Origins In England
As far back as reliable records are available, everything indicates that our Smith family came from the Harden section of the parish of Bingley in the county of Yorkshire in northern England. The closest large city was, and still is, Bradford. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, this region was engaged in agricultural pursuits, including farming and raising sheep, horses, and cattle. By the end of the century Bradford had become a textile manufacturing center. The easy availability of wool provided the mills with raw material, and the working population moved from field to factory.
According to William Cudworth in his 1876 book, Round about Bradford: A Series of Sketches (descriptive and Semi-historical) of Forty-two Places Within Six Miles of Bradford:
“The ancient parish and market town of Bingley is situated on the banks of the Aire, about midway between Leeds and Skipton, and is six miles from Bradford. The river after slowly winding its placid course through the rich meadows and pasture land of Craven, enters at a short distance from the town into a narrow channel, and the valley becomes contracted, being bounded on either side by bold and lofty hills, which from some points of view appear almost to meet and block up the passage. To the north is the wide expanse of Rombalds Moor, swelling up to the height of 1308 feet above the sea level, while to the south and south-west the summits of Harden and Hainworth Moors are not much inferior in height. Hope Hill, on the east, rises to an elevation of 927 feet. From some of these hills, particularly on the south side of the valley, the most pleasing and panoramic views may be obtained. In former times the district was thickly wooded, and the town itself, then but an irregular cluster of houses (many of them straw-thatched), nestling at the foot of Bell Bank, gained the appellation, once the boast of natives, of “The Throstle Nest of Old England.” The river, which is crossed by a substantial stone bridge of seven arches, divides the town from the magnificent estate of St. Ives; and the numerous walks which radiate from this point are not surpassed in beauty and variety in any part of Airedale. . . ”
William Smith, my great-grandfather’s grandfather, was born about 1769 in Harden, Bingley, in the county of Yorkshire in northern England. The first mention of William that I’ve found in public records is the recording of his son Enoch’s baptism. The record at All Saints Parish in Bingley, dated May 5, 1798, refers to Enoch’s father as William of Cowhouse. Cowhouse is a village in the parish of Bingley. William’s father, also named William, was apparently involved in pig raising. Mr. Harry Speight, in his 1899 book, Chronicles and Stories of Old Bingley, A Full Account of the History, Antiquities, Natural Productions, Scenery, Customs and Folk-Lore of the Ancient Town and Parish of Bingley in the West Riding of Yorkshire, relates on page 377:
“Harden at one time was famed for the number and excellence of these animals (pigs) reared for show and the market. One of the largest and finest pigs ever seen in England was bred by William Smith, of Harden Beck, in 1797. At thirteen months old, this remarkable animal scaled 770lbs., the lard alone weighing 6 stones 9lbs (about 93 lbs). The owner’s son, William, was a butcher at Harden, and died in 1842, aged 75, . . .”
William is listed in the United Kingdom Census of 1841 as residing on Lane End in Harden, Bingley.
The census lists him as being about 70 years old. Also present in the household are his wife, Jane, age 60, sons James and Edward, ages 25 and 20 respectively, and daughter Martha, age 10. William and Jane’s oldest son, Enoch, aged 40 in 1841, lived nearby with his family on Rycroft Road. William’s trade is listed as “Butchery”; James and Edward are combers. His neighbors’ occupations are weavers, winders, and combers, all trades associated with the local woolen and cotton industries. Only two neighbors were farmers.
William died in July 1842. The register of burials in the parish of Bingley in the county of York gives William’s burial date as July 16, 1842. He was living in Harden at the time and was 73 years old.
1851 Census – Jane Smith was still alive at the time of the 1851 census. She is listed as living in Lane End, Harden, with the family of her son James. I have found no record of her death.
