Julia in Shoreditch.

This allowed the family to be found in 1881. The two older girls had obviously left home, George and Thomas were working and two more siblings had come along Louisa 9 and William 6. Everyone was listed as having been born in London except George Snr a general labourer was listed as being born in Islington.

In 1881 young Julia was a servant living at Finsbury market and working for the Gripson family. Mr Gripson was a catering provider. Selina was most likely boarding away as a Scholar, companion or servant as there are several likely suspects.

So far... everyone born in England and not much to suggest a foreign background.

George's change of occupation to painter in the 1891 census could have certainly thrown us off the scent particularly with the comment in his place of birth as “unknown"! However, various marriages of his children at this time confirmed that this lamplighter/painter/decorator was one and the same man.

 So far... everyone born in England and not much to suggest a foreign background.

1911 census document gave so much information and enabled the eventual confirmation of his and Julia's deaths and details of the children. This is the first census completed personally by the occupant. Filled out by 80 year old George or more likely 79 year old Julia (as she is literate) the document bears the confusion of the elderly when it is incorrectly filled out in several places. Still at age 80 this is the first time George has been more specific about his place of birth claiming to be British and born at Ward's Place Islington which was known as a Poorhouse around the time of his birth.

From this information I deduced:

• ·         George (still alive) had married Lydia Eaton and lived around the Bethnal Green/ Barking area of Essex with their 10 children.

• ·         Selina (still alive) had married Thomas Gadsby and had 13 children.
• ·         Julia (deceased) had married with two children but was deceased by 1887.
• ·         Louisa (still alive) had married a German – John Christian Steinle and had 10 children.
• ·         William (still alive) had an unknown spouse and family
• ·         Thomas and two other unknown siblings deceased

Thus we have the family tree for the Smith Family. A fuller version of the extended family is included in the Strutt and Pierpoint 2010 tree on Ancestry.com

I feel chuffed this whole process has resulted in Selina's siblings and their extended family branches have been reunited on a single tree.

By now this tree  is looking healthier and full of Ancestry “hint” leaves. We have a clear picture of Selina’s parents and siblings for the first time. It’s incredible that all this has come about from the mistakes made by George and Julia in the 1911 census. Amazingly when Aunty Grace’s letter resurfaces and is passed to me in 2013 and this tantalising mystery gets me looking through the records again but with the added emphasis on the “foreign” side of things. Still nothing can be found before the 1861- no marriage of George and Julia, no birth of little Julia, no previous definitive 1841 or 1851 census for either George or Julia or corresponding births.

Could they indeed have emigrated, changed their name, adopted British places of births and carried on as British citizens from 1861?

I am my father's daughter- obsession and lateral thinking run in the family. Keep digging Robyn!! Try more angles.

Working backwards through the births, baptisms and marriages there are so many George Smith's and almost as many George Schmitz on the German ancestry. I do find a young Julia Baker in the early days living with two siblings. Perhaps she was orphaned and may not be the German I am looking for. There are too many George, Thomas and William Smiths to make any definitive determinations of their births either as Smith or Schmidt. Selina, Louisa and Julia should be an easier find as they are not such common names or so you might think.

We know Selina and older brother Thomas are baptised as Smith in 1869. I look for all sorts of combinations of Smith and a follow-up the hints on Ancestry, following up possibilities from earlier census and revisit other research sites to start removing bricks from that wall. Remember this has been annoying me for years. Every six months or so I revisit this part of the tree.

Perhaps Julia the orphan has married George Schmidt. Finally a chance search on Family Search website throws up a Julia Smith nee Baker marrying not a Schmidt but a Greedus in 1859. I follow up excitedly. 

This marriage of George Greedus and Julia Smith nee Baker in 1859 looks like a good fit

George Greedus is a Horsehair Weaver. His father was William Greedus and his grandparents, Issac and Hannah look a likely ethnic fit-a family of horsehair weaver's and manufacturers with German sounding names. He appaears in the 1841and1851 census. Add to that- a Julia Greedus born in Shoreditch,1860. The penny drops George Smith married to my Julia with daughter Julia 11 months in the 1861 census is a horsehair manufacturer!!! What are the chances? Is the family below the Greedus family.

 

1861 census - George and the two Julias have changed their name!

The marriage certificate Julia Baker nee Smith has signed upon her marriage to George Greedus has Julia signing her own name. A marriage certificate signed a few years earlier showing a Julia Baker marrying Samuel Smith's also has a signature and the “Julia's” are remarkably similar and both have a father Thomas.

Julia’s signature when married to Samuel

Julia’s signature when married to George-Similar formation of “i “and “a”

 

 

 

 

 

This is possibly Julia’s writing in 1911 –still some similarities but 50 + years later

There is a discrepancy between the professions of the father, Thomas, in the marriage certificates but I’m guessing he has retired from the Cold Stream Guards and changed employment. The short lived marriage to the gun maker, Samuel Smith leaves Julia a widow and in 1859 she marries George Greedus. Julia Greedus is born in Shoreditch in 1960. Could they have changed their name from Greedus to Smith by the time of the 1861 census when their little Julia Smith is listed as 11 months old?

 I think I've smashed my brick wall.

Aunty Grace you might be onto something even if you have lead me a merry chase. You knew your mother was Selina Smith and you could be forgiven for mistakenly thinking they had changed their name from Schmidt to Smith. I think I've smashed my brick wall.

My theory is that Julia Smith nee Baker, a widow married George Greedus and had a child, Julia Greedus. For whatever reason they changed their name by the 1861 census and from then on were known as Julia and George Smith and little Julia was known as Julia Smith.

Now for some background to the Greedus family and the plight of the weavers. The Greedus family appear to have been silk weavers initially. Given they lived in Spitalfields more likely they were Huguenots (Protestants).The bulk of Huguenot émigrés relocated to Protestant nations such as England. settling in  Spitalfields, London, where they re-established their trade.

The Huguenot weavers brought skills and technology previously unavailable to the British silk industry which then blossomed. While silk-weaving became popular in Coventry, Nuneaton and other parts of England the industry remained centred in Spitalfields where our Greedus family hails from. Many family descendants stayed in the area.

Greedus is a rare surname. Issac Greedus, George’s grandfather b 1753 appears to be the patriarch of the Greedus family in the area but could well have had several siblings. Many were employed as silk weavers or in Horse hair manufacture in Shoreditch/Spitalfields area up to the 1860s. Horsehair fabrics are woven with tail hair from live horses and cotton or silk warps. Horsehair fabrics are sought for their lustre, durability and care properties and are mainly used for upholstery and interiors.

Incidentally the Gadsby family (Selina married into the Gadsbys) were silk ribbon weavers from the town of Nuneaton and later Coventry. 

The silk weaving industry began to decline from the 1830s to about the time of George and Julia’s marriage in 1859. Changes to legislation regarding tariffs came in about 1860. Hence George who was also a horse hair weaver by this time had a change of profession to lamp lighter, painter and decorator. Peter Jardine who has been researching Greedus relations for some time said he has a number of Greedus people who just disappear which could well indicate name changes to something less indentifiable as Huegonet. I rest my case.

Cheers Robyn

Selina’s Great Granddaughter July 2015

For further tree details or explanation please contact me 

Matilda's Second family.....

When I visited Edinburgh about 8 years ago I really felt “at home” despite the weather and the wind. This really surprised me as my relatives had come from Glasgow and I certainly didn’t get that same glow when I visited Glasgow last year. However in the mean time I have discovered relatives down the maternal line had come from Edinburgh.

The subject of this story is my maternal 3^rd great grandmother, Matilda Strelley nee Johnston born in St Cuthbert’s Edinburgh around 1785.I found about her by working upwards from grandmother’s father Bill Strelley, putting a few pieces together, overcoming the poor handwriting in documents. The piece de resistance was finally making the connection back to William Strelley MD of Derbyshire and the famous Strelley family.

I first found Matilda as a deserted mother of three in the 1841 census. It appears her husband William Strelley MD had returned to Derbyshire and later taken up with the housekeeper. 

As a young man William had studied Medicine in Edinburgh. William, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Strelley Esq breaks with the family tradition of Derbyshire land management, militia or mining by moving to Edinburgh. After finding out about his father’s death in 1813 he was then informed that he didn’t inherit from his father’s large estate.It is thought that he might have been provided for quite generously from his grandmother’s estate. 

Details are a bit sketchy about his time in Edinburgh but William’s inclusion in the Rev Kerry’s historical documentation of the Strelley family tree printed in 1891 merely notes him as William Strelley MD. He and his family have been scratched off the official family tree presumably through his marital choices and/or other misdemeanours. While living and practicing in Edinburgh he “marries” Matilda Johnston from Edinburgh and later returning to Derbyshire he starts a relationship with Elizabeth (Limb?) in Basford around 1840 or 50s. There is no record of the marriage to Elizabeth Strelley and as Matilda is still alive until 1865 (William out lived Matilda by two years) he is probably living out his days with his much younger “wife” in a de facto rather than bigamist relationship. In 1867 he too dies of old age at Codnor.

William’s marriage to Matilda is unrecorded and could be explained as an “irregular marriage” under Scottish law. These marriages come about merely by the exchange of promises before witnesses, betrothal and consummation of the marriage or by simply passing oneself off as reputedly being married. This form of marriage was recognised by Scottish law and explains why no official marriage record exists. Irregular marriages at the time are not viewed in the same way in England where a marriage is a religious event and is not legal unless celebrated in the parish church by a Pastor or Minister of Religion. Usually this occurred after reading the Banns over three successive weeks.  An irregular marriage between Matilda and William may have been unacceptable to the very traditional and respectable Strelley family of England. 

Matilda and William’s daughter Jemima Strelley was born in 1822. William is aged 42 and Matilda is about 37. About this time William is a resident in the National Jail of Scotland in Edinburgh. It is a debtors’ prison. A newspaper article printed in 1824 reports on the hearing of an assault charge in the prison in 1822. A not so nice picture is painted of William’s character by the prosecution. By 1824 Matilda is having her second son to William. 

There is evidence from census and other documents that these two Scottish children, Jemima born 1822 and William Strelley  born 1824, were born in Edinburgh. There is no parish evidence available. Perhaps they regained an element of respectability when Georgina Grace Greasley Strelley is born and christened in the Strelley family fold (Ripley) Derbyshire in 1828. At some point William and Matilda separated.

William Strelley b: 1781 in Pentrich; IGI has about 1777 of Denby, d: 1867 in Basford Greasley Parish

... + Matilda Johnston b: 1785 in Midlothian, d: 01 Oct 1865 in Blackford

...... Jemima Strelley b: 1822 in Edinburgh, d: 1898 in Newington, Edinburgh

...... William Strelley b: Abt. 1824 in Edinburgh shire, Edinburgh, d: 17 Jun 1898 in Blackfriars Glasgow

...... Georgina Grace Greasley Strelley b: Ripley, Derby, d: 08 Jan 1907 in Muckart Perth Scotland

The “Edinburgh” Strelley family tree

There have been some atrocious examples of handwriting in the Scottish census particularly affecting our family records but by sheer good luck Matilda Hagily (sic) and the children are located in the 1841 Census. Matilda is living in the parish of St Mary’s, with her children Jemima dressmaker, William shoemaker apprentice and Georgina. Matilda is a greengrocer and her husband is not listed and cannot be located in either Scottish or English Census of that year. Living next door is William and Elizabeth Lindley and family including Annabella. This name keeps popping up over the years. 

Matilda and the children in the 1841 census - no sign of husband William

In 1851 Matilda is noted as a widow living with Georgina in St Stephen Edinburgh. She’s a dealer in toys. Despite an exhaustive effort, Matilda’s nowhere to be found in the 1861 Census.

At the age of 80 she died of old age in October 1865. William Martin her son-in-law notifies the Register Office her death in New Street Blackford County Perth. Presumably Matilda had moved there to be close to her youngest daughter and her family. Her death certificate reveals her parents as Robert Johnston deceased hairdresser and Elizabeth Watson.

Matildas death certificate

Further investigations add her parent’s marriage to her story. Robert Johnston, vintner married Elizabeth daughter of James Watson, on 06 Aug 1771 in St Cuthbert’s Edinburgh.

Robert Johnston marries Elizabeth Watson 1771

That looks like all there is to the Matilda’s story-I have her parents, husband, and 3 children.

A few things puzzled me:

• The name Annabella Lindley had popped up a few times. Once in the 1841 census and again in Georgina’s death certificate as her mother’s maiden name.
• Annabella and her children are associated with Matilda’s daughter Jemima Strelley in the 1841, 1861 and 1871 census.
• Some people had wrongly assumed that Annabella was William’s second wife on Ancestry trees and she was (wrongly) mentioned in the documentation of Georgina’s death certificate as her mother. The previously Stewart comment is also curious,

Georgina's Death Certificate 1907

And then it all unfolded. Matilda’s story was much more interesting.....

• In daughter Jemima's records Jemima had been the maiden Aunt /carer for the Rennie family plus a Lindley child.

And then it all unfolded. Matilda’s story was much more interesting.....

• I discovered a marriage between the Rennie child and a Stewart.
• And when searching backwards (as I often do) for Mary Lilly Stewart’s grandfather I chanced upon some of his records which revealed his mother was none other than our Matilda Johnston!

Matilda had married Charles Stewart, a teacher of dancing on 15 Nov 1803 in Edinburgh. Charles Stewart was born on 07 Feb 1784 in Edinburgh as the child of Charles Stewart and Margaret Law. Our Matilda had been previously married...

Charles Stewart  and Matilda Johnston's Marriage Certificate

Thus it was revealed Charles and Matilda Johnston had the following children:

1. Robert Barclay Stewart was born on 19 Oct 1804 in Edinburgh. He died on 16 May 1885 in Edinburgh. He married Ann Ema Lilly on 31 Oct 1830 in Edinburgh (St Stephens Parish).
2. Elizabeth Stewart was born on 12 Jun 1807 in Edinburgh. She married William Charles Andrew Lindley on 04 Jun 1832 in Edinburgh.
3. Matilda Stewart was born on 08 Apr 1806 in Edinburgh. She died (probably before 1838). She married Peter Robertson Nicholls on 19 Nov 1832 in St Cuthbert’s Edinburgh.
4. Charles John George Stewart was born on 08 Jun 1817 in Edinburgh. He died in 1863 in Edinburgh.

It was Robert’s granddaughter Mary Lilly Stewart of Liverpool who married Thomas Rennie. Thomas had been the ward of Jemima Strelley after the death of his parents.

The penny dropped again.

How serendipitous. 

 Elizabeth Lindley (nee Stewart) who lived next door to Matilda in the 1841 census was Matilda’s daughter and Annabella was her granddaughter. Death certificates support this.

Later it is revealed that Robert, a music teacher and sister Elizabeth moved to England and lived with their respective families. Somehow or other Jemima’s ward, the now grown up Thomas Rennie meets the Stewarts in Liverpool in his travels as a laundry business manager and marries Matilda’s great granddaughter Mary Lilly Stewart. How serendipitous. 

Not a lot is known about Charles, the teacher of dancing but I’d love to know more about this dancing master who is recorded as living at 5 Elder St and 4 James St. With Charles Stewart’s early death on 7/6/1818 Matilda is widowed with 4 children aged between 1 and14. Along comes William Strelley and by 1822 she is pregnant again with the beginnings of her Strelley family.

Hunting around the old St Cuthbert’s parish records then reveals Matilda’s siblings (but not Matilda’s records) and more is revealed about her father, Robert Johnston who is more than a humble barber by today’s terms.

It appears that Matilda’s brother Henry Erskine Johnston was quite famous and much has been written about him and his father Robert Johnston especially in a biographical sketch written in 1838. 

Described as a venerable personage ,father Robert’s original occupation was a barber and wigmaker. Generally he would have trimmed or shaved beards or was employed in dressing hair and making wigs. His shop was in the High Street of Edinburgh and “was frequented due to its proximity to the Parliament House by gentlemen of the long robe” Thus he mixed with people in high places and was entrusted with caring for the adornment of these most public people. He was described as a vintner in Matilda’s marriage certificate when she married Charles in 1803 and was known for many years to be the keeper of an oyster tavern in Shakespeare Square (Nos 4 and 10) until his death in 1826. William Strelley may well have felt very comfortable with such an influential father in law in Edinburgh. 

Shakespeare Square in Edinburgh (The Scottish Post Office Directory has him at both 4 and 10)

 

Below are details of Robert Johnston and Elizabeth Watson’s children:

1. John Puller Johnston was born on 13 May 1773 in Edinburgh Midlothian.
2. Henry Erskine Johnston was born on 03 Aug 1775 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He died on 08 Feb 1845 in Belgrave, London. He married Nanette Parker on 19 Jun 1796 in Southwark, St George, Surrey England.
3. William Johnston was born on 22 Oct 1776 in Edinburgh, Midlothian.
4. Robert Johnston was born on 15 Mar 1779 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland. He died on 17 Mar 1858 in Wigtown Burgh, Wigtownshire, Scotland.
5. George Johnston was born on 03 Jun 1780 in Edinburgh Midlothian.
6. Margaret Johnston was born on 19 Aug 1784 in Edinburgh.
7. Matilda Johnston was born in 1785 in Midlothian. She died on 01 Oct 1865 in Blackford. She married Charles Stewart on 15 Nov 1803 in Edinburgh.
8. Jessey Johnston was born on 22 Sep 1785.

Serendipity once more?

Matilda’s records could not be found but her birth date appears to be around that of Margaret and Jessey- may be an error or change of name?

It is Henry Erskine Johnston who was the famous sibling and whose biographies reveal so much about Robert Johnston. Henry, named after one of Robert’s famous learned clients Sir Henry Erskine went on to become a famous Shakespearean performer and pantomime actor. As a little aside his son, a renowned surveyor, Harley Robert Johnston went on to establish the Australind township in the new colony of Western Australia where none other than William Strelley’s brother in law, Joseph Harris and family were also influential in the establishment of the colony, and indeed Joseph was the Doctor employed at Australind for a short time .Small world, just a coincidence or serendipity once more?

Matilda’s legacy.......

Originally the Matilda in my mind had three children who I have descended from and I felt a little sorry for her. After all she had married William Strelley who ended up broke and in debtors’ prison, on assault charges and who left her to live in Derby with another woman. Jemima, William and Georgina, their children have all been documented in the story “William Strelley M.D. -He’s the black sheep of the family” written a few years ago.

William and family appear to have been removed or left off from the Strelley Tree as documented by Rev Kerry. Possibly the children of such a situation are not recognised in the English legal system and inheritance is big business when it comes to Strelley family fortunes.

But Matilda had a whole other life with her dancing teacher husband and with four other children one of whom was a music teacher. She lived in Edinburgh at a time when her father was influential and popular with local parliamentarians and legal folk. Her brother was famous for his Shakespearean performances and her nephew was off settling Western Australia with other Strelley relatives. This makes me think she had a less than squalid life than some of my other Scottish relatives with perhaps social highlights such as balls, dances and theatre. There are too many coincidences in this story to think that there weren’t some useful connections made over time. Perhaps for a time she even lived in Derby and enjoyed some of the spoils of the Strelley wealth and English social stature of William’s relatives. 

I like you Matilda and I like your extended family. I’ll keep on digging for information on you and your family (Could you send me some clues?) xxx