Harriet Smith was Tony’s patrilineal great grandmother, who married Benjamin Rider. Harriet was born at Little Chesterford, Essex in 1842 at the Malting House on the Malting Farm. Her father was John Smith, the maltster, and her mother Mary Reeve.
John Smith was born at Littlebury Green in 1813 and was the son of William Smith from that village. His mother is unknown to us at this point. He commenced work as an agricultural labourer when he was 10 years old and was still employed on the land when he moved to Little Chesterford and boarded with Benjamin Reeve the local shoemaker. Benjamin’s elder sister Mary Reeve also came to live with Ben and was certainly there with Ben and John on the night of the 1841 census. But by this time John and Mary were sufficiently well acquainted to have decided to get married, which they did on the 10th June of that year at Little Chesterford. John’s father William and Mary’s father William were both present as witnesses at the wedding. The Reeve family were from Great Chesterford.
At some point before 1851 John became the Malster at the Malting Farm and the couple moved into the malting farmhouse. At the 1851 census John and Mary had five children and eight by 1860. These children were Harriet b1842, Sarah b1843, Ann b1847, Mary b1849, Thomas b1851, George b1854, Jane b1857 and John b1860. John and Mary continued to live at the malting farm even after he retired at about 65 yearsof age. In the 1881 census John and Mary were living there with John jnr., who was a railway clerk.
Daughter Harriet lived with her parents until she married Benjamin Rider at All Saints Church, Great Chesterford, when she was aged 20 years on the 27th September 1862. Witnesses at the wedding were brother John and Benjamin’s father James. Harriet’s story will continue as Harriet Rider.
