Index Henley Geneology Centre Personal Bulbs

Welcome to my Smuin Geneology pages I have been researching for four or five years the origins of the Smewing name, which comes from this part of the Oxfordshire,Berkshire and Buckinghamshire borders in England.
If you follow this link you will find distribution maps of the name in different centuries. I know of several other areas in the world where there are Smewings, and am in contact with Smewings from Canada and know of others in USA, Australia. Nevertheless please send me an email if you carry the tribal name and I will check you into my Brother's Keeper database [Try the e-mail link at the bottom of the page]
The name can be splelt in anumber of ways (Smuin,Smewing,Smewin etc) and there are three main subtribes:

1. the Smewins - based around Radley just south of Oxford

2. the Smewings - based on S Stoke just north of Reading

3. the Snuins - based in Hackney area of NE London

The Snuins started to differentiate their name in the 1700s and the Smewins at about the time of the Civil War (1650s). The name goes further back than that and was much more common in Saxon times before the Norman conquest. Here is a link to information on the Smuin Saxon moneyers who had my name and information on the spelling of the name using runic alphabet, (not sure if your browser can display!!)
I have traced my direct line back until 1530 about twelve generations which because all the generations were penniless peasants is difficult. People with substantial landholdings tended to leave many more written records such as wills. However the unusual name has aided me, tribal names help influence events as much as wealth. If you are interested in the raw data here it is in a GEDCOM format.