12th Jan. 2002
Contact: Terry Killalea-Hore
thore@net-tech.com.au
For many years I have put off researching my SMITH side of the family for obvious reasons but now I have a lot more background information about the family in India and England, some of which may be helpful to others researching the above families.
I have some very old pieces of paper found in an old SMITH family box here in Australia with the following information:-
DIGBY SMITH born Aug 21 (Old ?il?) 1752 in Drs Commons London --------------- [Appear to be Rev Digby Smith]
Godfathers Mr Farmer? Mr Smith (Proctors)
Godmother Mrs Cotes
JOHN SMITH at pros??? Oct 11 1755
Godfathers Morgan Graves Esq, Robert Cotes DD?
Godmother Lettice Cotes ***********************************
To the memory of The Reverend DIGBY SMITH. M. A. Clerk.
Fifty seven years a minor Canon of the Cathedral Church of Worcester.
Thirty three years Rector of the Parish of St Martin in that city.
And forty three years Chaplain of this hospital.
He died on the XIV day of January MDCCCXXX111 (14 Jan 1833)
In the LXXX1 year of his (age 81)
By those friends to whom he had been long and intimately known, and who loved the mild and amiable virtues of the man and not ???? than they ????? the ???????ity, piety?, and fidelity of the Christian Pastor, this Tablet was erected, a sincere and spontaneous? Tribute of respect and affection.
Underneath is written:- A true copy of the inscription on the Tablet in St Oswalds Chapel taken 23rd October 1860.
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There is also a copy of the COATES/COTES family
crest hand drawn probably in the 1800's.
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Another old piece of paper has an inscription and is possibly in a cemetery connected to Oxford University and must have some connection with the Smith's also:- It is very hard to read and very faded.
In Memory of: DIGBY COTES. A. M. Rector of this Church, Principal of Mag: Halls? And public orator in the University of Oxford.
He was the second son of CHARLES COTES of Cotes and Woodcote, and LETTICE Daughter of ?????????? Ld DIGBY.
He lived much respected and beloved for his Learning, Piety, and many virtues, and ever cheerful, benevolent and resigned, with ?? piety of a true Christian.
He died ???????????????????????????????????????????????aged 63?
Much lamented by all who knew him.
His first wife was ELIZ BANNISTER by whom he had twelve children.
Charles and John died abroad, and William and James in their infancy.
He was called to a better state ????????????????????????????
His second wife was SARAH ADAMS who departing this life ?????
Inconsolable for ?? ??? she had sustained caused this monument to be created.
Their daughter Sarah died and infant and lies buried here.
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There are also a paintings in the family of Sir James Gray, Knt. of the Bath, Envoy Extraordinary, and Minister Plenipotentiary, to the King of Naples. One is painted in Italy by Minx? Anno 1761.
******************************************My mother's family still use Digby as a second Christian name and say it came about as they are also descendants of LORD DIGBY and I don't know anything about him either but there must be a SMITH-COTES connection somewhere other than Godparents?.
I have been flat out working on my father's Irish side with 5 convicts and have only recently again taken an interest in the Smiths as they now want me to organise a family reunion.
I was put off with the Smith's years ago when I wrote to the Church of England and they told me they didn't know Rev Digby Smith and that I should employ a researcher. The Rev Digby SMITH married a Catherine GRAY on 26th Aug 1783 at Dn Green, Belbroughton, Worcester and now I find on another Internet site that SIR JAMES GRAY had 2 illegitimate children in Naples and the girl was Catherine and about the right age to be the Rev Digby Smith's wife. We are obviously related to Sir James Gray in some way as I cannot see any other reason for his portrait being handed down through the family and having two Smith-Gray connections.
This Rev DIGBY SMITH was my great-great-great-grandfather. His son JOHN DAVISON SMITH's second wife was CAROLINE BIRCH GRAY and they were married in India in 1824. Their son John Digby Smith had a son Horace Digby Smith who was my grand father. John Digby Smith's brother James Digby Smith was killed at Cashmere Gate in India on 11th May 1857 with the English Army and that is another possible source of info. Some of the entries in the old family Bible are signed M Eales, Senior Bengal Establishment up until 1832. Frances Anna's entry (John Digby's sister) was born 15th Jan 1837, baptised at "Norwood" 10th March 1837 by Rev Charles Turner. JOHN DAVISON SMITH's first wife was ANNE STANLEY whom he married on 1st Nov 1821 at St John the Baptist, Croydon, England and at this stage I don't know what happened to her.
There are also stories within the family that the family had connections with the "Docks of London" and John Davison Smith did his apprenticeship in "Mystery". A John Davidson Smith had quite a large property "Manor of Whitehorse" and his name is mentioned in a write up on "Grangewood Park" on the Internet and this is possibly my ancestor. John Davison Smith's son James Digby Smith was killed in the mutiny in India in 1857 (I have his portrait and letters he wrote to family here in Australia from India before his death) and James's Army papers have his father as John Davidson Smith.
I would really like to put as much of this together as I can before I die as I think I'm almost the last one who has enough of the background to do so here in Australia. Nobody knows of any connections still back in England or anywhere else in the World.
I also have a book of Grays Poems printed in 1777 which has the Digby Smith crest (Coat of Arms) inside the front cover.
The family had "Lindenow Station" near Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia and there is quite a lot written about them in history books of the area as they were a pioneer family with one of the largest properties in the State. They had raised cattle, sheep and horses and a lot of horses were sent to India for the British Army but nothing is really written about the families background in England. The family Bible has several entries of baptisms by Rev Charles Turner at "Norwood" in Surrey in the 1830's.
Any advice on where I should look for information on these families would be greatly appreciated and maybe what is on the old pieces of paper could be of assistance to others researching these families.
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