JOHN SMITH
Born: 1795c. Cavan, Co. Cavan, Ireland
Married: Elizabeth
CHILDREN
Bernard
John
Mary
Michael
Catherine (Kitty)
Maria
Elizabeth
The 2nd Battalion of the 21st Fusiliers left Belfast in Ireland and travelled to Fort George in Scotland during 1811. On 2.1.1812 John Smith, a labourer of the Parish of Cavan, near the town of Cavan in the County of Cavan, aged seventeen was attested to the 21st. Regiment of Foot. He enlisted himself and made no mention of next of kin although his signature reads not "Smith" but "Smyth". His record of service shows that he was under-age from 2.1.1812 until 1.1.1813 and served as a Private with the regimental number of 43.
Some time in 1814 he married Elizabeth and in the same year probably travelled to Jamaica with a strong detachment of the 2nd Battn. to join the 1st. Battn. This West Indian trip was to last less than a year and he arrived back in England to find that his first child, Bernard, had been born between mid Sepember and mid October during 1814 in Stirling. The exact time of this birth is uncertain and is based on Bernard's statements on documents and other times when his age is mentioned during his life. The Regiment arrived in Portsmouth in May 1815 and then went to Cork in June. John Smith was promoted to Corporal on 16.7.1815. On 16.1.1816 the 2nd Battn. was disbanded at Stirling and the men fit for duty transferred to the 1st Battn. This Battn. was then at Compiegne in France.
In late January the regiment moved to Valenciennes and then in October they were reviewed by the Duke of Wellington. In 1817 they
travelled through Calais on their way to Harwich where they arrived 2.4.1817. John Smith may have travelled back to headquarters in Scotland ahead of the main body, or he may have stayed in Stirling throughout the time from January 1816 to April 1817.
In May 1818 the Regiment marched to Portsmouth and here Corporal Smith seems to have blotted his copy book because from 7.11.1818 to 26.1.1819 he was reduced to a Private. In March 1819 the 21st. left for The West Indies. Here we enter upon a time of speculation. Bernard Smith was always reported, even during his life, as having been educated at The Monk's School in Dublin. It is claimed, in the Western Australian Biographical Dictionary, that other children born were John in 1816, Mary in 1818 and Michael in 1821. Then there is a gap to Catherine in 1828 and Maria in 1830. These dates have been calculated from ages given at death and so there may be some slight errors even assuming they all admitted to their correct age!
The pause in the birth of children indicates that John Smith went to the West Indies with the Regiment, the education of Bernard indicates that Elizabeth moved to Dublin during his absence, perhaps to be with her parents, although we don't know where she came from and maybe the information in the Biographical Dictionary may not be totally accurate.
Either John Smith left for the West Indies after the rest of the Regiment, which could happen if he was on a recruiting drive, or the christening of John Junior was delayed. John Smith would have gone up in the ranks fairly quickly as he was literate but even so only six families of "other ranks" were permitted on the Regimental strength. Being quite new to the Regiment it seems unlikely that he would have been one of those six. So Elizabeth and children were left behind.
Landing in Barbados in April of 1819, the Regiment sent a detachment to Tobago in September of that year and that group suffered from a heavy loss of life due to an epidemic. During 1821, "7" Company was transferred to Demerara and "3" Company to Berbice. In 1823 the Demerara detachment "reduced revolting slaves to obedience" in the district of Mahaica. In 1824, "7" Company travelled to St. Vincent and in May of that year two Companies went to Grenada. John Smith overcame the black mark on his record and on 25.7.1825 he was promoted to the rank of Serjeant. In December 1826 and January 1827 the Regiment embarked and landed in Cowes during January, February and March of 1827. The Regiment removed to Windsor where it had the honour of doing duty during His Majesty's residence at that place.
In the Spring of 1828 the Regiment moved to Winchester, Portsmouth and Bath. By October they were in Bristol and embarked for Waterford in Ireland and thence to Fermoy. Completing his sixteen years service, Serjeant Smith immediately re-enlisted on 1.1. 1829. On 1.11.1831 he was promoted to Colour Serjeant.
After spending a couple of years scattered around Ireland, but based in Kilkenny the Regiment marched to Dublin and then removed to Liverpool, to Weedon and in 1832 to Chatham. The Paylist for April 1832 shows John Smith to be a Colour Serjeant and embarked. This document also shows that this rank earned two shillings and threepence per day. By now John Smith was one of the fortunate few who were permitted to have their families on strength. The children would have become known as "Barracks Rats". The Regiment embarked by detachment, in charge of convicts for New South Wales through 1832 and 1833.
The Australian Joint Copying Project Microfilm No. 3207 records that on 4.7.1833 the "Portland" docked in Hobart with one Subalt., 1 Sgt, 27 Privates, six women and 11 children. This appears to be the arrival of Col. Sgt. Smith in Australia, although the 21st began to arrive in Hobart in February 1833 and continued to do so for a number of months at the rate of two or three ships per month.
Later in 1833 a detachment was sent per "Isabella" to the Swan River Colony from Van Dieman's Land and so John Smith made his last major move.
The first mention of Serjeant Smith in the local press occurred on 28.6.1834 and related to one of the first court cases involving members of the 21st Fusiliers.
Michael Kiley and John Paget, privates in His M.'s 21st Regt., were charged by Mr. James Drummond, with stealing from the Government Garden, under his charge, a quantity of cabbages, on Sunday night last. The night being a bright moonlight, so that the garden could not have been robbed without the notice of the sentry, Mr. Drummond suspected the military, and intimating his suspicions to Serjeant Smith, immediate search was made in thebarracks, where the property was found. James Ryan, a private in the aforesaid regiment, much to his credit, deposed to the following conversation:- Seeing Kiley handing down cabbages from a shelf over his bed, to Paget, who was standing below, he (Ryan) remarked, those are nice cabbages you've got; you will not have to lay out much money for your soup today!?" to which Paget answered, "No! and never will as long as I can get them to steal!" Kiley was on guard from 6 in the evening till daylight. Eliza Laing, in whose tub a quantity of the cabbages were found, was admitted as a witness, and fully proved that Kiley borrowed her tub to put cabbages in.
The prisoners being called upon to account for the possession of the vegetables, Kiley said, that that they were given to him by a person in the town, but he did not know his name; and Paget asked no questions of Kiley about paying for them; and did not say to Ryan that he would not pay for them as long as he could get them to steal.
Kiley, as principal, and Paget as receiver, sentenced to 6 Calendar months' imprisonment, with hard labour.
Early in his service in the Colony he was sent to guard a surveying party at the mouth of the Murray River. While he was on this duty in October 1834, an incident upstream at Pinjarrah led to another detachment of the Regiment being involved in what has since become known as the Pinjarrah Massacre where a large number of apparently hostile natives, and one white man, were killed.
In 1835 his last child, Eliza Ann, was born on the 9th of January. The Colonial Chaplain, the Anglican Rev. J.B. Wittenoom, christened this child of one of the first Roman Catholic families in the Colony on 15.1.1835.
Sgt Smith was obviously a well known personality in the Colony. In the Perth Gazette of 19.3.1936 a paragraph appeared complimenting the actions of Sgt. Smith and his men in controlling a blaze in the townsite.
The creditable alacrity which was displayed yesterday morning by Serjeant Smith and a party of the 21st, deserves commendation. A dense column of smoke spread over the west end of the town;- the bugle immediately sounded, and the party alluded to immediately repaired to the spot, to render assistance. The occasion of this conflagration being merely the burning of some brushwood and rubbish on an allotment, required but little aid; we were pleased, however, to find such a prompt attention to a probable source of danger - the vicinity being thickly inhabited. As the season is advancing for these operations,- clearing and burning,- we would advise our neighbours to be cautious in the practice; but at the same time, from this instance of activity, we augur a proper disposition to effect all that human aid can profer[sic], and we trust this good intention will not be checked by one or two failures in a good cause.
A revealing paragraph appeared in the Perth Gazette of 28.5.1836:-
Several black swans, belonging to Serjeant Smith, of the 21stRegt., perfectly tame, have for some time been in the habit of making their way through the town, down to the waterside, andregularly returning home. Unluckily a person, unacquainted with the fact that they were tame, seeing them in the river, fired at them, and shot two.
On 25.3.1837 a notice appeared in the Perth Gazette:
The 18th Royal Irish, 12th and the 93rd Highlanders, are under orders for service in these colonies and Ceylon. The 12th for New South Wales, and it is believed the 18th will relieve the 21st. although the first order was for Ceylon. The 21st will embark for Calcutta, most probably early in the next year. This fine regiment will take with it, men and officers, the warmest good wishes of the colonists.
Colour Serjeant John Smith was obviously becoming domesticated after some five years in the Colony, possibly the longest stay in one place, with his family, since his enlistment. With his older children beginning to make their way in the world and his younger children settled and in school, the story of the swans indicates that he was beginning to put down roots. He knew that he was reaching the end of his active military life and needed only a small incentive to decide to stay.
Shortly after this a Government notice appeared in the same publication announcing that, while commissioned officers settling in the colony had been entitled to a grant of land, that entitlement was to be extended to non-commissioned officers as well. Perhaps this was one of the final reasons which caused John Smith to request his discharge during 1838. The official reasons given for this request were his length of service and "being considered nearly worn out".
There was one more court case for our Serjeant to be involved in before he decided his future. The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal of Saturday, 8.4.1837 conveyed the following intelligence, of interest for the insight into the rather chaotic monetary system in use in the Colony:-
The Quarter Sessions, held at Perth on Monday last, afforded more general interest than we had anticipated. The Court-house was crowded during the day.
QUARTER SESSIONS
Before W.H.Mackie, Esq., Chairman; G.F.Moore, J.Lewis, J.R.Phillipps, Esquires, and the Rev J.B.Wittenoom, Justices of the Peace, and a Petty Jury.----------
Briget Larkins, being sworn, deposed- In the month of January last my husband was one night tipsy, and ordered me out of the barracks. I took eighteen one pound notes and six sovereigns out of my box, and placed the money under a loose board of the floor between our two beds; it was in a cotton bag. This woman (the prisoner) was present, and she and her husband, with ourselves were the only persons who occupied this room. My husband was too tipsy to know what he was about. This occurred between nine and ten o'clock. There was no light in the room. I went out of the barracks that night and slept out, and returned about eleven o'clock the following morning. I did not look for the money until a week afterwards, when I found the purse, with only one sovereign in it. (The witness here explained that the money was in two purses, the one contained the notes. the other the sovereigns) On taking up all the boards, the other purse, which contained the notes, was found underneath the prisoner's bed, with nothing in it. About a month before I hid the money, the prisoner came down from the Swan; she told me she was in distress and hadn't a shilling; I lent her two rupees. The box was nearly always open. I went to Mr. Sampson's store, in consequence of hearing that the prisoner had changed a note there; I asked to see the note, and immediately recognised it as one of mine, from a mark which was made upon it by the box lid falling down one day when I was counting the money, and the hasp went through the note.
Cross examined by Mr. Graham, who appeared on behalf of the prisoner - The same evening, just before I missed the money, I saw my husband looking on the floor underneath my box, but he had not raised the board. I asked him what he was searching for. He said "for the price of half a pint." I told him to come out of that and I would give him enough for ten half pints. The money had often been spread out on the counterpane, and counted in my husband's presence.
Serjeant Smith, H.M.'s 21st Regt. - I heard of the loss; went to Mr. Sampson's store with Mrs. Larkins, and was present when she recognised the note. I afterwards asked Mrs. Strane where she had got the notes which she had passed, and she said she had received them from the late Captain Daniell, and one from Corperal Hall - and she pointed out where she had hid them. I inquired of Corperal Hall whether he had paid Mrs. Strane a note, and he said he had, about three months before the notes were missed.
Joseph Lockyer, Mr. Sampson's shop boy, recollected showing a note to Mrs. Larkins, but could not swear that the prisoner had paid it into the shop.
George Glyde, another shop boy to Mr. Sampson, recollected taking a note from the prisoner for goods, when Lockyer was not in the shop, but did not notice any mark upon it.
Mrs. Mason and others were called to prove that the prisoner had passed a number of notes, at a time when she was supposed to be in a state of distress.
The Jury retired a short time, and returned a verdict - Not Guilty.
When the Regiment embarked for Calcutta John Smith was noted on that final paysheet relating to Australian duty as "discharged" on 31st July 1840. On his discharge papers he is described as being 45 years of age, 5ft 6in in height with brown hair, grey eyes and having a fair complexion. It also noted that he had no scars or other distinguishing marks. It failed to mention that he had finally been given some recognition for his years of service
In a letter dated 17.9.1840 and addressed to the Surveyor General, John Smith set out to obtain for himself and his family something undreamt of by his relatives back in famine-stricken Ireland.
Sir, I beg leave to make application for 400 Acres of Land, (to which I will be entitled on the confirmation of my discharge) to be bounded on the East, by Mr. Laytons Grant of 720 Acres, and on the West by 200 Acres belonging to Mr. Leeder, I am Sir Your most obedient humble servant, John Smith Color Serjt 21 Fusiliers.
On the reverse of this letter a clerk has written:-
John Smith, applying for 400 acres of land as discharged Serjt from H.M. 21 Regt., at 3 Island Lake. 17.sep. 1840
Below this entry are two further notations in different handwriting:-
Land reserved for applicant until receipt in this colony of a confirmation of his discharge - when to be in occupancy, & claim in fee simple after residence of 2 years
Only 50 acres granted
A further missive in the Serjeant's distinctive, curlicue hand- writing was dated 25.4.1842 and addressed to J.S.Roe, Surveyor General:-
Sir, In pursuance of the latter part of your letter of the 23rd inst, beg to Apply for the Fifty Acres of Land (authorised by Her Majesty's Government) on 3 Island Lake- The Western boundary to be commenced at a spot eight chains to the North (or lake side) of Mr. Leeder's Post, and running along his eastern boundary for 25 chains, to be bounded on the South by an East line 20 chains in length, commencing at said spot.- The North and East boundaries to be the same length and parallel to those of the South and West. I am Sir, Your most Obedt Servant, John Smith late Color Serjeant 21st Fusiliers.
This second letter was written as though in the grip of strong emotions, possibly disappointment and anger at the loss of some 350 acres of prime farmland. Blotches and a more hurried style indicate that he was not cutting his quill very carefully. (This letter seems to contradict the entry in the Biographical Dictionary of Western Australians which provides the information for the next paragraph.)
Taking a grant of 33 1/2 acres at Three Island Lake, the area later known as Smiths Lake which was South West of where Charles St. and Scarborough Beach Rd. now intersect, John Smith settled to the life of a smallholder and employed five Ticket of Leave men between 1851 and 1859. In the late 1850's he took up another 50 acres adjoining his first allotment. This extended his land from Emerson St. to Scarborough Beach Road along Charles St. and westward almost as far as Loftus St. in North Perth. At the same time he performed the duties of a Barrack Serjeant in the Commissariat.
In the afternoon of the 28th of February 1862 he went to Mill Point. The Inquirer reported:
We regret to have to announce the death of Sergeant Smith, formerly of the 21st Regiment, and for many years Barrack Sergeant in the Commissariat. Sergeant Smith went over to the Mill Point to fish or bathe on Thursday afternoon last, and while in the water, which was only up to his knees, he is supposed to have been seized with a fit. He was not dead when those with him got him out of the water, but before medical assistance could be procured life was extinct. Sergeant Smith was much respected by the officers of the Commissariat Department as a good and zealous public servant, as well as by many colonists, and leaves behind him a large family to mourn his loss.
The Independent Journal of 7.3.1862 also reported the demise of this well respected citizen:
Yesterday afternoon while Mr. Smith, Barrack Sergeant and formerly of the 21st regiment, a well-known resident in Perth for many years, was bathing at the Mill Point, he was either seized with an apoplectic fit or was sunstruck; he was promptly got out of the water, and medical assistance sent for, but before Dr. Poulton could get to him he had expired.
Proving that press releases are not a recent phenomenon both journals published identical obituaries. After all, the deceased's eldest son was on the Perth Town Trust, thus making him one of the very early politicians in Western Australia. They read:
DIED
At Perth, on the 28th day of February last, JOHN SMITH, late Color-Sergeant in Her Majesty's 21st Regiment; aged 67 years. The deceased was for upwards of half a century a servant of the Crown, having entered the army in the early part of 1812; during this troubled period he was for a number of years in active servicewith his Regiment on the Continent of Europe, and afterwards in the United Kingdom, and also in various parts of Australia. Since his arrival in this Colony, in the year 1833, he has filled the office of Barrack Sergeant; and from his long residence in this Colony, together with his kindness and simplicity of manners, the deceased earned for himself the esteem and good-will of all classes, and his sudden death has called forth the sympathy of all who knew him. The deceased leaves a widow and a large family to deplore the loss they have sustained by the death of a kind husband and a good and affectionate parent.
John Smith was buried in the East Perth Cemetery in a family plot which already held the remains of a daughter-in-Law, Catherine Henrietta, and her infant son who died at the age of two months. A "Rustic cross with dove on massive blocks with scroll" surmounts the grave which is north-west of the Church and has a magnificent view across the Northern and North-Eastern Suburbs. The Colour Sergeant took with him memories of an active, varied and at times dangerous life. He also took with him the secret of his parentage.
Postscripts may be seen in two official documents.
The Perth Police Letter Book (ACC1386/176 Page 63) dated 3.3.1862
Sir, I have the honour to transmit for the information of His Excellency the Governor Depositions taken at an Inquest held on the body of John Smith on the 20th ultimo when the jury returned the verdict "Died by the Visitation of God". (Signed) Henry Wakeford JP, Coroner.
The Colonial Secretary's Office in its Order Book for the Military has the following entry for 7.3.1862:
vis John Smith (Decd). He is being replaced by John Austin as Barrack Room Serjeant. William Wimbridge replaces John Austin.
A full ration of provisions and a Barrack Serjeant's rations of fuel and light will be issued to the widow of the late Barrack Serjeant Smith for six months from the first of March inclusive.
Elizabeth Smith died five and a half years later, on 22.9.1867, and was buried with the husband she had followed across half the world.
Died: 6.3.1862, Perth, Swan River Colony (Perth 1932/62).
Born: 1791?
Died: 22.9.1867, aged 76, Perth, West Australia (Perth 3649/67)
Born Sept/Oct 1814, or 1815, Stirling, Scotland
Born: 1816?
Born: 1818?
Born: 1821?
Born 1828?
Born: 1830?
Born 2.2.1835, Perth, Swan River Colony
Held at Perth, in the New Court-House on Monday, April 3, 1837
Kitty Strane, wife of a private in H.M.'s 21st regt., was charged with stealing eighteen promissory notes and six gold sovereigns, the property of Patrick Larkins, also a private in the 21st.
