the Smith family tree Going to James's tree now, and with a surname of Smith, not easy! The first mention of my grandfather James is in the 1881 census when he was 1 year old. Living in Middleton Road Oldham with his parents and siblings and, this was a surprise, his step brothers and sisters. His father, also James and I now name James snr. to avoid confusion, appears to have married a widow with three children. Elizabeth had previously been called Simpson and her children Eliza, Harry and Mary all had that surname. Between Mary’s birth in 1870 and Hannah in 1873, she married James Smith and the subsequent children all have Smith as their surname. Hannah, Peter, Thomas, Rachel A and James. But the 1871 census returns seem to tell a different story. Trying to find Elizabeth Simpson in the 1871 census proved impossible, so I looked for the children instead. I found Hannah, Eliza and Henry living in the Oldham Union Workhouse. There was also a Thomas Simpson in the workhouse and I have shown him because he may have been Elizabeth’s father-in-law. Elizabeth was to be found but as Elizabeth Smith. The only clues I had were the fact that James Smith was born in Bolton and always described himself as a Coal Miner and Burnley came up on a census as Hannah’s place of birth. So I looked in Burnley for James Smith. Here is a puzzle. Mary is shown as Smith. But in 1881 she is shown as Simpson. Were James and Elizabeth pretending that they were married and Mary was their child? Is Mary A Roberts Elizabeth’s sister? Their ages are close and Elizabeth may have named the child after her sister. But the census says Mary was born in London. When I can find Elizabeth’s maiden name, I can look to see if there was a sister ... and if the sister married John Roberts. Mary has gone from the 1891 census return now as has Elizabeth. Mary and her husband John Morton were living in Princess Street, Great Harwood in the 1891 Census. I found a death registered in 1887 in Burnley for an Elizabeth Smith. I don’t know if that is this Elizabeth. In later life, James jnr. named two of his daughters Mary and Rachel . By the 1891 census, James snr is a widower which leaves James jnr. with no mother and ‘learning to piece’ by the time he was 11 years old. Jane Simpson could be a niece, she is the same age as Peter. I need to look at the Butterworth connection. I think there is an error on the 1891 return and Rachel A Butterworth is Rachel A Smith. Note year of birth. Perhaps John is a Butterworth and the enumerator wrote Rachel’s surname incorrectly. John is the right age to be Eliza’s son. I believe Jumbo was an area in Middleton near Middleton Junction (near John Willie Lees brewery) very close to Chadderton and there is/was a ‘Jumbo Community Centre’ on Grimshaw Lane. Mary Simpson, James’s stepdaughter (or was she his daughter?) , married John Morton and the 1901 census shows James jnr, now aged 21 and a cotton piecer, his brother Thomas, also a cotton piecer, living with Mary. Mary’s son and daughter as well as a two lodgers, William Bird and his brother Harold, both also cotton piecers, all lived in Hamilton Street, Chadderton. I found two deaths of a John Morton registered in 1899 and in 1900. By the 1911 census, Mary has become Mrs Bird and William has become Head of the house. There were also four young children all with the surname Bird. In the 1901 census, I also found a Peter Smith lodging with his wife and two children with his parents-in-law. In 1902 and in 1903, there are deaths registered for James Smith. Without buying the certificates I can’t tell if one of them is James snr. But even with the certificate, unless I could recognise the informant of the death or some other clue on the certificate, such as the address, I might still not be able to tell. But I couldn’t find James snr. on a 1901 census. Because James snr described himself as a Coal Miner born in Bolton, I looked for him in the 1861 Census and found the following. The 1851 census. Having discovered James’ snr’s parents, I can now construct a Smith family tree. For me, this shows my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather and my great, great grandfather. Almost two hundred years.

OLDHAM

the Smith family tree

Going to James's tree now, and with a surname of Smith, not easy!

The first mention of my grandfather James is in the 1881 census when he was 1 year old. Living in Middleton Road Oldham with his parents and siblings and, this was a surprise, his step brothers and sisters. His father, also James and I now name James snr. to avoid confusion, appears to have married a widow with three children. Elizabeth had previously been called Simpson and her children Eliza, Harry and Mary all had that surname. Between Mary’s birth in 1870 and Hannah in 1873, she married James Smith and the subsequent children all have Smith as their surname. Hannah, Peter, Thomas, Rachel A and James.

But the 1871 census returns seem to tell a different story.

Trying to find Elizabeth Simpson in the 1871 census proved impossible, so I looked for the children instead. I found Hannah, Eliza and Henry living in the Oldham Union Workhouse. There was also a Thomas Simpson in the workhouse and I have shown him because he may have been Elizabeth’s father-in-law.

Elizabeth was to be found but as Elizabeth Smith. The only clues I had were the fact that James Smith was born in Bolton and always described himself as a Coal Miner and Burnley came up on a census as Hannah’s place of birth. So I looked in Burnley for James Smith.

Here is a puzzle. Mary is shown as Smith. But in 1881 she is shown as Simpson. Were James and Elizabeth pretending that they were married and Mary was their child? Is Mary A Roberts Elizabeth’s sister? Their ages are close and Elizabeth may have named the child after her sister. But the census says Mary was born in London. When I can find Elizabeth’s maiden name, I can look to see if there was a sister ... and if the sister married John Roberts.

Mary has gone from the 1891 census return now as has Elizabeth. Mary and her husband John Morton were living in Princess Street, Great Harwood in the 1891 Census. I found a death registered in 1887 in Burnley for an Elizabeth Smith. I don’t know if that is this Elizabeth.

In later life, James jnr. named two of his daughters Mary and Rachel .

By the 1891 census, James snr is a widower which leaves James jnr. with no mother and ‘learning to piece’ by the time he was 11 years old.

Jane Simpson could be a niece, she is the same age as Peter. I need to look at the Butterworth connection. I think there is an error on the 1891 return and Rachel A Butterworth is Rachel A Smith. Note year of birth. Perhaps John is a Butterworth and the enumerator wrote Rachel’s surname incorrectly. John is the right age to be Eliza’s son.

I believe Jumbo was an area in Middleton near Middleton Junction (near John Willie Lees brewery) very close to Chadderton and there is/was a ‘Jumbo Community Centre’ on Grimshaw Lane.

Mary Simpson, James’s stepdaughter (or was she his daughter?) , married John Morton and the 1901 census shows James jnr, now aged 21 and a cotton piecer, his brother Thomas, also a cotton piecer, living with Mary. Mary’s son and daughter as well as a two lodgers, William Bird and his brother Harold, both also cotton piecers, all lived in Hamilton Street, Chadderton. I found two deaths of a John Morton registered in 1899 and in 1900.

By the 1911 census, Mary has become Mrs Bird and William has become Head of the house. There were also four young children all with the surname Bird.

In the 1901 census, I also found a Peter Smith lodging with his wife and two children with his parents-in-law.

In 1902 and in 1903, there are deaths registered for James Smith. Without buying the certificates I can’t tell if one of them is James snr. But even with the certificate, unless I could recognise the informant of the death or some other clue on the certificate, such as the address, I might still not be able to tell. But I couldn’t find James snr. on a 1901 census.

Because James snr described himself as a Coal Miner born in Bolton, I looked for him in the 1861 Census and found the following.

The 1851 census.

Having discovered James’ snr’s parents, I can now construct a Smith family tree.

For me, this shows my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather and my great, great grandfather. Almost two hundred years.