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I know that Emily Louisa Smith married Edward James Ekins in 1890 at Shoreditch Register Office and that they were 2 of my Great Grandparents. I believe that Emily's parents were Edward & Esther Smith and that Emily was born about 1871. Does anyone know Esther Smith's maiden name. I have thoughts on it but will keep them to myself in the hope that someone out there comes up with the same name.
Thanks in expectation. Brian Ekins.

This one is a possibility:-

First name(s) EDWARD
Last name SMITH
Marriage quarter 4
Marriage year 1871
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ EDWARD SMITH married one of these people
>>>>>>>>>>>>>ESTHER GWILLIM<<<<<<<<<<<<<, ELIZABETH ANNE LUXTON
District SHOREDITCH
District number -
County London
Country England
Volume 1C
Page 347
Record set England & Wales marriages 1837-2008

I don't know London but there is also this possibility: (EDIT - this one is the most likely - see later posts)

First name(s) EDWARD
Last name SMITH
Marriage quarter 2
Marriage year 1870
Registration month -
MarriageFinder™ EDWARD SMITH married one of these people
HARRIET JANE SEWELL, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ESTHER BAKER<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
District ST. GILES
District number -
County London
Country England
Volume 1B
Page 754
Record set England & Wales marriages 1837-2008

Kath. x

One of Edward & Emily's sons was, I believe, called Thomas William. On his WW1 Service Record he gives his Next of Kin as Edward (which is crossed through) and replaced with Emily (Mother) address 14 Charles Square.

On the 1939 Register there is an entry for
Emily Ekins 14 Mar 1871 Widowed living at 14 Charles Square, Shoreditch.

1891 census

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Name: Edward Ekins
Age: 22
Estimated birth year: abt 1869
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Emily Ekins
Gender: Male
Where born: Shoreditch, London, England
Civil Parish: Shoreditch
Ecclesiastical parish: St Saviour
Town: London
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street address:51 Rushton Street

Occupation:brass polisher

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

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Registration district: Shoreditch
Sub registration district: Hoxton Old Town
ED, institution, or vessel: 15
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 250
Folio: 14
Page Number: 22
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward Ekins 22
Emily Ekins 20
Arthur Ekins 5/12

Given the date of birth of 14 Mar 1871 in the 1939 Register there is this Baptism ?

Name: Emily Louisa Smith
Record Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 30 Apr 1871
Date of Birth : 14 Mar 1871
Father's name: Edward Smith Occ Butcher
Mother's name: Esther Smith
Address: 6 Hyde Street
Parish or Poor Law Union: Bloomsbury St George
Borough: Camden
Register Type: Parish Registers

This is Edward and Esther in the 1881 census:-

1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
81, Rushton Street, Shoreditch, London, England

First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place

Edward Smith Head Married Male 33 1848 Butchers Journeyman Rumburgh, Suffolk, England
Esther Smith Wife Married Female 29 1852 - Stepney, Middlesex, England
Emily Smith Daughter Single Female 10 1871 Scholar Hoxton, Middlesex, England
Edward G Smith Son Single Male 8 1873 Scholar Clerkenwell, Middlesex, England

Kath. x

1901 census

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Name: Edward J Ekins
Age: 32
Estimated birth year: abt 1869
Relation to Head: Head
Gender: Male
Spouse: Emily Ekins
Birth Place: Hoxton, London, England
Civil Parish: Shoreditch
Search Photos: Search for 'Shoreditch' in the UK City, Town and Village Photos collection
Ecclesiastical parish: Holy Trinity Hoxton
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street address:

Occupation:market porter

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Shoreditch
Sub-registration district: Hoxton New Town
ED, institution, or vessel: 05
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 270
Folio: 142
Page Number: 30
Household schedule number: 227
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward J Ekins 32
Emily Ekins 30
Arthur J Ekins 10
Esther A Ekins 8
Emma Ekins 3
Thomas W Ekins 1

Just because they came up

Edward Ekins
Estimated birth year: abt 1890
Age: 28
Spouse: Maud Lilian Bird
Spouse Age: 28
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 2 Jul 1918
Parish: St John, Hoxton
Borough: Hackney
Father Name: Edward James Ekins
Spouse Father: Edwin James Bird


Name: Esther Ekins
Estimated birth year: abt 1893
Age: 24
Spouse: Arthur Easey
Spouse Age: 26
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 21 Mar 1917
Parish: St Mark, Shoreditch
Borough: Hackney
Father Name: Edward James Ekins
Spouse Father: Henry James Easey
Register Type: Parish Register

Name: Edward J Ekins
Birth Date: abt 1869
Date of Registration: Jun 1938
Age at Death: 69
Registration district: Shoreditch
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1c
Page: 85


1939 register

REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION
Ekins Household (1 Person)
14 Charles Square , Shoreditch, London, England
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FIRST NAME(S) LAST NAME(S) DOB OCCUPATION
Emily Ekins 14 Mar 1871 Domestic Duties widow
Ref: RG101/0502J/005/35 Letter Code: ATBX

Seems to be living in a house with other people

Edward and Esther in the 1871 census:-

1871 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription
Grange Street, Shoreditch, London, England

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Print transcription View image Household Members
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Gender Age Birth year Occupation Birth place

Edward Smith Head - Male 23 1848 - Suffolk, England
Esther Smith Wife - Female 20 1851 - Middlesex, England
Emily Smith Daughter - Female 1 1870 - Middlesex, England

Kath. x

I wonder if Esther's maiden name was Baker rather than Gwillim as I can't find an Esther Gwilliam from Stepney (which is where she gives as her birth place on the 1881 census) but there is this Esther Baker from Stepney in the 1861 census:-

First name(s) Esther
Last name Baker
Relationship Scholar
Marital status -
Gender Female
Age 9
Birth year 1852
Occupation Scholar
Birth town -
Birth town as transcribed -
Birth county -
Birth county as transcribed -
Birth place (other) Not Known
Birth place other as transcribed N K
Street -
Parish Stepney
City or borough -
County London, Middlesex
Country England
Municipal ward

She is in the workhouse school.

Kath. x

Esther's also born Stepney per 1871
Kathleen posted the FMP version, here's Ancestry's, and Stepney is what the image says:

Esther Smith
in the 1871 England Census
Name: Esther Smith
Age: 20
Estimated birth year: abt 1851
Relation: Wife
Spouse's Name: Edward Smith
Gender: Female
Where born: Stepney, Middlesex, England
Civil Parish: Shoreditch
Ecclesiastical parish: St Saviour Hoxton
County/Island: London
Country: England
Registration district: Shoreditch
Sub-registration district: Hoxton Old Town
ED, institution, or vessel: 18
Household schedule number: 94
Piece: 458
Folio: 63
Page Number: 13
Household Members:
Name Age
Edward Smith 23
Esther Smith 20
Emily Smith 1

But 1911 says she was born in Oxton (Hoxton on image - which is part of Shreditch):

Esther Smith
in the 1911 England Census
Name: Esther Smith
Age in 1911: 61
Estimated birth year: abt 1850
Relation to Head: Mother
Gender: Female
Birth Place: Oxton
Civil Parish: Shoreditch
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street address: 123 Crondall Street, Hoxton N E
Marital Status: Widowed
Occupation: NONE
Registration district: Shoreditch
Registration District Number: 16
Sub-registration district: Shoreditch South
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Piece: 1335
Household Members:
Name Age
Emily Ekins 40
Esther Ekins 18
Emma Ekins 13
Thomas Ekins 11
Esther Smith 61

Marriage?

Name: Esther Baker Spinster, Minor
Spouse: Edward Smith occ Butcher, Bachelor, Full Age
Record Type: Marriage
Event Date: 29 May 1870
Parish: St George, Bloomsbury
Borough: Camden
Father Name: Benjamin Baker occ Clerk
Spouse Father: Edward Smith occ Butcher
Register Type: Parish Register

Witnesses George Baker & Fanny Smith

Interestingly the Address for them both is 6 Hyde Street as per the Baptism

Looking at the 1939 Register again it looks like Emily's married daughter Esther A Easey is living at the same address.

Easey Arthur 16 Aug 1890 occ Car Washer
Easey Esther A 08 Jun 1892 occ Office Cleaner

Looking at the image initially it looked like the surname was Casey but the first letter of the surname looks exactly the same as that for Ekins.

I think sometimes on the census people just said their birthplace was the place where they lived at that census - or they said the nearest large town to their actual birthplace.

I think Esther Baker is much more likely to be Emily's mother - especially as the marriage has Edward Smith's occupation as butcher.

Kath. x

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and info, please keep them coming. Some of the names suggested line up with those that I have found. I think that I will have to start purchasing birth certificates to try to prove the surname one way or another. If and when I prove it I will post the correct surname on this site.
Once again, thanks. Brian Ekins

Unfortunately I can't find certain birth registrations for either of Esther's children so they may not have been registered and only the birth certificates would confirm Esther's maiden name.

Kath. x

Well on the 1881 census Edwards occ is given as butcher .journeyman .thsi would tie with the info on the marriage to Esther Baker

The baptism record too for Emily Louise also gives Edwards occ as butcher so it's consistent again

I agree Shirley - I would put my money on Esther being Esther Baker too.

Kath. x