Individual Details

John SMITH

(27 Mar 1815 - 25 Sep 1888)

Events

Birth	27 Mar 1815	Dumfries, Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom
Baptism	28 Mar 1815	St Michael's Parish Church, Dumfries, Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom
Immigration	1 Oct 1838	from London, arriving in Hobart on the convict ship "Majestic"on 22 Jan 1839, aged 23. He was not a convict, however, but most likely a trooper given his army background
Occupation	22 Jan 1839	Police Trooper (appointed 9 Jul 1839 according the the Hobart Town Courier & Van Diemens Land Gazzette of 26 Jul 1839) but he & Jane Eliza were said to be on staff of the new Governor of Tasmania in 1839
Note	Mar 1840	The Tasmanian Weekly Dispatch 13 Mar 1840 reported that “John Latham & John Smith, free constables, were charged on the oath of Constable Adams, with receiving of Joseph Newton a one pound note as a bribe, not to put him in the watch-house. Several other constables were called and gave evidence. Fined £5 and to be dismissed”
Note (fam)	19 May 1842	& John applied for permission to marry on 7 Feb 1842 but were refused on the 17th. The comment was "Not at present - Woman cond't undeserving at present". They re-applied on 2 May & approval for their marriage was granted - Jane Eliza SMITH (or WARNER)
Marriage	8 Jun 1842	Holy Trinity Church of England, Hobart, Van Diemen's Land, Australian Colonies - Jane Eliza SMITH (or WARNER)
Note (fam)	1847	and John moved to Jamberoo, NSW to join the rest of John's family who had emigrated in 1841 - Jane Eliza SMITH (or WARNER)
Note	Bet 1853 and 1855	It is generally agreed that he built the first house in Nowra (where the RSL now is). Researcher Antony Ivansmith believed that he did this around 1853/4. His son John Alexander Smith said that it was built in 1855 "on the north-east corner of Junction and East Sts". William A Bayley in his book "History of Shoalhaven" stated that John's house was said to have been built "on the edge of the swamp at the bottom of Junction St on April 21, 1855". When later he built a second, larger house he called it "Violet Bank" which was most likely in reference to Violetbank, just off the A711 road to Dalbeattie, and about 2 miles from Dumfries town centre
Note	Bet 1855 and 1857	Between 1855 & 1857 John spent 73 pounds 7 shillings acquiring 14 town lots in Nowra, a very impressive indication of the success he & his convict wife had achieved in their lifetimes
Death	25 Sep 1888	Nowra, New South Wales, Australia
Burial	26 Sep 1888	& the headstone includes the title "1st Resident of Nowra" - Nowra General Cemetery Presbyterian Portion A Row 06 Grave 7, Nowra, New South Wales, Australia

Families

Spouse	Jane Eliza SMITH (or WARNER) (1822 - 1916)
Child	Margaret Jane "Jean" SMITH (1843 - 1922)
Child	Juliette Louise SMITH (1844 - 1903)
Child	Mary Warner SMITH (1848 - 1935)
Child	Agnes SMITH (1849 - 1925)
Child	Emma SMITH (1851 - 1936)
Child	Janet SMITH (1853 - 1930)
Child	Elizabeth Jane SMITH (1855 - 1939)
Child	Sarah Ann "Sally" SMITH (1856 - 1935)
Child	William John SMITH (1858 - 1929)
Child	John Alexander SMITH (1860 - 1948)
Child	Louisa Frances SMITH (1862 - 1953)
Child	Kate Alice SMITH (1864 - 1956)

Father	William John SMITH (1791 - 1862)
Mother	Margaret IRELAND (1785 - 1875)
Sibling	Jannet SMITH (1813 - 1860)
Sibling	Alexander SMITH (1821 - 1875)
Sibling	Thomas SMITH (1823 - 1882)
Sibling	Samuel SMITH (1825 - 1827)
Sibling	Joseph SMITH (1827 - 1841)
Sibling	Robert SMITH (1828 - 1897)
Sibling	Samuel SMITH (1829 - 1841)
Sibling	Hannah SMITH (1831 - 1841)
Sibling	Adam SMITH (1833 - 1841)
Sibling	William SMITH (1835 - 1892)

Endnotes