Person:Samuel Smith (334)

Samuel Smith was born on 20th June 1791 at Stotfold in Bedfordshire. He was not baptised as an infant. Instead, he was baptised in 1806, when he was 14 years old. He was baptised at the same time as a 17 year old Richard Smith, who may well have been a brother, but unfortunately the baptism entry does not record the names of the parents for either Samuel or Richard.

When Samuel was 23 years old, he married Ann Moles. She was originally from Stotfold too, but had moved to the neighbouring parish of Norton before their marriage. Samuel and Ann settled in Norton, having three children baptised there between 1817 and 1824. In 1838 Samuel acted as executor for his father-in-law Thomas Moles' will.

Samuel's son Thomas died when he was only sixteen in 1841. Samuel worked as a labourer and gardener, and each census from 1841 to 1861 finds Samuel and Ann living in Norton.

Ann died in 1869, aged 75.

In 1870 Samuel gave evidence at the Hertfordshire Quarter Sessions, presumably held at Hertford, against a man who had been delivering considerably less coal than people had paid for. Samuel said he had paid 4 shillings 4½ pence for 5 hundredweight of coal, but received about 3½ hundredweight. The man was sentenced to three months imprisonment.

The 1871 census finds Samuel living alone in Norton.

Samuel later went to live with his son William, who had moved to Stotfold and was publican of The Chequers public house there.

Samuel died in 1884, aged 93. He was buried back at Norton where he had spent most of his adult life, although the burial register gives his last abode as Stotfold, where he had been born.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Bedfordshire and Luton Archives and Records Service. Transcript of Stotfold Parish Registers.

   ch. 4 Apr 1806: Ric Smith, born 16 Sep 1788 & Sam Smith, born 20 Jun 1791

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 438; Book 14; Folio 6; Page 6, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Norton, Hertfordshire
   Samuel Bates, male, 46 [1794/5], Shepherd, not born in county
   Lucy Bates, female, 47 [1793/4], not born in county
   Jonathan Bates, male, 15 [1821-6], not born in county
   Samuel Smith, male, 50 [1786-91], Lab[ourer], not born in county
   Ann Smith, female, 45 [1791-6], not born in county
   William Smith, male, 20 [1816-21], Lab[ourer], born in county

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 1709; Folio 24; Page 8, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Norton, Hertfordshire
   Samuel Smith, head, married, male, 56 [1794/5], Gardener, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Ann Smith, wife, married, female, 54 [1796/7], b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 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 RG9; Piece 816; Folio 72; Page 7, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Village of Norton, Hertfordshire
   Samuel Smith, head, married, male, 69 [1791/2], Retired Gardener, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Ann Smith, wife, married, female, 65 [1795/6], b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1365; Folio 30; Page 8, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Norton Village, Norton, Hertfordshire
   Samuel Smith, head, widower, male, 80 [1790/1], Gardener Retired, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 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 RG11; Piece 1632; Folio 59; Page 8, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: The Chequers, Queen Street, Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   William Smith, head, married, male, 60 [1820/1], Publican, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Smith, wife, married, female, 57 [1823/4], Publican Wife, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Smith, son, unmarried, male, 25 [1855/6], Lab[ourer], b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Ellen Smith, daughter, unmarried, female, 21 [1859/60], Teacher in Infant School, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Lizzie Smith, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1862/3], employed at Home, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire
   Samuel Smith, daughter, widower, male, 90 [1790/1], Ret[ired] Gardener, b. Stotfold, Bedfordshire

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

   d. Samuel SMITH, September Quarter 1884, Biggleswade Registration District, Volume 3b, page 227, aged 93 [1790/1]

8. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Norton Parish Registers.

   BURIALS in the Parish of Norton in the County of Hertford in the Year 1884
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   494	Samuel Smith	Stotfold	August 22	94 [1789/90]	G.J. Pierson, Vicar

9.   Hertford Mercury and Reformer, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 3, 8 Jan 1870.

   HERTFORDSHIRE
   EPIPHANY QUARTER SESSIONS,
   MONDAY, January 3.
   Obtaining Money by False Pretences.
   Thomas Dear, aged 18, labourer, of Hitchin, was charged with obtaining 4s. 2d., the monies of Mrs. Susan Kitchener, of Norton, by false pretences. Mr. Taylor appeared for the prosecution; and Mr. Codd defended the prisoner.
   Frederic Buckingham, foreman at Mr. Lockhart's coal yard at Baldock, said that on Thursday, October 14th, prisoner had two tons of coals from the yard, and that he was employed by Mr. Lockhart to sell coals.
   Samuel Smith, of Norton, said that on October 14th, he told Dear to bring him 5 cwt. of coal, and that he brought them between 3 and 4 o'clock, and received 4s. 4½d. for them. I don't believe I had about 3½ cwt.
   Susan Kitchener said that on the 14th of October she ordered a ton of coals, telling him not to cheat her, or he would not prosper. Dear brough her 15 bags of coals, and she paid 17s. for them. She told him they seemed to be a very little ton, and he said he wouldn't wrong her if he knew it. She never touched them, and couldn't get any one to weigh them till Segeant Primett came on Saturday.
   Police-constable Primett said that on October 16th he went to Mrs. Kitchener's house and weighed the coals in her barn' there were only 15 cwt. 4lb.
   Mr. Codd said the prisoner was Lockhart's servant, and if there was a case at all it was a case of larceny. If there was any remedy it would be by sueing Mr. Lockhart in the County Court for the difference between the 15 cwt. and the ton. For the defence, Mr. Codd called as witness
   Mr. Joseph Cole, of Hitchin, who said prisoner's character was very good, but that he had been up once for some Kohl Rabi.
   His LORDSHIP summed up, and the Jury found the prisoner Guilty. Sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour.