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East Lane Orchard

Part of the Abstract of the Will of Richard Smith, Gentleman of St Albans, Hertfordshire.  Proved in the Court of London. October 30 1809:  “To his wife Mary Smith all his estate & effects both real & personal for her life & after her decease to his 4 children Ann Lawrence BROWN, Elizabeth Mary SMITH, his son John SMITH, & Sarah Catherine Firth SMITH but 1st he devises to his son John Smith after his wife’s decease an orchard in East Lane in the Parish of Wheathamstead in the County of Herts …. "

The Ann Lawrence Smith married William BROWN but Elizabeth Mary and Sarah Catherine may have died in 1822 and 1811 respectively.  There was also a connection to the CAPON and FIRTH families of Leighton Buzzard through Richard’s wife, Mary nee HORNE, who inherited land in Leighton Buzzard from her aunt Mrs Mary Capon c. 1795.  I am not sure when Mary Smith died but it was before her husband Richard Smith, perhaps 1800.

Unfortunately I have no more information on this orchard or what happened to it.  I believe my ancestor was the John Smith so understandably with that name I haven’t found it easy trying to track his movements
 

Contributed by E M O’Connell, New Zealand - Oct 2014

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