Mary (Boshell) Smith (abt. 1819 - abt. 1873)

Born about 1819 in County Dublin, Ireland

Wife of Stephen Smith — married 23 Sep 1839 in Norfolk Island, Australia

Descendants

Died about 1873 at about age 54 in Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Heather Stevens [send private message]

Biography

Mary (Boshell) Smith was born in Ireland.

Mary (Boshell) Smith was a convict after the Third Fleet.

Mary was born about 1819. Her birth record has not been found, so her parents are unknown. There is evidence that her brother is George Boshell. (see Research Notes below)

Mary Boshell was tried at Dublin City on 9 June 1835, for the crime of "Felony, wearing apparel". She was sentenced to 7 years transportation.

She was transported on the ship Roslin Castle (4), and arrived 25 February 1836 at Sydney New South Wales. Voyage of the Roslin Castle

The convict records for this ship have the following information: Age: 17 years; Education: Reads; Religion: Roman Catholic; Previous convictions: 6 months, and 3 months; Single; Born at Dublin; Employment: Nursemaid; Height 4 feet 7 inches; Complexion: Dark & freckled; Hair: Dark brown; Eyes: Blue to grey; Tattoos G x B upper left arm, upside down T and five dots back of left hand, I x BAM x VWALSH upper right arm, small cross back of right hand^[1]

Marriage to Stephen Smith 4 November 1839 at Norfolk Island by the Roman Catholic priest John McEnroe.^[2] Because Mary was a convict, they applied for permission first.^[3]

Stephen and Mary had children:

• John Smith 1841–1918
• Susan Smith 1844–1926
• Stephen Smith 1845–

She obtained her Certificate of Freedom on 29 October 1842. This had the notations "Wife of Stephen Smith", and "See Governor's Minuit on letter No 42/7573 dated 13 October 1842 received from Captain Machonechie". It also has additional tattoos: G Boshell Heart Cross & two flower pots inside lower right arm ^[4]

Mary's husband Stephen Smith was murdered during a convict rebellion on 1 July 1846 and the Colonial Times of Hobart reported:

... The unfortunate man, Stephen Smith, has left a wife and three small children to deplore his loss. A subscription has been opened on the island, and about £100 has been collected ; but it is to be hoped that something may be effected in Hobart Town for the unfortunate family, by the Lieutenant-Governor. —Norfolk Island, July 15, 1846 ^[5]

Mary and her children left Norfolk Island for Hobart Town on 18 July 1846, on the brig Governor Phillip. The passenger list has Mrs Smith (born Dublin Ireland) and children John, Susan and Stephen Smith (ages 6,3, and 1, born Norfolk Island).^[6]

Mary was granted Letters of Administration of her husband's estate on 7 October 1846, in the Supreme Court of Van Diemens Land.^[7]

The Colonial Times (Hobart), 24 August 1849:

WIDOW SMITH-The following brief statement of an arrangement made in favour of Mary Smith, widow of the late Stephen Smith, (overseer at Norfolk Island who was murdered in the out-break July, 1846), and her three children, has been forwarded to us with a request for its publication : -"The residents on the island generously subscribed £84 18 in favour of the three orphan children, and this sum was transmitted to the Roman Catholic Bishop, the Right Rev. Dr. Willson, who was then in London, requesting he would invest it in favour of the three orphans as he should consider best. Application was also made to Her Majesty's Government in behalf of the widow and orphans, and the sum of £350 was granted. The Bishop and Captain Maconochie made the following arrangements for the widow and her children with the Australasian Insurance Company, £350 invested in the purchase of an annuity for the widow (she being 27 years of age) of £27 10s , being about 1s 6d per day during life £80 invested (£4 18s were retained for expenses of deeds in both Insurances, &c &c ) for the payment of the sum of £23 16s, when each child reached the age of 14 years, in order to afford the mother the means of placing them out as apprentices to good trades - and the same sum to each, at the age of 18 years "^[8][9]

Mary's daughter Susan Smith married John Sharkey at St. Catherine's Church Dublin Ireland on 13 September 1863, and it appears from the church register that Mary had been living with her daughter Susan at Number 11 Braithwaite Street.^[10] Susan and John Sharkey had 9 known children baptised in Dublin, and by the time of the 1881 census they had moved to Manchester, England.

Mary's son John Smith married Mary Delany in 1861 in Dublin, Ireland and they had six known children. They had moved to Manchester, England by the time of the 1891 census.

Death? She is possibly the widow Mary Smith, who died at the South Dublin Union Workhouse, on 7 November 1873; her age was recorded as 56, and cause of death was Bronchitis. The informant was C H Bourne, Chief Res Offr SDU.^[11] (Note there are other possibilities for her death in the civil registrations)

Research Notes

DNA testing shows that Mary is related to George Boshell, born 4 May 1819 in Dublin, Ireland, transported in 1837. Could he be the "G Boshell" on Mary's tattoo? Could the two flower pots represent siblings or twins?

A family story kindly supplied by Robina Newton, told to her by Patricia Boshell/Hennessy (Auntie Pat) daughter of Francis Bartholomew Line: “George’s sister came out from Dublin having received an inheritance to share with him. He told her that he was doing well and for her to keep it. She returned to Dublin. She lived in Sackville Street.”^[12]

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Pat Hope whose research about the family in her Ancestry tree was the original inspiration for the above profile - Heather, February 2021 see https://www.ancestry.com.au/family-tree/person/tree/3544895/person/-1721221705/facts

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Convict Indents, 1788-1842 for Mary Boshell, Annotated Printed Indentures 1836 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/2024/images/32082_223778__0004-00118?pId=118992
2. ↑ Marriage Certificate NSW 502/1839 Vol 90
3. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/1504/images/30514_081751-00466?pId=37903
4. ↑ Certificate of Freedom 42/1877, New South Wales, Australia, Certificates of Freedom, 1810-1814, 1827-1867 (NRS 12210) Butts of Certificates of Freedom, 1842 October https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/1689/images/31801_216716-00594?pId=23921
5. ↑ 1846 'Domestic Intelligence.', Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), 25 August, p. 3. , viewed 22 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8759148
6. ↑ New South Wales, Australia, Unassisted Immigrant Passenger Lists, 1826-1922, 1846 August Governor Phillip https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/1210/images/IMAUS1787_081480-0367?pId=8891505
7. ↑ Tasmanian Archives, AD961-1-2 [Will No. 195] - Smith, Stephen https://stors.tas.gov.au/AD961-1-2-195$init=AD961-1-2-195_1
8. ↑ 1849 'Domestic Intelligence.', Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857), 24 August, p. 3. , viewed 21 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8765532
9. ↑ see also 1849 'LOCAL.', The Courier (Hobart, Tas. : 1840 - 1859), 25 August, p. 2. , viewed 21 Feb 2021, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2965181
10. ↑ Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655-1915 for Susan Smith, Dublin St Catherine´s, Dublin city 1857 - 1873 https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/61039/images/07140_06_0059?pId=9941434
11. ↑ General Register Office, Civil Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths, irishgenealogy.ie Death registration Name MARY SMITH, Date of Death 1873, Group Registration ID 7474337, SR District/Reg Area Dublin South, Deceased Age at Death 56 https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/deaths_returns/deaths_1873/020681/7256441.pdf
12. ↑ Corres. Robina Newton to Heather Stevens, February 2021