NB This is the first draft of pu

NB This is the first draft of putting Jakes hard copy into digital format.

The document still needs checking for accuracy, spelling, punctuation and grammar.

I would welcome any comments on this sterling piece of work. Comments to: acadman175@yahoo.com

Smedley

Family

History

By

John C. Smedley

Hastings on Hudson, New York, USA.

Transcribed by Andy Cadman, Heage, Derbyshire, UK. (May 2003)

PREFACE

This record began with a request from Judy Wood to my son, whose name she had obtained on the Internet, wondering if they might be related. Joe passed the letter on to me as the unofficial family historian for forty years.

I am not a genealogist. I had periodically driven relatives to distraction asking for names and dates and photographs, which one day I would have in an album for those who cared. I sent Judy some of this information to see if there were a connection. She replied in ecstasy and enclosed enough data for me to extend my own knowledge of our ancestors eight more generations.

As we continued to exchange information, the ripples on the circle extended: I knew more and. more, yet there was always more to know. Then my sister called: when are you going back to England, your birthplace? I had not returned since the Army whisked me quickly through in 1943. Why not this year? I suggested.

Thus came this paper, in which I have pulled together for myself and my children what I have learned from a brief visit to the Midlands and. from extended correspondence with family members. First among those I wish to thank is Judy Wood, a serious Mormon researcher and a Smedley through both parents. Howard Usher had been called upon by Judy earlier, and he promptly offered his assistance when he heard I was coming. As Archivist at Melbourne Hall, he occupied a key position in the heart of Smedley country, and. he and Lindsay became my wonderful hosts.

As Judy broadened the circle, I re-established ties With members of the clan who had gone to Australia about the time my grandfather had gone to the United States. Margaret McCulloch was descended from them and has filled in blanks I thought were beyond knowing.

Not everyone has left the Midlands, and it was Rhonda Srnedley Mawer who drove me to St. Chad’s church in Wilne where the earliest of our Smedleys was married in 1606. Tears filled my eyes as I stood in the ancient church and thought of the young couple who had produced all the people in the pages that follow.

Others have played a valuable role in filling in blanks. Joan Baker, who has researched the Holt family so thoroughly; Hilda Robson, who traced the Baptists of the family; Sandra Stock, who had the Wilne church records and. helped clarify one of the oldest questions I encountered; and Sue Webster who has tracked all the Smedleys in Derbyshire. My deep appreciation to my son Joe for his patient experimentation leading to an informative and systematic “ahnentafel” of thousands of ancestors; and to my wife Georgie for her in cisive readings of the text as it took shape. And finally to Jobn Henry Smedley of Ticknall, one of those who has not left and who continues to preserve the name in what I found a most agreeable and. friendly area, which I am proud to claim as my heritage.

My thanks also to the staff at the Ashby library, museum and tourist information booth, who helped me reach David Jackson, from whom I heard about my grandmother's side of the family.

The Smedley line has been traced directly back to the sixteenth century. There it “just sort of fizzles out” in the words of Its principal investigator, Judy H. Wood. Not surprising. The early Smedleys were Saxon farmers. The events of their lives were noted in parish records of uncertain accuracy and spelling was up to the imagination of the recorder as he listened to the illiterate subjects. Deciphering these records is often a challenge.

Was it Robert Smedly and Phillippi Turner (or Tarner), a minor, married 2 September 1606 in Wilne Derbyshire? Or was it Robert Srneadlie and Phillipa Turner? How much does spelling matter?

Boyd’s Marriage Index is being painstakingly assembled by the Mormons to show all marriages in Britain. It shows the marriage of Robert Smedley born about 1586, married as above. ⁿ

Je visited the beautiful St. Chad’s Church at Wilne in pursuit of more information. A flower show was in progress but our arrival quickly attracted several local historians and later we met with one. St. Chad’s may originally have been built soon after the death of St. Chad in 672. Re built since then, the spacious church for many years served the inhabitants of the surrounding villages for baptisms, marriages and burials.

Sandra Stock is a local historian member of the church in Breaston and has in her possession microfiche records from St. Chad’s. With Howard Usher, another local historian and archivist at Melbourne Hall, we studied the excerpted Smedley records and the microfiche from which they came. The writing is faint and not precise but an “a” which had been thought to be part of “a minor” appeared to belong to the previous word, Phillippa.

The St. Chad’s Register shows Robert Smeadlie and Phillippa Turner of Draycott married 2 September 1606 and is in accord with Boyd’s, except for the spelling. We might go further and note that there is a marriage of Michael Turner and Anne Richersone on 25 August 1589, 17 years before Phillippa's birth. Were they her parents? We cannot know.Also on the Register are two Robt Smethleys, son of John Smethley of Draycott baptised in 1581 or 1582, about 25 years before Robert was married. Is it our Robert? We could guess but that would not be in accord with Boyd’s which gives his birth about 1586. Finally, there is a John Smethley who might be his father, the first one, also son of John Smethley, baptised. 15 August 1562. But these are only possibilities. They might be true but we cannot know.

St. CHAD’s, WILNE, DERBYSHIRE - REGISTERS 1540- 1723 (from a transcript taken 1913)

John Smith son of John Smithley son of John Smecfley of Draycott (sic) bur 27 Mar 1593/4

Though we speak of birth and death dates, the record is more likely to show baptism and burial. We will not Attempt to distinguish these.

The numbers are for identification. Since 2048 is one doubled. 11 times, we can know that Robert is the eleventh generation back from the four Smedley children who grew up in Ruxton, Maryland to whom this work is dedicated. The wife is given that number plus one. Note also that John’s number is half that of his father, but Katherine, who does not carry on the Smedley name, receives no number.

John Smedley 1024 appears to have done well. From his will we learn that he was a tailor, had accumulated over 25 pounds which he left to various relatives, as well as beds, cushions, plus sheep, poultry and kine and 12 pair of gloves. Herein, however, lies our second. mystery.

John’s will is dated clearly 1634, before the birth of his grandchildren by his son John 512. The following pages show the will in its original form and as translated by Howard Usher. The puzzle is that the heirs include not only his son John, but his granddaughter Priscilla (born about 1648) and his grandson John (born about 1643). An inheritance to heirs not yet born?

If John's date of death were 1654, there would be no inconsistency, but Usher Wood and Wood and Cape have all read it as 1634. Unfortunately, there is no other 3 or 5 to compare with. There has been the suggestion that a generation has been added or omitted, but there seem to be too many names and. relationships for this: “my grandchild Prescilla” “my doughter Mary Clark “my doughter Anne Saxelby,” “my wife Marie Smedley.”

Vie know little about Mary (Marie?) Hind 1025, but she did in 1640 purchase for £11.15 a garden place and meadow from William Roberts of Chellaston.^b This was for her son John 512 and would hardly have been done were her husband alive. John subsequently granted this same property to his son 256 and wife Priscilla as a marriage settlement. The mystery remains.

The family of the second John Smedley 312 (sometimes called Senior because he had a son John) is puzzling due to one significant omission: though he and his wife had nine children in roughly ten years, there is no mention of her name in any of the available documents. She appears to have been the same age as her husband. Beyond that, nothing is known.

Nathaniel is the first of five generations of Smedleys born in Melbourne still a pleasant Midlands town and of Melbourne Hall and its distinguished family of Cokes and their successors.

Next page - the original will of John Smedley 1024 below the will translated by Howard Usher, the inventory (translated) follows the original will.

In the name of God Amen I John Smedley of Melborne In the Countye of Darbey Taylor beinge sick in body but in p(er)fet memorie thankes be geven to god make this my last Will and Testamente in Maner and forine follwolngw first I Comend my soule unto god and my body to the grand (ground] And for my worldly goods I thus disspose ox them I geeve and bequethe unto my Son John Smedley one table to gether wth the frame whear upon the said table stand eth ane f arme lone form] one ,Cubwart two buffet stooles one Wenscoat bedsteed re maininge nowe in my dwellinge house at Nelborne I geeve him also the Chamber foore (floor] over the Hall I geeve also unto my grandchilde prescilla the youngest daughter of my said son John Sinedley the some of five powndes of like Current English money I geeve and bequeth unto my grand child John the son of my said son the some of five powndes of the like Current English money I geeve and bequeath unto my Son John Smedley to Isabel Hardie Widowe the some of fifteene pownds of the Like Current English money to the sole use and behoofe of my daughter Mary Clarke to be desposed by her even as shey please so no part parsel therof be geven unto any but her owne Children or Chide Lawfully begotten all waise provided that her Husband in regard he hath Received his porcon (portion] alredy and hath made her no estate shall have nothinge to doe wth it and I geeve and be quethe unto my daughter mary Clarke a peese of Cloth of three yardes and an halfe & I geeve and bequeth unto my daughter Anne Saxelbey the some of two shillinges of Current English money and to evey one of her Children the some of two shillinges of ye like Current English money As for the rest of my goods mooveable and unmoveable I geve and bequeth them unto my wife marie Sinedley Whom I Constitute my Sole executor As for the Houshold goods I bequeth to my son John my Will is that they shall not be Removed duringe the naturali Life of my said Wife and in testimoney that this is my last will and testamennte I have hear unto put my hande the daye and yeare before written my Will is that the Legasies before geven shall be paled wthin one yeare after my decease I geeve and bequeth unto widow Hardie twelve peires of glooves and to my Son John xi j d. This Will was subscribed and published by the said John Smedley in the p[re]sence of Richard Jones and Will[ia]m Boden

The Inventorie of all they goods Chattells of John Smedley of melborne the Countye of Darbey prlsed (appraised] the ferst daye of Maye Ano dni 1634 by Will(ia)m Carter & Robert Ragg

At age 20 Nathaniel married Priscilla . In addition to producing four children before her death in 1705, she was an involved part of her husband’s business as a mercer as shown by his traders token shown below:

These tokens were issued by local business men in the late seventeenth century, when there was great shortage of small coin.¹

The pages are from the Reliquary, reguarded frequently by genealogists as their authority. Genealogy is not on exact science, however we see by the two dates on page 224 for Natheniel's birth.

Nathaniel was 61 and alone when Priscilla died, his three living children grown and married. Four months later he married katherine Blastock Ten years earlier in 1695, Katherine had. been listed on the census among the population of Melbourne Hall, as a servant to Thomas joke, Esq., owner of the Hall and later Vice- Chamberlain to Queen Anne.

In 1706 Nathaniel and Katherine had their only son, Michael Nathaniel appears to be the first Whose will was not made on his death bed, but three years earlier, leaving his entire ‘estate to “my Loveing wife Katherine Smedley Katherine subsequent1y married again and raised another family. Nine years later Michael was married to Mary Holt

We are indebted to Joan Baker for the impressive ore— credentiels for Mary Holt which appear on the next page. Her family has been traced back to the same generation as Robert Smeadlie, much of it in Stanton (“Stone Tower”) by Bridge. The town lay among several active quarries and produced many masons. Simon Holt was said to have been one of sixty masons who worked on what is now Caulke Abbey. His father Goodier Holt had come to Stanton by 1660, possibly from Milton.

Simon was five times a warden at St. Michael and All Angels Church, and his son Theophilus followed in his footsteps, both as mason and church warden. Mary Holt was the third child of Theophilus and the widow, Hannah Barrow. When Hannah died, Theophilus married Mary Meakin and they had ten additional children.

Michael brought is bride to be to Melbourne where they lived and had six children. The last of these was John born in the year of his mother’s death 1741.

To the left is a picture of St Michael and All Angels Church, Stanton by Bridge.

John married Sarah, daughter of John Bucknall and Mary Collier, both of Melbourne (though there may be a generation in between, since John’s death is shown as six years be fore his daughter’s birth).

Times were changing. The Smedleys had been God - fearing Christians, but membership in the Episcopal church was no longer automatic. John 64 and Sarah were Baptists Some of the family moved to Nottingham and some of these joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - Day Saints and eventually moved to America. John Wesley was stirring a religious revival, and later Smedleys took up the Methodist ministry. In the South Pacific Captain Cook was claiming vast areas for the Crown. Smedleys would be involved there too, but a core of the family remained in the Southern Derbyshire / Northern Leicestershire area.

John 64 and some of his family moved, according to a letter from Mrs. Hilda Robson to Retford, Notts, where he was the Baptist minister. This would have teen after 1797, since John and Sarah were shown as members of the Melbourne Baptist Church in 1789 and in 1797. We do not know how or when Sarah happened to die in Ashby de la Zouch

John Smedley 32 was the third child of’ John end Sarah At some time during his long life he invested three shillings in a family Bible, in which he began a family record.

Without explanation the record did not begin with his first - born John, but with his leap year baby Jane, born 29 February 1792. There followed Mary William and Sarah, after which a line was drawn. The Bible makes no mention of the two additional sons. John lived a long, productive life, working as a master tailor at the time of the 1851 census, and employing one maid. He did not return to the Bible, but passed it on to William who used it to record his children.

It is curious that the last two sons were not listed, unless perhaps the entries were made a number of years after the events. Thomas, listed by Judy Wood only with a birth date, may have died soon. Samuel, however, went to Australia where he became a painter and gilder of some prominence well respected in the community, and father of John Smedley, a distinguished Painter and Architect.

But did his father know this? What was known by this Baptist minister father, was that his son was a wanton sheep slayer, given a life sentence and transported to Australia. We are indebted to Howard Usher for the details of the case from the Derby Mercury of the day. It is to Samuel’s credit that he possessed a valuable skill, which in Australia at the time, was sufficient to earn him the absolute pardon he ultimately received in 1838.

Samuel Smedley, aged 22, and John Collier, aged 22, were indicted for wilfully and maliciously killing two ewe sheep, the property of Mr. William Nicklinson, farmer, of Kings Newton. --~ Prosecutor deposed that on Sunday the 2d. December, 1827, he had thirteen in-lamb ewe sheep depasturing in a field on his farm at King's Newton; next morning witness went to look at the sheep and found only eleven of them; on looking about his field he found one of the two missing in one corner with its head cut quite off, and shortly afterwards discovered the other with its head partly cut off, its belly ript open, and the entrails protruding. --- Wm. Dickin, prosecutor's servant, confirmed his master's statement. --- Warrel deposed that on the Sunday evening when the offence was conunitted, and prior thereto, the two prisoners and himself had been drinking together at the New Inn, in Melborne; that they left there about eleven o'clock, and after they had committed some acts of outrage in the neighbourhood of Melborne, Smedley said they must do something to be talked about before they went home; that they proceeded to prosecutor's field, drove the sheep into a corner and caught one of them; then Smedley stripped up his coat sleeve and shirt to the elbow, took out his knife, and while Collier held the sheep he cut off its head. Witness took the head from Smedley and placed it on the body of the sheep. They then caught another, and slaughtered it. Smedley cut its head part off and then ript its belly open and let the inside out, after this they separated and went home.

The Jury found the prisoners guilty and they were ordered to be transported for life. Two other indictments were found against the prisoners for similar acts of barbarous wantonness committed by them the same evening in the neighbourhood of King's Newton, Mr. Scott and Mr. Briggs both had sheep slaughtered.

The following Convicts were sent off from our County Gaol yesterday, to be. delivered on board the Dolphin Hulk at Chatham, until their respective sentences of transportation can be further carried into execution, viz. Samuel Smedley, John Collier, John Shufflebotham and John Hawley, for the term of their natural lives; and James Wildgoose for fourteen years.

The Bible then drops down a generation to the children of William 16 and Mary Cheatle, but we are privileged now to have substantial history for Cheatle, for which we are indebted to Margaret MaCulloch and to Tony Cheatle of Cambridge, England.

Thomas Cheatle earned a small line in history by appearing in the Court Leet records of 11 October 1709 when found guilty with others (including Wido. Tune, Perhaps another Smedley relative) for tethering a cow on the common ground) He was fined five shillings. Of tragic note is the death of his wife and son George, age 27, at the same time and place, about six miles from Ashby towards Leicester, where relatives lived. The cause of death was not shown.

Quite firm rules governed the naming of children, so when Thomas and Elizabeth's first—born, Thomas, died after ten months, the next son was also named Thomas:

Mary Cheatle’s birthdate is confirmed by Bishop's transcript Explaining her late age at marriage, Tony Cheatle in a letter to Margaret McCulloch states (17 Nov 1990):

“is the eldest child she had some responsibility towards her parents. She could not dash off, as did Matilda and marry the first man to come along. she, in fact, waited until she was 35 before marrying William Smedley in 1819, by which time her father was 66 years old and her mother 72. She and William continued to Care for her parents ....‘

Returning to the family Bible now passed on from John 32 to his son William the record resumes with William's children:

The first four children are shown as born at Aston (upon Trent). Later the family moved to Ashby Because of infant mortality, the precise number of births is uncertain, but Joseph appears to be the 11th of 13 born, He became the next custodian of the Bible however, as proclaimed by his bold signature in 1866.

William was resourceful in caring for his large family At various times he is shown as a shoemaker small ware dealer and grocer general dealer His early children were Christened at the 600 year old St. Helen's Church in Ashby but upon his death He was the “Prime Methodist Minister” at Ashby

The family did not hold together. William and Samuel Young went individually to Australia and the family lost touch with them from many years Margaret McCulloch a descendent of Samuel Young Smedley has been diligent in re-establishing communication, however.

Joseph married Annie Buckerfield from established Ashby family though no Buckerfield s currently remain in the area. In 1869 following in his father's foot steps as a grocer and Methodist minister emigrated to United States. He and Annie raised nine children in Philadelphia. Below is a picture of Joseph:

The other three died in infancy. This family stayed close most of them remaining in or near Philadelphia where the Smedley name is not uncommon Annie’s family:

Two of Josephs children did not remain in Philadelphia a Helene married a businessman and maintained house in California and Letchworth, Hertfordshire. John Edgar grew up in Philadelphia and was an outstanding athlete and champion bicyclist; he followed Helene to Letchworth and helped their young business.

Letchworth was a young town, England’s first garden city, and the Spirella Company became its principal employer. Ed remained with the company, married twice and had two children before his early death in 1928.

His second wife, Susie Beaton, was the daughter of a marine stationed at Easteney barracks near Portsmouth Hants Sue went to Letchworth for employment at Spirella were she met Ed.

Elizabeth Tribe had been in domestic service before her marriage and again after Edwards death. In her later years she lived with her younger daughter and husband, Annie and John Hooper, in Portsmouth. She was in poor health for many years before her death.

Ed Sue were much loved in the community and their deaths were a blow to many people as well as to their two children Helene and John. As Annie and John Hooper were not able to take the children, arrangements were made for them to live with

As the Western world prepared for Christmas the two children journeyed to a new world of their own in Beverly Hills California where they were adopted by their Aunt Helene and Uncle Bob.

Helene remained in. J Califiornia where she married a family John attended college in the entered the army and married Georgie Rogers a Baltimore girl. They returned to after World War II where he completed his social work education and they produced four Children.

Before we turn to Georgies impressive pedigree, there are a number of Cousins to consider. Though these pages are specifically limited to the direct line of descent, these are people who have taken an active role in tracing this line and/or who have demonstrated an interest and desire to be included in its scope.

During a visit to Derbyshire in 1997, we met Joan Baker, a committee member of the Ticknall Preservation and Historical Society, who has specialized in researching the Holt family. After providing us with a wealth of information, she mentioned that she was descended from Michael Smedley and Mary Holt through their daughter Mary and Stephen Adcoke, which made us cousins.

Soon after this, we met Sue Webster, a mature student and member of the Derbyshire Family Historical Society, who provided another mine of reference material on Smedleys in Melbourne. She also was a distant cousin, descended from the same Stephen Adcoke.

While John 32 remained in Melbourne Samuel and his off spring moved to Hyson Green and other communities in the Stapleford-Nottingham area. Rhonda Smedley Mawer was born in Basford, Notte and lives now in Breaston, just a few miles back into Derbyshire.

The other branch did not remain. Gilbert Cope, in the Genealogy of the Smedley Family (page 915), states that Samuel Smedley and Eliza Sturton were married in the Baptist chapel in Old Lenton Notts on 20 October 1862. They may be the first of the Smedleys to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter—day Saints. They left, according to Cope, from Great Alfred Street, Nottingham on 20 April 1864 for the long trek ending in Salt Lake City- on 22 September 1864. Their first—born, Henry, was eight months old when they left, and. their second son, James Samuel, was born a month after the completion of the 1040 mile journey by ox—drawn wagon. Most of the family has remained in the Salt Lake City area; Judy Hansen Wood now lives in California with her husband end daughters.

We mentioned earlier how William family scattered, but "shattered" may be a better word. Joseph took his family to America, Sarah married Philip Thompson and their descendant, Hilda Thompson Robson now lives in North Wales But William and Samuel Young took the biggest leap.

Australia was an ancient land, but to the British it was a new discovery. The gold strike in Victoria in 1851 attracted fortune hunters, but the continent was also de scribed as a clumping ground for criminals and undesirables. The first British settlement was in 1788, where Sydney now stands.

Samuel Young appears to have had a conventional youth, and at age 19 he married a Leicester girl, Catherine Ball. Nothing more is known of this marriage. By 1861, William and Samuel Young had both disappeared from the Ashby census and they may have gone together to Australia. Samuel Young had married a second time, to Annette Egen at Indigo Ovens, Victoria, and they had seven children before her death in Wellington NSW in 1873.

A year later Samuel Young married a widow, Emma Gough Barker and they had four children before her death in 1880. His fourth marriage was in Wellington on 13 May 1881 to Sarah Ann Devenish and produced nine children, though the parentage of the last five was clouded by a relationship Sarah Ann had with Frederick Finley. Joshua Henry Smedley was the third of Samuel and Sarah’s children. We are grateful to Margaret Ann Kelly McCulloch for re-establishing contact and providing this colourful history. She and her husband and daughters now live in Speers Point, NSW. (Now moved to Townsville, QLD). One other possible cousin exists in the Derbyshire area and the author was anxious to meet another John Smedley on his visit John Henry Smedley, Jr. was a small, friendly plumbing and heating engineer who emerged from the dark recesses of Melbourne Hall to greet us. Lifetime resident of Ticknall, he was born 3 December 1941, son of John Henry Sr. who died in 1982 and was the son of Thomas Smedley. But this John no longer had the family Bible through which we might have established a connection.

Finally we must mention the eight other children of Joseph Smedley 8 and their progeny whom the author bagered with letters and questionnaires in their younger years. The great—grandchildren of Will Smedley 1859 - 1930 include Joseph Smedley Staples, living with his family in Rosemont, PA, and William Smedley Staples in Flemington, NJ with his family. Will’s grandson, Tom Hyndman, is an attorney living in Philadelphia, whose five children are now grown.

Among the grandchildren of Harry 1863—1934 was Prances Anderson Tuthill 1922—1992, whose four children, Joan, Allen, Ralph and Rob were living in the New York area.

Joe 1871—1917 did not marry but was a much—loved teacher and later principal of what was later named the Joseph Smedley Junior High School at 17th and Upland in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Helene, the daughter of Ed 1877—1928, continues to live in San Diego, CA, her five children, Sue, David, Judy, Tom and John, scattered from Washington State to Washington DC, from Texas to Massachusetts

And finally, Susan and. Mark Ottinger, the grandchildren of Walter 1879—1966 live in the Philadelphia area with their families.

Geneology is an infection that floors some while others remain immune. Our hope is that those Smedleys who have got this far have gained a greater appreciation of who they are and who they belong to. We shall turn next to the Rogers half of the family.

b. Baker, Joan. Committee member of Ticknall Preservation and Historical Society and descendant of Mary Holt and Michael Smedley. Personal interview.

d. Cope Gilbert. Genealogy of the Smedley Family Lancaster, PA, Wickersham, 1901.

e. Green, J. H. A Short History of the English People. New York, McMillan, 1902.

g. Mawer, Rhonda. Breaston genealogist and descendant of Samuel Srnedley and Ami Jackson. Personal interview.

h. Robson, Hilda. Descendant of Sarah Smedley and Philip Thomoson. Correspondence

i. Smedley, John H. Plumbing and Heating Engineer, Ticknall. Personal interview.

j. Scott, W. The Story of Ashby—de—la—Zouche. As’iby—de— la- Zouche, George Brown 1907.

k. Stock, Sandra. Member of St. Michael’s Ciurch, Breaston and. local historian. Personal interview.

l. Usher, Howard. Local historian and author and. Archivist of Melbourne Hall. Personal interviews.

m. Webster Sue. Member of Derby Family History Society and descendant of Mary Smedley and Stephen Adcoke. Personal interview.

n. Judy H. Wood. Smedley genealogist and descendant of John Smedley and. Sarah Bucknall. Personal Correspondence.

NB. The Index below needs to be thoroughly checked – page numbers refer to Jakes Original copy of his book and NOT this edition. Work still to be done.