Robert Smeed was the seventh child of William Smeed and Caroline Turner christened August 19th, 1827 at St Mary Magdalene, Cowden, Kent.
In 1841 Robert was one of 10 children living at home, which was Brooklands Farm, East Grinstead, where his father was a farmer.
On September 8th, 1849 Robert married Esther Bridgman at St George the Martyr, Southwark, Surrey. Robert was noted as a carpenter & witnesses at the wedding were William Smeed & Emma Wood. Esther was born January 15th,1827 & christened February 11th, 1827 at Kingsclere, Hampshire, the daughter of Mary & James Bridgman, a farmer.
By 1851 Robert (indexed as ‘Robert Tweed’ in Ancestry.co.uk) had left East Grinstead & was living at 70 Great Bland St, Newington, Lambeth with his wife Esther & 5 month old daughter, Esther. He was working as a porter.
By 1861 Robert & Esther had moved to 28 St Georges Road, Newington, Lambeth & Robert was now described as a carpenter. Daughter Esther now had a sister Mary (8) & 2 brothers Walter R (5) and Albert (1). Sadly little Albert only lived to be 6 years of age & was buried on July 29th, 1865 at Nunhead Cemetery, Linden Grove, Southwark.
Robert & Esther were living at 107 Falmouth Rd, St Mary Newington, Lambeth in 1871 & Robert was now a warehouseman. They had with them daughter Mary, son Walter, a council clerk & little Caroline A, aged 3. Daughter Esther was working as a draper’s assistant at Lambeth House, Westminster Rd, Lambeth. Later that year Esther married John David Howell, clerk of works (sewage), at St Saviour's, Southwark.
In 1876 son Walter married Sarah Jane Smith in Lambeth & sister Mary Jane Smeed was a witness at the ceremony. Sadly Sarah Jane died & Walter married again on June 23rd, 1878 at St John’s, Deptford, Kent. His second wife was spinster Jane Johnson. At this time Walter was a pattern maker.
Daughter Caroline Alberta sadly died in 1877, aged 10.
Robert was still at the same address in 1881 & listed as a warehouseman at an agricultural implements factory. With him was daughter Mary & they also had a boarder, William C Southerden, a clerk. Robert’s wife Esther was visiting her brother-in-law Charles Smeed & his wife Ellen & family at the time of the census at Hoskins farm, East Grinstead.
In 1883 daughter Mary Jane married Henry Harrison, a clerk, at St Clement’s, Notting Hill, Kensington.
Robert & Esther were living on their own by 1891 at 31 Billington Rd, Hatcham, St Paul Deptford, Surrey. Robert had returned to being a carpenter. Living at the same address was their daughter Mary J, & her husband Henry Harrison, & their 4 children.
Esther died on January 31st, 1898 at Billington Rd, New Cross Rd, Surrey, aged 71, & was buried February 5th at Southwark Administration was granted on February 21st, 1898 to husband Robert, a carpenter & her effects were £145.5s.7d.
In 1901 widowed Robert was still living at 31 Billington Rd & described as living on his own means. Daughter Mary & husband Henry Harrison & family were again living at the same address.
Robert died on February 15th, 1904 at 31 Billington Rd, New Cross, Surrey & was buried February 20th at Southwark. Probate was granted on March 8th, 1904 to daughter Mary Jane Harrison (wife of Henry Harrison) & Walter Albert Howell, engine driver. Robert’s effects were £898.5s.10d.
The children of Robert Smeed & Esther Bridgman were:
sm.7.1 Esther Smeed born Oct-December 1850 at Newington, Surrey
sm.7.2 Mary Jane Smeed born July-September 1852 at Newington, Surrey, died February 13th 1926 at 31 Billington Rd, New Cross, Surrey & buried at Brockwell & Ladywell cemetery, Lewisham
sm.7.3 Walter Robert Smeed born July-September 1855 at Newington, Surrey; died March 11th, 1886 at 1 Woodbine Cottages, Victoria Rd, Charlton, Kent
sm.7.4 Kate Ann Smeed born July-September 1857 at Newington, Surrey; died Oct-December 1857 at Newington
sm.7.5 Albert Edward Smeed born Oct-December 1859 at Newington, Surrey; died at St Georges Rd, New Kent Rd, & buried July 29th, 1865 at Nunhead Cemetery, St Giles, Camberwell, Surrey
sm.7.6 Ernest Alfred Smeed born Jan-March 1865 at Newington, Surrey; buried January 18th, 1866 at Nunhead Cemetery, St Giles, Camberwell, Surrey
sm.7.7 Caroline Alberta Smeed born Oct-December 1867 at Newington, Surrey; died Oct-December 1877 at St Saviour, Southwark, Surrey