George William Smith, led a short but eventful life. He was born on 10 August 1860 at 12 Portland (4) Street Mile End. His father was John Henry Smith a Master mariner in the merchant navy, ships in those days came right into the centre of London along the the river Thames. His mother was Elizabeth Bifield, who came from a family of plasterers.
"All I knew about my father, George William Smith, was that at one time he was a prosperous greengrocer in East London. However, I am afraid his downfall was drink and, more so, his associates." Fred Smith.
The 1861 census shows that when George was only four months old he was living with Henry Roberts in the crowded number 37 Northey Street, Limehouse (1 on map). Here, thirteen people lived in three families. George's father was probably at sea in 1861 and his mother working elsewhere. Henry Roberts was a miller in a brewery and his son was a blacksmith. Henry and his wife Mary had two daughters living with them , Emma 17 and Rebecca 14. It was probably Mary and Rebecca who looked after baby George.
On Sunday the 1 Dec 1861 the family were reunited and took George to St Anne's Church (2) for him to be baptised. The register says they lived at Bower Street, (3). This was next to the Albert Square.
When George was 18 he was found guilty of 'larceny and receiving' at Westminster courts and sentenced to 6 months imprisonment.
In March 1881 he was working as a baker and living with his father, still a mariner, his mother, younger sister Elenor and uncle Charles Smith a commercial traveller and probably a part time artist, at St Pauls Road, Mile End.
On Saturday 10 June 1882 George was living in 75 St Paul's Road and married Ella Amy Hawkings who lived around the corner at 130 Turners Road. They were married at St Pauls the local church in Bow, Just to the NE of the above map. George and Ella moved further East to Plaistow in West Ham and had four children, Ella, Beatrice, George and Fred (Smudge). In 1891 he was in Luton Road, West Ham and was a self employed greengrocer, probably selling from a cart, which he perhaps used a horse to pull around the streets, .
During this time George William took over a fish and chip shop. Using a candle to check how much grease there was in the air filter, he set fire to the shop and the family flat above. The family had to move out and the children lived with some neighbours.
At one time he took a horse which he wanted to sell, under the river Thames, through the Blackwall tunnel. The horse became so scared by the noise in the tunnel it looked crazy and he could not sell it.
In 1899 George was living at 37 Warmington Street, Plaistow. He caught Typhoid fever and died. Typhoid was spread by poor sanitation. fifty years earlier epidemics of the disease were common throughout Britain. In 1899 there had been an increase in the disease, not an epidemic but 15 people had died in East London. He was 38 Years old.
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| Limehouse Barge-Builders by Charles Napier Hemy |
