The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 50 No.3 | Dec 2023

Member’s article

Henry Smith baptism 1824

child born in America, so this told me that the family had arrived in America sometime between 1833 and 1836, but I still have not been able to find their passenger arrival record. Henry’s mother Sarah “Ralph,” according to his death certificate, turned out to be Sarah ROLFE , born in Kingsclere and christened 21 October 1798, the daughter of William Rolfe and Elizabeth ROZIER who married 17 August 1789 at Kingsclere. Joseph Smith (his correct middle initial was probably T, perhaps Thomas after his father) was christened 13 May 1798 at Burghclere. His parents were Thomas Smith and Jane TANNER , who married 8 February 1796 at Burghclere. Joseph Smith and Sarah Rolfe married at Burghclere on 18 October 1821. Henry’s baptism record told me that Joseph was a labourer. In America he was a farmer in upstate New York. I have been intrigued about whether his emigration in anyway was tied to the agricultural unrest in the early 1830s. As an agricultural labourer, passage for Joseph and Sarah and their eight children must have been a financial challenge. I suspect that they must have received some assistance from either family or charitable sources. Having not been able to find any record of their arrival in America

Henry F. Smith

Henry F. Smith death certificate

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