newby needing help finding Henry Smart

[ursulah]

hi
i'm new to the forum though not new to genealogy. i've been researching my familyroots for the past five years however just cannot get the right resource to find information about my husband's great grandfather. here is the information i have
Henry Smart * circa 1861 glascow scotland, died 10 Jul 1933 at Reismierbult South Africa, married Wilhemina Martha Ekstein in Pietermaritzburg, Natal South Africa. she died on 2 Dec 1933 at Ventersdorp Hospital in South Africa. they had three children
Charles Henry
Jessie Ivy
Wilhelmina Martha - Hubby great grandmother

i would like help in finding birth records for Henry smart (1861) as well as information about his parents.

any help will be appreciated
groete
ursulah van zweel janse van rensburg

[AndrewP]

Hi Ursulah,



A search on ScotlandsPeople for Henry Smart born in the Glasgow area from 1855 to 1866 gives the following 6 results. These can be viewed and downloaded from the ScotlandsPeople website on a pay per view basis.

• No Year Surname Forename Sex District City/County/MR GROS Data
  1 1856 SMART HENRY M SPRINGBURN GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 622/02 0257
  2 1859 SMART HENRY M MARYHILL GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 622/01 0164
  3 1864 SMART HENRY M MARYHILL GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 622/01 0208
  4 1862 SMART HENRY BIRRELL M HIGH CHURCH GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/02 0707
  5 1864 SMART HENRY DA COSTA M BLYTHSWOOD GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/06 0302
  6 1859 SMART HENRY PHILIP M GLASGOW CENTRAL DISTRICT GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/01 0750

However, unless you have more information it will be difficult to be sure you have found the right one. The certificates should name both parents, including the mother's maiden surname. So if you know their names, the viewing the certificates will confirm is you have the right one or not. The last three in the list above also show a middle name. If any of the middle names mean anything to you, then that could help you decide which to view first (seeking the most economic method). If you are confident of the birth year being close to 1861, then the 1862, followed by the two in 1859 would be the way to start.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Maisie]

Hi Ursulah

Do you know when Henry married, which might give us a clue as to when he left Scotland?

It's only a gut feeling but I'm fancying Henry Birrell Smart born 1862 in Glasgow, son of Charles Smart and Mary Birrell, mostly because of his father's name being Charles, which you said was the name of the first born son. (This came from IGI but was an extract). There was a Mary Birrell born in Kirkcaldy, Fife in 1821 (also from IGI). From the census records I've got a possible family in 1871 and 1881 in Glasgow. The father died before 1871, but in 1881 we've got Mary, a widow aged 59 born Kirkcaldy and a son Henry, apprentice joiner aged 18 born Glasgow. I can't find a death for a Henry Smart born 1862+/- 2 years on SP other than Henry da Costa Smart. So a chance this is the one, but as Andrew says we need something more to pin him down.

Maisie

[trish1]

The IGI has the civil births for scotland for 1855-1874 so your Henry should be there. As the IGI shows parent names - it may be easier to select the right entry from SP to get the certificate

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/ ... _form=true

Searching 1861 +/- 2 years in Lanark

Henry Smart 01 JUL 1859 Cadder, Lanark parents John smart and Agnes Chalmers
Henry Smart 01 JUL 1859 Barony, Lanark parents John smart and Agnes Chalmers
(2 people or registered twice?)
Henry Philip Smart 09 MAY 1859 Central District, Glasgow, Lanark parents Frederick Smart & Mary Ewes
Henry Birrell Smart 10 APR 1862 High Church, Glasgow, Lanark parents Charles Smart and Mary Birrell

and given the Scottish naming traditions, I would tend to agree with Ursulah and favour the father Charles (without additional information)

Trish

[AndrewP]

Henry Smart 01 JUL 1859 Cadder, Lanark parents John smart and Agnes Chalmers
Henry Smart 01 JUL 1859 Barony, Lanark parents John smart and Agnes Chalmers
(2 people or registered twice?)

Hi Trish,

These two are probably the same birth registered twice. In that era, it was quite common if the child was born away from home (such as at the mother's mother's house), then the birth would be registered in the birth registration district, then that information transcribed in the home registration district.

All the best,

AndrewP

[trish1]

Hi Andrew - it seemed likely it was the same person - but I don't think I've come across it before - thank you for the explanation

Trish