Nat Gould

Francis Richard Greensmith 1816-1888

Frances Richard Greensmith was born at Thorpe in Derbyshire on 22 April 1816, the son of Thomas Greensmith 1785-1876 and Thomasin his wife nee Thomasin Goodwin Gould 1787-1853. He was baptised on 23 April 1816 at Thorpe.

He was a farmer of 150 acres in Thorpe employing four men. In 1847 he married Anne Long at Lichfield, Staffordshire. She was born at Thurvaston in Derbyshire. They had the following children:

Thomas William Greensmith. He was born on 9 November 1848 in Thorpe. In 1891 he was an unmarried servant living in Hartington. He died in 1920 aged 72 years.

Ann Eliza Greensmith. She was born on 15 November 1849 in Thorpe. In 1883 she was married to Robert Gray at Thorpe.

Frank Richard Greensmith was born on 9 November 1852 in Thorpe. In 1901 he was unmarried and boarding at the home of William Smith in Tissington. He died in 1903 aged 50 years.

Arthur Ralph Greensmith. He was born on 19 July 1854. In 1891 he was a carter, unmarried and living in lodgings in Thorpe near his brother Goodwin Greensmith. He died in 1933 aged 79 years.

Owen John Greensmith. He was born in 1856. He was a bank clerk living in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. In 1887 he married Hannah Cotton at Burton-on-Trent. She was born at Stretton in Staffordshire. They had a son and two daughters. Owen John Greensmith died in 1940 aged 84 years.

Goodwin Greensmith. He was born in 1857 in Thorpe. In 1886 he married Bertha Greaves Poyzer in Liverpool. She was born in Ashbourne in 1866. They had two daughters, both born in Thorpe, Florence Beatrice Greensmith born in 1887 and Dorothy B. Greensmith born in 1888. He was a farmer in Thorpe in 1891, but by 1911 he was a traveller in the coal and grain trade living in lodgings in Ashbourne. He died in Bristol in 1923 aged 65 years.

He was elected a member of the Bakewell Farmers' Club at a meeting held at the Rutland Arms in Bakewell on 6 October 1858. His cousin Richard Goodwin Gould was also elected a member at that meeting (1).

On 24 December 1875 Francis Richard Greensmith sold (together with Sarah Gibbs of Alstonefield in Staffordshire spinster, Samuel Needham of Rushop in Chapel-en-le-Frith parish gentleman, and John Wise of Ashbourne gentleman) a cowgate and five sheepgates in Thorpe Upper Pasture and a sheepgate on Thorpe Cloud to William Allsebrook of Burton-on-Trent, botanist for £150 to himself and £100 paid to Needham and Wise (2); and on 25 March 1879 he sold five beastgates and 25 sheepgates on Thorpe Upper and Lower Pastures to Sir William FitzHerbert for £600 (3).

Francis Richard Greensmith died on 7 December 1888. His wife had predeceased him on 21 September 1873 aged 55 years (4). They were buried at Thorpe, where there is a memorial gravestone.

(1) Derby Mercury 13 October 1858.
(2) Derbyshire Record Office : FitzHerbert of Tissington D239 M/T 767 1875.
(3) Derbyshire Record Office : FitzHerbert of Tissington D239 M/T 1-D239 M/T 1848.
(4) Derbyshire Times and Chesterfield Herald 27 September 1873.