Thomas (the first) Smith

   Cause of his death was senile decay.

  Research Notes:

Keith Shrimpton quotes from "The Pragmatic Pioneers"
Written by Dennis Bruce Gosper:
THOMAS SMITH AND JULIA TRACEY.

Tom Smith was born in about 1834 probably at Bathurst, although he sometimes said he was born in Sydney. He claimed that after his father died he was brought up by the Suttors of Brucedale; he obviously had a close relationship with this family and he said that they were very kind to him. On 6th October 1856 at St. Michaels Roman Catholic Church Bathurst, Tom married Julia Tracey. The witnesses to the marriage were Thomas Buckley, the husband of Julia's sister Catherine, and Tom's sister, Mary Dignam. Tom apparently continued to work for the Suttors as a stockman until gold was discovered at Lambing flat in 1860. Lambing Flat was so named because it was used as the lambing paddock when it was part of Burrengong Station, and was renamed Young when the town was surveyed in 1861.

Tom no doubt did some mining there, but he found prosperity Not by digging for gold but by selling meat to the miners. Prior to 1862 he had opened up a butchers shop at the Three Mile, (so named because it was three miles out of Young) he later said that the Suttors had financed him into this venture. When the gold petered out and the miners left, Tom remained there as a farmer and grazier. Tom's obituary, which appeared in the Young Witness and Burrengong Argus dated 11th January 1916, gives an insight into his life and times.

Mr. Thomas Smith whose age is given as 86, though relatives believe him to have passed the 90^th milestone, also succumbed on Saturday night at the residence of Mrs. Cransfield in Wombat Street, the cause of death being senile decay. The late Mr. Smith was born in Sydney, and when very young went to Bathurst where he worked for the Suttor family until the time of his marriage with a Miss. Tracey now deceased. Shortly after the marriage, the gold rush to Young set in, and the deceased attracted by the gold fever, left Bathurst to try his fortune on the diggings. He settled at the Three Mile fully 55 years ago and resided there until 12 months ago when his home was destroyed by fire. The old gentleman could recall many of the wild scenes on the goldfields, the riots of the miners, the arrival the military, the funeral of Captain Wilkie, and the constant "Sticking Up" of the banks and district residents by the bushrangers Gardiner, Hall, Johnny Gilbert, Dunn and others. The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon, the Very Rev. Father Hennessy performing the last sad rites at the graveside.

  Noted events in his life were:

• connection.

Thomas married Julia (Judy) Tracey, daughter of Matthew (the second) Tracey and Bridget Hall, on 6 Oct 1856 in St Michaels Catholic Church, Bathurst, NSW Australia. (Julia (Judy) Tracey was born in 1837 in Loughmore, County Tipperary, Ireland UK, died on 12 Sep 1904 in The Three Mile, NSW Australia and was buried in Young, NSW Australia R/C.)