Elizabeth Layt

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Elizabeth Aveling / Smith / Layt was baptised at Beccles, Suffolk on 04 April 1779, the daughter of John Aveling and his wife Frances (formerly Seaton) who had married on 08 September 1772 at St John Baptist, Peterborough, Northamptonshire. John and Frances Aveling had previously had a daughter named Elizabeth, baptised on 20 April 1777 at St John Baptist, Peterborough, however this daughter was buried at St John Baptist, Peterborough on 14 July 1777.

In the Will of William Aveling of Whittlesey, Gentleman (uncle of John Aveling) probated in 1779 John Aveling is noted as ‘late of Peterborough, brazier’ indicating he had moved away.

She had a sister Fanny Aveling baptised at Beccles on 22 April 1781 and this sister is important as she married John Kingsbury Lott whose Will is noted below.

Elizabeth Aveling /Smith / Layt married John Smith at St Mary’s, Luton, Bedfordshire on 22 September 1798. She is listed as ‘Elizabeth Averling (sic)’. One of the witnesses was her father John Aveling. She signs her own name as does her father.

Prior to her marriage, Elizabeth Aveling /Smith /Layt had given birth to a son, Frederick Aveling who was baptised at St Mary’s, Luton on 15 January 1797. Frederick Aveling gave the date of his birth as 1st January to his family. His father is listed as John Smith, and it is noted that Frederick Aveling is ‘a bastard’.

Elizabeth Smith gave birth to three further children, all baptised at St Mary’s, Luton as follows:

Edwin Smith baptised in July 1799 (Draper of Birmingham) William Aveling Smith baptised in 1801 (Short hand writer died around 1836 with issue) Charles Seaton Smith (the name being a clue to his Mother’s ancestry) baptised in 1807 (Engraver died in St Albans in 1858 with issue)

It is possible that John Smith was a Land Tax Assessor at Luton. The only evidence we have of this is that a Land Tax Assessment of 1810 compiled by one John Smith shows handwriting almost identical to that of Frederick Aveling, his son.

John Aveling, the father of Elizabeth Smith, appears to have moved to St Albans, Hertfordshire sometime between 1781 and 1793. He was Constable of the Holywell Ward. In 1793 he appears in the rate books and at the marriage of his daughter Fanny Aveling in 1806 he was living in the Holywell Ward, St Albans and appears in every rate until 1818. He died in the Abbey Parish at St Albans in 1827 and was buried in the Abbey.

It seems that John Smith and Elizabeth Aveling also moved to St Albans, as the Monthly Magazine or British Register of 1821 states: “Married.] Mr F. Layt, of Aylesbury, to Mrs E. Smith, widow of the late Mr J. S. of St Albans”. From the records of levies for Poor Rates for St Albans, one John Smith took a property in Holywell Ward, with an outhouse, sometime in 1812, first paying rates on 12 June 1812 and lastly on 25 April 1817. A John Smith was buried at the Abbey on 19 June 1817 aged 63 and in the rate of 27 June 1812 “Mrs Smith” is now paying the rates. The writer has a note in his possession dated 1817 and initialled by Frederick Aveling held with a brass tobacco stopper which he noted as his father’s and his grandfather’s. Mrs Smith paid the rates until 2 January 1818.

In the “List of the Governors and Officers of the Asylum for the Support and Education of the Deaf and Dumb Children of the Poor” published at Bermondsey on October 1817 is listed “Charles Seaton Smith, Mother a widow, with 7 children, St Albans”.

On 11 March 1818 “Frederick Smith” took over paying the rates. It is believed that “Frederick Smith” and “Frederick Aveling” are the same person in this context. Whilst Frederick Aveling was legally known by this name, it may have been socially disadvantageous to acknowledge this on a day-to-day basis. On 30 June 1819 Frederick Aveling baptised a son at St Pancras in London as Frederick Aveling (where is family is unlikely to have been known) and gave his abode as St Albans and his profession as schoolmaster.

Frederick Aveling married Sarah Harding at St Pancras, London, on 24 June 1818.

Frederick Smith paid rates until 6 April 1821 when the property passed to “Mr Saml. Smith”. On 27 January 1822 Frederick Aveling baptised his son Henry at St Pancras in London where he gave his abode as an address in London. On 6 August 1823 the property in question was empty and described as “late Smith” eventually passing to a Miss Charles.

The dates fit to closely for this to be purely coincidental.

Frederick Aveling disowned his mother. A letter from his son dated 15 February 1875 states: “My late Father who died in 1872 … never once took me into his counsels on any matter of family history. From my Mother, however, I had learnt sufficient to warrant the conclusion that something had occurred in a former generation to make him ignore the past as he so steadfastly did”.

Elizabeth Smith married Francis Layt on 13 August 1821 at Christ Church, Newgate, London. She was noted as of the Parish, and a widow.

It appears that Elizabeth Layt then moved to Aylesbury. She had the following child with Francis Layt:

Lydia Elizabeth Layt baptised at St Mary’s, Aylesbury on 5th February 1823

Francis Layt was buried on 21 Jun 1833 in St Mary’s Aylesbury.

Elizabeth Layt continued to live in Aylesbury and in 1841 was listed in the census as living in Church Yard, Aylesbury aged 50 with a profession of Schoolmistress. She clearly lied about her age. Her daughter Lydia Layt, aged 19, lived with her. She said she was born in the county, Buckinghamshire.

In the census of 1851 Elizabeth Layt was living at 73 Silver Street, Aylesbury and gives her age as 64 and is noted as ‘Widow of Stonemason’. She said she was born in Aylesbury. Her daughter by this time was married (to her cousin John Layt), and living at 7 Brunswick Place, Shoreditch, London.

The Will of John Kingbury Lot, dated 22 March 1862 and proved in London on 11 March 1865, provides evidence of the relationship between the family of Elizabeth Aveling/Smith/Layt. John Kingsbury Lott married Fanny Aveling, sister of Elizabeth Aveling, at Aldenham on 25 December 1806. One of the witnesses at her marriage was her father John Aveling. The Will appoints Frederick Aveling, Vestry Clerk of Paddington, and his son Henry Aveling as Executors. It also mentions Edwin Smith ‘of Birmingham’ and ‘the three children of John Layt and Lydia his wife [they were cousins] late of No. 29 Victoria Road, Pownall Road, Hackney but now residing at Sydney Row, South Wales [Australia].

Elizabeth Layt’s Death certificate dated 20th July 1859 notes she is 80 years old (giving the correct year of her birth, 1779). The cause of death is listed as bronchitis and exhaustion. She is living at 2 Fellows Street North, Shoreditch, London. The certificate is given by ‘Ann Catchfield’.

John and Lydia Layt, daughter and son-in-law of Elizabeth Layt, arrived in Australia on the “Boanerges” on 21 October 1857. John was listed as a ‘free settler’ and was a stonemason like his uncle.

The son of Charles Seaton Smith, Charles Heath Smith (baptised at St Pancras, London on 22 February 1836) went to Australia around 1851.

References

1. The Will of John Kingsbury Lot, dated 22 March 1862 and proved in London on 11 March 1865
2. UK Census of 1851
3. Parish Registers St Mary's Luton,UK
4. Parish Registers Old St Pancras, London, UK
5. Monthly Magazine or British Register of 1821
6. List of the Governors and Officers of the Asylum for the Support and Education of the Deaf and Dumb Children of the Poor published at Bermondsey, UK on October 1817
7. UK Census of 1841
8. UK Births Deaths and Marriages

Elizabeth Aveling / Smith /Layt (1779 - 1859)

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