Arthur Bright-Smith Jr. (1891 - 1967)

Born 1 Feb 1891 in London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Heather Muriel (Roche) Bright-Smith — married 1917 in Brighton, Sussex, England

Died 29 Dec 1967 at age 76 in Lewes, Sussex, England

Biography

Arthur Bright-Smith was born on 1 February 1891, his birth being registered at Kensington, London in the 1st quarter of that year^[1]. He was the only son of Arthur Smith and Beatrice Dalrymple.

Gentlewoman 07 February 1891, page 46:

BRIGHT-SMITH.—On the 1st inst., the wife of Capt. Arthur W. Bright-Smith, 3rd Hussars, of a son.^[2]

He was baptised on 4 March 1891 at St Jude, South Kensington, Kensington and Chelsea, England.

In the 1891 England Census Arthur Brightsmith (2 months) was living with his father Arthur A W B Brightsmith (38), his mother Beatrice E Brightsmith (26) and his two siblings Beatrice Brightsmith (4) and Sybil Brightsmith (2) at Church Walk, Broadwater, Sussex, England. Also in the household were servants Alice Oates (30), Sarah Broadley (22), Martha Oates (19) and Florence L Jordan (14).

His mother Beatrice died on 7 June 1892. His father remarried.

In the 1901 England Census Arthur B Smith (aged 10 and a pupil) was recorded as a Boarder at Sangeen School, Derby Road, Bournemouth.

On 26 September 1917 he married Heather Muriel Roche (the daughter of Lt. Col. Eugenius Alfred Roche) at St. Anne's Church, Brighton, Sussex, after Banns^[3]. Arthur was a 26 year old Lieutenant with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (R.N.V.R.), of 24 Bloomsbury Place; Heather was a 24 year old spinster of 2 Percival Terrace.

The following was published on page 11 of the Army and Navy Gazette dated 13 October 1917:

Lieutenant Arthur Bright-Smith, R.N.V.R., and Heather Muriel Roche, elder daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. Roche, 2, Percival Terrace, Brighton, and Ardeer, Stevenson, Ayrshire, were married on Sept. 26, at St. Anne's Church, Brighton. Lieutenant Bright-Smith is the son of Major A. A. W. B. Bright-Smith of 2, Chesham Place, Brighton.^[4]

Children (if any) unknown.

On 21 March 1919 he was initiated into the Royal Clarence Lodge (Freemasons) at Brighton, Sussex.

His father Arthur died on 16 November 1934 at age 81.

In the 1939 England and Wales Register Arthur Bright-Smith was living with his wife Dorothy M (Heather) Bright-Smith (b. 19 Jun 1893) at 156 Broyle Road, Chichester, Chichester M.B., Sussex, England. Also in the household was Dorothy C Solomon (b. 8 Oct 1892).

Occupation: Sales Representative Po Telephone

Arthur was living at 2 The Close, Hassocks when he passed away on 29 December 1967^[5] and was buried at Hurstpierpoint South Avenue Cemetery, Hurstpierpoint, Mid Sussex District, West Sussex, England^[6].

Inscription:

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

MY DEAR HUSBAND

ARTHUR BRIGHT-SMITH

WHO DIED 29TH DECEMBER 1967

AGED 73 YEARS

Administration of his Will was granted on 29 March 1968 at Winchester. Effects: £24,857

Sources

1. ↑ "England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2XBK-2KV : accessed 7 March 2016), Arthur Bright-Smith, 1891; from "England & Wales Births, 1837-2006,"
2. ↑ Gentlewoman 07 February 1891, page 46, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/ (requires subscription).
3. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:26NS-7MJ : accessed 7 March 2016), Arthur Bright-Smith and null, 1917; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,”
4. ↑ Army and Navy Gazette 13 October 1917, page 11, https://search.findmypast.co.uk/ (requires subscription).
5. ↑ "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCP-SY27 : 1 November 2021), Arthur Bright-Smith, 1968.
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/65753852/arthur-bright-smith: accessed 23 August 2022), memorial page for Arthur Bright-Smith (unknown–26 Dec 1967), Find A Grave: Memorial #65753852, citing Hurstpierpoint South Avenue Cemetery, Hurstpierpoint, Mid Sussex District, West Sussex, England; Maintained by Wertypop (contributor 46806984)

• http://ghgraham.org/arthurbrightsmith1852.html

• "Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HLR-6KT : 23 February 2021), Arthur Bright-Smith, Jul 1912; citing Immigration, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, T-4789, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

• "Canada Passenger Lists, 1881-1922," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HG4-1WN : 23 February 2021), Arthur Bright Smith, May 1914; citing Immigration, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, T-4808, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

See also:

• "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:4DVJ-53Z : 22 February 2021), Arthur Brightsmith in household of Arthur A W B Brightsmith, Broadwater, Sussex, England, United Kingdom; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Sussex county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSF7-RB8 : 20 May 2019), Arthur B Smith, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Bournemouth subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.