SMITH, Sydney William
Born 1869; died 16 November 1918; buried 18 November 1918; age 49
Sydney William SMITH was an unmarried 49-year old plumber, living at home with his parents at 47 Nairn Street, Te Aro, when he became ill in mid-November 1918. He was taken to St Patrick’s College Temporary Hospital, in an unconscious state, and died there from influenza on 16 November. At the time of his death he was listed as a corporation employee, which means he was an employee of the Wellington City Corporation.
Sydney was born in 1869, his birth being registered in the July-September quarter in the Shoreditch Registration District, Middlesex, England. His parents were Sidney William Smith and Sarah EXALL, who married on 25 December [i] 1868 in St John’s Church, Shoreditch, Hackney. Both father and son’s first name was spelt either Sydney or Sidney at different times, and in different records. Sydney (snr) had a trade, and worked as a printer.
The family received assisted emigration as “Colonial Nominated Emigrants” to Wellington, New Zealand. They left from Gravesend on the “Leicester”, on 21 October 1876, and arrived in Wellington on 20 January 1877, after a speedy and straightforward voyage, as per the following report which was published in the Evening Post on 23rd January 1877:
“THE SHIP LEICESTER.
The ship Leicester, which arrived here at 4 p.m. on Saturday from London, brings about 350 immigrants, besides several cabin passengers, all of whom are in the best of health. On the voyage there were only two deaths of infants and three births. The Leicester is a remarkably roomy vessel, and specially adapted for carrying passengers, her 'tween decks being particularly spacious and lofty. Captain Caddy, has been presented with three very flattering addresses by the passengers; her surgeon-superintendent, Dr Warren, has also been presented with an address. The voyage out occupied 92 days from London, and 85 from land to land, and altogether has been a particularly fine weather run. A paper was published on board called the Leicester Gazette, and concerts theatrical performances, &c, made the passage a very enjoyable one. But the greatest interest was taken in a Baby Show, and from a personal inspection of them we can safely say they would compete very successfully with the Wellington babies. The passengers all speak in the highest terms of Captain Caddy, his officers, and crew. The Leicester is a composite ship of 1308 tons register, and specially chartered by the N.Z.S. Company to convey immigrants to Wellington. Only some 50 of the immigrants will remain here - the balance are to be distributed throughout the colony.”
The family settled in Nairn Street, Aro Valley, Wellington, and added to their family - Frederick Henry (1877); Phoebe (1879); Jessie (1883); Florrie (1886) and finally Mabel (1889). There were a number of other Smith families residing in and around Nairn Street at the time and for many, many years thereafter, and there may have been familial relationships between some – a number of the men were printers, or lithographers, as well as working in a range of trades. However, the surname is one of the most common in the English-speaking world, so their proximity in one part of Wellington may have been of no significance.
Sidney snr (who worked as a Government lithographic printer) and his family lived at several different street numbers in Nairn Street, until at least 1921.
Sidney Snr died in December 1917, aged 70, and was buried in the Church of England section of Karori Cemetery. His family continued to live in Nairn Street until at least the 1920’s. In the Electoral Rolls from about 1890 onwards Sidney Smith is listed as a printer, and the son Sydney was listed as a plumber. Another son, Frederick, worked as a painter.
Sydney was buried with his father in the family plot in the Church of England section on 18 November 1918. His mother, Sarah, paid his £9/15/0 funeral expenses. Sarah in her turn died three years later, and was also buried in the plot, on 22 August 1921. She was 72 years old.
The inscription on the headstone reads:
In Loving Memory of Sid, eldest son of the late Sydney and Sarah Smith
d 16 Nov 1918 a 49 yrs “At Rest”
There were no announcements in the local papers when the Smith family members died, and no In Memoriam notices were published.
Researched and written by Beverley Hamlin & Jenny Robertson
Grave Information:
Section: CH ENG2
Plot: 61 E
[i]. It was not uncommon to be married on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day in the 1800’s because they were days when working people were not expected to work. Christmas Day and Boxing Day were traditional holidays. It was a tradition that churches, certainly in London, offered free marriages and baptisms on Christmas Day and at Easter.
Sources:
1. Newspapers: www.paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
2. New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages: www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
3. New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981 – www.ancestry.co.uk
4. Karori Cemetery database – www.wellington.govt.nz › Services › Community & culture › Cemeteries
5. General Register Office, England – www.gro.gov.uk
6. New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973 – www.familysearch.org
7. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 – www.ancestry.co.uk
Born 1869; died 16 November 1918; buried 18 November 1918; age 49
Sydney William SMITH was an unmarried 49-year old plumber, living at home with his parents at 47 Nairn Street, Te Aro, when he became ill in mid-November 1918. He was taken to St Patrick’s College Temporary Hospital, in an unconscious state, and died there from influenza on 16 November. At the time of his death he was listed as a corporation employee, which means he was an employee of the Wellington City Corporation.
Sydney was born in 1869, his birth being registered in the July-September quarter in the Shoreditch Registration District, Middlesex, England. His parents were Sidney William Smith and Sarah EXALL, who married on 25 December [i] 1868 in St John’s Church, Shoreditch, Hackney. Both father and son’s first name was spelt either Sydney or Sidney at different times, and in different records. Sydney (snr) had a trade, and worked as a printer.
The family received assisted emigration as “Colonial Nominated Emigrants” to Wellington, New Zealand. They left from Gravesend on the “Leicester”, on 21 October 1876, and arrived in Wellington on 20 January 1877, after a speedy and straightforward voyage, as per the following report which was published in the Evening Post on 23rd January 1877:
“THE SHIP LEICESTER.
The ship Leicester, which arrived here at 4 p.m. on Saturday from London, brings about 350 immigrants, besides several cabin passengers, all of whom are in the best of health. On the voyage there were only two deaths of infants and three births. The Leicester is a remarkably roomy vessel, and specially adapted for carrying passengers, her 'tween decks being particularly spacious and lofty. Captain Caddy, has been presented with three very flattering addresses by the passengers; her surgeon-superintendent, Dr Warren, has also been presented with an address. The voyage out occupied 92 days from London, and 85 from land to land, and altogether has been a particularly fine weather run. A paper was published on board called the Leicester Gazette, and concerts theatrical performances, &c, made the passage a very enjoyable one. But the greatest interest was taken in a Baby Show, and from a personal inspection of them we can safely say they would compete very successfully with the Wellington babies. The passengers all speak in the highest terms of Captain Caddy, his officers, and crew. The Leicester is a composite ship of 1308 tons register, and specially chartered by the N.Z.S. Company to convey immigrants to Wellington. Only some 50 of the immigrants will remain here - the balance are to be distributed throughout the colony.”
The family settled in Nairn Street, Aro Valley, Wellington, and added to their family - Frederick Henry (1877); Phoebe (1879); Jessie (1883); Florrie (1886) and finally Mabel (1889). There were a number of other Smith families residing in and around Nairn Street at the time and for many, many years thereafter, and there may have been familial relationships between some – a number of the men were printers, or lithographers, as well as working in a range of trades. However, the surname is one of the most common in the English-speaking world, so their proximity in one part of Wellington may have been of no significance.
Sidney snr (who worked as a Government lithographic printer) and his family lived at several different street numbers in Nairn Street, until at least 1921.
Sidney Snr died in December 1917, aged 70, and was buried in the Church of England section of Karori Cemetery. His family continued to live in Nairn Street until at least the 1920’s. In the Electoral Rolls from about 1890 onwards Sidney Smith is listed as a printer, and the son Sydney was listed as a plumber. Another son, Frederick, worked as a painter.
Sydney was buried with his father in the family plot in the Church of England section on 18 November 1918. His mother, Sarah, paid his £9/15/0 funeral expenses. Sarah in her turn died three years later, and was also buried in the plot, on 22 August 1921. She was 72 years old.
The inscription on the headstone reads:
In Loving Memory of Sid, eldest son of the late Sydney and Sarah Smith
d 16 Nov 1918 a 49 yrs “At Rest”
There were no announcements in the local papers when the Smith family members died, and no In Memoriam notices were published.
Researched and written by Beverley Hamlin & Jenny Robertson
Grave Information:
Section: CH ENG2
Plot: 61 E
[i]. It was not uncommon to be married on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day in the 1800’s because they were days when working people were not expected to work. Christmas Day and Boxing Day were traditional holidays. It was a tradition that churches, certainly in London, offered free marriages and baptisms on Christmas Day and at Easter.
Sources:
1. Newspapers: www.paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
2. New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages: www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
3. New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1853-1981 – www.ancestry.co.uk
4. Karori Cemetery database – www.wellington.govt.nz › Services › Community & culture › Cemeteries
5. General Register Office, England – www.gro.gov.uk
6. New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973 – www.familysearch.org
7. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 – www.ancestry.co.uk