Thomas Smeed was the third child of William Smeed & Caroline Turner christened May 9th, 1819 at St Mary Magdalene, Cowden, Kent.
In 1841 Thomas was still living at home at Brooklands Farm, East Grinstead.
On November 30th, 1847 Thomas married Sarah Dray at St George the Martyr Southwark, Surrey. They both gave their address as High St, and Thomas was an oil man. Witnesses at the wedding were Frances Bell & Jacob Hawkins. Sarah was christened November 21st, 1819 at Farningham, Kent, the daughter of Lydia & Thomas Dray, a farmer.
By 1851 Thomas had become a farm bailiff & he & Sarah were living in Farningham Village, Kent. They had an 11 month old son Thomas & 2 servants & an agricultural labourer living with them.
Thomas & Sarah & daughter Ellen could not be found at the time of the 1861 census. However, children Thomas, Alfred (9), Clement (6), Clara (4) & Benjamin (16 months) were all boarding with Hannah Sale, a 35 year old school mistress in Farningham.
In 1871 Thomas & Sarah were living at 5 York Square, Ratcliffe, Stepney & Thomas was now an hour carman. With them were children Ellen (19), a pupil teacher, Alfred, an assistant schoolmaster, Clara, Benjamin & George E (9). Son Clement was living with his aunt Elizabeth & her husband Richard Dunmall in St Pancras, London, at the time of the census, where he was working as a house decorator.
Daughter Ellen emigrated to Canada where she married Richard Charles Morrison in 1874 in Ontario.
Son Clement married Eliza Mansfield Mills in July-September 1878 at Bromley, Kent.
By 1881 Thomas had returned to being a farm bailiff & he & Sarah were living at Yew Lodge, Chartham, Lingfield, Surrey. Son Clement, a house decorator, now married to Eliza & their 2 young children were living at Sidcup May’s Villa, Sidcup Hill, Chislehurst. Visiting him were sister Clara & brother George, a paper hanger.
Son Alfred married Lillian Josephine Marie Mulligan at Brompton Holy Trinity Parish Church, Kensington, London on October 29th, 1881. Alfred's occupation at the time of the wedding was deputy bank manager & his brother Benjamin was one of the witnesses at the wedding.
Thomas had become a farmer by the 1891 census & he & Sarah were living at Kingswood, Horne, Surrey. With them was their married daughter Ellen Morison, and their son George E. Their son Thomas who was now described as a retired furniture dealer was living with them & with him was his wife Marion & their 6 children. (In 1873 Thomas & wife Marion emigrated to Canada where they lived until at least 1890, before returning to England just before Thomas’ death at Horne in July 1891. Widow Marion returned to live in Canda where she died in 1940.) Also with Thomas & Sarah were daughter Clara & her husband Francis Lowe, a teacher, & their daughter, Dora. Thomas & Sarah's grandson Alfred (8), (son of Alfred Smeed [sm.3.3]) was also visiting. There was also a 9 year old visitor Leonard R Bates & they had a general servant.
Son Benjamin, like brother Thomas, appears to have emigrated to Canada by 1886. He & his wife Leah (nee Collett) are recorded in Ramsey, Minnesota, USA in the 1920 & 1930 censuses. Benjamin & Leah are recorded as sailing from Quebec, Canada & returning to Southampton, England in 1930 & had both become US citizens. They gave their address in England as Horne Park, Lingfield, Surrey, the home of Benjamin’s brother George Edward.
Soon after the 1891 census Thomas took over the tenancy of Hedgecourt Farm, Horne, where he and Sarah were still living in 1901. The tenancy had now passed to son George Edward, as Thomas had retired. Daughter Ellen (noted as married) was still living with them.
Sarah died on December 16th, 1902 at Hedgecourt Farm, Horne, aged 82, & was buried on December 19th, 1902 at St John’s, Felbridge, Surrey.
Thomas died on February 2nd, 1905 at Hedgecourt Farm, Horne, aged 85, & was buried February 7th 1905 at St John’s, Felbridge, Surrey.
In 1914 son George Edward married Mabel Sarah Heasman at Godstone, Surrey. Mabel Sarah was the daughter of Phoebe Fry & William Heasman. Phoebe Fry [f.2.6.2] was the daughter of Thomas Smeed's sister, Sarah Smeed [sm.5].
The children of Thomas Smeed and Sarah Dray were:
sm.3.1 Thomas Smeed born April-June 1850 at Farningham, Kent; died July 5th, 1891 at Horne, Surrey & buried July 9th at St John, Felbridge
sm.3.2 Ellen Smeed born April-June 1851 at Farningham, Kent; died July 1908 at Godstone, Surrey
sm.3.3 Alfred Smeed born October 28th, 1852 at Farningham, Kent; died September 6th, 1947 at 30 Fairhome Rd, West Kensington
sm.3.4 Clement Smeed born March 11th, 1855 at Farningham, Kent; died February 4th, 1916 at 47 Birkbeck Rd, Sidcup, Kent
sm.3.5 Clara Smeed born Jan-March 1857 at Farningham, Kent; died May 23rd, 1939 at 37 Grange Crescent, Grange Hill, Chigwell, Essex
sm.3.6 Benjamin Smeed born Oct-December 1859 at Islington, London; died June 18th, 1950 at Ramsey County, Minnesota, USA
sm.3.7 George Edward Smeed born November 11th, 1861 at Islington, London; died May 31st, 1949 at Horne Park Farm, Horne, Surrey