John Davison SMITH

Abt 1787 - 1871  (~ 84 years)

• Name	John Davison SMITH
  Birth	Abt Jan 1787	Worcester, England   [1]
  Gender	Male
  _UID	BCC2AFE6C8C64C92AE368E3EE15EC99CD39A
  Death	27 Oct 1871	Lindenow, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia   [1]
  Burial	Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia   [1]
  Notes	John Davison Smith is the subject of a website http://members.speedweb.com.au/thore/smithjdavison.htm from which some family details shown here are taken. The site has John's parents as the Rev. Digby Smith and Catherine Charlotte Gray. The site also suggests that John may have married Anne STANLEY on 1 Nov 1821 at St John the Baptist, Croydon, Surrey, but has not verified this. Richard Palmer has provided information about John Davison Smith's marriage in 1805 to Elizabeth RUESZ. Archives in the Lambeth Palace Library shown that the Rev. Digby SMITH, John's father, promoted "a suit of nullity of marriage by reason of minority". The papers are indexed online but are not themsleves available online. Richard Palmer summarises as follows: "The case appears to have been brought in first instance in the Consistory Court of London, went on appeal to the Court of Arches and then on a further appeal to the High Court of Delegates." 1841 census, at Clifton House, Norwood (all SMITH), John (50, merchant, not born Surrey), Caroline (40, not born Surrey), James (10, not born Surrey), Theresa (12, not born Surrey), Frances (5, born Surrey), Alexander (3, born Surrey) and William (1, born Surrey). Also 4 servants. It's suspected that John went to Australia before the 1851 census, which would explain why Caroline was shown as head of the household. 1851 census, at No. 6 Grecian Cottages, Crown Hill, Norwood (all SMITH), Caroline B (head, 53, born India, British subject), Frances A (daughter, 14, born Norwood, Surrey), Alex (son, 12, scholar, born Norwood, Surrey) and William H (son, 11, scholar, born Norwood, Surrey). Also James J SMITH (uncle, age unreadable, born Worcester) and 3 servants including Mary A FRY, who was with family 10 years earlier.
  Person ID	I1612	Folkestone, Kent
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2020

  
  

  Family 1	Elizabeth RUESZ,   b. Bef 1 Jun 1783, Essex d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	13 Nov 1805	St Mary Aldermary, London   [2]
  	John Smith of the parish of St Mary Aldermary bachelor and Elizabeth Ruesz of this parish a spinster were married in this church by license. Both signed as did witnesses Rich. Taylor and Susanne Taylor.
  Marital status	Annulled
  Family ID	F629	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2020

  
  

  Family 2	Caroline Birch GRAY,   b. Abt 1795, Calcutta, India d. 9 Jul 1879, Lindenow, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia (Age ~ 84 years)
  Marriage	19 Apr 1824	Calcutta, India   [1]
  Children	1. George Digby SMITH,   b. 23 Feb 1825, India d. 25 May 1827, India (Age 2 years)   2. Theresa Charlotte SMITH,   b. 12 Apr 1827, India d. 5 Nov 1908, Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia (Age 81 years)   3. John Digby SMITH,   b. 31 Mar 1829, Calcutta, India d. 5 May 1916, Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia (Age 87 years)   4. James Digby SMITH,   b. 18 Aug 1830, India d. 11 May 1857, Cashmere Gate, India (Age 26 years)   5. Nancy SMITH,   b. 11 Dec 1831, India d. 28 Jan 1832, India (Age 0 years)   6. Alexander Henry SMITH,   b. 30 Mar 1833   d. 3 Jun 1833 (Age 0 years)   7. Frances Anna SMITH,   b. 15 Jan 1837, Norwood, London d. 1916, Malvern, Victoria, Australia (Age 78 years)   8. Alexander SMITH,   b. 12 Apr 1838, Norwood, London d. 23 Jan 1918, Bankside, Waroona, West Australia (Age 79 years)   9. William Henry SMITH,   b. 27 Aug 1839, Norwood, London d. 27 Jun 1900, San Francisco, USA (Age 60 years)
  Family ID	F545	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Mar 2020

  
  

• Event Map

  Burial - - Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Sources

  [S212] http://members.speedweb.com.au/thore/smithjdavison.htm, July 2015. [S283] London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 at ancestry.com.