Edward SMITH

Ancestry.com, England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2014;).
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ancestry.com, 1851 England Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2005;), Class: HO107; Piece: 1631; Folio: 267; Page: 12; GSU roll: 193532-193533.
Details: Passenger list - Ship 'Norman' Citation Text: Ship Norman, 582 tons, Captain John Adams, from Southampton 4th December 1854, arrived at Port Adelaide, South Australia 7th March 1855 South Australian Register Thursday 8th March 1855 Wednesday March 7th, 1855:- the ship Norman, 582 tons, J. Adams, Master, from Southampton November 8th [sic] [1854], Elders and Co., Agents. Passengers: Mr.& Mrs. Fastlen ; Miss Chadwick ; Mr. Thomas Alexander, surgeon-superintendent in the cabin and the following emigrants in the steerage. . . . — 7th ship from England to S.A. with government passengers for 1855 ; 0 births and 0 deaths on the passage ; Mr. Thomas Alexander, surgeon-superintendent. Ship Norman Left Southampton on the 2nd December, 1854 and arrived in Port Adelaide on the 7th March, 1855. No deaths nor births took place on the voyage. This has not occurred in a Government emigrant ship since the year 1850, when the barque British Empire arrived under the same circumstances. The Norman arrived in apparently very excellent order, the passage decks were clean and the people seemed a respectable and well selected class of persons. Unfortunately, however, there was a want of good feeling and mutual co-operation between the master and the surgeon-superintendent of the ship. The surgeon-superintendent refused to sign the certificate that the charter party had been fulfilled ; and many complaints, and some of serious character, were made by the emigrants. In consequence of this, the Immigration Board assembled, and sat several days investigating the nature of the complaints ; and on the 23rd of March, presented to His Excellency their report. They found that two charges were clearly proved against the master of the ship. 1st:- That there had been indecent familiarities with one or more of the single women ; and 2nd:- That the emigrants had been annoyed on crossing the line. The twenty-third clause of the charter party expressly stipulates that the emigrants shall not be molested on crossing the line; and that the master of the ship shall strictly prohibit and prevent, on the part of the crew or officers of the ship, any intercourse whatever with the female passengers on board. That any breach of either of those regulations will entail forfeiture of the passage money, and of any gratuities which might otherwise have been payable to the offenders. The Board stated that the familiarities of which the master in their opinion was guilty, though no attempt was made by his accusers to infer any criminal intention on his part, were yet of a nature, which if permitted in an emigrant ship, were calculated to lead to serious evil. The Board had also full proof given them that many of the emigrants had water pumped upon them by the fire engine on crossing the line ; in consequence of which, many of them were thoroughly drenched, and some of the young women attributed a long continued illness to that cause. It was clearly proved that all this was done with the consent of the master. The Immigration Board gave it as their opinion, that, in the two respects above mentioned, the twenty third clause of the charter party had been vitiated ; and that according to the stipulations therein contained, the passage money was forfeited, as well as the gratuity otherwise payable to the master of the ship. But, during the investigation, it appeared to the Board that there was a most unfortunate want of good feeling and cordial co-operation between the master and the surgeon of the ship. The Board could not discover that the surgeon gave warning to the master of the consequences which would follow ; and though the master of the ship ought not to have required warning to avoid the two errors which he committed, yet the Board felt convinced, had fair warning been given, that on arrival no such clauses of complaint would have existed. They state, that it was painfully evident to them during the investigation that there was a vindictive feeling of the surgeon-superintendent towards the master of the ship, and that the surgeon had watched in silence the master compromising himself and the charter party, without entering a protest, or giving warning of an irregularity, that a repetition would be followed by a formal complaint to the Colonial Government. The Immigration Board recommended that the gratuity of the master of the ship should be withheld, which they hoped would act as a warning to him to avoid hereafter the errors which have now taken place ; as in all other respects it appeared to the Board that he acted with kindness and consideration to the emigrants; and although, according to the strict letter of the charter-party, the passage money was forfeited, yet the board suggested to His Excellency, that the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners should be requested not to arrest the passage money, as the Board thought that the object sought to be obtained could be accomplished without such severity. His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government was pleased to approve of the report and of the suggestions therein contained and to direct that a copy should be forwarded to the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners. Families: Smith Edward 57 Agr. Labourer 1502/3 Betteshanger, Kent, Mary 48, James 12, John 9, Martha 7. ***.
Ancestry.com, Australia Death Index, 1787-1985 (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;).
Newspaper Notices & Articles (Adelaide & SA), Death Notice.
SMITH.—On the 3rd January, at the residence of his son James, Port Pirie West, Edward Smith, of Kent, England, aged 84. A colonist of 33 years. Formerly of Mount Pleasant and Mount Rufus.
Ancestry.com, 1841 England Census (Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2010;), Class: HO107; Piece: 465; Book: 6; Civil Parish: Betshanger; County: Kent; Enumeration District: 8; Folio: 2; Page: 15; Line: 6; GSU roll: 306860.