Smith

Smith is a very common  family  wich was relatively rare in the history of Chewton Mendip, The name was sometimes spelt as Smyth. A Walter Smith  was signing the Chewton Mendip churchwarden records in around 1704. He probably died c1746 because Widow Smith was paying poor rates for the same property in 1747. A Samuel Smith was a Churchwarden in 1720. Samuel Smith in receipt of poor relief in 1746 who may have been the former churchwarden now dependent on the parish. It is assumed have died in 1764 and was buried by the parish.

The Smith/Smyth name appears in  poor book dated 1730 to 1769 but as an estate farmed by other people. The estate may have included Pig Furlong and it was farmed (or part of it) by the Thistle family

An apprenticeship indenture from 1755 placed John Smith of Chewton Mendip, a poor child, who was apprenticed to John Millard of Wells, gardener.

A Joseph Smith was appointed as an overseer in 1767 but other members of the family were in receipt of poor relief.

Members of the Smith family were attending the village school in the Victorian era.

A M P Smith is listed as having served in WW1 on the plaque in the church.

A number of children called Smith were evacuated to Chewton Mendip in WW2.