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Getting lost trying to trace my Grandmother, Florence Elizabeth Smith, born Bermondsey 1890.
1891 shows her at home in Bermondsey aged 9months with mother Beatrice (aged 19) and father Samuel Smith (aged 22)

1901 census has her mother as a widow (Beatrice Smith born Leicester 1872) with a son called Samuel L (aged 6) but no sign of Beatrice. The closest I can come is an ADOPTED Florence Smith aged 10 living with Thomas Gale (47) and Frances Gale (44) in Bermondsey..

There are 6 possible matches in 1911 census for Florence Smith born 1900 or 1901. Can someone please check them to see if any are NOT for a daughter.

Thank you.

Do you mean Florence born 1890 or 1891 NOT 1900 or 1901?
And there are far more than 6 matches, or a lot less, depending on Bermondsey etc etc.
Thanks

it would be a good idea to try to find a marriage cert for her, it should give a fathers name and occupation

On the original image they say they have been married for 10 years and had 6 children 2 of which have died.

SPANSWICK, Charles Head Married M 37 1874 Wine Carman London Bermondsey VIEW
SPANSWICK, Beatrice Elizabeth Wife Married
10 years F 38 1873 Leicester Leicestershire VIEW
SMITH, Florence Elizabeth Stepdaughter Single F 29 1882 Machinist Shirt London Bermondsy VIEW
SMITH, Lily Stepdaughter Single F 17 1894 London Bermondsy VIEW
SMITH, Samuel Lewis Stepson Single M 16 1895 Core Maker London Bermondsey VIEW
SPANSWICK, Alice Emily Daughter Single F 7 1904 School London Bermondsy VIEW
SPANSWICK, Voilet May Daughter Single F 6 1905 School London Bermondsey VIEW
SPANSWICK, Beatrice Amelia Daughter Single F 4 1907 School London Bermondsey S E VIEW
FERRY, Florience Visitor Single F 6 1905 School London Bermondsey S E Surrey VIEW

Registration District:
St Olave (Bermondsey) Sub District:
Rotherhithe Enumeration District:
15 Parish:
Bermondsey

Address:
4 Debnams Road County:
London


Florence married in 1915 and Lily was one of her witnesses

Florence Elizabeth Smith
Age: 25
Estimated birth year: abt 1890
Spouse Name: George Purssey
Spouse Age: 26
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 3 Oct 1915
Parish: All Souls, Newington
County: Middlesex
Borough: Southwark
Father Name: Samuel Arthur Smith>>>>Deceased House Decorator
Spouse Father Name: Edmund Purssey


Charles and Beatrice didn't actually marry until 1915

Marriages Dec 1915 (>99%)
Barr Janet M White St.Olave 1d 719
>>Smith Beatrice E Spanswick St.Olave 1d 719
>>Spanswick Charles Smith St. Olave 1d 719
White Percy H Barr St.Olave 1d 719


I have to go to work but I'm sure someone will look for them in 1901 for you.

The original of the 1911 census has Florence Elizabeth aged 20, not 29. It has been mis-transcribed.

There is also a 'Spanswick' child missing off 1911 census - Could this be her?

If so, it gives another link to Charles family so may be of use:

JENKINS, William Head Married M 33 1878 Railway Porter Peckham London
JENKINS, Eliza Wife Married 2 years F 32 1879 Bermondsey London
JENKINS, Alfred Son Married M 1 1910
SPANSWICK, Eliza Mother In Law Widow F 62 1849 Wiltshire
SPANSWICK, Alice Sister In Law Single F 33 1878 Machinist Under Clothing Bermondsey London
SPANSWICK, Dorothy Niece F 8 1903 School Bermondsey London

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG14 Piece:
1892 Reference:
RG14PN1892 RG78PN67 RD24 SD2 ED24 SN326

Registration District:
St Olave (Bermondsey) Sub District:
Bermondsey Enumeration District:
24 Parish:
Bermondsey

Address:
232 Lynton Road Bermondsey SE County:
London

Dea x

I keep going back to this one in 1901 for Lily.


LANE, Alfred Head Married M 41 1860 Assurance Agent
Poplar
London VIEW
LANE, Georgina Gertrude Wife Married F 40 1861
St Georges W
London VIEW
LANE, Gertrude Daughter Single F 7 1894
St Georges W VIEW
LANE, Stanley Son Single M 5 1896
St Georges W VIEW
*******SMITH, Lily Niece Single F 5 1896
Islington
London VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG13 Piece:
1241 Folio:
49 Page:
27

Registration District:
Edmonton Sub District:
Hornsey Enumeration District:
26 Ecclesiastical Parish:
Hornsey Holy Innocents

Civil Parish:
Hornsey Municipal Borough:
Address:
9, Montague Road, Hornsey County:
Middlesex


Alfred Lane married Georgina G Smith, but I can't find the connection between Georgina and presumably Samuel Arthur Smith.

1901

SPANSWICK, Issac Head Married M 51 1850 Green Grocer
Wiltshire VIEW
SPANSWICK, Eliza Wife Married F 52 1849
Wiltshire VIEW
*******SPANSWICK, Charles Son Single M 27 1874 Carman
Bermondsey
London VIEW
SPANSWICK, Alice Daughter Single F 23 1878 Machinist
Bermondsey
London VIEW
SPANSWICK, Eliza Daughter Single F 21 1880
Bermondsey
London VIEW
SPANSWICK, Alfred Son Single M 17 1884 Fitter Engine
Camberwell
London VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG13 Piece:
395 Folio:
125 Page:
41

Registration District:
St Olave Southwark Sub District:
Bermondsey Enumeration District:
52 Ecclesiastical Parish:
St Augustines Bermondsey

Civil Parish:
Bermondsey Municipal Borough:
Address:
269, St James's Road, Bermondsey County:
London

Thank you all for your replies.

This fills in all the information I am missing and explains why I was getting confused.

Sorry I couldn't reply last night but my ISP decided to do some routine maintenance ( and took all broadband down for 6 hours !!)

I keep going back to this one too Choccy but again, like you with the other one, I can't connect Florence Ada
Smith with Samuel Arthur... Isn't it frustrating??

1901 England Census
about Florence Smith
Name: Florence Smith
Age: 11
Estimated birth year: abt 1890
Relation: Niece
Gender: Female
Where born: Chelsea, London, England

Civil parish: Chelsea
Ecclesiastical parish: St Luke
County/Island: London
Country: England


Registration district: Chelsea
Sub-registration district: Chelsea, North
ED, institution, or vessel: 10
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 455
Household Members: Name Age
Florence Westgate 32 ....................... c 1869 Chelsea, Tailoress
Walter Hy Westgate 1 3 months
Florence Smith 11 ..Niece


Source Citation: Class: RG13; Piece: 72; Folio: 147; Page: 51.

Source Information:

...............
Walter Westgate
Age: Full Age
Estimated birth year: abt 1886
Spouse Name: Florence Ada Smith
Spouse Age: 17
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 31 Jul 1886
Parish: St Simon Zelotes, Chelsea
County: Middlesex
Borough: Kensington and Chelsea
Father Name: William Westgate
Spouse Father Name: Henry Robert Smith


Marriages Sep 1886

LIGHT Daniel Chelsea 1a 682
Richards Mary Ann Chelsea 1a 682
***Smith Florence Ada Chelsea 1a 682
***WESTGATE Walter Chelsea 1a 682
..........

Dea x

...............

Dea,

Who is Florence Ada Smith ?


My thought was that Georgina Gertrude Smith was possibly a sister to Samuel Arthur Smith, Lily and Florence's father.

Sorry Choccy - I have not made myself clear.

I was thinking along the same lines as you but with this other family.

There is a Florence Smith on 1901, born c 1890 who is niece to Florence Ada Westgate. (Details posted above).

Florence Ada married Walter Westgate in 1886 so I was thinking that Florence Ada may have been a sister to Samuel Arthur.

I traced them both though and could not make the connection.

Dea x

I have found a probable match for Lily Smith in 1901 in South Metrolpolitan District Schools, aged 7 born 'Not Known'
Samuel Arthur Smith died in Q3 1900 in St Olave so it would not be unreasonable to see Beatrice having to sort out a lot of problems at that time.

The South Metrolpolitan District School in Sutton was opend in 1853 to educate children from S.E. London workhouses including Bermondsey and Southwark. it closed in 1902 - maybe explaining why Liliy was back with her mother (and step-father) in 1911.