Biography of Ellen Smith

Biography of

Ellen SMITH

[Ref. P.70]

Ellen Smith was born in Shoreham, Kent in 1837 and was baptised in the parish church on 5 November that year. Her name was recorded in the baptism register as Helen but it is shown as Ellen in all subsequent documents so the vicar either misheard the name or thought he knew better.

The census of 1841 shows the family being one of two occupying the Pig and Whistle public house in Shoreham. According to the census of 1851, the family were living in Romney Street in Shoreham and that Ellen was a Sunday scholar. They were still in Ronmey Street in 1861 but Ellen had no occupation listed against her name.

Ellen married Charles Chandler at Farningham on 18 October 1862. He had been born in Essex. The 1871 census shows them living in Button Street in Farningham with daughter Adelaide. However, research finds that Adelaide was not actually their daughter but that of William and Mary Chandler. Charles and William do not appear to be close relatives so the presence of Adelaide in the household of Ellen and Charles can not be explained at present.

Daughter Annie was born about 1872 and son Albert about 1876. The census of 1881 shows the family still in Button Street, Farningham. That census also records that Ellen was deaf, a fact that was not evident in previous records.

The 1891 census shows their house as number 6 in Button Street and at that time Ellen and Charles were living there with sons Albert and Ernest. Ellen's deafness is not noted on this census.

By the time the census was taken in 1901 census, the family had moved to 2 Boisyers Cottages in Swanley Street, Sutton at Hone, Albert and Ernest still living with their parents. Again, Ellen's deafness is not recorded.

Ellen's husband Charles passed away in 1906. She survived him by one year and died at Forge Cottages in Swanley on 21 February 1907 with her son Ernest in attendance. The cause of death was recorded as general debility for two years and exhaustion.

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