CHRISTOPHER•ALLEN•SMITH•WINTON Family Tree - Person Sheet
CHRISTOPHER•ALLEN•SMITH•WINTON Family Tree - Person Sheet
NameWilliam Starmer SMITH [27], [2186], [8128], G Grandfather
Birth Date30 Jan 1854 [27], [729], [3331]
Birth PlaceNorthampton, Northamptonshire, England
Memo“29 Jan 1853” reported in 1901 census, though age was reported correctly.
Census Date7 Apr 1861 [760] Age: 7
Census PlaceNorthampton, Northamptonshire, England
Memo7 College Street, All Saints Parish
Census Date2 Apr 1871 [818] Age: 17
Census PlaceSt. Sepulchre, Northampton, Northamptonshire, England
Memo10 Princess Street
Reside Date9 Feb 1875 Age: 21
Reside PlaceStrand, Middlesex [London], England
MemoBurleigh Street
Reside Date7 May 1878 [7965] Age: 24
Reside PlaceArrondissement 8, Paris, France
Memo61 Rue Marbeuf
Census Date3 Apr 1881 [729] Age: 27
Census PlaceHarpurhey, Lancashire, England
Memo34 Linton St.
Immi Date1882 [3331]
Reside Date23 Dec 1894 [95], [1016] Age: 40
Reside PlaceVictoria, British Columbia, Canada
MemoSunnyside Avenue and Craigflower Road in Victoria West
Census Date11 May 1891 [5810] Age: 37
Census PlaceVictoria, British Columbia, Canada
MemoYates Street Ward
Voy Date8 Jun 1893 [2186] Age: 39
Voy PlaceLiverpool, Lancashire, England
MemoArrived in Quebec, Canada, 14-JUN-1893
Census Date31 Mar 1901 [3331] Age: 47
Census PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
Death Date5 Dec 1901 [720], [987], [990] Age: 47
Death PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
Burial Date7 Dec 1901 [988], [1498, Memorial# 70316545]
Burial PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
MemoCity of Nelson Memorial Park, General Plot #2, Plot #146 (about 2 rows west of center of GP-2, 3rd stone south of roundabout).
Alias/AKAWilliam Henry Starmer SMITH [7965], [8360]
Alias/AKAWilliam STARMER-SMITH [3331]
OccupationContractor, Estate Agent [95], [741], [990]
OccupationBill Poster [818], [7207]
OccupationShoemaker [7965]
OccupationTheatrical Manager [8360]
OccupationPainter, Paperhanger [729], [3331], [5810], [8138]
OccupationGrainer (painted grain on wood), Glazier [8138]
OccupationW. Starmer Smith & Co. - Chimney Sweeping, General House and Office Cleaning, Glazing, Painting, Paper Hanging. [8139]
FatherThomas SMITH (ca1829-1886)
MotherMary STARMER (1826-1900)
Misc. Notes
Family tradition has it that William S. SMITH & Sarah Ann JOHNSON eloped to Paris, France, married there and lived there at least until the birth of their first child, William. Having found the birth record of their son, William [7965], it is now known that William S. and Sarah, along with William’s father, Thomas SMITH, all were living at 61 Rue Marbeuf, Paris, at the time of the boy’s birth. William S. Smith stated his occupation then as shoemaker, which is unusual, since he was not known for that in England or Canada. It is not known at what point in this story Thomas (the boy’s grandfather) showed up in Paris, but it does show that the grandparents knew where their kids had run off to. Thomas participated in the registration of his grandson’s birth and his signature appears 3 times in the record. Another interesting point about the birth record is that William gave 2 middle names: Henry and Starmer. No other record mentions the name “Henry.” According to the birth record, the birth took place at 15 Rue de Ponthieu, just a 4 minute walk from their residence.

As for the actual marriage record of William and Sarah, having not found it in the records of Paris, I returned to search English records armed with a new alias for William. In that Paris birth register, William recorded his name as “William Henry Starmer Smith.” The use of “Henry” is of unknown origin but it turns out that he also appears to have used that alias when he married Sarah. I'm still not in possession of the marriage certificate for final confirmation, but it does appear that they did marry in England rather than Paris and that Sarah was only 18. Based on the birth date of Willie, I had estimated the marriage was in July or August of 1877. But the record I found indicates marriage in late 1875. I won't know the exact date and location until I obtain the certificate, though the registration district, Strand, implies a location in either Middlesex or London, which explains why I didn't find anything in Northamptonshire.

At some point they returned to England and as of 3 Apr 1881, were living at 34 Linton St., Harpurhey, Lancashire. [729] But it is puzzling why they went there rather than going back to Northamptonshire. Later they emigrated to Canada in 1882 or 1883. [731]

At the time of the birth of son, Gordon, the family lived at Craigflower Road and Sunnyside Avenue in Victoria West, BC. [95], [1016]

In 1892, while Sarah was pregnant with Grace, the whole family, including Nelly and Gertrude, traveled to England to visit Sarah’s parents. By unlucky circumstance, William’s brother, John Alfred, suffered an accidental death during William’s visit to Northampton, and so he was present at John’s funeral. [4075] They arrived back in Canada, with new baby, Grace, aboard the S.S. Parisian, on 14-JUN-1893 (or possibly on the 16th), and took the CPR train to the west coast. [2186] The uncertainty in the arrival date is twofold, first, the 14th is from Ancestry.com’s index entry, but the actual list does not state the arrival date, only the departure date (8-JUN-1893), secondly, another web site source claims arrival on the 16th; and finally, the ship’s master recorded on the passenger list a forecast of a 32 day journey, which would have them arriving 10-JUL-1893. [2187]

In 1894, William played the unlikely role of matchmaker, bringing together a couple who met in person for the first time the evening before their wedding day. [2178] The bridegroom was Thomas Alfred MILLS, of Nelson (but born in England), and the bride was Beatrice Jane WATSON, of Northamptonshire, England. They were married in Revelstoke, BC, 22-SEP-1894. [2180], [2181] William then returned to his home in Sunnyside, Victoria, BC. [2178] There was a Beatrice Jane WATSON, born in the 3rd quarter of 1870, in the Wellingbro' (Wellingborough) registration district, the majority of which is part of Northamptonshire. [462] If that is her, then she was about 24 when she got married. Other than the fact that both William and Beatrice were born in Northamptonshire, exactly how she and William Starmer SMITH knew each other is unknown; she would only have been a child when William left England. However, the marriage record shows that Beatrice’s mother was Jane CRADDOCK, which suggests that she could be an in-law of William’s wife (Sarah Ann JOHNSON’s uncle, Charles JOHNSON, married Marianne CRADDOCK). As for Thomas MILLS, he later ended up being a pallbearer at William’s funeral. [988]

Evidence suggests William was in Nelson, BC, at least by 1897, based on a news item indicating that “W. S. Smith” had bid on a job to paint the fire hall and city lockup, but his was not the winning bid. [2179] The year 1897 also agrees well with Gordon N. SMITH’s written history of the family. [730]

Both William and his wife, Sarah, appeared to prefer to emphasize the name “Starmer” rather than William. [8138] [8140]
Research
13-SEP-2009: searched www.bmdregisters.co.uk for William Smith within Marriages 1878 (+/- 5 years), all locations; 10 hits, none match.
13-JUL-2011: searched www.bmdregisters.co.uk, all record groups, for marriage of William SMITH, in France, 1877±5yrs; zero hits.

In June 2011, I contracted with an American genealogist living in Paris, France, to try to locate records of the marriage of William and Sarah and the birth of their son, William Parnell. Unfortunately she found no trace of them in the time period they are believed to have resided there.

23-MAY-2020, I examined the Tables Décennales (Decennial Tables) for marriages in the period 1873-1882, for all 20 arrondissements of Paris, for both JOHNSON and SMITH, and did not find this marriage.
http://archives.paris.fr/s/7/tables-decennales/?&a...todo=modif_recherche

18-DEC-2020: Possible match found at FreeBMD for Marriages Dec Qtr. 1875 in the district of Strand, which spans the boundaries of the counties of Middlesex and London. Volume 1b, page 1042. The names given are Sarah Ann JOHNSON and William Henry S. SMITH. This is consistent with his use of the name “William Henry Starmer Smith” in the birth record for son William. Will require actual certificate to confirm. See index pages “1875M4-J-0160.jpg” and “1875M4-S-0270.jpg”.


found “death notices” entry in an online index by the City of Victoria:
Smith W. Starmer 1901.12.05 48 Nelson, BC Reference = Tim 1901.12.09,08 (Victoria Daily Times, 09-DEC-1901, page 8)
[5811]
Spouses
Birth Date10 Feb 1857 [28], [729], [3331]
Birth PlaceKingsthorpe, Northamptonshire, England
Memo“8 Feb” reported in 1901 census.
Census Date2 Apr 1871 [3577] Age: 14
Census PlaceNorthampton, Northamptonshire, England
Memo5 Seymour Place
Reside Date7 May 1878 [7965] Age: 21
Reside PlaceArrondissement 8, Paris, France
Memo61 Rue Marbeuf
Census Date3 Apr 1881 [729] Age: 24
Census PlaceHarpurhey, Lancashire, England
Memo34 Linton St.
Immi Date1882 [3331], [731]
Memo“1883” according to 1911 census.
Reside Date23 Dec 1894 [95], [1016] Age: 37
Reside PlaceVictoria, British Columbia, Canada
MemoSunnyside Avenue and Craigflower Road in Victoria West
Census Date11 May 1891 [5810] Age: 34
Census PlaceVictoria, British Columbia, Canada
MemoYates Street Ward
Voy Date8 Jun 1893 [2186] Age: 36
Voy PlaceLiverpool, Lancashire, England
MemoArrived in Quebec, Canada, 14-JUN-1893
Census Date31 Mar 1901 [3331] Age: 44
Census PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
Census Date22 Jun 1911 [731] Age: 54
Census PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
MemoCarbonate St.
Reside Date3 May 1918 [8004] Age: 61
Reside PlaceRegina, Saskatchewan, Canada
MemoSuite 3, Broadway Court
Census Date1 Jun 1921 [7969] Age: 64
Census PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
Memo710 Mill St.
Death Date26 Feb 1930 [725], [983] Age: 73
Death PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
Burial Date2 Mar 1930 [984]
Burial PlaceNelson, British Columbia, Canada
MemoCity of Nelson Memorial Park: General Plot #2, Plot #146 (about 2 rows west of center of GP-2, 3rd stone south of roundabout).
Alias/AKASally [892], [730]
Alt.SpellingMrs. Starmer SMITH [8140]
OccupationCounterwoman In Toy Warehouse (Lancashire, England); piano teacher (Nelson, BC). [729], [730], [731]
OccupationPiano/Organ teacher [8140]
FatherJohn Thomas JOHNSON (ca1824-1901)
MotherSarah Ann CHOWN (1827-1922)
Misc. Notes
Harpurhey is about 103 miles northwest of Kingsthorpe.

The 1891 census shows Sarah had a daughter named Mary, age 5, born in Quebec. It is unclear if this is an alternate name for Nelly or a previously unknown child. Nelly should have still been alive in 1891, so the alternate-name theory seems more likely. [5810]

The 1911 census shows the family living on Carbonate St. in Nelson, BC, Canada. [731]
She spoke French as a second language. [730]
Research
13-JUL-2011: searched www.bmdregisters.co.uk, all record groups, for marriage of Sarah JOHNSON, in France, 1877±5yrs; zero hits. Also negative results when search widened to include all locations.

The obituary for Sarah’s father, John Thomas JOHNSON [4072], suggests that Sarah was present at the funeral in 1901. However, I have not been able to locate any evidence of such a trip to England. Also, she would have had to have traveled to England before he died, in order to be there in time for the funeral. So it’s possible she went upon learning of his failing health, but again, there don’t seem to be any passenger lists to back that up.
Marr Date9 Nov 1875 [8360]
Marr PlaceStrand, Middlesex [London], England
Marr MemoMarried at the Strand district Register Office.
ChildrenWilliam (1878-1889)
 Nelly (ca1886-ca1894)
 Gertrude Annie (1888-1917)
 Grace Edith (1892-1971)
 Gordon Joseph Nöel (1894-1980)
 John Starmer (1898-1898)
Last Modified 12 Feb 2022Created 23 Jun 2022 using Reunion for Macintosh
First Published 22 Sep 2013. Revised 23 Jun 2022
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