Thomas Smidmore, born at sea to 23 year old convict Mary Gough, arrived in Sydney with his mother in 1806. Young Thomas emerged to be one of early Sydney’s more famous residents. He eschewed his convict heritage to become a prominent member of Sydney society in the mid-19th century. One of his first business ventures was a Staffordshire pottery warehouse on George Street, which he ran in the 1820s and 30s. He later became a successful publican, becoming the licensee of the Crown and Thistle Hotel in George Street between 1833-1835, then, in 1837, Loggerheads on the corner of Clarence and Market Streets and from 1836 to 1842 he was the publican of the Union Inn in King Street.
Smidmore became proprietor of the Australasian Chronicle, a twice-weekly newspaper, in June 1844. In about 1830 he built 12 terrace houses in Cumberland Street at The Rocks which passed to his wife on his death. In 1840 he bought Lot 1 of the East Balmain subdivision in Paul Street. In 1841 he held land in Frankfort and Sussex streets and in 1851 he was a freeholder of Bathurst Street East.
He was a member of the first City of Sydney Council in 1842. He died at St Peters on 7 January 1861, aged 54, and was buried in Devonshire Street Cemetery before being transferred to the family’s box tomb at the Old Catholic Mortuary at Rookwood.
It begins in Dublin in May 1804 where a young woman was tried for stealing from her employer. Mary Gough, an illiterate 23-year-old servant, was sentenced to 7 years transportation. On 31 August 1805 she sailed from Cork on the ‘Tellicherry’ along with rebels from the Irish uprising of 1798. We do not know if Mary had much contact with these rebels but she did have contact with someone as she was pregnant when she arrived in the colony on 15 February 1806. It is thought the father of her son may have been crewman John Smidmore, as her child was known as Thomas Smidmore for the rest of his life.
Unfortunately, we don’t have much information about Mary but what we do know points to a resourceful woman. Very shortly after her arrival a ‘muster’ or census was taken; Mary was listed as already having obtained her ticket of leave (freedom) and as being self-employed. Could Thomas’s father have helped her in some way? Two years later she had another son, Robert Gough, father unknown, but she was recorded as living with Robert Murray at the time.
Then in 1827 Mary married Thomas Cooper, an ex-convict, blacksmith and farrier. As he was 60 years old, Thomas sold his business and he and Mary ran “The Farrier’s Arms” hotel in George Street. It appears that from this time until their deaths, the pair began to truly prosper, mainly through real estate. When Mary died in 1842 it is said she left an estate worth 20,000 pounds, over $3 million in today’s money. The efforts of his illiterate, convict mother ensured that Thomas was a wealthy young man. He now set about making himself a pillar of colonial society.
At 26 he married the first of his three wives; they will all be called Mary – Mary Watson, Mary Cullen, Mary Ann Curtin. He inherited a real estate portfolio, owned a glassware/earthenware business and his household had its own assigned servant, a convict called, you guessed it, Mary (Edmonds).
Read lessThomas Smidmore, born at sea to 23 year old convict Mary Gough, arrived in Sydney with his mother in 1806. Young Thomas emerged to be one of early Sydney’s more famous residents. He eschewed his convict heritage to become a prominent member of Sydney society in the mid-19th century. One of his first business ventures was a Staffordshire pottery warehouse on George Street, which he ran in the 1820s and 30s. He later became a successful publican, becoming the licensee of the Crown and Thistle Hotel in George Street between 1833-1835, then, in 1837, Loggerheads on the corner of Clarence and Market Streets and from 1836 to 1842 he was the publican of the Union Inn in King Street.
Smidmore became proprietor of the Australasian Chronicle, a twice-weekly newspaper, in June 1844. In about 1830 he built 12 terrace houses in Cumberland Street at The Rocks which passed to his wife on his death. In 1840 he bought Lot 1 of the East Balmain subdivision in Paul Street. In 1841 he held land in Frankfort and Sussex streets and in 1851 he was a freeholder of Bathurst Street East.
He was a member of the first City of Sydney Council in 1842. He died at St Peters on 7 January 1861, aged 54, and was buried in Devonshire Street Cemetery before being transferred to the family’s box tomb at the Old Catholic Mortuary at Rookwood.
It begins in Dublin in May 1804 where a young woman was tried for stealing from her employer. Mary Gough, an illiterate 23-year-old serv... More
