Robert Barr Smith (1824 - 1915)

Born 4 Feb 1824 in Lochwinnoch, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Joanna (Elder) Smith — married 15 Apr 1856 (to about 1915) in Victoria

Descendants

Died 20 Nov 1915 at age 91 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

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Biography

Robert Smith is Notable.

Robert Barr Smith was a notable Australian businessman and philanthropist.

Robert was born on 4 Feb 1824, baptized on 29 Feb 1824 at Lochwinnoch, Scotland. He is the son of Robert Smith and Marjorie Barr.

Robert was the son of the Reverend Dr Robert Smith, Church of Scotland minister, and his wife Marjory, née Barr^[1].

Robert immigrated firstly to the Colony of Victoria in 1854 and then to South Australia the following year to go into partnership with the Elder brothers^[2].

In 1856 he married the Elder's sister Joanna (1835-1919)^[3][4] and together they had at least 13 children, 7 daughters and 6 sons.

In 1863 he and Thomas Elder became sole partners in Elder Smith & Co after George and Alexander retired^[5].

Robert died on 20 Nov 1915 aged 91 at Adelaide, South Australia.^[6] The record of his death showed that he had a widow, Johanna Lang, a son, Tom Elder Barr Smith, and they lived at Torrens Park, Adelaide^[7].

Robert is buried at the Mitcham Anglican Cemetery^[8] and was survived by his wife, three of his seven daughters and one of his six sons.

Sources

1. ↑ Dissel. 1976.
2. ↑ Dissel. 1976.
3. ↑ Victorian Births, Deaths & Marriages: Marriage Registration no. 1856 1825/1856
4. ↑ Dissel. 1976.
5. ↑ Dissel. 1976.
6. ↑ South Australia Death Index. (Genealogy SA, https://www.genealogysa.org.au/index.php : accessed 24 Aug 2021), database entry for SMITH, Robert Barr (Died on 20 Nov 1915 at Adelaide, Age: 91, Gender: M, Marital Status: M, Residence: Adelaide, Relative: Not Recorded, Notes: Not Recorded), Reference: District Adelaide, Book/Page: 396/537.
7. ↑ Dissel. 1976.
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 19 April 2020), memorial page for Robert Barr Smith (1824–1915), Find a Grave Memorial no. Find A Grave: Memorial #127646430, citing Mitcham Anglican Cemetery, Mitcham, Mitcham City, South Australia, Australia ; Maintained by nettlyne (contributor 47486944).

• Dirk Van Dissel, 'Barr Smith, Robert (1824–1915)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/barr-smith-robert-63/text7591, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 22 June 2019. This article was first published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 6, (MUP), 1976

• Robert Barr Smith, photograph taken by Townsend Duryea approximately 1880 online via the State Library of South Australia website at: https://www.catalog.slsa.sa.gov.au/record=b2049465~S1

• R. BARR SMITH DEAD. from The Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954) of Saturday 20 November 1915, Page 3. at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/59389388?

• A NOTABLE CITIZEN. from The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) of Monday 22 November 1915, Page 7. [1]

• DEATH OF MR. R. BARR SMITH from the Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 - 1924) of Monday 22 November 1915, Page 3. at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/124892699?

• Mitcham Anglican Cemetery a document from the City of Mitcham Council, first accessed online on the 19th of April, 2020 at: https://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0036/89676/anglican_cemetery.pdf

• Barr Smith, Robert (1824–1915), Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/barr-smith-robert-63/text1552, accessed 19 April 2020.

• www.familysearch.org

• Wikipedia contributors, "Robert Barr Smith," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Barr_Smith&oldid=1029977283 (accessed August 26, 2021).

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Rick Heiser for starting this profile.

Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Rick and others.