The Smith Brothers
Peter Wise and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
John McDowell Smith married Margaret Stout at Teesdale in the summer of 1882. The couple went on to have 12 children although sadly 1 died. Of the 11 siblings remaining there were six sons and five daughters as follows:-
John William Stout 1880 -1917; Sarah Jane 1884 -1946; Alfred 1888 – 1918; George Henry 1890 -1916; Margaret 1892 – 1954; Robert 1894 – 1916; Frederick 1897 – 1917; Wilfred 1898 – 1968; Elizabeth 1901 -1997; Kathleen 1903 – 1977; Lillian 1906 - ??
John William was born in 1880 to single mother Margaret Stout. In 1891 he is living with his half brothers and sisters at Bridge End Startforth.
The 1901 census shows the Smith family living at Oliver’s Yard, Bridgegate, Barnard Castle. His father was a chimney sweep whilst Alfred and sister, Sarah both worked as machine minders at the flax mill. Two doors away from the Smiths were John William Stout a blacksmith and his wife Frances a machine winder in the Flax Mill and their two-year-old daughter Lily. The couple had married in 1898.
In 1911 John, Fanny and Lilian are boarding with the Minnikin family at Bridgegate Barnard Castle. John was a road labourer His father John McDowell Smith died in 1923 and his mother Margaret on October 13th 1923 was asked to lay a wreath at the dedication of the Barnard Castle War Memorial in the grounds of Bowes Museum. Margaret died in 1924. Frances and Lilian remained in Barnard Castle. Frances died in 1954 and Lilian in 1987. On November 11th 2018 members of the Smith family gathered to remember their relatives- the six Smith Brothers of Barnard Castle. The photograph includes clockwise from left to right Alfred, George Henry, Frederick and John. The inset is of Wilfred in later life. No photograph has been found of Robert. John William Stout is remembered at Barnard Castle on B135.02, B135.23 and B135.25
