Looking for details on James Smith-43881 English parents.

Question

James Smith-43881 was born 1804 in Chepstow, Monmouthshire, Wales. I have a copy of birth crt stating parents are Wiliam Smith-43888 and Elizabeth Smith-43902 (both DOB for William and Elizabeth are a guess).

James was sent to Australia on the ISABELLA as convict 22 NOV 1831

Arrrived in Sydney 13 FEB 1832

Married Jane Hancock 30 Jun 1836

Died 15 April 1878

 

Answer 1

Glenn, Some of the following conflicts with info you have but may be worth a look anyway. The "Forest of Dean" is on the border between England and Wales and includes Chepstow, Gloucester and Monmouth. The "Forest of Dean Family History Trust" is at < http://www.forest-of-dean.net/ > and, to search the Parish Records, you need to register, (simple, quick and free). My quick search for James Smith shows 16 baptisms between 1799 and 1809 with only one whose parents were William and Elizabeth - that James was baptised January 15, 1807 in Churcham Parish. Marriage searches reveal a marriage between William Smith and Elizabeth Lawrence on July 5, 1802 in Gloucester St.Nicholas and there are records of baptisms for both William Smith and Elizabeth Lawrence in 1778 in Monmouth. Even if these are not your family, Forest of Dean is worth remembering for future searches of Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire records

Comments

OMG Peter you are an absolute legend and then some. I have James Baptism cert and he was Bap on 16 Sep 1804. It tells me his parents are William and Elizabeth but that is where I was stuck. A huge thank you kind assistance. :) :) :)

---

How can you be sure you have his baptism certificate?  I would interested to speak with you.

Answer 2

Hi: Some convict  records are on file  at the :West Sydney Records Centre.

     NSW State Centre P.O. Box 516 Kingswood 2747 New South Wales.

     E-mail : info.@recordsnsw.gov.au

     Hopefully his parents will be listed on the document....Hope

     this info will help...Marie

Answer 3

Actually he was born in Chipstable, Somerset and baptised on 12 Jan 1805 at All Saints Chipstable.  His father was William Smith (1771-1841) and his mother was Elizabeth Clements (1765-1842).  His sister Ann (1808-1898) was also a convict, transported on "Roslyn Castle" 1830. She married Peter Durham in 1830 and had a daughter who died young. James Smith my gtgtgrandfather and Jane Hancock had 11 children and about 100 grandchildren when they died. James had 2 other brothers and another sister who remained in Somerset and had descendants. One of James nephews emigrated to Canada and had a large family by two wives.  I have proved DNA connections to many in Canada, USA and England that proves connections to James' father and also back to his grandfather Henry Smith in Chipstable, Somerset. The reference to Chepstow is obviously a transcription error in his convict records.  I can trace the Smith clan in Wiveliscombe and Chipstable back into the 1600s.