The Challenge of the SMITH Surname

I guess that everyone has a SMITH somewhere in their family tree, but my maiden name was SMITH, so I have a major stake in the game of SMITH. 

My SMITH family are from Scotland, and of course it is the most common name in Scotland.(1)

Alexander Dunn SMITH was born in Barrachan, Mochrum, Wigtownshire, to Francis SMITH and Agnes YOUNG.(2) He married Helen TURNER (3), and they emigrated to Australia in 1853. (4)

My challenge is definitely his parents. The Kirk Session records for Mochrum are sketchy, and although I have found records of Alexander's older siblings being born in the same place, there is no record of the marriage of Francis SMITH and Agnes YOUNG, and no records of their births/baptisms or deaths/burials. 

These are their children:

• Mary born 17 October 1809 at Barrachan
• Jane born 7 May 1811 at Barrachan
• Agnes born 20 December 1813 at Barrachan
• James born 15 November 1815 at Barrachan
• Sarah Cherrie born 10 May 1818 at Barrachan
• Robert born 15 May 1820 at Barrachan, and
• Alexander Dun(n) born 3 Oct 1823 at Barrachan.

Apart from the records of the births/baptisms of these children, the first record I can find for Francis SMITH is 14 Sep 1822 when he received 6 shillings distributed from the Poor money by the Kirk. (5) He was a weaver, and I conclude that he was 'of' the Parish as he was receiving this poor relief. He regularly received money from the Kirk until 20 Mar 1824. So far I've not discovered any record of his death, but it must have happened between that date and 26 June 1824, when Agnes YOUNG starts receiving money from the Kirk. Agnes 'seems' to be in the 1841 census, 53 years, living at Barrachan Farm along with Agnes McKOMIR (10 years) and Agnes BROWN (85 years).(6)

So, I wait patiently to see if my challenge of poor people called SMITH, in a place with no records can ever be overcome. I'm more than happy to receive suggestions.

(1) Scottish surnames - Wikipedia

(2) Results for Alexander Smith | Scotland's People - , "National Records of Scotland", [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople] Index for ALEXANDER DUNN SMITH, Parents: FRANCIS SMITH and AGNES YOUNG, Gender: M, Birth Date: 3 October 1823, Parish #: 892, Parish: Mochrum, Ref: 20///9; accessed: 31 January 2025

(3) Results for Alexander Smith | Scotland's People - , "National Records of Scotland", [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople] Index for ALEXANDER SMITH and ELLEN TURNER, Date: 4 December 1843, Parish #: 892, Parish: Mochrum, Ref: 20///211; accessed: 31 January 2025

(4) Queensland State Archives, Microfilm of passenger list "Agricola: arriving Moreton Bay 26 Feb 1853

(5) Mocrum kirk session Minutes (1826-1847), Poors' accounts (1794-1834), CH2/269/1, CH000200269-00001-00001-.jpg

(6) Results for Agnes Young | Scotland's People, "National Records of Scotland", [https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ ScotlandsPeople], 1841 Census Index: AGNES YOUNG, Gender: F, Age at Census: 53; Ref: 892/ 7/ 7, Registration District: Mochrum; accessed: 31 January 2025

Overlooked

If there is a side of my research that is overlooked, it is probably on my mother-in-law's side. This is really a terrible shame and I should definitely put a greater focus on these people:

William WALSH and Betty KAY married 5 Nov 1799 at St Mary the Virgin, Blackburn, Lancashire, England

Ann RILEY born 1812 at Houghton Tower, Lancashire, England, (married William WALSH 1829)

Ellen HAWORTH born 1760 at Blackburn, Lancashire, England, (married Richard THORNLEY 1797)

Elizabeth BONE married Noah CASLEY 6 Feb 1796 St Just in Penwith, Cornwall

John IRELAND married Sarah PHIPPS 5 Nov 1791 Little Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, England

William PETERS married Hannah WILKINSON 13 Oct 1824 Royston, Cambridgeshire, England

William WILLIAMS married Mary Ann VOWDEN 21 Jul 1831 Veryan, Cornwall, England

Do any of these appear in your tree? I'd love to hear from you.

Image courtesy Roses free rose clipart public domain flower clip art images and 5 – Clipartix

January 17 is A Special Day!

It's a bit of an anniversary day for me today:
- birthday of my maternal grandmother - Charlotte Sophie Margaret Anderson (nee Drover), known as Queenie, born 17 Jan 1902 - died 7 Sep 1986 (the first photo);
- birthday of my paternal grandmother (who I never knew) - Doris Hamilton Bray, born 17 Jan 1916 - died 8 Apr 1969 (the second photo with her second husband); and
- the anniversary of when came to live in Rockhampton in 1996.

Charlotte Sophie Margaret ANDERSON (nee DROVER) - "Queenie"

Doris Hamilton OLSON (nee BRAY)

Nickname

Nicknames are interesting, and in my family history software Family Historian there is a place to record it. I choose not to use this field for recording what we would ordinarily think of as a nickname, but the name that a person is known by, so, I am Christine, but go by Chris, and that is what I record in the Nickname field, even though there 'is' a field for Given Name Used (perhaps one day I'll change it).

In some cases, such as for my German ancestors, they were given a Baptismal first name, (so all the sons in the family 'may' be known as Joseph), but they went by their middle name, and that is also what I record as a nickname.

Some, like mine are understandable: Alf for Alfred, Alan for William Alan, Jack for John, Jim for James, Harry for Henry, Peggy for Margaret, Bob for Robert, Ted for Edward, Tom for Thomas, Tony for Anthony, and Will or Bill for William.

Others are unfathomable: Aileen for Martha Henrietta, Angarrak for John, Angus for Robert, Belita for Elizabeth Anne, Biddy for Rosemary, Bro for George Ambrose, Buck for William, Bud for George Albert, Bunny for Alfred Baird, Cherry seemed to be used for Margaret Agnes, Alice May and Charity, Cobber is a very Australian sounding one used for Allen Robert, the Curlew Kid, Curly for Kenneth, Daisy for Sarah, Dolly for Dorothy is understandable, but also for Mary Evelena, Margaret, Olive Grace and Doris,  Erik for James, Foye for Hettie, Lovey for Florence Emma, Milly for Ida Mary and Malvina, Mousie for Blanch Virginia, Pee for Patience, Polly for Mary Ann, Mary Helen, Pauline Rosemary, & Frances Amy, Pudge for Charles Arthur, Tex for Harry, Tinnie for Lucinda (use for all the Lucinda's in a particular banch), Vera for Shirley Mae, and Wizzard for William Albert.

My own son has been known as Sox by his mates, but everyone else calls him Marc. I guess the best thing is to record what I know (with sources), and leave it up to the reader to make their own decisions on the name.

Favourite Photo

One of my favourite photos is one that I have written about before My Favourite Family Photo, not only because I believe it is one of the oldest photos I own, but because it is an Ambrotype.

Honestly, it's very hard to choose a favourite among the 1000's of photos I have. Some are prints, some slides and many digital. One of my goals is to ensure that all my printed photos are digitised for preservation purposes. 

In fact, any family photo is a favourite. 

This is a list of ancestors for whom I have no photo, and would love to come across one:

• Alexander Dunn SMITH (1823-1877)
• Helen SMITH (nee TURNER) (1816-1903)
• Philip WEINHEIMER (1827-1895)
• Clara WEINHEIMER (nee WEIBLER) (1840-1879)
• Thomas BRAY (1845-1915)
• Susan BRAY (nee HAMPTON) (c1845-1926)
• Sidney ANDERSON (1813-1877)
• Jane ANDERSON (nee ADAMS) (1813-1871)
• Elizabeth ANDERSON (nee PARKER) (1841-1880)
• John HIBELL (c1826-1915)
• Ann HIBELL (nee LLOYD) (c1829-1896)
• James DROVER (1829-1887)
• Catherine DROVER (nee RODGER) (1819-1883)

So, my current favourite photo is one of the most recent of my grandchildren, who are holidaying in Australia.