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James John Smith b. abt 1810

C

Canuck DGS

Brummie babby
great grandfather was JAMES JOHN SMITH, born about 1810 in England, but we have no clue as to where in England. He emigrated to New Brunswick Canada in 1843. At that time he was unmarried, and his occupation was a shoemaker. I assume he learned his trade in England, as he was recorded in the 1851 census for New Brunswick as a farmer and a shoemaker. 5 DNA matches suggest he may have been from Birmingham area. hoping to find a birth record or 1841 census.
 
There is a baptism for a James John Smith in Bham. 27 Aug 1810, the son of a James and Ann.

Virtually impossible to be certain that he is your James John Smith unfortunately.
 
MWS said:
There is a baptism for a James John Smith in Bham. 27 Aug 1810, the son of a James and Ann.

Virtually impossible to be certain that he is your James John Smith unfortunately.
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Thanks for your reply. I have already investigated this person and found a death notice for him in the Birmingham Journal - he died March 28 1840. so I know this was not the ancestor I was seeking. The notice named his father and the street they lived on which matched the address in the 1841 census for his parents and several siblings. Also have burial records from St Philips Cathedral.

"On the 28th inst, deeply regretted, James John Smith, eldest son of James Smith of Tenby St. Newhall Hill, age 27 years" - [Birmingham Journal, Apr 11 1840]

It is possible that he was baptised :James" without his second name, which makes it even harder to find, or his name could have been John James.

Is there a way to search shoemakers or apprentices by their trade?
 
Canuck DGS said:
It is possible that he was baptised :James" without his second name, which makes it even harder to find, or his name could have been John James.
Click to expand...

Not uncommon, I've came across many people who have a middle name added at a later date. I suppose reasons can be always intended but missed off at baptism, religion or added later at the death of a sibling for instance. Which doesn't always make things easy.

Not certain how DNA results work but if you have 5 DNA matches can you not trace them back to see where they come from? Also are you certain the matches are from the Smith portion of your DNA? And just because the DNA matches are from the Bham area now, just like your g grandfather their ancestor(s) may have moved from somewhere else.
 
all these aspects of DNA are challenging. However the James J Smith in my tree is the only English ancestor. All the other lines are German, French, Scottish and Irish and have been researched thoroughly. Ancestry designates these Smith matches as Paternal - although I don't know how they do it. I am able to view the trees of these matches and find a Smith person in each but of course have no idea if that research is accurate or speculation. So far have not connected any of them to my family.
 
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