James J. Smith, comments and a selected reference

I visited a descendent of James J. Smith in New Jersey in 1995. In his possession, a pipe case with lots of remarkable things in it. A full set, four chanters, reeds, reed parts, an apparent chanter reamer, ferrules, a flute and a piccolo, other odds and ends. Of the chanters, one is a double chanter and two are unfinished.

Census records suggest that Smith emigrated to the US about 1888, married Mary Ellen Shannon about 1892. They were living in Belleville, New Jersey, by 1895. Family lore has it that - presumably before he was married - he went to Montana with a banjo player friend and played music for the miners or railroad workers there. Also that he played flute, fiddle and piano, was a clog dancer. As a part of the duo "Smith and Strong" he is said to have played at weddings and political events in New Jersey, but I have found no evidence of this. I have found no newspaper references to any of Smith's musical activities.

In Belleville his occupation is variously listed as Silver Polisher, Silver Finisher or Silversmith. A city directory for 1921 shows him working at Tiffany & Co Newark. He may have worked at Tiffany's enormous silver-work factory for many years, or not: at the time Newark was a center for jewelry manufacture and there were other possible workplaces. (The 1920 Newark city directory lists eighteen "Silversmiths" companies.)

James J. and Mary Smith had six surviving children. Smith died Jan. 28, 1935 according to a Belleville city directory, and is buried at St. Peters Churchyard, Belleville.

I have lost track of James J. Smith's descendant and would be happy to hear from him or any of the family.

Nick Whitmer July 2020
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[Tiffany Factory at Newark, NJ] Facebook post from New Jersey Historic Preservation Office Feb. 18, 2016
https://www.facebook.com/njshpo/posts/charles-tiffany-founder-of-the-famed-jewelry-silver-business-died-114-years-ago-/1763588417202733/