Sergeant Gilbert Smith ( 1790...1830 )

Back To . . .48th Foot .The Northamptonshire Regiment .

Descendants :

Shirley McLeod ....... shirlmac@bigpond.com

descended from Gilbert Hunter Smith, (b.31/7/1825.....d.14/9/1810)

Shirley has supplied some of the information located on this page, Sergeant Gilbert Smith being her forebear.

Dorothy & Les Woodhouse have also has supplied some of the information located on this page,

Relative in England John Wilkinson jwilkinson@free.fr via Gilberts brother Sgt James Smith

Area Settled :

Port Macquarie & Sydney

 

Children :

1 . William Smith (b.11/1/1819....d.1/2/1819 )

2 . Sarah Smith (b.13/1/1820...d.31.10.1823.)

3 . John Smith (b.2712/1821....12/1/1822)

4 . Gilbert Hunter Smith (b. 31/7/1825.....d.14/9/1810) m Eleanor Hickman (b.1827.....d.27/1/1905)

5 . Charles Smith (b.20/11/1827.....d.29/3/1829)

History Of Sergeant Gilbert Smith

Sergeant Gilbert Smith arrived in Australia as part of the Lancashire detachment on the transport "Minerva" 10/4/1818. This ship also carried Captain Allman.

Captain Allman's administrative staff was boosted by the appointment of Sergeant Smith to the position of

Commissariat store's keeper in the new settlement at Port Macquarie. Smith would have been more than capable as he was the Regiments pay sergeant in Sydney.

Sergeant Smith joined the 48th Regiment at Bristol in April 1813 and had fought with the unit in the closing

battles of the Peninsular War. Sergeant Smith sustained a wound at the battle of Toulouse.

Gilbert Smith was the second member of his family to join the 48th regiment ,the first being his brother

James Smith, who became Colour Sergeant James Smith of the 48th Regiment . At this point very little is known about James.

Gilbert had been a member of Captain Allman's detachment to arrive on board the "Minerva". Gilbert

enlisted for the minimum service period of seven years and discharged from the 48th Regiment on the first of April 1820. Following his discharge, he began his new career in the Commissariat Department. He transferred to Port Macquarie in New South Wales with his wife Sarah. At Port Macquarie only a few graves remain of the early settlers, one of these being the grave of Gilbert and Sarah's first two children ( Their Grave )

Following the death of their second child ,Gilbert's brother Colour Sergeant James Smith , took leave to

visit his younger brother Gilbert. Whilst travelling to Port Macquarie, James became gravely ill and died. He was buried at Newcastle. James had enlisted in 1803 and fought through the Peninsular War as a member of the 1st 48th Regiment. James served as a mess Sergeant while stationed in Sydney

Gilbert was promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissary General ,Port Macquarie. In 1828 the administration of stores was investigated by Governor Darling and the administration was criticised by him . Smith, under a cloud of suspicion, returned to Sydney where he resigned his position in March of 1829.

In Sydney he opened the Globe Tavern at the corner of Castlereagh and Market Streets.( now the site of

the St James branch of the Commonwealth Bank).

Within a month ,Smith's cook, the cook's wife and one of Smith's children were dead the cause being arsenic

poisoning . This had been mixed accidentally with flour " NOTE " Accusations were made by a Private Martin Wilson against members of the 39th Regiment .At a hearing regarding his allegations, no proof could be found,so no further action was taken.

Gilbert's wife Sarah died as a result of the poisoning in November 1829. Smith himself was gravely ill and

sold his tavern in Sydney . He retreated to Parramatta where he was cared for by an ex Sergeant of the 48th Regiment ,Robert Armstrong. Gilbert died 18th of August 1830. The only surviving member of his family, Gilbert Hunter Smith was raised by Armstrong and his wife

For his military service he was not awarded the General Service Medal . This is because the Medal was not minted for issue till 1848 .

It is fair to say that he would have most certainly received the medal had he have lived past 1830

To more history of Sergeant Gilbert Smith

 

Reference books :

A lecture paper by Shirley McLeod.

"The Tragic Story of Gilbert Smith" by Dorothy & Les Woodhouse. Published 1994

Records of the 48th . Mitchell Library, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

" The Colonial Garrison 1817-1824" ( Clem Sargent ) published 1996.

" Wellington's Military Machine "(Philip J. Haythornthaite) published 1995.

 

E- mail address

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© Copyright B & M Chapman (QLD) Australia

Last revised: August 07, 2007.