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Dear Kate, I already have your family on my tree.  I have Agnes's birth cert too or her transcription - I cannot remember which. I have deleted my tree on Ancestry.com.au as there were too many errors on my own English side although the Smith side was quite accurate although what I have on my database is more complete that what was posted on Ancestry.  You will have to be patient for Thomas's and Mary's documents as they are packed for removal to Tasmania. I have transcriptions of their trials etc too. We are moving there in a few months.  I will scan them and send them to you.  I will contact you again.  I don't mind giving you an email address - I have quite a few.  Did you know that Mary was engaged to someone else in Port Macquarie before she married Thomas.  We have absolutely nothing about Thomas whilst living in Ireland.  Family rumour about Thomas was that he drowned at Nambucca the day before he was to travel to Sydney to go back to Ireland to claim his inheritance but that is only rumour.  There are no portraits of Thomas or Mary but I do also have a copy of his diary that he kept.  I don't know where the original is but someone copied it out by hand and I have a photocopy of that.  You will have to wait for that too as it is packed away.  Thomas, as you probably know, forged payslips and was caught drinking in the local pub with the proceeds and Mary stole a shawl from what I can remember.  I will try to send you a private message on Rootschat with one of my email addresses.
regards, Rozee

Dear Legs

That would be great - my interest in that part of Sussex extends mainly to the Bushby and Snewin families.  Funny thing you mentioning about coming from Worthing - my Lewis side finished their days there - Barbara Bushby (daughter of Frank and Frances Bushby) married Edward Snewin and their daughter, Jane Emma Snewin, married Joseph Lewis (from Burbage Wilts - Inland Revenue Insp) and one of their sons was Cyril Lewis, my grandfather.  He married Rose White from London (Hammersmith).  I have found descendants of Rose's sister and where do they now live - Worthing. Small world.  Edward Snewin, my g g grandfather, wrote a history of Worthing - it would be in your local library - I managed to buy a copy from the UK.  Anything you find would be appreciated - thanks for the offer.  I live in Sydney.
Rozee

I read with interest your mention of a Frances Bushby, West Tarring.  From what I have researched I am descended from Barbara Bushby - daughter of Frances and Francis Bushby of West Tarring.  She was born in 1817.  She married Edward Snewing and had my g grandmother, Jane Emma Snewing who married Joseph Lewis.  Are these the same Bushbys mentioned in your posts.  I would love to find out more about the Bushby family. 

thanks for the suggestions but do not know the christian name of first wife or children and cannot find marriage for that date.  since I last wrote have got his death cert as well as birth cert of a son and daughter to 2nd wife here in Oz and the country of birth for Thomas is listed as Ireland.  as he was a convict think that he may have lied about his birthplace when joining British army so may pursue the irish connection instead.  his religion was listed as C of E so think maybe the family moved from Ireland to North Leith and maybe thought that since he was in Oz might as well tell the truth about country of birth.  He definitely claimed he was born in North Leith in his army record but ....... what a mystery.  Are there any smiths in North Leith who came from ireland before say 1830 and have a missing son called Thomas - that may be another line of enquiry.

Trying to find Thomas Smith reported to being born in North Leith in 1809. Cannot find him but can find a Thomas Smith in 1808, however family myth was that his surname was really McKenzie.  He married on 21 May 1830 and joined the army in Kent in England in October 1830.  Cannot find marriage.  Committed forgery in 1834 and was transported to Oz.  Does anyone think that this Thomas belongs in your family - either Smith or McKenzie?