Frank Smith

Frank was the son of Samuel and Annie Smith (née Muxlow). His father Samuel was born in Norwich in 1859 (J/F/M Depwade Norfolk), the son of Samuel and Marianne (also Mary Ann) Smith. However, by 1871 when Samuel was 12 years old the family was living in Nottingham. In 1881 he was working as a compositor and living with his married sister Jael Collier (bap. 1857 Trowse, Norfolk) and her husband Louis (b. France) who worked in the lace trade. His mother Annie Louisa was born in Woolwich, Kent, in 1862 (J/A/S Greenwich), the daughter of George and Ann Muxlow. Her father was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, but joined the army and in 1851, at the age of 18, was serving at Woolwich. He served in the Royal Artillery Horse Brigade (G69817) and was admitted as a pensioner on 31 October 1871 at the age of 38. George married and by 1881 he and his wife Ann (b. Barton Nottinghamshire) and their daughters Annie (19) a seamstress, and Alice N. (14) were living at 59 Healey Street, Nottingham; he was an agricultural labourer. Samuel and Annie were married at Nottingham St Saviour (Meadows) on 8 October 1882 and had three children who were all born in Nottingham: Ruby b. 1884 J/A/S Nottingham), Walter Harris b. 1886 (J/A/S Nottingham) d. 1886 (O/N/D Nottingham) and Frank b. 1911. In 1891 Samuel (32) a carriage hand (lace), and Annie (28) were living on Connaught Street, Radford, with their two surviving children, Ruby (6) and Frank (1 month). The family was still living on Connaught Street (8), in 1901. Samuel was now a lace machine maker, Ruby a hosiery machinist and Frank was still at school. Also in the household was Annie's father, George (67), whose occupation was given as army pensioner (d. June 1910). Annie's mother, Ann Muxlow (68), was recorded on the same census in Chelsea, London, with her married daughter Alice Spiers, a dressmaker, and her husband George (33), a valet. The family was living at 2 Canaan Street, Nottingham, when Samuel died aged about 45 in January 1904 (J/F/M Nottingham). He was buried on 30 January in the General Cemetery. In 1911 the widowed Annie was caretaker at the Canaan Church and living in the caretaker's house, Canaan Church Schools, Canaan Street, Nottingham, with her daughter Ruby, a hosiery machinist, and Frank, an assistant at a railway book store. Annie Louisa was living at 30 Edgar Rise, Nottingham, and no longer caretaker at the Canaan Church, when she died on 7 April 1918 (A/M/J Nottingham) aged about 55. She was buried in Nottingham General Cemetery. Ruby was living at 39 Willow Road, Carlton, when she died on 21 June 1934 aged about 49. She was buried in Nottingham General Cemetery on 25 June.