Thomas George Smith
(25 February 1852 - 12 December 1919)
Family roots
Thomas George Smith was born and baptised in the tiny village of Shipton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire on 25 February 1852. His parents were Robert Smith (1817 - 1891) and Miriam Eeles (7 Jan 1815 - 9 Jun 1887) who was originally from Leafield, Oxfordshire. Shipton under Wychwood was the birthplace of several generations of the Smith family including Thomas's father.
Thomas was one of a large family. Each of the Smith children were baptised in Shipton under Wychwood:
- Henry Smith (10 Dec 1839 - ?)
- Mary Anne Smith (3 Nov 1841 - 2 Sep 1891)
- Sarah Ann Smith (15 Oct or 25 Dec 1843 - 19 April 1930)
- Ellen Smith (1846 - 1846)
- Eliza Elizabeth Smith (23 May 1847 - Oct 1934)
- Emily (or Emma) Smith (30 May 1849 - 1 Dec 1911)
- Thomas George Smith (25 Feb 1851 - 12 Dec 1919)
- George Smith (1852 - ?)
- Hannah Smith (19 March 1854 - ?1936)
- Harriet (or Harriett) Catherine Smith (29 Nov 1857 - 21 Nov 1902)
- James Smith (19 May 1861 - ?)
- Ellen Smith (bapt 27 May 1862 - ?)
The 1861 UK Census shows that Thomas (9) and his older brother Henry (21) were living with their paternal uncle and his family in St Ebbe, Oxford, and working as shoemakers. Uncle Thomas George Smith was a leather cutter and bootmaker and would have taught his nephews the trade.
Thomas may have attended the wedding of his eldest sister, Mary Ann Smith, on 3 September 1862 in Enstone. Two days after the wedding, Mary and her new husband Charles Blackwell (1841 - 17 May 1912) immigrated to New Zealand. Unfortunately the marriage didn't last.
When around 18 years of age, Thomas traveled to Ireland, and began a relationship with an older Catholic girl named Bridget Callaghan (1844 - 10 Jan 1920). She was born in County Donegal, Ireland. Thomas and Bridget had a son, Thomas Smith (9 June 1871 - 1873) and when his birth was registered, his parents stated that they lived at 7 Golden Lane. Thomas Jnr was baptised at St Nicholas' (without), Dublin. Sadly, Thomas Jnr died of unknown causes in 1873 aged two.
Shortly after Thomas and Bridget's son died, she moved to New Zealand as an assisted immigrant along with her younger brother Henry Callaghan (26). They departed from Glasgow on 7 May 1874 on the ship 'Mairi Bhan'. The passenger list recorded them coming from Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Bridget was listed as a single 30 year old domestic servant while Henry was listed as a single 26 year old ploughman. Henry ended up buying several sections in the Ardgowan settlement near Oamaru around 1896 - 1905. He ran a small dairy herd and grew wheat on his farm.
Immigration
It is believed that Thomas also arrived in New Zealand in the early-mid 1870s. His mother, 58 year old Miriam Smith (nee Eeles), and three of her youngest children, Harriet (17, a nursemaid), James (14), and Ellen (11) also came to New Zealand as assisted immigrants, departing London on 6 June 1875 on the ship 'Rodney'. The voyage ended in Wellington on 29 August 1875. Thomas' father remained behind in England (probably with his eldest son). It's unclear why he didn't come, but it may have been because of his poor health. Some of Thomas' other siblings, including Sarah, Emily as well as Eliza and her husband Luke John Watts, immigrated to New Zealand too, but we are not sure exactly when they arrived.
We are not certain as to where Thomas went on his arrival in New Zealand. He probably looked up his family who were already in the country, then went to Oamaru to see Bridget.
Thomas's sister, Harriet (19) married Michael John Neilly (1852 - 24 Feb 1901), a carpenter, in 1876. They lived on Argyll Street, Wellington after their marriage. Michael and Harriet's daughter, Beatrice Ethel Neilly was born in Wellington in 1879
Marriage & family
Thomas and Bridget married on 29 February 1876, in St Patrick's Catholic Church in Oamaru. Three of their four children were born there:
- Thomas Smith (9 June 1871 - 1873) who was born in Dublin, Ireland, before their marriage
- Henry Smith (1877 - 4 Sep 1959)
- James Patrick Smith (11 Jan 1879 - 30 Dec 1932)
- Mary Smith (1884 - 1935)
Several months later, Thomas was probably in Palmerston North for the funeral of his 72 year old mother, Miriam Smith (nee Eeles) who had died on 9 June 1887. Her burial record states that her profession was a midwife. She was buried at the Terrence End Cemetery, Block P01, Plot 112. Following the funeral, Thomas may have spent some time with some of his sisters as several of them lived in the lower North Island.
A second family
Following his mother's death it is likely that George started travelling north where he met Jane Gardner (nee Simmons) in Waipawa around the Christmas of 1887. He may have been in town to visit his sister Eliza Adams, or may have been there working as either a labourer or a travelling shoemaker. Jane was a struggling widow with six young children to feed. He was running away from his own family problems and may have been drawn to family life again. She, on the other hand, would have been grateful to have a father figure for her children and a man who could provide. There is no doubt that Thomas brought some hope and stability into Jane's troubled life. Thomas (31) and Jane (36) were married within two months of meeting, on 22 February 1888 at Jane's home on Ruataniwha Road, Waipawa. It is curious to note that Jane signed the wedding register in her new name of Smith! The witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Eason (a labourer) and Florence Smith (a domestic worker who was not a relative).
Thomas and Jane had two sons together:
- Thomas Edward Smith (1889 - 20 January 1917)
- Frederick (Fred) James Smith (24 October 1890 - 1 August 1961) was born in Ashurst.
Thomas must have felt pangs of guilt over abandoning his first family. He sent a letter in 1892 to his first wife, addressing it to 'Mrs Thomas Smith, Oamaru'. Unfortunately for him, it was returned unopened to his Ormonville home via the Dead Letter Office. Jane opened the letter, read it, and the realisation began to sink in that her husband had kept a huge secret hidden from her. She put the letter back in the envelope and decided to never to speak about it to her husband. Shortly afterwards, Thomas disappeared without informing Jane as to where he was going. We can only surmise that he was off to see his secret family.
According to a newspaper report, Thomas visited his wife Bridget in Oamaru around July 1893. On 28 August he was arrested for failing to comply with the court order (dated 20 April 1887) to pay support to his wife and children. At a hearing on 8 September 1893, Thomas was remanded to Ormondville and his case was set for 13 September starting at 11am. It was reported that Thomas had made a long written submission outlining his reasons or justifications for his misdemeanor, stating that there were Biblical precedents for it!
The Star, Issue, 4775, 18 September 1893 announced the bigamy case against Thomas:
Thomas's trial was held in Napier on 19 September 1893. When the details about his bigamist activities came to light, they were reported publicly, as follows, in The Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 831, 14 September 1893:
The court case was reported on 23 September 1893. At his trial, Thomas pleaded guilty to bigamy and was sentenced to two years hard labour at the Napier Prison (New Zealand's oldest prison). The Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 835, published on 23 September reported the following facts from the trial:
The New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9312, 22 September 1893 reported the case succinctly, as follows:
Life in Prison
Napier Prison was not a pleasant place. Information about the conditions Thomas would have experienced there were reported in The Daily Telegraph, Issue 7068, 22 May 1894:
Life after prison
Thomas' misdemeanors were recorded in the New Zealand Police Gazette in 1895 along with some descriptive details as to his appearance:
- Height: 5 foot 4.5 inches
- Complexion: Sallow
- Hair: Brown
- Eye colour: Dark grey
- Nose: Pug
- Remarks: Squint in left eye; moles under right eye, on nose, and near left nostril.
Nothing is known about Thomas' whereabouts upon his release from prison. We believe that he may have returned to his wife in Oamaru.
Thomas probably attended several family weddings between 1905 and 1907. Firstly, the wedding of his son Henry, who married Susan Lucas Dale (1875 - 8 Sep 1964) in 1905. Then daughter Mary (1884 - 1935) married William James Waddington Cullimore (Apr 1885 - 1963) in 1907.
Thomas may have attended his sister Emily's funeral in December 1911. She died in Wellington.
Thomas and Bridget 1916 James Patrick Smith married Mary Wilson on 18 October 1916.
Son Fred enlisted for war on 6 March 1916, aged 25. He served as a Private with the 14th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Battalion, B Company. Fred departed from Wellington on 26 June 1916 on the troopship Maunganui bound for Devonport, England.
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| Fred Smith prior to departing for the war. Photo take by Mrs Cobb, Napier & Hastings. Date unknown, but probably 1916. (Photo courtesy of G J Bland) |
On 9 January 1917 Jane Smith, Thomas' second wife, died in Waipawa. She was 60 years old. Jane was buried with first husband George, in the Waipawa Cemetery, Plot 046. Less than two weeks later, Thomas received the news that his son Thomas Jnr had tragically died in Palmerston North Hospital on 20 January as a result of a motorcycle accident. The following death notice appeared in the Manawatu Times Vol XL, Issue 13604, on 22 January 1917.
Thomas Jnr had been working for his step-sister Alice's husband, Bob Cobb in his butcher shop. Thomas's funeral procession left from the Cobb's house on Carroll Street at 2:45pm on 22 January 1917. He was buried at the Terrence End Cemetery, Block 9, Plot 33. Thomas was single, aged 28 years.
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| Thomas Edward Smith Photo by .. Crown Studios. Date unknown but before 1917. (Photo courtesy of G J Bland) |
Even more bad news arrived in early June 1917 when Thomas, who was living in Waipawa at the time, was given notification via a cable that his youngest son, Fred, a Private with the 14th Reinforcements of the Wellington Infantry Battalion, on the Western Front, had been severely wounded during an offensive in France on 6 June.
Fred had received multiple gunshot wounds to his left hand, left thigh, and the mastoid region of his skull. His injuries were so serious that he was classified as 'dangerously ill'. Fred was eventually declared 'unfit for service' and returned to New Zealand on the hospital ship 'Maheno' where he was officially discharged from service and spent many months convalescing.
Fred married English-born Doris Ethel Walker (1899 - 31 Aug 1988) on 7 July 1919 at the St Matthews Church in Hastings. The photo below shows the wedding party. The man on the far right could possibly be Thomas Smith.
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| The wedding of Fred Smith (second from right) and Doris Walker (seated in the centre) 7 July 1919. Photographer unknown. (Photo courtesy of G J Bland) |
Final days
It appears that Thomas moved back to Oamaru in the latter 1910s and was living at the family home on Hull Street when he suffered a fatal heart attack on Friday, 12 December 1919. He was 67 years old. His funeral was held the following Monday afternoon at the Oamaru Old Cemetery. Thomas was buried in a family plot in the Catholic Section, Block 156, Plots 61-64. His first wife Bridget died three weeks later, on 10 January, at their daughter Mary Cullimore's home on Mersey Street, Oamaru. She had suffered from chronic bronchitus for five years plus a week of cardiac dilatation and pulmonary oedema. Bridget was buried next to her husband on 12 January.
Thomas & Bridget Smith's children
- Thomas Smith (9 June 1871 - 1873)
- Thomas Jnr was born before his parent's marriage, in Dublin.
- He was baptised in St Nicholas' (Without) in Dublin
- He died aged 2 (circumstances unknown).
- Henry Smith (1877 - 4 Sep 1959)
- Henry was born in New Zealand
- He married Susan Lucas Dale (1875 - 8 Sep 1964) in 1905
- There are no known children.
- Henry and Susan are recorded as living in Lyttelton, Christchurch in 1911 and 1914.
- James Patrick Smith (11 Jan 1879 - 30 Dec 1932)
- James married Mary Wilson (dates unknown) on 18 October 1916.
- Mary already had a daughter before they were married (name unknown). They had several more children:
- daughter (name unknown)
- James Wilson Patrick Smith
- The 1946 Electoral Roll records his as being a labourer living at 398 Cumberland Street, Dunedin. Living with him was his mother Mary who was a widow at the time.
- stillborn baby
- James was a sawmiller.
- James and Mary are buried together in the Old Oamaru Cemetery, Catholic Section, Block 173, Plot 18-19.
- Mary Smith (1884 - 1935)
- Married William James Waddlington Cullimore (Apr 1885 - June1963) in 1907. He was known as James. They had two children:
- Bridget E M Cullimore (1908 - )
- Bridget married William Robert Beissel (? - 1976) in 1933.
- The divorced 1949 (Dunedin).
- No known children.
- William James Patrick Cullimore (1913 - 28 May 1936)
- William married Isabella May Telfer in 1936.
- He died aged 23 after being injured in a "fall of earth at relief works on the borough reserve." He was buried in the family plot at the Old Oamaru Cemetery, Catholic Section, Block 156, Plot 61-64.
- Mary and James are buried with her parents, his father, and their son, at the Old Oamaru Cemetery Catholic Section, Block 156, Plot 61-64.
Thomas & Jane Smith's children
- Thomas Edward Smith (1889 - 20 January 1917)
- Thomas was born in Waipawa.
- He worked as a butcher in Palmerston North with his brother-in-law, Bob Cobb.
- Died aged 28 as a result of a motorcycle accident. He was single.
- Frederick (Fred) James Smith (24 October 1890 - 1 August 1961)
- Born in Ashurst, near Palmerston North.
- Served on the Western Front during World War 1 where he was seriously wounded.
- Married Doris Ethel Walker (1899 - 31 Aug 1988) in July 1919.
- Had three children:
- Arthur Smith (dates unknown) born in Patongata
- Joan Smith (dates unknown) born in Hastings
- Margaret Smith (dates unknown) born in Hastings
Siblings of Thomas Smith
- Henry Smith (bapt 10 Dec 1839 - ?)
- Henry was born in Shipton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England.
- He worked as a shoemaker according to the 1861 UK Census.
- Henry married Irina Hedges (dates unknown) in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, in October 1863. It is unknown if they had children.
- Henry's siblings and mother immigrated to New Zealand, but Henry remained in England with his father.
- Mary Anne Smith (3 Nov 1841 - 2 Sep 1891)
- Mary was born in Shipton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England. She was baptised on 5 November 1841.
- Mary and Charles Blackwell (1841 - 17 May 1912) who was from Enstone, courted for six months before they were married on 3 September 1862. Two days after their wedding they immigrated to New Zealand on the ship 'Wild Duck'. Half way through trip Mary began an affair and eventually left her husband for good shortly after their arrival in Wellington.
- On 4 December 1867 Mary bigamously married William Summerland Moss (1835 - 1912). William and Mary settled in Foxton. It appears that they may have had 10 children, including three sets of twins!
- Mary's first husband, Charles Blackwell, sought a divorce which was granted following a courtcase on 19 Nov 1872.
- Not long after her last child was born, Mary married for the third time. This marriage began on 3 March 1881 in Foxton. Her new husband was John William Duff (? - 1888). Mary was listed on the marriage documents as a spinster.
- Mary married Harry Arnold (dates unknown) in Palmerston North on 30 Oct 1889.
- She died of cancer in Foxton in 1891.
- Sarah Ann Smith (15 Oct 1843 - 19 April 1930)
- Sarah was baptised on 25 December 1843 in Shipton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England.
- Sarah married George Allerby (13 Sept 1844 - 13 July 1910) in St Mary, Acton, England, on 4 January 1865. Three of their children were born in England:
- George Henry Allerby (1865 - 1956)
- James Robert Allerby (21 Jan 1868 - 1944)
- Francis Allerby (1870 - 1957)
- George and Sarah immigrated to Wellington, New Zealand arriving on 2 March 1873. They settled in Foxton, and later Palmerston North. George was a gardener by profession.
- Seven children were born to George and Sarah, in New Zealand:
- Rosina Ann Allerby (1873 - 1964)
- Emily Helen Allerby (1876 - 2 April 1880)
- Frederick Walter Allerby (19 June 1878 - 1957)
- Eliza (or Elizabeth) Mary Jane Allerby (1880 - 1969)
- Sarah Charlotte Ann Allerby (1882 - 1959)
- Lilian Louisa Allerby (1885 - 1961)
- John Albert William Allerby (1889 - 1918)
- George was a farmer. He died in Palmerston North in 1910, aged 65. Sarah died in Fielding in 1930, aged 85. They are buried together at the Terrace End Cemetery, Palmerston North, Presbyterian Block 10, Plots 39 & 41.
- Ellen Smith (1846 - 1846)
- Eliza Elizabeth Smith (bapt 23 May 1847 - 21 Oct 1934)
- Eliza was baptised in Shipton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England in 1847.
- She married Luke John Watts (1847 - Jan 1914) in the parish church in Shipton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England, on 6 March 1869.
- Luke and Eliza immigrated to New Zealand with three children, John Henry Cornelius Adams (born Watts) (1870 - 1938), Annie Adams (born Watts) (1873 - ?), James Adams (born Watts) (1874 - ?). The family left London on 23 October 1875, and arrived in Napier on 16 February 1876. The family changed their surname on arrival in New Zealand to Adams. It is unclear why this was done.
- The settled in Waipawa where they had six more children:
- Frances Ellen Adams (1876 - 1877)
- William Ernest Adams (1879 - 1953)
- Agnes Florence Adams (1881 - ?)
- Ethel Grace Adams (1886 - 1887)
- Roland George Adams (1887 - 1974)
- Walter Charles Edward Adams (1889 - 1980)
- Luke died in 1914 and was buried under the name John Adams, in the Waipawa Cemetery. Eliza died in Palmerston North on 21 October 1934 and was buried two days later at the Waipawa Cemetery. Their graves are in the Anglican Block S, Plots 6 & 7.
- Emily (or Emma) Smith (30 May 1849 - 1 or 14 Dec 1911)
- Emily married George Franklin (13 Aug 1843 - 13 Jun 1925) on 14 October 1869 in Milton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England.
- George and Emily immigrated to Napier, New Zealand with two toddlers, Mary Ann Franklin (28 Nov 1870 - 1929) and Sidney Franklin (4 Sept 1871 - 1950), aboard the ship, 'Chile', arriving on 12 September 1872. George's parents and siblings also immigrated to New Zealand, and they settled in Hastings.
- On arrival in New Zealand, George and Emily had six more children, born in Nelson, Wellington and Palmerston North:
- Annie (or Hannah) Franklin (1874 - 1910)
- Lawrence Franklin (1876 - 1952)
- Roger Franklin (1879 - 1892)
- Delora Franklin (1881 - 1958)
- Ruth Madge Franklin (1884 - 1975)
- Joseph Walter Franklin (1887 - 1957)
- Emily died in Victoria Hospital, Wellington, in December 1911. She was buried in the Ashurst Cemetery, Block 20, Plot 023.
- George, a labourer, died in Porirua, Wellington, in 1925. He was also buried at the Ashurst Cemetery Block 16, Plot 19.
- Thomas George Smith (25 Feb 1851 - Dec 1919)
- George Smith (1852 - ?)
- Hannah (or Anna) Smith (19 March 1854 - ?1936)
- Hannah married Joseph Mills (c1854 - ?) on 16 March 1874, in Milton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England. They had one child when they immigrated to New Zealand. Apparently they traveled to New Zealand in 1875 with Hannah's mother, Miriam, and her three youngest siblings, Harriet, James and Ellen.
- Joseph and Hannah had six more children in New Zealand:
- Harriet (or Harriett) Catherine Smith (29 Nov 1857 - 21 Nov 1902)
- Harriet immigrated to New Zealand with her mother Miriam, and siblings, James and Ellen, in 1875. Sister Hannah apparently also came out with them with her husband and baby.
- Harriet (19) married English-born, Michael John Neilly (1852 - 24 Feb 1901), a carpenter of Irish decent, on 21 February 1876 at St Mary's Catholic Church, Wanganui. They lived on Argyll Street, Wellington in 1878-9
- Michael and Harriet had nine children. Their two eldest daughters, Clara Ellen Neilley and Beatrice Neilly were born in 1877 and 1879 respectively, in Wellington, New Zealand. Their other children were born in Australia.
- Michael and Harriet immigrated to New South Wales, Australia around 1879/80.
- Michael died in 1901, in Newtown, New South Wales, Australia and was buried at Rookwood Memorial Park, a Roman Catholic Cemetery in Western Sydney. Harriet (45) died the following year and was buried with her husband. According to her death certificate, Harriet had suffered from cancer of the uterus for two years. At the time of her death her children were aged between 25 and 8 years old.
- James Smith (19 May 1861 - ?)
- James was born in Shipton under Wychwood, Oxfordshire, England.
- He came to New Zealand with his mother, Miriam, and siblings, Harriet and Ellen, in 1875. Sister Hannah apparently also came out with them with her husband and baby.
- Nothing further is known about James.
- Ellen Smith (bapt 27 May 1862 - ?)
- Ellen came to New Zealand with her mother, Miriam, and siblings, Harriet and James, in 1875. Sister Hannah apparently also came out with them with her husband and baby.
- Nothing further is known about Ellen.
Sources of Information
- Papers Past - The Bigamy Case, Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 835, 23 September 1893
- New Zealand, Passenger Lists IM-15-7-137, Mairi Bhan (ship) May 7-Jul. 25, 1874, Otago-arrival port
- Palmerston North City Council Cemetery Search
- Waipawa Cemetery Search
- Ancestry.com
- Family records and photographs, courtesy of G J Bland
- B Raven
Notes:
UK 1871 Census - Shipton under Wychwood: Robert (54 pauper), Miriam (53 glovess), George J or S? (19 ag lab), Ellen (7, scholar), Harriet C. (12, scholar), James (10, scholar).
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