Hungerford Family in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian Institution

In June 2019, members of the Hungerford families from England and British Columbia, Canada made their way to Washington, DC to explore the famous Smithsonian Institution¹.

The family trip was inspired by reading Heather Ewing’s book, The Lost World of James Smithson: Science, Revolution, and the Birth of the Smithsonian, published in 2007, which draws on unpublished diaries and letters to tell the life story of James Smithson (born James Lewis Macie, in 1764).

The Hungerford-Smithsonian Connection

James Smithson was the illegitimate son of Hugh Smithson (later Percy), the Duke of Northumberland, and Elizabeth Hungerford Keate (1732-1800). Elizabeth married twice, first to John Macie Esq (d1761), and secondly to John Marshe Dickinson (d1771). Elizabeth was an heiress of the Hungerfords of Studley, and had a significant fortune of her own. Elizabeth had a second son Henry Louis Dickinson (b1771), supposedly also a son of the Duke of Northumberland. Henry too had an illegitimate son Henry James Dickinson (d1835), who took the name of Henry Hungerford.

When Elizabeth Hungerford Keate Macie died in May 1800, she left the bulk of her property to James Macie, her first son. Following his mother’s request on 16 February 1801, James changed his name to James Smithson. He studied at Oxford University studying chemistry and mineralogy, and became a member of the Royal Society in 1787. He travelled widely on the continent and published up to 29 scientific papers.

James Smithson’s will was written in 1826, leaving his estate to his nephew, Henry James Dickinson (known as Henry Hungerford). The will had a clause saying that if the nephew died intestate, the estate would go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men”.

James Smithson died on 26 June 1829, at Genoa, Italy, and Henry James Dickinson died in 1835, at Pisa, Italy, before his uncle’s will was enacted.

Eventually in April 1846, after much debate and discussion in US Congress, a bill was passed and signed by President James K Polk, allowing the creation of the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC The fortune of 105 sacks of gold bullion was transported to the US from the United Kingdom.

The architect James Renwick, Jr, of New York was hired to design and build the Smithsonian building resulting in the Norman-inspired castle of red sandstone which was completed in 1855. It was not until January 1904 that James Smithson’s remains were removed from Genoa Italy, and entombed in a sepulchre near the entrance to the Castle.

Hungerford Visit

During a week in June 2019, 30 distant relatives of James Smithson, visited Washington DC and undertook guided tours of seven of the eleven Museums and art galleries which make up the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.  There are an additional two museums in New York City, the famous National Zoo in Connecticut Ave, Washington, and the Smithsonian Gardens surrounding the various precincts.

Front: Caitlin Hungerford (daughter of Debbie); Debbie Hungerford (married to John); Robin Hungerford [H.9a.2b.2c/R.2.3a.1b.2c.2d], Priscilla Hungerford [SH135b] (sister of Patrick); Jane Hungerford [SH193=] (married to George); Sally Scott (?)

Middle: Lorna Hungerford-Scott [SH134a], Judi Hungerford [H.9a.2b.2c=/R.2.3a.1b.2c.2d=] (married to Robin); Gaby Hungerford [SH192=] & Patrick Hungerford [SH192]; Jamie Matthews; Dagmar Hungerford [SH 194=] (married to Robert); Mary Ketchum; Andrew Hungerford (married to Stephanie, not present in photo)

Back: Nigel Hurst Brown (not family); Matthew Hungerford (son of Debbie & John); John Ketchum; Ashleigh Matthews (married to Jamie); George Hungerford [SH193]; Hugh Matthews, Mary Matthews; Robert Hungerford [SH194] (married to Dagmar).

The Hungerford family descendants visited the following facilities: the Smithsonian Castle, meeting the curator and Heather Ewing, now Research Associate; the National Museum of American History; the National Museum of the American Indian; the National Museum of Natural History & the Joseph E. Cullman Library; the National Portrait Gallery & the Capital Gallery; and the National Air & Space Museum. Additional photos of these facilities can be found online at www.si.edu/museums.  The Smithsonian has also published a report about this visit.

Using the articles previously published in HAFS Journals ², and the information in Stanley W Hungerford’s, A Summary of the Families Hungerford, I estimate that the relationship between Patrick Hungerford [SH192] and James Smithson would be approximately 17 generations, the common ancestor being Edmund Hungerford (d1484), of Down Ampney, and Margaret Burnell (d1486).

Robin and Patrick mentioned above are 9^th cousins, while Lesley Abrahams is a second cousin once removed with Robin Hungerford, being descendants of Henry Jones Hungerford [H].

---

 

1. Report prepared by Lesley Abrahams [H.4a.1b.1c.1d/ E.6.5a.1b.1c.1d], from information supplied by Robin Hungerford [H.9a.2b.2c/ R.2.3a.1b.2c.2d] and the article Mr Smithson’s Family Goes to Washington, written by Michael Waters, editorial intern on Smithsonian.com.
2. Previous articles about James Smithson and the Smithsonian Institution, were published in the HAFS Journal, Vol 1, No 4, November 1992, pp13-15 (including ancestry to Lord Walter Hungerford (d1449); HAFS Journal, Vol 8, No 2, November 2005, pp12-24 (review of Nina Burleigh’s The Stranger and the Statesman); HAFS Journal, Vol 10, No 2, November 2009, pp20-21; HAFS Newsletter No 35 February 2008, p23. The Journal articles are now available on the HAFS website.