...was raised at Hopetoun House in West Lothian, where his father was head gardener.'
Having noticed that a lecture is to be given next week in Stornoway on the association of this gentleman with Sir James Matheson and Lews Castle I thought that I would see what the censuses might have to tell us about him:
1841
James Smith, 65, Gardener, Hopetoun Garden, Abercorn, West Lothian
This appears to be his father, but Charles is not to be found there.
Charles Smith, 30, Gardener, Shepherd's Bush Lane, Hammersmith, Middlesex, b. Scotland
(Elizabeth Cooper, 50, Independent)
There is a gardener candidate in Dumbartonshire, but he is 33, living in a large family of Smiths, and appears more likely to be one of their children?
This one, however, has another Scottish gardener called William Cowell at the same address so, if Charles H J Smith worked in London in the 1840s, then this could well be him.
1851 69 Northumberland St, Edinburgh
Charles Smith, 40, Landscape Gardener and Garden Architect,, b. Ormiston, East Lothian
Una Smith, 31, Wife, b. Kilmonivaig, Inverness
Ellen Smith, 10, Daughter, b. Edinburgh
William C Smith, 7, Son, b. Edinburgh
Elizabeth G Smith, 3, Daughter, b. Edinburgh
Agnes Boyd, 17, House Servant, b. Abercorn, Linlithgow
This one is unambiguous. There is no record of Una Smith in any of the 1841 censuses so the marriage (and the birth of Ellen!) must have occurred later that year.
There are 11 people at 69 Northumberland Street in two households.
The owner appears to be Harriet Macreadie, 52, 'Annuitant and House Proprietor'.
Maybe the house should be a candidate for a 'Blue Plaque'?
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