James Hunter Smith

Linda Roberts contacted us asking for help in tracing her great grandfather, James Hunter Smith. She knew that he had married Maria Sutherland at Dore, Christ Church on 25 October 1886 and she had found the couple living in Attercliffe in the 1891 and 1901 census returns. Nothing was known either before 1886 or after 1901, nor did Linda know what had brought James to Totley.

We were able to tell Linda that James came to Totley as head gardener to William Aldam Milner of Totley Hall. A little research showed that James was born in Bainton, East Yorkshire in 1828, the son of John Smith, gardener, and his wife Elizabeth. In the December quarter of 1853, James married Mary Walker. In the census returns of 1861 and 1871, the Smiths were living in Hunmanb, North Yorkshire, where eight of their nine children were born, The youngest child, Margaret G. V. Smith, was born in Boston Spa. By 1881 James and Mary had moved to East Retford and throughout all of this time James's occupation is given as "gardener". 

In 1883 Mary Smith died aged 54 and it was between 1883 and 1886 that James moved to Totley, probably in 1884 when W. A. Milner bought Totley Hall. A report appeared in the Derbyshire Courier on 5 September 1887 about the 3rd Annual Exhibition at Dore and Totley Horticultural and Floral Society which named "Mr. Smith of Totley Hall" amongst the judges.

James and Maria Smith had two sons. William James was baptized in March 1889 and Albert in July 1890, both at Dore, Christ Church. By the time of the 1891 census, James and Maria were living in Attercliffe at 17 Ashford Cottage; James was still earning his living as a gardener. The couple remained in Attercliffe for the rest of their lives. They are buried in the same grave at Darnall Cemetery, Maria on 28 September 1907 aged 52 and James on 19 April 1910 aged 82.