Dear Barbara and Jeff Thank you both for your replies. Yes Henry Wells Gifford Smart is the one in question, He was always thought to be the youngest son of Fanny and her husband Charles who was a miner who died in1997, According to his death cert he died of typhoid fever but my cousin(Henry's daughter) is adamant that he died following a pit explosion and has the bible allegedly given to his widow by the mining company as compensation-another unsolved mystery! It was only after finding Charles Smart's death cert and date that I realised that Henry could not have been Charles' son, When I contacted my cousin she confirmed that he had discovered in his teens that he had another father, and this was confirmed by other family members. He remembered being taken to meet his natural father several times and even visited him on his death bed. apparently his father twice acknowledged him as his son, but after his death the family refused to admit it. Henry's daughter gave me details of her fathers memories, those of attending the little school set up in the grounds of the "big house" and his meetings with his natural father, and also the feeling that Gifford was connected to the mines in a position of authority.. He always resented his illegitimacy and found it hard to accept. His birth cert gives Fanny as his mother but the fathers name is ommitted.My cousin has a photo of the elderly man she was always told was Gifford mand two leather bound books of poetry she was told were given to Henry by his true father.. What none has managed so far is to discover who this natural father was. Henry's name bieng given as including Gifford seems to confirm the story, but we know no more and I have been trying to track him down but these are the only clues I have. Fanny was born in somerset where she married Charles and the moved to Cwm in about 1886 where their last 3 children were born.Charles worked both down the mines and previously in the steel works. Fanny went on in 1903 to marry an Alfred Griffiths who brought Henry up as his stepson but was NOT his father, I suppose The old man?Gifford could have set Fanny up with her toy shop.Fanny lived until the 1930s and I have photos of her with my father when a baby. I still do not know where this big house where she worked as a servant/house keeper was or who her emloyer was/My cousins assertion is that his name was Gifford. No luck with censuses or Kelly's Index so lloking for a lead.... Felicity Thu, 30 Aug 2007 22:47:52 +0100 "Jeff Coleman" <jeff.coleman@ntlworld.com> wrote: > The birth of Henry Wells G SMART was registered in March >quarter of 1900 ref > Bedwelty 11a 91 > > In the 1901 census he shows as 'Harry SMART' age 13 >months at RG13; Piece: > 4933; Folio: 109; Page: 21 listed as the son of Fanny >SMART, 44,widow, b > Bristol, Toy Shop Keeper in Marine Street, Cwm. 5 older >children were at > home in the census and also two boarders age 35 and 77, >both single. > > Is there a father shown on the birth certificate? > > It seems to be a big step from being a servant in a big >house to running a > shop. > > Jeff > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >MONMOUTHSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word >'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the >body of the message > > > This message has been scanned for viruses by BlackSpider MailControl - www.blackspider.com