Hi All and thankyou Huncamunca for your input and interest in my searches. The will of Jethro says he leaves share of his will to Hester Smith, James Smith, Jane Fox, Winifred Smith or Bond, John Smith or Bond, Matilda Smith, Alice Smith, Jamima Smith, Rebecca Smith. I appoint Hester Smith and James Smith my executors and my solemn request that my wife Hester and son James should have a joint interest in the business as long as they can agree and to go on together. If they do not agree the property to be sold by auction. His will was made in 1848 but in 1852 he added onto it because he had purchased more property and I think he says South Field (very hard to read). Now I have an issue with sorting out who are Elizabeth Hickman children and Hester Bond children. I have always thought that my Matilda's mother was Hester but now not so sure. I also thought Winifred and John were born to Elizabeth but he says Smith or Bond in the will. I had these to born well before my Matilda. Yes I think I may need to purchase some of the CD's from the Oxfordshire Society. I am also curious as to how Jethro acquired the land and did so well, he only mentions one brother in his diary an Amos Smith but nothing of total interest. I have been having a lot of trouble posting a reply, so I will give it another go. Cheers Shazza
Hi Shazza, I would think from the terminology of the Will that Winifred and John were the children of Hester before she married Jethro. Looking at the 1841 census record for Jethro & Hester, it seems most likely that James SMITH was the son of Jethro & Elizabeth (as he is shown as aged 26), that Winifred & John were the children of Hester prior to her marriage to Jethro (although of course he could still be their natural father) and that Matilda and the subsequent children were from Jethro's marriage to Hester. A look at the PR Transcripts CD from the Oxfordshire FHS (WIT03) should clarify matters and show when Elizabeth died. Janet
A bit more information from the 1847 Kelly's Directory of Standlake: Absolom HICKMAN, Farmer Stephen HICKMAN, Butcher Absolom is shown in the 1851 census of Standlake as being a Farmer, born c1790 at Standlake, so could perhaps be a relative of Elizabeth HICKMAN, maybe a brother? Stephen HICKMAN is shown as Infirm (a Calfman in the 1841 census of Standlake) and born c1772 also at Standlake, so again could be connected to Elizabeth. Amos SMITH is shown as a Farmer at Standlake in the 1847 Kelly's and there is a John MILES, Carrier, at Brighthampton & a Robert MILES, Shopkeeper, at Standlake - are they connected to your MILES family? You might also like to bear in mind that British Origins (a pay per view site) have the Will of a William SMITH, Farmer of Standlake, dated 1818, just in case he turns out to be related to your Jethro. Janet
Hi Janet Thankyou very much for the info. I looked up the census for 1841 and it looks as though Amos Smith and the Hickmans were neighbours. I think John Miles is mine but not sure of Robert Miles. John Miles was a shopkeeper in the 1881 census, Witney road Standlake. Jethro also had a brother William so I will purchase the will. Can't find much on Elizabeth Hickman. Thanking you Cheers Shazza
I have looked at the Oxfordshire FHS Marriage Index to see if I can get any clues as to who may have been Elizabeth HICKMAN's parents. I have found Absolom HICKMAN's marriage at Shifford on 9 November 1813 to a Mary LUCKETT and Stephen HICKMAN married at Standlake on 30 May 1798 to a Sarah LEWIS. Ah, now this could be more relevant in that a William HICKMANN married an Elizabeth HARRIS on 11 September 1768 at Standlake. I wonder if they could perhaps be Elizabeth's parents?? Another marriage at Standlake on 4 April 1802 for a William HICKMANN & Catherine MICHELL - maybe another brother? 5 November 1799 at Standlake Hannah HICKMAN married Richard PERRY and 1 December 1806 Sarah HICKMAN married Philip EATON. There are also other HICKMAN marriages at Standlake at around the time of William's marriage to Elizabeth HARRIS. It looks as if William HICKMAN may have died at Standlake in 1817 as British Origins website have an Administration Bond for a William HICKMAN, Cattle Dealer of Standlake. No, on further inspection of the free record for this Administration his widow was a Catherine, so more likely to be the William who married a Catherine MICHELL in 1802. So sorry, not much more help but the only male HICKMAN, or variants, marrying with a Standlake connection at about the correct time to be Elizabeth's father in the Oxfordshire Marriage Index is William in 1768. Janet
Thankyou very much Janet, I too have hit a slight hiccup with the Hickmans, but will keep plodding along. I can't find a public family tree with Elizabeth either but I am sure something will turn up. I am going to concentrate on William Hickman and Elizabeth Harris, because that seems to be the most probable. Thankyou again for your help Cheers Shazza
Hi Shazza! Just now found this site while I was looking for Hester Bond. My ancestors are Bond from England/USA/Canada (where I am from) with a probable connection to Hester who is your gggrandmother. Could you tell me more about her, I know she was Jethro's 2nd wife, was she married before him & had 2 kids already? Could you give me some more info on her family so that I have a direction to head in? Thank you so much! KaTyrrell
Hi All It has been a long time since I have been on this site, justed started back my researching on the Smith and Miles Families. Hoping you can help me once again. Jethro Smith I know married Elizabeth Hickman in 1814, I also know he married Hester Bond in 1828. But, I have found a burial for a Mary on the 25/3/1827, which states wife of Jethro. I can't find a marriage for Jethro and Mary and I can't verify Elizabeth's death. If he was married to Mary, he had 2 children, One Winifred (cannot find her baptism) and John who was baptised 10/1/1828, about the same time he Married Hester. Winifred was Jethro and Hester's child as well. Hope all of you are well Cheers Shazza
Hi SHazza and welcome back. I can only find the two marriages for Jethro that you already know about in Ancestry's Oxfordshire Marriage records. Looking through the Oxfordshire parish records, which have now come online via Ancestry since your first query, the last child baptised to Jethro & Elizabeth appears to be a Benjamin baptised at Standlake on 9 November 1822 and buried on 27 November 1822, so Elizabeth nee HICKMAN presumably died sometime between 1822 and 1828 when Jethro remarried. Interestingly, Jethro & Esther's first child, John, was baptised at Standlake on the same day as they married, i.e. 10 January 1828! Ah, Elizabeth wife of Jethro SMITH was buried on 11 May 1822 at Standlake, aged 39, so if there was another marriage it would have to be between May 1822 and January 1828 - not a big timescale. However, I cannot find a marriage for a Jethro SMITH to a Mary in that timescale nor any children baptised to a Jethro & Mary SMITH. Mary SMITH was aged 40 when she died in 1827 so born c1787. No newspaper records for any of the marriages of Jethro that I can find, so I am afraid I am not much help here - at the moment anyway. Janet
Winifred BOND was baptised at Standlake on 29 January 1826 daughter of Esther BOND of Standlake. This ties in very well with the 1851 census where she is referred to as Winifred B SMITH, so perhaps Jethro was the father especially given that John was obviously born before Jethro & Esther married. Janet
Hi Janet, Thankyou for your interest. I have looked high and low for Elizabeth's burial, so thankyou very much. I think baby Benjamin was buried 27/11/1822. Winifred, I am pretty sure is Jethro's child. In his will he states all his children who go by the name bond or smith. I also cannot find this marriage to Mary, I have poured over the ancestry BMD's. Maybe Mary came from somewhere else. Hester came from Great Cheverell, I would say as a domestic servant, or maybe she came with this Mary. Really I don't know, just trying to look at every angle. Thankyou once again Janet Cheers Shazza
Well if Winifred was Jethro's child, I wonder if the parish register is incorrect and Mary was the wife of another SMITH resident at Standlake. I know it is not impossible, but is it likely that Jethro was having a relationship with Esther whilst still relatively newly married to Mary. But there again, perhaps that is why Jethro and Hester didn't marry until January 1828 - we may never know unfortunately. Janet
Hi Janet, Winifred base born of Esther. It doesn't look like a nice situation at all. Anyway, I will keep looking to see who this Mary was and where they married. I feel quite sorry for her. Thanks again Cheers Sherrie
Hi.. I found Jethro Smith in the Poll of the Electors 1837, also his Brother Amos Page 11, Bampton Hundred, Standlake Regards Pete Code: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=50VgAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP11&lpg=PP11&dq=The+Poll+of+the+Electors+oxford+1837&source=bl&ots=tLd_IfBxJz&sig=AwqJ4dv9gDgwifRLV1QgPjYECN4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiRh_P8nuTfAhU5VBUIHQi4AxsQ6AEwCXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=The Poll of the Electors oxford 1837&f=false
Additional - Checking Thomas Stone, i found a mention of Elizabeth Hickman.. http://wills.oxfordshirefhs.org.uk/az/wtext/stone_001.html .. I Thomas Stone the elder of Standlake ... yeoman ... I give my beloved wife my house, garden etc wherein I now dwell, with the interest of £300 on mortgage on an estate belonging to Mr Knobs and in the occupation of Mrs Elizabeth Hickman in Standlake, for life. After her decease, I give [the house etc] to my son John Stone and his heirs etc forever, and I give him £20. .,.... Probate 8 Jul 1830 London ... John Stone the son and sole executor ...
Hi Peter Thankyou. The Elizabeth Hickman that married Jethro Smith died in1822 0r 1823. I read the will of Thomas Stone, he left a bible to his daughter Hannah, that daughter married Amos Smith. Always great to get that bit extra. Cheers Shazza
Hi again Shazza, Thought I would have another look in newspapers to see if anything new may have appeared re a marriage of Jethro SMITH to a Mary, but absolutely nothing! Two newspaper reports re two of Jethro's children though. The first in the Oxford Journal dated 24 February 1849 which states that John Bond the eldest son of Jethro SMITH of Brighthampton was married at Shifford on February 19th to Jane, second daughter of Mr Charles FOX, Farmer of Aston. The second in the Oxford Journal dated 27 January 1844 which states that Jethro Bond the youngest son of Mr Jethro SMITH of Brighthampton died at the same place on 11 February. There is a report in the Banbury Guardian dated 17 August 1854 to the effect that Mr Jethro SMITH of Brighthampton died on 3 August, aged 64 and one in the Oxfordshire Weekly News dated 10 February 1875 stating that Esther widow of Mr Jethro SMITH died on February 1st, aged 75. You may already have these but in case not …. I also revisited the parish registers of Standlake to see if I could find out anything re the elusive Mary wife of Jethro SMITH, but again absolutely zilch. What I did find though were two burials of, apparently unbaptised, children of Jethro & Elizabeth, an Ambrose buried on 23 January 1820, son of Jethro & Elizabeth SMITH and a William buried on 23 December 1821, son of Jethro & Elizabeth SMITH. Again you may already have these, if so just ignore them. Janet
Hi Janet I once again thankyou for your interest and the research that you do. I do have that information, there is also a Alfred whose burial is 16/01/1820, a week before Ambrose. I have found 6 children and only two that survived who were James and Jane. I have come up with nothing on the marriage of Jethro and Mary. I have looked outside of Standlake as well, thinking maybe Hester was a domestic servant to Mary and they both came from Great Cheverell. I have also looked in the Wiltshire areas, I think that the Smith family have connections to the Angell family who have connections to the Bond family. Do I make any sense? I will keep searching though. I always thought that farms were left to the oldest son, I found a will of a William Smith where he left the farm to Jethro but Amos was older than Jethro. Once again thankyou Janet Cheers Shazza
