General Chat

Kitty, it looks like (from your PM's) that you have found just that person. An e-mail has been sent and if successful will have me bounding around the room like a kangaroo (as much as a 48 year old kangaroo caqn actually bounce).

I have this feeling we are on the verge of success and if so I will ensure I mention all of this to the Maldon & Burnham Standard and make sure they know the final link came from this site.

It's so wonderful to find such nice people.

Nudge for evening crew

Keeping everything crossed for you to find someone to claim him as their own.

That's what this site is all about.

xx

The Standard posted a follow up on Friday 6th July.

Link here: http://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/search/display.var.1527685.0.200_more_needed_for_memorial_to_pt_smith.php

Judith. I've now corrected all errors and omissions (to the best of my knowledge) from my original post. So we can gloss over all of that. Except to say that - there is no such paper as the Maldon Standard either. It is the "Maldon and Burnham Standard" (:D) The item appeared on Wednesday 20th June, page 10, and took up over half the page with the headline "Battle To Honour Soldier's Memory".

Thie information we have on him came from his death certificate and MIC (that's "medal index card" for the person who suggested we try and find it). We also have the reference in the 1916 Rebellion Handbook and eyewitness accounts held at Trinity College Dublin although they are to do with his demise rather than where he came from.

It's nice to find someone who finally acknowledges that Heybridge exists. As previously stated, we could not find it on Google Earth and Gill Mariner from the Standard had never heard of it. You must bear in mind that we of the frozen north are trusting people in the affluent south to give us the correct information and can only quote what we have been told.

We know for a fact that he was born in Heybridge, enlisted in Colchester and died in Dublin. The lcoal history society in Maldon has not come up with anything else other than a tree exists in the Avenue of Remembrance with a brass plaque thereon, in memory of AC Smith. No other info has been given.

If you are able and willing to shed any further light on siblings, or any of his (or his family's) descendants. We would be very grateful.

It would be just lovely to find someone who has his picture and perhaps his possesions. Something to let us paint a picture of the man. What was he like, why was he in Dublin when the regiment was in Flanders - had he been wounded? Was he just on a lucky posting?

So many questions to ask. Of course, any living relatives may also wish to join us in Dublin on 17th November.

OK Glyn - I ll have a look for his service records at National Archives. I just hope they've survived!

You said I found Heybridge Industrial Estate on Google Earth so I reckoned it must have been swallowed up by Maldon. The girl on the Gazette though had never heard of it and she was with the paper for 40 years (and has just retired).!!!!!!!!
There is no "Maldon Gazette" newspaper, though there IS an Evening Gazette which covers the Maldon area as well as Colchester. The more local Maldon paper is a weekly called the Maldon Standard. I can assure you that reporters on both the Gazette and the Standard know all about Heybridge which is a parish in its own right, population about 8000, next to Maldon, complete with Parish council, Parish church, primary school, shopping centre and industrial estate. Happenings within Heybridge are regularly reported in both papers and businesses, including those on the industrial estate advertise there -indeed I remember seeing the request for help in finding this man.

Did the "of Heybridge" reference come from his service papers" I guess that could just mean he was living here (yes HERE - I live in Heybridge!) when he enlisted. I see that there was a birth of the right name registered in the Maldon district in 1881 but he is probably the one shown as born in Purleigh, living in Mundon (villages a few miles away on the other side of Maldon) on the 1891 census.

Its possible - but I dont think my father saw much action whilst he was over there. He is one of the soldiers in a famous newsreel showing the British marching out of Dublin Castle - he used to be able to point himself out to me in the movie!

I was a bit horrified to find out that my maternal great-uncle served in Ireland in 1916, because my paternal ancestors were Irish... I hope they didn't end up fighting against one another.

Hi Gyn (and Hi Susan!)
I was very interested to read your posts as my grandfather was a Sgt Major in the 4th Hussars, and my father served in Ireland after the uprising until independance.
xxx Mick

You could also try downloading his medal card from the National Archives: they have very little information, but they do give the service number, the places where they served, and (if I remember rightly) the date of death:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/medals.asp

Just so you can rule him out, I found Private 12598 Arthur Charles Smith from 77 Mount Pleasant, Halstead, Essex, among the pension records on Ancestry. He was 38 when he joined up in 1914, married, with children Ivy Lily, Hilda Florence (deceased) and Arthur Charles, and was still alive at the end of the war.

Try asking on the 1914-18 forums - they're very knowledgeable, and may be able to find something in miitary records for you.

http://www.1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/

Susan, It's definitley Arthur Charles Smith - so it can't be AF Smith.

Anne, if you are going to the National Records Office and are able to get our man's records and copy them I would be grateful and would certainly cover any costs you have in doing so.

The rest of you, thanks ever so much for generating this information. Although a lot of it doesn't fit now, it may do later.

Some potential possibilities have loads of results I am afraid. You really need the 1911 census results to see if he was married.

Sorry can be of no further use to you. Hope all goes well and that you do indeed find someone out there who is descended from Arthur Charles Smith.

Good luck

Jane

Some of these are born post 1916 although not unheard of! This is for the marriageArthur Charles Smith 1903 Oct-Nov-Dec Rochford Essex

Births 1866-1920 : smith Records 1 - 5 of 5



Name Mother's Maiden Name District Page Quarter Year View Image Add Comment View Comment
SMITH Arthur Baker Rochford.4a 1386 2 1915
SMITH Aubrey J Baker Rochford.4a 1231 4 1916
SMITH Betty B Baker Rochford.4a 1510 3 1920
SMITH Doris E Baker Rochford.4a 1325 4 1912
SMITH Phyllis A Baker Rochford.4a 1357 1 1915



Records 1 - 5 of 5

And these if he married the Playle woman

Name Mother's Maiden Name District Page Quarter Year View Image Add Comment View Comment
SMITH Edith F E Playle Maldon.4a 982 3 1918
SMITH Ernest W Playle Maldon.4a 1482 3 1912

This one is not so easy as my geography is up the spout!! This is for Arthur Charles Smith 1903 Jul-Aug-Sep Romford Essex

These obviously will not help if all their children were pre 1911

Name Mother's Maiden Name District Page Quarter Year View Image Add Comment View Comment
SMITH Ada R Norris Kensington.1a 226 4 1916
SMITH Albert G Norris Christchurch.2b 1119 3 1916
SMITH Alfred K Norris Wareham.5a 428 4 1915
SMITH Annie D Norris Burton upon Trent.6b 620 4 1916
SMITH Beartice N Norris Wareham.5a 490 2 1914
SMITH Bessie Norris Bolton.8c 476 1 1918
SMITH Charles W Norris Melksham.5a 203 3 1913
SMITH Doris M J Norris Paddington.1a 32 4 1917
SMITH Dorothy M M Norris Wareham.5a 492 1 1913
SMITH Douglas G Norris Holborn.1b 1183 3 1920
SMITH Edward F Norris Bristol.6a 213 2 1915
SMITH Flornece M Norris Christchurch.2b
1191 1 1914
SMITH Frances C B Norris Bethnal Green.1c 189 4 1915
SMITH Frank N Norris Totnes.5b 229 1 1913
SMITH Frederick M Norris Cheltenham.6a 801 3 1911
SMITH George D P Norris Brentford.3a 335 1 1917
SMITH George R Norris Faversham.2a 1520 2 1918
SMITH Harry A Norris Bethnal Green.1c 268 4 1911
SMITH Henry R Norris Hambledon.2a 123 1 1920
SMITH Hilda D Norris Warwick.6d 1867 2 1920


SMITH Isabella A Norris West Ham.4a 742 4 1911
SMITH Joan W H Norris Holborn.1b 756 1 1918
SMITH John Norris Bristol.6a 212 2 1917
SMITH John L Norris Halifax.9a 760 2 1914
SMITH Joyce E Norris Milton.2a 1954 2 1914
SMITH Leslie H D Norris Paddington.1a 38 4 1915
SMITH Leslie J Norris Holborn.1b 1016 2 1916
SMITH Margaret Norris Stockport.8a 94 3 1918
SMITH Margaret I Norris Totnes.5b 211 3 1916
SMITH Marjorie I Norris Walsall.6b 1461 4 1912
SMITH Mary F Norris Halifax.9a 756 4 1911
SMITH Monica M Norris Wareham.5a 358 2 1919
SMITH Norman P Norris Swindon.5a 46 1 1916
SMITH Norris Norris Halifax.9a 760 3 1914
SMITH Patricia S Norris West Derby.8b 735a 3 1912
SMITH Rosa M Norris Christchurch.2b 1222 3 1912
SMITH Ruby Norris Totnes.5b 319 1 1920
SMITH Violet H Norris Aston.6d 1155 3 1913
SMITH Walter J Norris Bethnal Green.1c 121 1 1919
SMITH William Norris Stockport.8a 186 2 1913
SMITH William G C Norris Paddington.1a 66 2 1913
SMITH William J Norris Hambledon.2a 300 2 1915
SMITH Zena A Norris Alton.2c 332 4 1912

Possible children for the marriage of Arthur Charles Smith 1902 Oct-Nov-Dec Braintree Essex

SMITH Beartice M Gepp Halstead.4a 1631 2 1914
SMITH Jack H Gepp Halstead.4a 1541 3 1916

Will check others out

BW

Jane

n

for Glyn

Hi Glyn,

the Arthur F Smith in Heybridge 1901 are we going by this one? or the one born in 1881 getting a bit confused lol

if so
1901 census
Name: Arthur F Smith
Age: 16
Estimated birth year: abt 1885
Relation: Son
Father's name: William
Mother's name: Emma
Gender: Male
Where born: Maldon, Essex, England

Civil parish: Heybridge
Ecclesiastical parish: Heybridge St Andrew
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Registration district: Maldon
Sub-registration district: Tollesbury
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Household schedule number: 129
Household Members: Name Age
Sophia Choppen 88 Mother in law
Arthur F Smith 16 son
Emma Smith 50 Wife
William Smith 49 Head

Glyn, Heybridge is still on the map, their is a cemetery and Heybridge Hall showing

go to multimap http://www.multimap.com/map/home.cgi
put Maldon in the search box
and then select the 1:25,000 scale

There are only these Marriages in the Essex area

Arthur Charles Smith 1900 Oct-Nov-Dec Braintree Essex

Arthur Charles Smith 1902 Oct-Nov-Dec Braintree Essex

Arthur Charles Smith 1903 Jul-Aug-Sep Romford Essex

Arthur Charles Smith 1903 Oct-Nov-Dec Rochford Essex

Roy