Born about 1789 in Chelsea, Middlesex, England

Died 2 Jun 1872 in High Street, Godalming, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Biography

Louisa Ann was born in about 1789 in Chelsea.

Louisa married Robert M. Smith, who was (or became) a Captain in the Royal Artillery.

Their daughter Hester Smith was born in about 1810 in St Kitts, West Indies.

By 1861, Louisa was widowed and living in Godalming with Hester and their friend Juliana Elizabeth Louisa Panchard. Hester and Juliana were running a Berlin repository together, with Louisa assisting. This was "a shop-cum-warehouse selling Berlin wool work which was cheap machine-made tapestry pictures or patterns in woollen cloth, used to make chair covers, fire screens, etc. It also supplied kits to make them for yourself."^[1]

By 1871, the shop was described as a "fancy repository". Such shops sometimes also sold Berlin work, so it may not have represented a complete change of approach. A Fancy Repository in Wales advertised itself as selling "watches, clocks, silver plate, jewellery, china, glass, lamps, cabinet goos, papier machie ditto, electro plate, superb Bohemian glass ornaments, jet goods in endless variety, and every description of fancy articles suitable for presents".^[2] This conveys the general idea.

Louisa died on 2 Jun 1872, aged 83, at her home in Godalming High Street. She was buried on 8 Jun 1872 in Nightingale Cemetery, Godalming, in the consecrated section.

Research Notes

Memorial Inscription

  In

  Affectionate Remembrance of

  Mrs. Louisa Ann Smith

  Widow of

  Captain Robert M. Smith

  of the Royal Engineers

  who entered into rest

  June 2nd 1872

  Aged 83

  -+-

  She is not dead but sleepeth.

  -+-

  Hester Smith

  Daughter of the above

  Died August 26th 1885

  Aged 75 years.

I found only two possible references to Captain Robert Smith in the Royal Engineers, but it doesn't seem possible that the two can refer to the same man. A Captain Robert Smith, Assistant RE drew a sketch map of the Bay of Lough Swilly dated January 1803;^[3] and a First Lieutenant Robert Smith was promoted to Second Captain in the Royal Engineers on 23 Nov 1807.^[4]

No probate record found for Louisa on FindAWill, 1872-3.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.architecture.com/image-library/ribapix/image-information/poster/designs-for-a-shop-front-for-garlands-berlin-repository-exterior-and-interior-details/posterid/RIBA82586.html
2. ↑ https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3100671
3. ↑ https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4561370
4. ↑ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16090/page/1580

• Memorial Inscription (see photo)

• Burial http://www.godalming-jbc.gov.uk/uploads/CombinedEashingNightingaleSurnameOrder(Updated%20Dec%202013)-web%20ready.pdf

• "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2MG-TB14 : 22 April 2019), J L E Buchard in household of Louisa Smith, Godalming, Surrey, England, United Kingdom; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

• "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRNF-HJJ : 29 September 2019), Hester Smith, 1871.

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