Nat Gould

John Smith 1835-1912

John Smith was born in 1835 at Blore in Staffordshire, the son of Thomas Smith 1799-1855 of Blore Hall and his wife nee Elizabeth Carrington 1809-1873. His father was born at Mayfield in Staffordshire in 1798, and by 1851 was farming 700 acres at nearby Blore Hall, employing a governess and ten workers including two indoor female servants and two male farm labourers. With them also in 1851 was his widowed mother-in-law Elizabeth Carrington nee Shaw 1764-1852 (born at Eaton in Derbyshire). His mother was born in 1803 at Croxden in Staffordshire.

By 1861 John Smith was farming 146 acres at The Spond, Alton in Staffordshire. When the Census was taken in that year his mother was visiting him.

He married Margaret Wood on 11 May 1864 at the parish church of Grendon near Atherstone in Warwickshire, and they had six children. She was born at Grendon in 1842, the daughter of Thomas Wood, farmer.

They had the following children, all born at Alton::

Thomas Smith. He was born in 1866.

Catherine E Smith. She was born in 1868.

Mary Jane Smith. She was born in 1870.

William H Smith. He was born in 1872. By 1891 he was an apprentice chemist and druggist.

Gertrude Margaret Smith 1873-1953. She was born at Alton in 1873. In 1904 she was married to Harry Yates 1859-1941. In 1901 she had been visiting Percy Yates at 2 Heath Villas in Didsbury and his wife Edith, who were to become her in-laws three years later when she was married to Harry Yates, brother of Percy Yates (1).

Ellen Frances Smith. She was born in 1876. She was married to Charles Ball in 1905, and they had a daughter Gertrude Margaret Ball born in 1906. In 1911 they were living at The Spond in Alton, where Charles Ball was farm manager.

Their father John Smith died in 1912 aged 77 years.

His widow died in 1914 aged 72 years.

(1) The sister of John Smith was Mary Jane Smith 1845-1883, the wife of Frank Wright 1842-1913 uncle of Nat Gould.