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This article appeared in a number of newspaper articles which announced the death of John Howatson Smith Chopin by suicide. It appears that the initial article was sold on to a number of newspapers as the wording is exactly the same. A different reprort appeared in a bi-weekly newspaper and will be reproduced here in due course. John Howatson probably never realised that his wife was carrying his unborn son. His widow, Isabella, died soon after the his son was born and it appears that the orphaned children were brought up by relatives and friends. I believe that the interest in the family history stemmed from John Francis's desire to know more about his ancestors. All the family trees that circulate among the different branches in the family contain elements that indicate a single source of origin.