Dear Felicity
Wondering if you have located the Will for Charles Smart - perhaps he
acknowledge Henry in that?
regards
Lyn
in Oz
----- Original Message -----
From: "Felicity Smart" <felicitysmart(a)doctors.org.uk>
To: <monmouthshire(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: [MON] GIFFORD CWM EBBW VALE 1900
Dear Barbara and Jeff
Thank you both for your replies.
Yes Henry Wells Gifford Smart is the one in question, He
was always thought to be the youngest son of Fanny and her
husband Charles who was a miner who died in1997, According
to his death cert he died of typhoid fever but my
cousin(Henry's daughter) is adamant that he died following
a pit explosion and has the bible allegedly given to his
widow by the mining company as compensation-another
unsolved mystery!
It was only after finding Charles Smart's death cert and
date that I realised that Henry could not have been
Charles' son,
When I contacted my cousin she confirmed that he had
discovered in his teens that he had another father, and
this was confirmed by other family members. He remembered
being taken to meet his natural father several times and
even visited him on his death bed. apparently his father
twice acknowledged him as his son, but after his death the
family refused to admit it.
Henry's daughter gave me details of her fathers
memories, those of attending the little school set up in
the grounds of the "big house" and his meetings with his
natural father, and also the feeling that Gifford was
connected to the mines in a position of authority.. He
always resented his illegitimacy and found it hard to
accept. His birth cert gives Fanny as his mother but the
fathers name is ommitted.My cousin has a photo of the
elderly man she was always told was Gifford mand two
leather bound books of poetry she was told were given to
Henry by his true father..
What none has managed so far is to discover who this
natural father was. Henry's name bieng given as including
Gifford seems to confirm the story, but we know no more
and I have been trying to track him down but these are the
only clues I have.
Fanny was born in somerset where she married Charles and
the moved to Cwm in about 1886 where their last 3 children
were born.Charles worked both down the mines and
previously in the steel works. Fanny went on in 1903 to
marry an Alfred Griffiths who brought Henry up as his
stepson but was NOT his father,
I suppose The old man?Gifford could have set Fanny up with
her toy shop.Fanny lived until the 1930s and I have photos
of her with my father when a baby.
I still do not know where this big house where she worked
as a servant/house keeper was or who her emloyer was/My
cousins assertion is that his name was Gifford. No luck
with censuses or Kelly's Index so lloking for a lead....
Felicity
Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:47:52 +0100
"Jeff Coleman" <jeff.coleman(a)ntlworld.com> wrote:
> The birth of Henry Wells G SMART was registered in March
>quarter of 1900 ref
> Bedwelty 11a 91
>
> In the 1901 census he shows as 'Harry SMART' age 13
>months at RG13; Piece:
> 4933; Folio: 109; Page: 21 listed as the son of Fanny
>SMART, 44,widow, b
> Bristol, Toy Shop Keeper in Marine Street, Cwm. 5 older
>children were at
> home in the census and also two boarders age 35 and 77,
>both single.
>
> Is there a father shown on the birth certificate?
>
> It seems to be a big step from being a servant in a big
>house to running a
> shop.
>
> Jeff
>
>
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