William Smith

Brief Life History of William

When William Smith was born about 1821, in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, his father, William Smith, was 23 and his mother, Mary Pears, was 27.

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Family Time Line

William Smith
1799–1849
Mary Pears
1795–1870
William Smith
1821–
Thomas Pears Smith
1825–1890
Richard Pears Smith
1829–1904
Charles Pears Smith
1833–1910
William Pears Smith
1834–1906
John Pears Smith
1837–1862
Smith
1839–1839

Sources (0)

    There are no historical documents attached to William.

    World Events (3)

    1821 · New Ouse Bridge Completed

    The original Ouse Bridge collapsed in 1154 under the weight of a crowd that was on it. In 1367, after the bridge had been replaced with stone and became the site of the first public toilets. In 1564-1565 the bridge was finally done being repaired. In 1810 and 1818 the bridge was dismantled to make way for a new Ouse Bridge design and completed in 1821.

    1823

    Rugby Football 'invented' at Rugby School.

    1830

    Eclectic Period (Art and Antiques).

    Name Meaning

    English and Scottish: occupational name denoting a worker in metal, especially iron, such as a blacksmith or farrier, from Middle English smith ‘smith’ (Old English smith, probably a derivative of smītan ‘to strike, hammer’). Early examples are also found in the Latin form Faber . Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were required, and its importance ensured that this term and its equivalents in other languages were the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe. Medieval smiths were important not only in making horseshoes, plowshares, and other domestic articles, but above all for their skill in forging swords, other weapons, and armor. This is also the most frequent of all surnames in the US. It is very common among African Americans and Native Americans (see also 5 below). This surname (in any of the two possible English senses; see also below) is also found in Haiti. See also Smither .

    English: from Middle English smithe ‘smithy, forge’ (Old English smiththe). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived in or by a blacksmith's shop, occupational, for someone who worked in one, or habitational, from a place so named, such as Smitha in King's Nympton (Devon). Compare Smithey .

    Irish and Scottish: sometimes adopted for Gaelic Mac Gobhann, Irish Mac Gabhann ‘son of the smith’. See McGowan .

    Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

    Possible Related Names

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