William B Smith : Short Biography

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This is my GG Granfather.  He was married to Ellen Jeffcott.   They had 6 (possibly 7) children.  

Ellen died and it was her wish William take the children and leave Ireland.  

The family lived on Tinnies townland, Valentia Island, Kerry County. I am still looking for Ellen's grave and 

the name of the boat that took the family from Ireland.  Not sure if they immigrated directly or 

indirectly to Upper Canada.  Their children were, Joseph & William (twins), Lucinda, Richard, Benjamin, 

Ellen and possibly Frances.  I believe they left Ireland 1849-1861.  How is it possible for the name Smith 

to be so popular and yet so difficult to find any.  Searching family so far back, we are all lost souls looking

for where we belong or to whom.     Any help is truly appreciated and I wish everyone else, success too.

Thank you.  Susan

 

 

Susan Pegg

Friday 24th January 2020 03:22AM

I have Smith family from Valentia Island in my family tree.

George Minchen Smith (1820-1869) m. Alicia Hyland (1820-1854)

Their son William Smith, West Lower Tinnies, Valentia Island, (1846-1872) m. Mary O'Shea (1844-1895)

 

Tim Lyne

Lyner

Monday 4th January 2021 01:31PM

Hi Tim

Welcome aboard "looking for a needle in a haystack" with family coming from Valencia/Valentia.  I've been at this for a number of years but more recently....daily!  You are the very first person I have come across having ancestors from here, so it was exciting to see your note, regardless of the outcome.

I have seen the name George Smith a number of times in my search but can't connect him to my family (well, not maybe not so far).  

Here is what I do know for sure.  Family is Wesleyan Methodist.  Lived on Valencia/Valentia Island, Kerry County until they left for Canada.  It was the death wish of my GG Grandmother that her husband take the children and leave Ireland so that they didn't intermingle with the Catholics (little do they know how many have done so here since, but those were the times.)   

William B. Smith (Gr Gr Grandfather) Born 1790-1810??  Married Ellen Jeffcott.  Children: Lucinda 1842-1892   Richard 1844-1906   twins William 1845-1930 & Joseph Jeffcott 1845-1917  Benjamin 1844-1906   Ellen 1849-1936   Frances 1853-1883.  They came to Canada (no documentation located) approximately 1860.  First time noted they were here is Census 1861 where they located at Upper Canada in the Owen Sound area.   I have many memories of the farmstead built in Park Head, Ontario although it has since been sold and new owners had a fire that destroyed it.   I grew up in St. Catharines but our family visited often to my dad's side of the family. 

William B Smith's son William children were:  Theressa Louise 1880-1950   Wilfred Augustus 1882-1959   Helena Alberta 1885-1955   Albert Gladstone 1887-1973 "My Grandfather" and Martha Ethel 1891-1931.

I haven't determined parents of William B Smith yet and I have found very little info on his wife Ellen Jeffcott.  This is the area I am concentrating on the most.

Where are you located Tim?  Does any of my info match your family??

Susan Pegg,  Dundas, Ontario, Canada

 

 

Susan Pegg

Tuesday 5th January 2021 08:29PM

Good morning Susan,

 

Great to hear from you and hopefully we can reconcile or understand our ancestry.

 

I now live in Dublin, Ireland and both my parents are buried on Valentia Island.

I have many relatives living in Valentia that I regularly keep in touch with on genealogy and related matters.

 

My link to the Smith family is as follows-

My ancestor Mary O'Shea (1844-1895) m. William Thomas Smith (1846-1872)

William died in 1872 and they had no descendants.

 

I have also been in contact with Owen Liam O'Sullivan who also has Smith family in his family tree.

He and I have agreed "smart matches" which is a feature of the MyHeritage genealogy site.

I will contact Owen to see if he can add to our emerging story!!

 

I attach a screenshot of an extract from my family tree.

 

My main family tree is on MyHeritage and I have uploaded Gedcoms to Ancestry, Findmypast and WikiTree.

These are genealogy sites where I research and compare ancestry.

 

Something you might consider is joining Iveragh Peninsula Genealogy Group (IPG).

It is a closed Facebook site dedicated to relatives, friends and ancestry from Iveragh, which includes Valentia.

 

Researching Irish records is somewhat difficult following the fire in 1922 which destroyed the census and other records.

The genealogy sites above have a research section.

 

Also a very good reference site is irishgenealogy.ie which has church and civil records back to 1850's.

As the Smiths were protestants there is a high likelihood that records were held.

 

Susan, we have started a journey and hopefully the above is of some help.

You, have some important and relevant information which I will research and return to you as I, hopefully, make progress.

 

If you decide to join the IPG just mention my name - Tim Lyne.

 

Do you have a direct email address?

My email address is timlyne@gmail.com

 

Also by way of interest one of my sons lives in Mississauga, Ontario.

 

Have you taken a DNA test?

 

Keep safe and well and best wishes for 2021.

Tim 

Lyner

Wednesday 6th January 2021 12:32PM

Hi Tim

 

So very nice of you to reply.  

 

My library membership allows me free onto Ancestry.com

I have annual renewal membership at Your Irish Heritage - Green Room

Irish Heritage gives me free access to John Grenham.com

I am registered with Family Search.org and my family tree is created here

I just requested joining Iveragh Peninsula Genealogy Group

Not sure of Gedcoms.  Haven't done anything previously

I just joined WikiTree Genealogy.  Thanks for the tip connecting here.

FindMyPast and MyHeritage send out the lures to join for a fee but there isn't enough info offered in the free trials that has convinced me they have more than the next place I have been to.  We'll see.

 

DNA is something I haven't done and there is a reason for my decision.

My mother immigrated from Holland in 1946 after the war with her parents and siblings.  Her father was a Horticulturist and had a position secured in Chatam area where there was a large population of their same faith.  Their final destination changed while they were enroute due to the Estate owner dying so they were sent to Park Head, Ontario.   That is where my mom and dad met.  Dad's Great Grandfather is the one who took the children and emigrated from Ireland....sorry for the long story.

 

Mom's family is documented in softcover book that goes back to 1650 in Holland.  Before that I am told they were likely Huguenots.  

 

Dad's family that came from Ireland has been documented in hardcover, being part of the pioneers of Upper Canada (a stretch of Crown land purchased from the Indians).

 

In other words, I can't source my dad's side of the family in Ireland before emigrating and I know my mother is Dutch, so is there anything DNA could help in research?  I'm always open to opinions and advice!

 

So that pretty much brings you up to speed on me.  We can chat more, I hope.

 

Thank you for reaching out.  So very much appreciated.

 

Have a good day and stay safe.

 

Susan

susanfpegg@gmail.com

 

Susan Pegg

Friday 8th January 2021 06:26PM

Tim......as an add to my lengthy note;  records for Kilmore cemetery, Valentia Island, are held locally and not available due to their fragile condition, plus the property/Parish is in ruin.  Having said that, there are few names recorded of those buried and on line, unless you are able to direct me otherwise.  

I am so grateful to Ireland agencies, organizations and governments giving so much resource and effort into recording headstone information as well as parish records - most of those being volunteers. That's what keeps me looking!!

Another site, because of you Tim, I found Historic Graves and have signed up with them too.

This is an exciting time for me connecting, finally, to someone with the same interest being Valentia.  

Thank you so much Tim and IrelandXO

Susan

Susan Pegg

Friday 8th January 2021 06:43PM

Hi Tim

I came across your family, William Smith today in West Lower Tinnies/Tenis/??  (spelling changes frequently).  John Smith was present at death.  Who is he in relation to you or William?  I also came across Catherine Smith of West Lower Tinnies.  She died 1883.  Is she related to you too?  

Susan

Susan Pegg

Friday 12th February 2021 08:16PM

Hi Tim

I hope you found the last 2-page note about my family of interest and humerous, as I did.  

Yes, I did finally do the DNA test and mailed it in.  

I also found there was one other child, the oldest so that William B. Smith and Ellen Jeffcott had 8 children:  Maria (b: 1839), Richard (b:1841), Lucinda (b: 1842), Benjamin (b: 1843), Ellen (b: 1845), twins William and Joseph Jeffcott (b: 1846) and Frances (b: 1853).  

William B Smith's wife Ellen Jeffcott died in childbirth with Frances.  

New information from a family letter tells me Benjamin and Lucy Smith were William B. Smith's parents.  Benjamin had a brother named George (you have this note I sent by email).  I'm still searching!

Susan  

Susan Pegg

Saturday 6th March 2021 03:32PM

Hi, everyone

I'm a relative of George Minchin Smith QC. He married Hanorah Marie O'neill in 1884, after his first wife, Alice Hyland died.

They had 4 children:

Thomas G Smith b1853

Catherine Tryphena  Smith ,b 1856 (My Great-Grandmother)

James Smith b1859

Richard Smith b 1865

George Minchin Smith was a son of Thomas Smith b1794 d: 1871 Valentia island- Donnybrook

He was married to Penelope Minchin from Co Tipperary.

 

Pollyanna

Tuesday 18th January 2022 12:22AM

Hi all, I too am related to all of the above and like Pollyanna, am also a great grandaughter of Catherine Tryphena Smith.

 

Friday 2nd June 2023 05:44PM

Hello Pollyanna

You mentioned George Minchin Smith and his wife Honora "Maria" O'Neil/Neill had 4 children:  Thomas G, James G, Catherine Tryphena "Kate" and Richard.  

I found a record showing Mary Smith, 

Birth Date	7 Mar 1868
Birth Place	Valencia and Portmagee, Kerry, Ireland
Baptism Place	Valencia and Portmagee, Kerry, Ireland
Father	George M. Smith
Mother	Hanora O Neill

 

Do you know anything about Mary?  I am unable to locate anything after her birth.   

My GG Grandfather was William B Smith, son of Benjamin Smith.  Benjamin and Joseph were brothers.  Their parents were Joseph Smith and Tryphena (nee ??).  

Susan P, Dundas, Ontario, Canada

 

Susan Pegg

Sunday 4th June 2023 05:28PM