General Chat

Hi folks,

I'm new to all this and I don't know for sure if I'm posting in the right section or not but I hope you'll forgive me for trying my best?

This is a kind of a long story so, for a second time, I hope you'll pardon me but do read on and hopefully I can find someone here who'll be able to do me the good deed I need to allow me to do the same for some other soul.

My story concerns a gentleman by the name of Arthur Charles Smith who was born in Maldon, Essex (DoB unknown) and who was killed on the 29th April 1916 whilst serving with the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, in Dublin, during the uprising.

He was buried where he died. On the cricket pitch at Trinity College and later reinterred in the military plot at Grangegorman Cemetary.

It transpires that a memorial plaque was erected by the OTC. It was drawn to my attention several years ago. Sadly it had fallen into a severe state of disrepair and had been vandalised. I in turn, called upon my former comrades in the Queen's Royal Hussars Association. Our lineage includes the 4th QOH.

We decided to replace the plaque at our own cost - that is under way. Where we are stuck now is finding any relatives of AC Smith who may have survived and who may be honoured to know his memory is still being observed and furthermore, who may be interested in attending the unveiling of the new plaque and a memorial service to him on Saturday the 17th November this year.

I'm no expert but I'va taken advice and managed to get his death lines and MIC. I've also ran a story in the Malden Standard (where they did a super job). I've been in contact with local history buffs in Maldon but, so far, no one has come up with any relatives, although we did discover that a tree was planted in his memory in the "Avenue of Remembrance" in Maldon.

Can anyone help me find out if 2373 Private Arthur Charles Smith has any living relatives today?

Myself and my associates would be very grateful.

Hi Glyn,

Can you confirm - Malden, Essex (which I have no knowledge of, where is it?) or Maldon, Essex?

Not able to help Glyn but wish you every success in tracing relatives.

Someone on here is bound to help.

Good luck.

Linda x

There is one possible match on this site...............same names b 1880 but place of birth unknown.

I have pm'd the owner of the tree in case it is a relative.

Well done to you all for honouring his memory like that.

Good luck with the search too.

Hi Glyn I found this one in the 1901 census


Arthur Charles Smith
Age: 20
Estimated birth year: abt 1881
Relation: Son
Father's name: Thomas
Mother's name: Mary Ann
Gender: Male
Where born: Panfield, Essex, England

Civil parish: Panfield
Ecclesiastical parish: Panfield
Town: Panfield
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Registration district: Braintree
Sub-registration district: Bocking
ED, institution, or vessel: 1
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 15
Household Members: Name Age
Arthur Charles Smith 20
Elizabeth Smith 24
Mary Ann Smith 64
Thomas Smith 67

Heybridge is right next to Maldon, so that will be the right one.

Great Gesture Glyn, well done to all of you, I hope you find some relatives.

Yes he is listed as Arthur F Smith and Maldern is spelled Maldon according to an ancestry search so the one I listed below is not the one

Wow, what a fantastic response.

I can confirm it is Arthur Charles Smith of Heybridge, near Malden ('scuse incorrect spelling on original post). Although the 1916 Revolution Handbook (Irish Times) gives the place of birth as "Hexbridge" (which confused us for a while).

Also the inclusion of Arthur F Smith (something I'd seen in parish records before) has me head scratching. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission list him as Arthur Charles Smith, as do the death lines. Heybridge has disappeared from the map but I'm of a mind that it must have been a small hamlet and Smith one of the predominant names. We do know for sure though that he enlisted in Colchester so was still an Essex resident in 1914/15.

Believe me I've been through all the normal preliminaries and have found nothing beyond what I've posted. We don't even have a record of his regimental life because he was serving with the depot squadron in the Curragh when the regiment was in the trenches in Flanders (dismounted and working as infantry). Hence his absence from the War Diaries, although as an non-commissioned rank it's unlikely he would have been named anyway.

It would be so nice to find a surivor of the Smith dynasty from Essex and bring them over to Dublin for this ceremony. We know it would make them very proud.

Thank you for all your nice comments too. It is incumbent on us, the surviving soldiers, to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. In days to come, hopefully, our descendents will remember us when we are gone. Our particular family of cavalry goes back to 1685 so we've had a lot of practice.

Glyn, Heybridge still exists, but it is more a part of Maldon now. Its a little port on the Blackwater Estuary in Essex, and a lovely place. There are still a lot of old families around the area, but Smiths might prove a bit of a problem to tie in, for obvious reasons.

Have you put anything in the Essex Chronicle, as well as the Maldon Gazette? Or maybe you could try the records office in Chelmsford, see if they can give you some pointers to help you search?

Glyn I have put a post on Tips to see if anyone there can help, pinting them to this thread. They find stuff faster than a detective on there!

Teresa, thanks for the input. Yes, I found Heybridge Industrial Estate on Google Earth so I reckoned it must have been swallowed up by Maldon. The girl on the Gazette though had never heard of it and she was with the paper for 40 years (and has just retired).

We didn't do the Essex Chronicle, preferring to do an exlusive with one paper which we knew covered Maldon. The story ran twice but no-one has come forward yet.

It would be great to know more about this man. Perhaps a relative has a picture or something which we could copy and use to perpetuate his memory?

Funny enough, we can't find his name on any War Memorials around Essex either. Probably because he was killed in the UK (as it was at that time).

Could this be his birth

Name: Arthur Charles Smith
Year of Registration: 1881
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
District: Maldon (1837-1972)
County: Essex
Volume: 4a
Page: 373

Roy

That could well be him Porkie. It would have left him at age 35 in 1916. Well within the age for the army. Did he have any siblings however? Was he married and if so, did he have children who may still be alive?

Hmmm! going by the F in the other Arthur's name I wonder if this would be it...seems about the right year for the 1901 census....now to assertain whether it is Arthur Charles Smith or Arthur Forster Smith

Name: Arthur Forster Smith
Year of Registration: 1884
Quarter of Registration: Apr-May-Jun
DISTRICT: Maldon (1837-1972)
County: Essex
Volume: 4a
Page: 434

Glyn

Have you ever looked for his service records at National Archives? If they have survived, they'll hopefully mention a wife and perhaps children. Happy to have a look for you next time I go, but it won't be for a few days.

Glyn, Heybridge is still on the map, their is a cemetery and Heybridge Hall showing

go to multimap http://www.multimap.com/map/home.cgi
put Maldon in the search box
and then select the 1:25,000 scale

There are only these Marriages in the Essex area

Arthur Charles Smith 1900 Oct-Nov-Dec Braintree Essex

Arthur Charles Smith 1902 Oct-Nov-Dec Braintree Essex

Arthur Charles Smith 1903 Jul-Aug-Sep Romford Essex

Arthur Charles Smith 1903 Oct-Nov-Dec Rochford Essex

Roy

Hi Glyn,

the Arthur F Smith in Heybridge 1901 are we going by this one? or the one born in 1881 getting a bit confused lol

if so
1901 census
Name: Arthur F Smith
Age: 16
Estimated birth year: abt 1885
Relation: Son
Father's name: William
Mother's name: Emma
Gender: Male
Where born: Maldon, Essex, England

Civil parish: Heybridge
Ecclesiastical parish: Heybridge St Andrew
County/Island: Essex
Country: England

Registration district: Maldon
Sub-registration district: Tollesbury
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Household schedule number: 129
Household Members: Name Age
Sophia Choppen 88 Mother in law
Arthur F Smith 16 son
Emma Smith 50 Wife
William Smith 49 Head

n

for Glyn

Possible children for the marriage of Arthur Charles Smith 1902 Oct-Nov-Dec Braintree Essex

SMITH Beartice M Gepp Halstead.4a 1631 2 1914
SMITH Jack H Gepp Halstead.4a 1541 3 1916

Will check others out

BW

Jane

This one is not so easy as my geography is up the spout!! This is for Arthur Charles Smith 1903 Jul-Aug-Sep Romford Essex

These obviously will not help if all their children were pre 1911

Name Mother's Maiden Name District Page Quarter Year View Image Add Comment View Comment
SMITH Ada R Norris Kensington.1a 226 4 1916
SMITH Albert G Norris Christchurch.2b 1119 3 1916
SMITH Alfred K Norris Wareham.5a 428 4 1915
SMITH Annie D Norris Burton upon Trent.6b 620 4 1916
SMITH Beartice N Norris Wareham.5a 490 2 1914
SMITH Bessie Norris Bolton.8c 476 1 1918
SMITH Charles W Norris Melksham.5a 203 3 1913
SMITH Doris M J Norris Paddington.1a 32 4 1917
SMITH Dorothy M M Norris Wareham.5a 492 1 1913
SMITH Douglas G Norris Holborn.1b 1183 3 1920
SMITH Edward F Norris Bristol.6a 213 2 1915
SMITH Flornece M Norris Christchurch.2b
1191 1 1914
SMITH Frances C B Norris Bethnal Green.1c 189 4 1915
SMITH Frank N Norris Totnes.5b 229 1 1913
SMITH Frederick M Norris Cheltenham.6a 801 3 1911
SMITH George D P Norris Brentford.3a 335 1 1917
SMITH George R Norris Faversham.2a 1520 2 1918
SMITH Harry A Norris Bethnal Green.1c 268 4 1911
SMITH Henry R Norris Hambledon.2a 123 1 1920
SMITH Hilda D Norris Warwick.6d 1867 2 1920


SMITH Isabella A Norris West Ham.4a 742 4 1911
SMITH Joan W H Norris Holborn.1b 756 1 1918
SMITH John Norris Bristol.6a 212 2 1917
SMITH John L Norris Halifax.9a 760 2 1914
SMITH Joyce E Norris Milton.2a 1954 2 1914
SMITH Leslie H D Norris Paddington.1a 38 4 1915
SMITH Leslie J Norris Holborn.1b 1016 2 1916
SMITH Margaret Norris Stockport.8a 94 3 1918
SMITH Margaret I Norris Totnes.5b 211 3 1916
SMITH Marjorie I Norris Walsall.6b 1461 4 1912
SMITH Mary F Norris Halifax.9a 756 4 1911
SMITH Monica M Norris Wareham.5a 358 2 1919
SMITH Norman P Norris Swindon.5a 46 1 1916
SMITH Norris Norris Halifax.9a 760 3 1914
SMITH Patricia S Norris West Derby.8b 735a 3 1912
SMITH Rosa M Norris Christchurch.2b 1222 3 1912
SMITH Ruby Norris Totnes.5b 319 1 1920
SMITH Violet H Norris Aston.6d 1155 3 1913
SMITH Walter J Norris Bethnal Green.1c 121 1 1919
SMITH William Norris Stockport.8a 186 2 1913
SMITH William G C Norris Paddington.1a 66 2 1913
SMITH William J Norris Hambledon.2a 300 2 1915
SMITH Zena A Norris Alton.2c 332 4 1912