Jilly's Genealogy

Richard Smitherman

Born	Abt 1774	, UK
Married	16 June 1794	All Saints, Maidstone, Kent, UK
Died	31 December 1856	Week Street, Maidstone, Kent, UK
Wife 1  Wife 2	Frances Russell  Mary

Children by Frances Russell

• John Smitherman
• Richard Smitherman
• Charles Smitherman
• Henry Ashby Smitherman
• Mary Ann Smitherman
• Frances Smitherman

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MISSING  From 40 Brewer Street, Maidstone 31st March 1845      MR RICHARD SMITHERMAN, who left his home on Thursday, the 25th inst., and has not since been heard of. Whosoever will give information leading to the discovery of the said RICHARD SMITHERMAN, shall receive the sum of THREE POUNDS REWARD, by applying to Mr J CRUTTENDEN, or Mr R G PIKE, of Week Street, Maidstone.                                                           Descriptiion - Age 71 years, height 5ft 11in., stout made, fresh coloured, blue pimples on the cheeks; has a defect in the right eye; dress - brown great coat, light waistcoat, drab trousers, white stockings and low shoes, black hat with hatband. ---------------------- MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE      Considerable and painful interest has been caused in this town during the last week, by the sudden and mysterious disappearance of a Mr Smitherman, an elderly person, well known in this neighbourhood, and formerly foreman of a paper mill at Case Horton, from which situation he had recently retired to reside on his means in this town.                                                                                        The deceased on Tuesday last called at Little Ivy Mill, Loose, and entered into conversation with the foreman, respecting the two recent suicides in that neighbourhood, reported in our columns. He left the mill in good health and spirits, and has not since been heard of.                                                                                It is strongly suspected in some quarters that he has met an untimely end, - and some do not scruple to express their belief that he has been murdered. He was known to have money in his possession.                                                                 We are told that on Tuesday evening groans were heard in a wood, known as Mount Ararat, in that heighbourhood, and that so impressed were some persons living near with a suspicion that something had happened, that they went out to search with candle and lanthorn. On Sunday the water in the Medway was drawn down, and people were employed in dragging, under the supposition that he might have been returning home, by way of Farleigh, and accidentally fell in. Several members of the Masonic fraternity, of which Mr Smitherman, was a past master, have been indefatigable in their search, but hitherto without effect. --------------------

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This is the last Will and Testament of me Richard Smitherman of Maidstone in the County of Kent Gentleman made the Twentieth day of November One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Six. I appoint Robert George Pike of Maidstone aforesaid Grocer and my grandson Henry Smitherman now foreman at Mr Muggeridges of Carshalton in the County of Surrey Paper Maker Executors of this my will. I direct that all my just debts and my funeral and testamentary expenses and the several legacies or sums hereinafter bequeathed may be paid or transferred with all convenient speed after my decease. I give and bequeath unto my grandson the said Henry Smitherman my gold watch with the appendages thereto I give and bequeath all the wearing apparel and article of dress of which I may die possessed unto my son Henry Ashby Smitherman of Maidstone aforesaid Papermaker. And I give and bequeath the Portraits of myself and my late dear wife unto my grand daughter Mary Ann the wife of the said Robert George Pike. I give and bequeath to my grandchildren Mary Ann Smitherman, Richard Smitherman and Henry Smitherman (the three children of my son the said Henry Ashby Smitherman) the sum of thirty pounds sterling to be equally divided between them. I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Frances the wife of William Legerton late of Carshalton aforesaid Miller and now in the United States of America the sum of forty pounds ---------- pounds ----------- (part of that ------- now standing in ------------- in the Books of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England . Also I give and bequeath to my grand daughter Eliza the wife of Mark Brown of Maidstone aforesaid Paper maker the sum of sixty pounds -------- three pounds ------------ Bank -----------. I give and bequeath unto Julia Frances Smitherman, Matilda Emily Smitherman, Isabella Smitherman, Harriet Ninham Smitherman and Henry John Smitherman (the five children of my grandson the said Henry Smitherman one of my Executors the sum of fifty pounds sterling to be equally divided between them or such of them as shall survive me and live to attain the age of twenty one years but in case all of them shall happen to depart this life in my life time or surviving me shall die under the age of twenty one years then I direct that the said sum of fifty pounds shall sink into and become part of the residue of my personal estate and be disposed of accordingly. I give and bequeath unto Frances Harding and Ann Harding (the two children of Jeremiah Harding of Carshalton aforesaid Paper maker who married one of my grand daughters) the sum of thirty pounds sterling to be equally divided between them if they shall both survive me and live to attain the age of twenty one years but if either of them shall happen to depart this life in my lifetime or surviving me shall die under the age of twenty one years then I give and bequeath the said sum of thirty pounds unto the survivor of them but in case both of them shall happen to depart this life in my lifetime or surviving me shall die under the age of twenty one years then I direct that the said sum of thirty pounds shall sink into and become part of the residue of my personal estate and be disposed of accordingly And (subject to the payment of my just debts and my funeral and testamentary expenses and also to the payment or transfer of such of the before mentioned legacies or sums as may become payable or transferable. I give and bequeath all the Residue of my personal estate and effects what so ever unto the said Mary Ann the wife of the said Robert George Pike and my said grandson Henry Smitherman (one of my Executors, their executors administrators and assign equally to be divided between them provided always and I hereby direct that in case any of my said hereinbefore mentioned legacies shall at the time of my decease be under the age of twenty one years the legacy or share to which they shall be respectively presumptively entitled shall with all convenient speed after my decease be laid --------- and invested or appropriated and ------ (as the case may be) by or in the names of the said Robert George Pike and Henry Smitherman (with full power to alter vary and transpose the same at their discretion) to accumulate as far as may conveniently be done with the same respectively shall borrow payable or transferable I give and devise all that my messuages or tenements with the yard garden and appurtenances thereunto belonging and now used therewith situate on the east side of the Sandling Road in the Parish of Maidstone aforesaid now in the occupation of James Stiles unto and to the use of my son the said Henry Ashby Smitherman his heirs and assigns for ever. And I give and devise All that my then messuage or tenement (adjoining the before mentioned messuage or tenement and premises) with the yard garden and appurtenance thereunto belonging and now used their with situate on the east side of the Sandling Road in the Parish of Maidstone aforesaid now in the occupation of James Swanill To such uses and for such estates and purposes as that said Robert George Pike and Mary Ann his wife shall at any time by any deed jointly direct or appoint and in --------- of any such joint direction or appointment and so far as any such joint direction or appointment may not extend to the use of the said Robert George Pike and Mary Ann his wife and the survivor of them and the heirs and assigns of such survivor for ever. And I direct that the title deeds and writings relating to the said two messuages or tenements and premises shall upon my decease to delivered to and be retained by my said son Henry Ashby Smitherman his heirs or assigns he or they entering into the usual Deed of Covenant with the said Robert George Pike and Mary Ann his wife their appointees heirs or assigns for the production and ------------- thereof such Deed of Covenant to be prepared at the joint and equal expense of the said respective parties. Also I give and devise all that my messuage or tenement with the yard garden and appurtenances thereunto belonging and now used therewith situate on the east side of the upper part of Week Street otherwise called the Sandling Road aforesaid in the Parish of Maidstone aforesaid now in the occupation of John Tanner Durrell unto and to the use of my grandson Henry Smitherman (one of my Executors) his heirs and assigns for ever And I give and devise all the estates which at the time of my decease may be vested in me upon any trust or by way of mortgage which I have power to dispose by this my will with the appurtenances unto and to the use of the said Robert George Pike and Henry Smitherman (my said Executors) their heirs executors administrators and assigns according to the nature and quality thereof respectively upon the trusts and for the interests and purposes for which the same shall be respectively held by me at the time of my decease. And I declare that my said Executors shall not be answerable but for another and for such money only as they respectively shall actually receive and not afterwards pay over to his co-executor for the purposes of this my will and by no means for involuntary losses And that they shall be allowed and may retain to and reimburse himself or themselves al their costs charges damages and expenses to be incurred or occasioned in the execution of the trusts of this my will with reasonable remuneration for their loss of time in journies or otherwise in or about the execution of the same. In writing whereof I the said Richard Smitherman the testator have to such of the four sheets of this my last will and testament --------- of my hand the day and year first above written - Richard Smitherman - signed by the said Richard Smitherman the testator and by him declared to be his last will and testament in the ------------ of us who were present at the same time and at his --------------- in his presence and in the presence of such other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses the twentieth day of November one thousand eight hundred and fifty six the words "adjoining the before mentioned messuage or tenement" being first interlined between the third and fourth lines from the bottom of the second page - William White, H Baldwin - Clerks to Mr Wildes, Solr Maidstone. Proved at London the 30th January 1857 before the ------------- by the oaths of Robert George Pike and Henry Smitherman the grandson the executors to whom Admon was granted having been first sworn duly to administer (by Commission).

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