Sightseeing in London, Genealogist Version

Just a mile and a half from our London hotel, I couldn't pass up this piece of  family history serendipity...

My great grandfather, Charles Henry Smith, served a mission in England from 1900-1902. On August 22, 1900, Charles noted in his journal that he went to see his grandmother, who lived in Westbourne Grove. He had a nice visit with her.

That grandmother was Ann (Barrs) Altrop. Having been widowed in 1891, she was living with her son. William Alfred. In the 1901 census, here is the family, living at 138 Westbourne Grove.

Just over 119 years after my great grandfather's visit, I went back to pay my respects to my third great grandmother.

William John Altrop, Ann Barrs Altrop and their family

William John Altrop is my third great grandfather.  For all of you of the next generation of Smiths, he is your fourth great grandfather.  So your Grandpa Smith's dad was George, George's dad was Charles, Charles's mother was Elizabeth Altrop and her dad was William John Altrop.
                                                                 George Smith
                                                                 |
                                            Charles Smith                         William John Altrop
                                            |                    |                       |
                        George Smith                    Elizabeth Altrop
                        |                                                                |
     Milton Smith                                                                 Ann Barrs
     |
me

I have not been able to locate any pictures of him, but this is the area in England where he was born and lived:

Agden Green, near Great Staughton, England
Photo: Andrew Tatlow [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

William was born in March of 1815 in Great Staughton, England, although there seems to be some discrepancy about the day. He married Ann Barrs when he was 27 years old.  She was 23.  They were married in the St Andrews Church in Great Staughton.

St Andrews Church
Photo:Shaun Ferguson [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

William joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1851 when he was 36 years old.  He was baptized just a little over a month after his wife, Ann. Two of their children, Thomas and  Elizabeth (the mother of Charles), came to Utah. Erastus, another son, may have come as well, but the evidence is a little sketchy.  The youngest son, William Alfred, became a postman in London.

Thomas, the oldest, arrived in the US in 1863.  He went to Utah, probably by way of Florence, Nebraska (fka Winter Quarters), and later returned to Iowa, where he seems to have joined the Reorganized Church (RLDS).  I mention this because about two years later, in 1872, William, his father, was also baptized into the RLDS church, "at London, Middlesex, England" according to RLDS records.  Those records indicate that William attended the London branch of the RLDS church, which really makes me wonder, because it doesn't appear that he ever lived anywhere but Great Staughton. He is listed in the 1871, 1881, and 1891 censuses in Great Staughton. It is over 60 miles from Great Staughton to London, which is a long way in the 1800's. Is it possible that it was William Alfred, the son, who was baptized and attended there?  Did William John travel to London for his baptism? The dates of birth and death in the RLDS records match William John, but from location, it seems more likely that it was William Alfred.

In any event, William John died in 1891 at the age of 76.  His wife, Ann, did then move to London to live with her son, William Alfred.  When Charles was on his mission in England, he went to visit his grandma in London. On August 22, 1900, he wrote: 

"I arose feeling well and was preparing for to see my relations. I took the underground route to Broad Street, and from Broad Street I took a cab for Westbourne Grove and had good luck in finding my people. I found them in a few minutes after getting off from the Bus. I found them all well and anxious to see me. This was the first time in this life I had met them. Grandma was 81 years old. She was well and was doing much work around the house, doing most of the cooking."
The 1901 census shows "Grandma," Ann Altrop, living with William Alfred and Louisa (Bass) Altrop at 138 Westbourne Grove in London.

Westbourne Grove
Photo: Gerry Lynch

Family records show that "Grandma" Ann died in Provo, Utah at the age of 86. That's a long trip from London in her 80's and I can't find any independent verification of this.

Just another Altrop mystery!

Where's That Bolt of Lightning When You Need It?

I'll be honest. Sometimes, doing family history work is not all joy and sunshine.  In fact, many times thunderheads of frustration rain down when people are not where they should be or connections and records that should be there don't just pop up.

My two current cloudbursts are:
1. Where and when did my great great grandparents get married?  George Smith and Elizabeth Altrop were born in England, immigrated to the United States and had children.  We hope that at some point they got married, but there does not seem to be an official record of the event (just their temple sealing in 1891).
  This is a picture of their headstone in Willard, Utah. Note that it says they were married in England in 1867. I can't find a record of this and Elizabeth is still using her maiden name on the ship's manifest in 1869.  Another source says that they were married in April 1867 in Willard; however, they didn't reach the US until 1869.  A note on one of the family group sheets passed along to me says that they were married on the ship coming to America. No one who kept a journal on that voyage made note of any marriage.  The 1900 census reports that they have been married for 30 years.

Can I get an umbrella here?

2.  Who are John Marsden and Hannah Maria Sunderland?

This is a note among other notes that I believe were prepared by my great grandfather Charles Smith.  All of the other notes pertain to family members.  But who are these two people?  I can't find any connection with the family, although these were certainly real people (I found them in the census).  On the new Familysearch Family Tree, these two are a little island without any children and no connection to anyone through their parents.  I feel sorry for them, all alone out there, but are they related to my family? 

I'm wishing for a raincoat!

Charles Henry Smith

Charles Henry Smith is my great grandfather.  For my nieces and nephew, he is your Grandpa Smith's grandpa. He was born in 1873 and is the first of the Smiths in our line to be born in the United States.  His parents were born in England.  He was in a big family!  He had 4 brothers and 6 sisters.

Charles was baptized in his youth, but somehow, the record of his baptism got lost and right before he went on his mission, he had to get baptized again.  He served his mission in England.

When he came back from his mission, he married Lillie Veletty Stokes.

Lillie Smith with her grandson (my dad)

 When Charles and Lillie first moved to Idaho, their house was not very comfortable.  They had to burn sagebrush for heat and haul water from a well. 

The Smiths eventually had a better house near Burley, Idaho.  Charles was a farmer and a well driller.  They had an orchard, sheep, geese, cattle and horses. The Charles Smith family was also big.  He and Lillie had 10 children. Charles was the first bishop of the Pella Ward, near Burley.

I did not ever get to meet Charles.  He died in 1944 LONG before I was born.  But I did get to meet Lillie.  The little girl in this picture is me and the little boy is my brother Jeff.  Lillie is the woman on the far right.  I don't remember this meeting.

Many years later at the Burley airport

One of the daughters of Charles and Lillie lived a long time and died just last year.  She was almost 101 years old! 


Me and Lareana