Person:Rainey Smith (1)

Rainey Smith was baptised on 29th March 1801 at Holdenby in Northamptonshire. She was the daughter of Cain Smith and his wife Trinity. Rainey’s baptism record notes that the family were Gypsies. They travelled around the Northamptonshire area and adjoining counties extensively through Rainey’s childhood, with Rainey’s father being described as a fiddler and basket maker as well as a Gypsy. Rainey’s name was recorded in many different ways, being given as Reiney, Rainey, Meraney, Meriam, Treany and Irene in different records.

On 3rd December 1823, aged 22, Rainey married Daniel Palmer at Glapthorn in Northamptonshire. He was from Glapthorn, and after their marriage Rainey settled in Glapthorn, living there for the rest of her life.

Rainey and Daniel went on to have seven children baptised at Glapthorn between 1825 and 1845. The 1841 census finds Rainey and Daniel living with their children in Glapthorn. Daniel was working as an agricultural labourer. Rainey’s sister Rhoda and her family were listed in the same house.

Rainey’s mother died in 1851 in a Gypsy tent on the road between Casterton and Ryhall in Rutland.

The census taken later that year lists Rainey, Daniel and their children at a house in Glapthorn called “Washpit House”.

Rainey’s father died in 1856 at the Stamford Union Workhouse.

Rainey died in 1860, aged 59. She was buried at Glapthorn on 30th July 1860. Daniel survived her by sixteen years.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of Holdenby (Northamptonshire). Parish registers, 1754-1965. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office, 1994?).

   Anno Domini 1801
   Reiney the Daughter of Cainey Smith a Gipsy & Trenit his Wife was Baptized March the 29th

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 812; Book 7; Folio 5; Page 5, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Daniel Palmer, male, 40 [1796-1801], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], born in county
   Meraney Palmer, female, 40 [1796-1801], born in county
   John Palmer, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Sussanah [sic] Palmer, female, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Mary Palmer, female, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   Jane Palmer, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   ~
   John Ward, male, 30 [1806-11], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], born in county
   ~
   Robert Smith, male, 30 [1806-11], Ag[ricultural] lab[ourer], born in county
   Rhoda Smith, female, 30 [1806-11], born in county
   Tho[ma]s Smith, male, 12 [1828/9], born in county
   Trinity Smith, female, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Joseph Smith, male, 7 [1833/4], born in county
   Mary Smith, female, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   Vashti Smith, female, 2 [1838/9], born in county
   Rob[er]t Smith, male, 1 [1839/40], born in county
   ~
   N.K. Palmer, female, 1 week [1841], born in county

   These 16 people appear to be all in the one house (separated by double dashes and with a “1” to indicate an inhabited house) but subdivided into four households, indicated by the single dashes - here represented as “~”.

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1746; Folio 481; Page 8, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Washpit House [listed between Crown Cottage and Upper Street], Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Daniel Palmer, head, married, male, 51 [1799/1800], Agr[icultural] Labourer, b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Meriam Palmer, wife, married, female, 51 [1799/1800], b. Holdenby, Northamptonshire
   Louisa Palmer, daughter, unmarried, female, 21 [1829/30], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Mary Palmer, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1832/3], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Jane Palmer, daughter, unmarried, female, 14 [1836/7], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Charles Henry Palmer, son, male, 9 [1841/2], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire
   Isabella Palmer, daughter, female, 5 [1845/6], b. Glapthorn, Northamptonshire

4.   Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Treany PALMER (updated index gives surname as Palmei), September Quarter 1860, Oundle Registration District, Volume 3b, page 111, aged 61 [1798/9]

5. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Glapthorn Parish Registers, 1538-1957. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Glapthorne in the County of Northampton in the Year 1860
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   346	Irene Palmer	Glapthorne	July 30	61 [1798/9]	W. Watson, Vicar