Margaret Wall was the third child of Thomas Wall & Mary ? christened December 31st, 1837 at Smethwick, Staffs.
In 1841 & 1851 Margaret was living at home at Holyhead Rd, Wednesbury with her parents & brothers & sisters.
Margaret married Joseph Thomas Smith in Oct-December 1859 at West Bromwich. Joseph was born August 1835 at Wolverhampton, the son of Mary & Joseph Smith, a gas fittings maker.
At the time of the 1871 census Margaret & Joseph were living at 61 Portway Rd, Wednesbury, Staffs. Joseph was a labourer at the iron works. They had 3 children – Thomas Joseph (10), Sarah (2) & Josiah (4 months). Margaret & Joseph had another son in 1864, John Albert, who was living with Margaret’s sister Eliza & her husband John Parker in Wednesbury in 1871. John Albert appears to have been brought up by his aunt & uncle who had no children of their own.
In 1881 Margaret & Joseph were living with Margaret’s widowed mother Mary Wall, aged 69, at 55 Cross St, Wednesbury. Joseph was now a striker as was his son Thomas. Also at home were daughter Sarah & son Josiah & another son Arthur (3).
On April 12th, 1886 son Arthur was admitted to St Bartholomew’s National School for boys, Wednesbury & his father was given as Joseph Thomas Smith of King Street.
The family emigrated to the United States in 1887. Joseph & oldest son Thomas Joseph & his wife Mary sailed on the British Princess arriving in March 1887. A ship’s manifest showing Margaret sailing from Liverpool to Philadelphia with children Sarah, Josiah, Arthur, Herbert & Harold on the British Princess arriving in July 1887. They came to live in Pennsylvania as shown in the 1900 census when Joseph, Margaret & their 16 year old son Harold T were living in Pittsburgh City, Allegheny. Thomas was working as a blacksmith & Harold was an errand boy.
Son Josiah married Mary Emma Proctor on February 23rd, 1892 in Allegheny, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 1900 US census shows Josiah, a salesman, & Emma living in Pittsburgh with their 4 year old son Josiah P & 1 year old Raymond. By 1910, Josiah, a stationery salesman, & Mary had another son, Lawrence H (4) & a daughter Mildred E (9). They were still living in Allegheny in 1920 & Josiah was now described as a printer, dye stamping.
Sadly son John Albert died on June 25th, 1895 after drowning in the Monongahela River, Allegheny. A record of his death shows that he was married & worked as a collector & living at 547 Grant St. He was buried in Allegheny.
The 1900 census shows Joseph, listed as Thomas, & Margaret living in Pittsburgh City & Joseph was a blacksmith. Son Harold was with them & working as an errand boy.
Joseph was working in a pipe shop in 1910 & he & Margaret were still living in Pittsburgh. With them were sons Arthur & Harold, both piano salesmen.
By 1910 daughter Sarah had married Victor Emile Hebert & was living in Ward 14 Pittsburgh. Victor was French & worked as a manager of a golf club. Son Paul E (17) was assistant manager at a golf club, son Clarence V was 16 & daughter Sarah L was 12. In 1920 Sarah & Victor were living with son Clarence & his French wife Renee in Washington, Nassau, New York. Clarence was a garage mechanic & no occupation was given for Victor. In 1928 Sarah was listed as travelling from Le Havre to New York & her eventual destination was 1281 Franklin St, Wilkensburgh, Pennsylvania. She was described as American by marriage on March 1st, 1902. The actual marriage for Sarah & Victor took place in Pittsburgh on February 27th, 1892 at which time Victor was a cook. Victor & Sarah sailed from France to New York in 1933 with their destination 1152 School St, Indiana, Pennsylvania. In 1934 they sailed to NY again, this time their destination was 4403 Willy Parkway West, Toledo, Ohio. In 1942 they sailed from Lisbon to New York to the same address.
Both Joseph & Margaret died in 1914, Joseph on June 22nd & Margaret on September 22nd, & were buried at Smithfield East End Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny.
The 1920 census shows son Thomas Joseph & his wife Mary E living in Allegheny & Thomas was a piano salesman. By 1930 Thomas Joseph was widowed & living with his brother Arthur, wife Martha & family in Allegheny. Arthur was a mercantile sales manager. An obituary for Arthur in 1942 stated that he died at Homestead Hospital from injures sustained when he fell from a truck a few hours earlier. His wife Martha Mendel Smith survived him as did his brother Thomas Joseph of Butler & his sister Mrs Sarah Hebert of Nice, France. He was buried in Smithfield cemetery.
In 1930 son Harold was listed at the Allegheny County Hospital for the Insane & described as inmate. He had enlisted in WW1 and gave his address as Delavan St, Allegheny & he was a salesman.
The children of Margaret Wall & Joseph Thomas Smith were:
w.1.3.1 Thomas Joseph Smith was born August 29th, 1859 at Wednesbury & christened May 1st, 1864 at St Bartholomew’s, Wednesbury, Staffs; died August 14th, 1943 at Butler, Pennsylvania, USA
w.1.3.2 John Albert Smith christened May 1st, 1864 at St Bartholomew’s, Wednesbury; died June 25th, 1895 in Allegheny, Pittsburgh
w.1.3.3 Eliza Parker Smith christened November 11th, 1866 at St John’s, Wednesbury; died Oct-December 1868 at Wednesbury
w.1.3.4 Sarah Smith was born June 24th, 1867 at Wednesbury, Staffs; died May 12th, 1948 at 4403 Willys Parkway, Lucas County, Ohio, buried in Smithfield Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny
w.1.3.5 Josiah Smith was born November 24th, 1870 at Wednesbury, Staffs; died December 23rd, 1925 at Bellevue, Allegheny, Pittsburgh
w.1.3.6 Arthur Clifford Smith was born May 8th, 1877 & christened May 29th, 1877 at St James, Wednesbury, Staffs; died April 17th, 1942 at Allegheny, Pittsburgh
w.1.3.7 Herbert Smith christened May 19th, 1881 at St James, Wednesbury,
w.1.3.8 Harold T Smith born September 12th, 1884 in Wednesbury