Some 10 years or so ago I set a challenge to readers of this site to find the ancestry of Enos Smithson born 1778 in Langthorpe. At the time I’d had a number of discussions with Bill Smithson of Killinghall who had been most helpful with his own research but we couldn’t find where Enos got his name or who his ancestors were. A number of us had drawn a blank so I set the challenge.

So who won it? Well, I think I did but only recently! The process was as follows. I firstly found the baptism of “Enos son of Willm Smithson” baptised 8th May 1778 at Kirby Hill near Langthorpe. Next step was to find Williams wife – “William Smithson of Skelton in parish of Ripon, yeoman and Margaret Metcalf of Longthorpe, spinster married by licence 28 November 1763. Both signed. Witnesses Dorothy Dale and Richard Tanfield.” – again, this record from Kirby Hill.

What else can we find about William? Again from the Kirby Hill registers “William son of Samuel Smithson of Langthorpe by Mary his wife was born May 22nd, was baptised June 20th 1735” and “William Smithson of Langthorp was buried June 1787”. And what about his wife Margaret? “Margaret, the wife of Wm Smithson of Langthorpe buried at Kirby on the Moor, the 21st of January 1783.”

OK but where did Enos get his name from? Margaret’s father was Enos Metcalf born around 1698 and baptised at Kirby Hill: “Enos son of Leonard Metcalfe of Humburton was baptised Jan 10th 1698” and “Enos Metcalf of Longthorp buried the 25th day of December 1771”.

What do we know about William’s father Samuel? “Samuel Smithson of Skelton in the parish of Ripon late of Langthorpe in this parish. Buried the 28th day of September 1763”, again from the Kirby Hill registers.

So can I claim the prize?

Check out a public tree I’ve put on Ancestry to show the above in more detail.