churches & parishes

Christ Church Spitalfields

This online presence is wonderful for it gives full monument inscription for several included in this research, for instance the LEFEVRE and SMITH families. Snee family is also a relation.

A descendant, Peter Currie has a short article about Isaac Lefevre (scroll to the end of the page; under ‘Personal Column’), which makes for informative reading. (now a PDF!)

[December 2013: broken links have been fixed; if Christ Church moves items again, go to their home page; click on “Monuments” for the inscriptions; “Newsletter” for the Lefevre article (vol 24)]

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St Mary’s, Stapleford Tawney

In this modest parish church, Mary (Lady Smith) sat with her young son Sir Charles Cunliffe Smith, who would later oversee renovations.

Lady Smith recorded these early days in her diaries. St Mary’s is her last resting place.

Let the online representation of St Mary’s show you around the exterior and also the interior of this church. Please visit.

*new*: a Flickr user has photographed MANY Smith monuments.

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St Peter & St Paul, Tring

This parish church has a special connection with the Smiths of Tring: Emma Austen’s four unmarried sisters purchased an organ for it in 1832.

The organ was heard for the first time on 4 November 1832. Mr Charles Lacy, the vicar, played the organ the following day for visitors.

The Friends of Tring Church Heritage will fill you in on the church’s history and architecture. The picture is from the fabulous collection found online at Hertford Genealogy, which also includes a drawing of the interior prior to its later Victorian restoration.

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All Soul’s, Langham Place, London

Known as “New Church” due to its being newly built, Mary Gosling was married to Sir Charles Joshua Smith here in July 1826.

Their future brother-in-law, the Rev. Richard Seymour, would serve as curate here, in the early 1830s.

Langham Place was just around the corner from the residences of the Smiths (No. 6) and Goslings (No. 5 Portland Place).

A short online history, as well as a booklet for purchase can be found here, where you will see it described as the “only surviving church built by renowned regency architect, John Nash.”

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St Mary the Virgin, Kinwarton

Here, the Rev. Richard Seymour “did the duty” until his retirement late in Victoria’s reign.

Richard and Fanny Seymour are buried here.

Emma and Edward Austen visited the Seymours often, and Emma’s diaries recount these trips. It was during a visit to Kinwarton that brother Spencer Smith proposed and was accepted by Frances Seymour, Richard’s sister.

Richard’s other parishes were Great Alne and also Wheatley. Richard Seymour’s diaries tell of life in the parish.