John and Thomas Smith from Arklow to NZ.

[powerwicklow]

It will be good to see your brother in laws results when they come in . My DNA is on Ancestry as is my mothers. Both of us coming down the Smith line. It is a family i have been researching for some time now and DNA is helping to break down the final few brick walls in it. Out of a family of 15 there is only one now i cannot account for yet. An Isaac Smith. He was born 1849 and the only clue to him in later life if correct is a comment in local Church Registry of India. Rootschat is a great site so if you have anything on your Smith side or your brother in laws on their early days please post so others can find.

John

[Overall]

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.

[powerwicklow]

A picture of a painting of Margaret Smith painted in 1848 when Margaret would have been 41. I photographed that painting a number of years ago and at that stage the painting was with a descendant of Margaret s brother. Margaret's brother been an Isaac Webster of Blainroe Wicklow

[powerwicklow]

An obituary i found to Margaret Smith.

[powerwicklow]

Margaret Smith headstone Arklow, Co Wicklow , Ireland. Her husband George to the best of my knowledge is not buried here as graveyard only opened a few years previous to Margaret passing away. I estimate George Smith died somewhere around the early 1860's.

[powerwicklow]

I would hope to be able to add more here shortly. I have DNA matches that have come in i believe should give proof of family connections. Just need to go through them.
John

[powerwicklow]

It would seem reading back over this thread i am now in contact with the person Overall mentions and DNA is proving us to be related. We are all back to the one. Attached a photo recently sent to me by my new contact and cousin of John Smith and Elizabeth Kinnison. It is reckoned the picture was taken circa 1888 at Lawrence.