Pictured right is Sidney Herbert Smith b 1892 Wiltshire

he married EtheI Hettie Doe b1891 Binstead Hants.

The marriage took place 17th July 1914 at Fareham Church

Hampshire, to the very far right sat on the chair with legs

dangling and ginger hair is a very dear friend of mine

Eileen Orchard nee Smith daughter of Sidney Smith and Ethel

Doe. Eileen was born 1924 and is today 83 years old and still as

sharp as a pin !, she gave me this photo which she had done in

oil paints from the original ,she has had several photographs

redone in oils and has them framed and adorning her walls.

When I first started researching Romanies Eileen contacted

me after seeing my details in the Romany Routes Journal and

asked if I could help her as she does not have as Eileen put it,

"one of them they machine thingy's" she already had a mass

of info and records for her Smith and Doe families and also other

Travelling families not just from the Forest but from way back the areas encompassed many Counties including:-

Sussex/Surrey/Berkshire/London/Gloucestershire/ and even Ireland and Wales ! So all in all she had done an amazing amount of research and all with out a "machine"! We have been friends ever since and we still chat and discuss any new leads or finds I might come across.

 

The oldest ancestor of Eileen's is Nipton or Neptune Smith b  Wiltshire , this Neptune had more than one partner  Including a Smith woman, space and time would not allow me to include all the in depth genealogy of Eileens family as it crosses and weaves back and forth between so many Romany families ,so I will just give an outline for reference. Eileens mother's parents were Rose Ruth Jeff who married Nehemiah Doe , Rose Ruth was the daughter of Mathew Bland (but also used Jeff name)and Naomi Jeff.

 

This was confusing at first as Elizabeth Bland  wed a Mathew Jeff ! we suspect they were sister's and were using both surnames when it suited them ! whilst Nehemiah's parents were William Doe and Naomi Pateman ,William being the son of Francis Doe b 1778 Wimbledon Surrey and Amelia Early b1780 Woodale Berkshire. And Francis being the son of another Francis Doe b 1758 and  Elizabeth Etherton?. Just to add a little more confusion I have found Mathew Bland and Naomi in the 1861 and 1871 Census in

Dorset using the surname Burden or Burton see below:-

 

(Thanks to Leslie Doe)for Francis Doe b 1778 birth place)

2. 1861 Census, RG9-1339-24-11 Canford, Dorset.

"Name             Age Birthplace         Relationship Occupation

Ananias Burden 43 Downton, Wiltshire, Head    Umbrella Maker

Naomi Burden 40 Ashelton, Wiltshire, Wife

Phebe Burden 16 Chosley, Berkshire, Daughter

Walter Burden 14 Pelley, Hampshire,Son    Umbrella Maker

Ruth Burden 12 Morton, Berkshire, Daughter

Silas Burden 9 Woolsbridge, Dorset, Son

Ancelina Burden 7 St Giles, Dorset,Daughter

Ananias Burden 2 Redlynch, Wiltshire, England Son

 

1871 Census details:-Census, RG10-1985-31-30 Corfe Mullen, Dorset

           

     Pictured below are members of the Doe family camped in the New Forest

 

 

 

                                                                                                                            Eileens mum Ethel Hetty Doe age abt 18.