OK. These two aren't brothers but I'm wondering if they are at all related. On board was a James Smith 17 also from Warwick...Cousins maybe? The only Smiths on board and all from Warwick.
I just can't say thankyou enough, this is so amazing. Thankyou all. I have a very very old hand made scrape book for post cards, and cards. I remember my mum saying that it was sent all the way from England to my Nana here in NZ from here Grandmother Annie who my mum said lived till 109. She has made the pages by hand with hard material and stitching. I wonder when her husband passed away, if she remarried. I think found her birth as 1818, her father being George Satchwell. I think I found when they married Isaac and Ann, 30/06/1845. Ann would have been around 26 or 27 at the time of there marriage. I hope I have the right people and dates. I am not sure where America comes into there family, my mother thought Arthur who was the missionary some how had something to do with America, or maybe one of his children. I have a new's paper clipping about the American Civil War Veterans London branch. Arthur was a Honorary Secretary, there is a photo of him and 4 others laying flowers on the graves of the American Soldiers at the Broodwood Cemetery on Decoralion Day. This is written to my Nana Uncle Arthur born 1848 Coventry England, died 05/02/1932. She writes most of your Ancestors are English or Canadian, but you did have someone who fought in the civil war. He was your dad's great-great Uncle. I had another thought, when someone passes away in NZ on there death certificate is there children's ages living or decesed. I just thought of Annie's father, Herbert's first wife, on his death certificate it may say something about his children, just a thought. Thankyou heaps again.
How amazing, I think this is going to open up a big new avenue of research, Elaine!!! On all the censuses Arthur is in England, but now there's no doubt he went to America in between the 1861 and 1871 censuses and that it was he who fought in the American Civil War! I had previously found that someone looking very much like your Arthur was calling himself Arthur W. F. Smith on the 1911 census. There's a death registration in the Lambeth district in 1932 which would fit with the date of death you have for Arthur. Now just googling for American Civil War Veterans and London Branch brings up loads of stuff - one of the first things that popped up was in a 1927 American paper and about 'A. W. Frazier Smith, 80-year-old Civil war veteran' laying a wreath in London. This is the article I found - which has all sorts of fascinating stuff saying 'He went to America as a boy in 1863 because he could not find work in his native Coventry...'. It also mentions him being a missionary so I'm sure it's your man. When and why he acquired the names 'William Frazier' is something we still have to discover! https:// news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19270213&id=FsoaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JEoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5421,6111022&hl=en Can't wait to find out more!!!
The information on a death certificate apart from all the legal stuff is furnished by the informant. He/she would only be able to give the information that they knew about or thought they knew about. If they didn't know about any other children then it wouldn't be on the certificate. You certainly have some wonderful memoirs there.
Not sure if this has been mentioned, can't find it so if it is here then I apologise. Walter A Smith Immigration Vermont St Albans Canadian Border Crossing Feb 1 1916 Age 62 born Coventry Previous crossing New York July 1878 Family Search
If Arthur went to America between 1861 and 1871 then how does this seem. Arthur Smith age 14 arrived Castle Garden 26/9/1867 aboard the Denmark from Liverpool. The age is not quite right though but the closest I can see.
That must be 'our' Walter, Archie's Mum As for Arthur, from that newspaper article mentioned above, he went to America in 1863, 'served in 1864-1865 with the Federal army, in the Twentieth New York regiment, Co. H.' and then came back to England: Comrade Smith returned to England the year after the war, and has only visited America once since then. That was in 1889 when he went to claim his pension. He was able to find, with little difficulty, two non-commissioned officers of his company who testifed to his service and his claim was speedily granted. He now receives a pension of 65 a month, and since 1889 he has received from the United States government over $5000 in pension money.' The London Branch of American Civil War Veterans was formed in 1910. There's quite a bit about its history here: http://www. acwrt.org.uk/uk-heritage_The-London-Branch-of-American-Civil-War-Veterans-1910-1933.asp Arthur William Frazier Smith is mentioned in this article - and is in one of the photos though the copy here is very low resolution. They are probably from newspapers of the time so it should be possible to get hold of better copies: suvcw.org/banner_nl/2010BannerSummer.pdf I haven't had time for a thorough search in the newspapers but did see that the Western Daily Press of 29 January 1932 reported that 'The death has occurred in St. Thomas's Hospital, London, of Mr. A. W. Frazier Smith, who as a lad took part in the American civil war.' Back to work now
I tried looking for Arthur on the nps.gov site and couldn't find him in the New York 20th. Will have another go later, time permitting.
The London City Mission still exists; it sounds from their website as if they have an excellent archive: https://www. lcm.org.uk/our-mission/archives Perhaps they would be able to advise you if they have anything about Arthur? I should think there would at least be an obituary in their magazine, but potentially much more too. The indexes to the magazines on their site are just taken from brief contents listings I think, and aren't detailed enough to list the names appearing in the magazine. Some issues of the magazine are online in other places though - and it looks like it would be a very useful source, with obituaries, photographs, reports on mission work, and so on. A bound volume of editions of the magazine for 1919-1920 is online here: https:// archive.org/details/londoncitymissio8485unse It does have a mention of A.W.F. Smith and a letter from the Secretary of the London Branch of the American Civil War Veterans. Also lots of fascinating photos of missionaries at work in London.
No definitely says Arthur...however on the census for 1901 for K. Lincoln & Niagara, Ontario, Walter is described as 48 born England and immigration year is 1860. That would have made him only 6-7. But!!! on Castle Garden there is a Walter Smith immigrated in 1859 age 6 on the Belle Wood 8/11/1859 As I can't check the census image could someone have a look for me on 1901 please. Thank You. I know there are hundreds of Walter/Arthur/Herbert Smiths but it's worth a think.
Oops sorry Archie's Mum, I should have quoted the relevant post, - I meant the one crossing the US/Canada border was Walter.
I'm not sure what you want to know from the census image.... It does just say Walter,born in England, with a wife Catharine, daughters, Annie, Ethel and one I can't make out(transcribed Flora). all born in Ontario. The 1911 census has Walter A, same birth Feb. 1853, but immigraition 1868.
I think the Walter A on the censuses is this chap.. deaths.. Name: Walter Andrew Smith Gender: Male Birth Year: abt 1853 Birth Place: England Age at Death: 71 Death Date: 3 Nov 1924 Death Place: Welland, Ontario, Canada
Thank you. A basic search on Family Search has the year transcribed as 1860. Was just asking to be checked.
Hi, thankyou again, I have found a letter to my mum, about family history in Canada. Arthur W Frazier Smith born 1848 in Coventry, England. An American Civil War Veteran died 05/02/1932. A missionary in the US. Walter Andrew Smith born 22/05/1853 in Coventry England, married Catherine Georgina Hart 31/08/1882. 3 daughters Annie Mae born 08/01/1884-died 18/06/1973. Ethel Victoria, born 03/09/1885, - died March 1997. Flora Louise, born 14/05/1887 - died 08/06/1973. Walter Andrew Smith died 03/11/1924, age 71, buried in Fairview Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario. Catherine Georgina Hartt-Smith died 25/01/1949 age 87. My oldest brother lived in England for ten years and I remember he went to Niagara Falls to try to find out abit of our family history. He visited I think Annie Mae's Children, Kathryn, I am a little unsure of the name. I hope this helps alot. Thankyou again. They all seemed to leave home quite at a early age, so interesting.
Hi again, I think I may have found a death date for Isaac Smith 17/02/1912, not sure if it is right or not. Haven't found one for Annie Smith. My mum was sure she lived till 109, but in a Canada letter says 107 but no date. A hundred thankyou's to everyone, all so very interesting. I still wonder what may have happened to Herbert's first wife, but may never know. Hope I am helping in some way. I know Herbert and Walter seemed to be good friend and kept in contact, but not with his other two brother's so we really didn't know anything about Arthur or Edwin. Thankyou again. yours truly Elaine.
Okay, I finally found Arthur in the Civil War Rosters: F R A Z I E R , WILLIAM.—Age, 18 years. Enlisted at Kingston, to serve one year, and mustered in as private, Co. H , October 10, 1864; discharged, July 13, 1865, at New York city; also borne as Frazer. He was in the "Ulster Guard," originally organized at Kingston, Ulster County, NY as the 20th Regiment State Militia Infantry for 3 months in 1861. When that term was up, it became the 80th Regiment Infantry (which is where I found him). So from Oct '64 to July '65 the unit was at City Point, Va., Provost Guard Headquarters, Army of the Potomac, to March, 1865. Independent Brigade, 9th Army Corps, to April, 1865. Richmond, Va., Dept. of Virginia, to November, 1865. Unit Service: Assigned to garrison and guard duty at City Point, Va., Headquarters of the Army, June 18, 1864, to April 14, 1865. Assault on and fall of Petersburg April 2. Occupation of Petersburg April 3. Provost duty at Richmond April 14 to November 27, 1865. This was at the very end of the war - the fall of Richmond. Arthur was lucky to have served in the Army of the Potomac under Grant. All the previous generals were utterly incompetent and tens of thousands of lives were wasted. Sources: New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center - https:// dmna.ny.gov/historic/mil-hist.htm The Civil War Archive - http://www. civilwararchive.com/files.htm
Here is A W F Smith's listing on the NPS site: Frazier , William Battle Unit Name: 80th Regiment, New York Infantry Side:Union Company:H Soldier's Rank In: private Soldier's Rank Out: private Alternate name: Film Number: M551 ROLL 49 Plaque Number: Notes:none http://www. nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=4992CC9E-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A Knowing the name under which he enlisted will help if you want to find his pension records. Whew! I'm done for now. Nite, nite. zzzzz
