Richard Smith Jr.

Richard Smith Jr.

b ca 1784 Bethnal Green

m Barbara Cecilia Sundius 13 November 1810, Stoke Newington

m. Mary Ann Clarke 3 March 1824 Islington

d 1854 Stoke Newington

Children

Cecilia Richardson 1811-1865

Charles Richard 1812-1904

Frederick James 1813-

Caroline Ann 1815-

Ellen Jane 1816-1889

Christopher 1817-1817

William John 1818-

Charlotte Matilda 1820-1863

Adam Clarke 1824-

Mary Ann 1827-

Anna Maria 1827-

Ann Rachael 1830-

Caroline Louise 1831-

Elizabeth W. 1833-

Rosvear? 1836-

Mary Leslie 1838-

John 1839-

Documentation

Parish records for baptism (maybe) marriages and children's baptisms

Census - 1841 and 1851

Will

Various directory and gazette entries

Richard

origins

A royal name, and also the name of his father. It is an old English name from the Teutonic meaning ‘ruler’ and ‘hard’. Another very popular name throughout history.

variations

Ricard, Ricardo, Rickert

abbreviations

Dick, Dickie, Rickie, Rick, Ricco, Dicko

I have called him Richard Smith Jr. because this is how he is referred to in a couple of the documents I have. It's the only evidence I have of his father's name. The rest is currently guesswork, though I'm getting close. The portrait above is of a merchant named Captain Richard Wheatland and I chose it because our Richard was a merchant - well a broker - and I just liked it. He looks like an interesting man, as I am sure our Richard was.

Born in Bethnal Green of a merchant father too, our Richard's granddaughter married into the Mollett line. His merchant career was closely linked to Russia and I think he also worked in close proximity (or his brother (or maybe uncle) did) to John Mollett. So I suspect the two families knew each other for a long time. Through his two marriages he also had close connections to the Wesleyans and indeed was one of the trustees of the Wesleyan chapel in Stoke Newington - another Mollett connection as Robert (John's father) lived there. Quite a bit to tell but a couple of mysteries too.