I've been trying to catch up with the archives since returning from holiday in Corsica at the weekend and I've noticed that there's been a flurry of activity regarding the BATES of Kingsclere. I have a passing interest in one of these BATES families via a connection with my Kintbury SMARTS and can add some further information. Hannah BATES, the daughter of John BATES and Hannah LEY, was baptised on 17th January 1808 in Inkpen (IGI). Hannah married Thomas EATWELL in the December quarter of 1844 in the Hungerford Registration District. Thomas did not live up to his name and he died some time before 1848. I can't find a burial in the Berkshire Burial Index though Free BMD has two possible deaths in the Hungerford Registration District at the right time. After Thomas's death Hannah married Samuel SMART on 10th February 1848 in Kintbury. Beverley kindly gave me the details of the marriage from one of her Kintbury print-outs. Samuel SMART was a widower and Hannah EATWELL was a widow at the time of the marriage. They were both of full age. Samuel's father was David SMART, a labourer. Hannah's father was John BATES, a labourer. The witnesses were Harriet TRESON or FRESON and Edward PIKE. Samuel SMART was buried on 11th April 1870 in Kintbury aged 78 years. Hannah SMART nee BATES was buried on 19th December 1882 in Kintbury aged 74 years. I have no record of any children from either marriage. Hannah's father, John BATES, was born c. 1772. He claims to have been born in Kintbury but there is no record of his baptism in the Kintbury registers. I suspect he was born in Hampshire and is somehow connected to the Kingsclere BATES. Samuel SMART was the son of David SMART and Elizabeth WILD who married on 20th February 1791 in Inkpen. Samuel's first wife was Harriet COOK. Samuel and Harriet married on 26th January 1813 in Kintbury. Neither of them signed the register. The witnesses were James PALMER and Michael CURTIS. I've only found one child from this marriage: Thomas Smart, born c. 1821 somewhere in Berkshire, probably in Kintbury. Harriet SMART was buried on 1st January 1847 in Kintbury aged 67 years, so she appears to have been some 11 years younger than her husband. I believe Samuel SMART was the brother of my gggg grandfather Benjamin SMART. I've not yet found Benjamin's baptism. He claims to have been born in Hungerford some time between 1792 and 1795 but there is no record of his baptism in the Hungerford or Inkpen PRs. Benjamin participated in the machine breakers' riots in Kintbury in 1830. He was arrested but was not committed for trial and was subsequently discharged. Benjamin married Susanna FAITHFULL (sister of the Thomas FAITHFULL who emigrated to Australia and was shipwrecked off the English Channel). Benjamin and Susanna's daughter Caroline SMART married George JOHNSON in 1851 in Kintbury. Their daughter Sarah Anne JOHNSON (b. 1856 Kintbury) married George Napoleon Frederick William TIDBURY (b. 1856 in Sydmonton) in 1881 in Forton, Hampshire. They are my great great grandparents. Debbie Kennett