Wilhelmina (Boyd) Smyth (1880 - 1956)

Born 3 Dec 1880 in 36 Argyle Street, Belfast, Co Antrim, Ireland

Died 17 Jan 1956 at age 75 in 11 Kersland Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland

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Biography

Note: This Wilhelmina or Williamina Boyd is not the woman she was long thought to have been!

It is now apparent that this Wilhelmina Boyd was born in c. 1879 in Glasgow, as a daughter of a William Boyd and a Barbara Thomson.

In the Scottish census data for 1881, a Wilhelmina Boyd is listed as living at 105 Stirling Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, with an "uncle" (William Boyd, aged 40) and a woman (Barbara Thomson, aged 39). The relationship between this William Boyd and Ms. Thomson is not well defined in these census data.

By the time of the 1901 census, Wilhelmina is 21 years of age, working as a "Restaurant cook", and has decided that "Williamina" suits her better as a given name than "Wilhelmina". She is living at 12 Fleming Street, Glasgow, with her mother (now called Barbara Boyd) and two others.

On December 31, 1902, "Willhelmina" Thomson Boyd very definitely married John "Smith" (actually John Smyth), at Coweaddens United Free Church in Glasgow.

We can tell that this the correct John Smyth because his parents are listed as "Thomas Smith, a school master", and "Margaret Smith, Ms Scarborough". "Willhelmina Thomson Boyd" lists her parents as "William Boyd, Blacksmith, deceased" and "Barbara Boyd, Ms Thomson". Whether William and Barbara were ever actually married and when and where William and Barbara each were born and died is still undetermined.

By 1911, Williamina is living with her husband (John Smyth) and a daughter called Margaret at 44 Main Street, Caladone, Co. Tyrone, Ireland; however, by 1921 they have returned to Scotland, where the family is living at 86 Bowman Street, Glasgow.

Note: In the 1911 Irish census data, "Williamina" is said to have been born in Peru. This is obviously wrong and we assume it was intended as a joke because her husband (John Smyth) lists his own place of birth as Malta. In the 1921 Scottish census data, Williamina's place of birth is registered as Glasgow; it now seems that this is correct.

By 1935, in the electoral register for that year, Williamina, her husband, and her daughter are all living at 353 Bath Street in Glasgow. They are still living there in 1939.

In the electoral register for 1945, Williamina, her husband, and her daughter are living at 11 Kersland Street in Glasgow. They are still living there in 1947 and 1949, with two other (unidentified) people -- a man and a woman -- whose surnames are also Smyth.

Williamina (Boyd) Smyth passed away on January 17, 1956, at 11 Kersland Street, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and her death was registered the following day. She was buried at Glasgow Western Necropolis in Glasgow, Glasgow City, Scotland.

Research notes

One has to wonder whether Wilhelmina or Williamina ("Mina") Boyd was in some way related to John Smyth's maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (Boyd) Scarborough. At present we have no insight into that possibility.

Sources

• Unsourced, oral Roberts and Smyth family history
• Detailed information about this individual is accessible on Ancestry (see https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/19962126/person/875688332/facts)
• Marriage registration registration, in ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk (see See https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/image-viewer/stat_marriages/stat_marriages-544201_3922806_544201_2372671)
• Irish and Scottish census data for 1881-1921
• Scottish electoral registers for 1922 through 1947
• Death and death registration, accessible on ScotlandsPeople.co.uk but see also Gallery in Ancestry profile listed above
• Burial, in Billion Graves (see https://billiongraves.com/grave/Williamina-Boyd-Smyth/25866750)