Of Fairby House, Eltham, Kent. (Now in Greater London)

 

JAMES THOMAS DIDN’T HAVE ANY (SURVIVING) CHILDREN AND LEFT THE BULK OF HIS ESTATE TO HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND THEIR CHILDREN, THE MAJOR PART GOING TO HIS DURHAM NEPHEWS AND NIECES, POSSIBLY BECAUSE THEIR FATHER, CHARLES JACOB DURHAM, DIDN’T LEAVE THEM MUCH IT IS INTERESTING THAT ALMOST ALL THE DURHAM CHILDREN ARE MENTIONED, BUT THAT WILLIAM JACOB SMITH DURHAM’s SONS ARE NOT MENTIONED – EITHER BECAUSE THEIR FATHER DIED IN SOUTH AFRICA IN DISGRACE? IN 1894, AND/OR BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP BY THEIR MOTHER’S RELATIVES AND HAD LOST CONTACT WITH THE DURHAM AND SMITH FAMILIES SIGNED 1st CODICIL 2nd CODICIL 3rd CODICIL 4th CODICIL 5th CODICIL 6th CODICIL 7th CODICIL 10 SEP 1896 10 DEC 1896 17 DEC 1901 14 MAY 1902 21 MAY 1903 21 APR 1904 7 JUN 1904 18 OCT 1904 EXECUTORS Jane Ann SMITH (WIFE) Alfred HILLS Samuel Mitton WATERFIELD (niece’s husband) Adam Rivers STEELE (solicitor) WITNESSES non-family PROVED 1 DEC 1904, probate granted to Alfred HILLS and Samuel Mitton WATERFIELD LEFT £295,523-12s-5d   RELATIVES MENTIONED (IN ORDER OF BIRTH)     BROTHERS (A) WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, WIDOW ELIZABETH   (B) HENRY JAMES SMITH LATE SISTERS (C) ELIZABETH ANN SMITH BURGESS   (D) ANN FRANCES SMITH DURHAM – NOT MENTIONED   (E) SARAH MORRIS SMITH SHEPHERD SMITH NIECES AND NEPHEWS CHILDREN OF (A) NOT MENTIONED SMITH NIECES AND NEPHEWS ELIZABETH - NOT MENTIONED, DEAD? CHILDREN OF (B) ROSA MORRIS   MARTHA (or MARY ANN?) - NOT MENTIONED, DEAD?   GEORGIANA EMMA   LOUISA JANE   JANE ANN   JAMES HENRY   WILLIAM VICTOR - NOT MENTIONED, DEAD?   HENRIETTA JOSEPHINE   CHARLES - NOT MENTIONED, DEAD?   ELIZABETH MARY ANN - NOT MENTIONED, DEAD – OR WAS SHE “MARY”?   EMMALINE JESSIE   MARY? II BURGESS NIECES AND NEPHEWS HENRY WILLIAM MORRIS BURGESS CHILDREN OF (C) SARAH ANN FRANCES BURGESS   )     JAMES THOMAS BURGESS               ) NOT MENTIONED   WILLIAM HENRY BURGESS              )   DURHAM NIECES AND NEPHEWS CHILDREN OF (D) ELIZABETH ANN, HUSBAND FREDERICK ALPHONSE KNOTT SON FREDERICK THOMAS DAUGHTER ALICE LOUISE, HUSBAND ARCHIBALD JAMES PATON   SARAH JANE, HUSBAND JOHN JAMES FENN   CHARLES WILLIAM I - DEAD   WILLIAM JACOB SMITH - DIED, IN DISGRACE?, 1894 – SONS NOT MENTIONED   CHARLES JOHN I - DIED 1895 – WIDOW NOT MENTIONED   ANN(E) FRANCES FINN (HUSBAND FINN NOT FOUND)   JAMES EDWARD I, WIFE JESSIE MORRIS SHEPHERD   EMMA LOUISA - DEAD   ALFRED THOMAS, WIFE CLARA   JANE ANN, HUSBAND SAMUEL MITTON WATERFIELD   FREDERICK EDWARD (MISTAKE FOR FREDERICK EVAN)   MARY ANN II, HUSBAND WALTER FRANK EVANS   ALICE MATILDA - DEAD   WALTER HERBERT I - DEAD   HENRIETTA SARAH, HUSBAND CHARLES MESSINGHAM SHEPHERD II   GEORGIN(I)A MORRIS, HUSBAND ROBERT ELLERKER LEWIN SHEPHERD NIECES AND NEPHEWS ELIZABETH SARAH CHILDREN OF (E) ANN(I)E JANE, HUSBAND JOHN RYAN BELL   JESSIE MORRIS, HUSBAND JAMES EDWARD DURHAM I   FLORENCE THOMASINE – DEAD, WIDOWER AND CHILDREN NOT MENTIONED   CHARLES MESSINGHAM II, WIFE HENRETTA SARAH DURHAM OTHER PEOPLE THOMAS BAKER KNOTT – FREDERICK ALPHONSE’s FATHER   JANE VAUGHAN, MARY VAUGHAN  - JANE STONE VAUGHAN WAS ALMOST DEFINITELY THE HALF-SISTER OF CHARLES JACOB DURHAM, JOHN THOMAS’ BROTHER-IN-LAW – SHE WAS BORN ABOUT 1812, BUT PROBABLY DEAD WHEN MENTIONED IN THE 1904 CODICIL – SHE HAD A DAUGHTER CALLED MARY – THE LATTER’S ADDRESS IN THE 1901 CENSUS WAS 81 LEWISHAM HIGH ROAD ALSO MENTIONED THE SMITH FAMILY VAULT AT THE SOUTH METROPOLITAN CEMETERY COMPANY’S CEMETERY AT NORWOOD – HIS WIFE JANE ANN, AND THE KNOTT FAMILY, ARE ALSO BURIED THERE     Original notes by James Thomas’ Great-great-niece, Cayman Islands