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We have been working on the Otago Smith Tree (much of which has already been put to paper by Alan’s late sister Fay) and have very much enjoyed sight of the family on Papers Past which includes quite a few death and marriage notices of the family.  Much to our astonishment a Death notice has come to hand for Margaret Smith of Scratnah Arklow Ct Wicklow naming  her as the widow of George Smith and mother of John Smith of Tuapeka West, in her 91st year. Originally listed in the Irish Times before John had it published in the Tuapeka Times on 14 April 1897 just two months after his mothers death.
So it seems we can confirm that my brother in law Alan George Smith has ancestry back to the Smiths of Arklow County Wicklow.
We are due to tour southern Australia soon and will be visiting (hopefully) Back Creek which is where John Smith & Elizabeth Kinneson were said to be ‘of’ on their marriage certificate. Back Creek is a gold mining town of the 1850s so we are intriqured as to whether John Smith learnt his trade in Australia before continuing to NZ to mine in Gabriels Gully.  John & Elizabeth are known to have had ‘the first child to be born in the goldfield of Gabriels Gully’  In 1863.  We await the DNA for added confirmation.