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Orphan Number: 5063
Orphan: Samuel SMITH
Mother:NEEDHAM, Alice
Father:SMITH, Cooper
Mother's ship:
Father's ship:Marian 2
Age when admitted:8yrs
Date admitted:17 Apr 1872
Date discharged:20 May 1877
Institution(s):Queens Orphan School
Discharged to: James Muskett
Remarks: father dead
References: SWD26/13, 32/1, 52/2,


This orphan has been claimed by: Joyce Purtscher

Cooper Smith was convicted in Sussex, England of stealing two shirts and transported for 12 years per Marion arriving in Hobart Town 16th September 1845. He could read and write and was 20 years of age. His sentence was served in many parts of the island including Fingal, Avoca, Kingston, Clarence Plains, Ida Bay, Kingston, Franklin and Kangaroo Bottom. He received his Ticket of Leave in 1854 and Pardon in 1855. He married Alice Needham on 24 March 1856 at Hobart.

Alice Needham was 16 when she arrived in Hobart Town per Sir Allan McNab with her mother, Sarah 49, and sister Jane, 19, to be with their father Joshua Needham, who had been transported per Lady Raffles for 14 years for receiving a silver plate. Joshua Needham, 80, died in General Hospital, Hobart, from diarrhoea 17 Jun 1880 and Sarah, his wife died 5 September 1873 aged 69 from paralysis.

Cooper Smith and his wife Alice had 5 children, 2 boys and 3 girls when Cooper died in the General Hospital, Hobart, on 6th June 1871 from a strangulated hernia. Alice then applied for two of her children to be admitted to the Queen’s Orphanage, New Town. On the application, R T Edwards wrote – Applicant prays her two children herein mentioned (Samuel & Lydia) may be admitted into the Queen’s Asylum, New Town. She has two out at service (Emily & William), and states she finds it impossible to get adequate employment to support her 3 children at home and pay house rent etc. and is desiring of going into service herself and pay for the younger child. She went up hop picking but being new to the work came back in debt and appears to be in a very destitute condition and is willing to give up her present allowance.

Samuel Smith born 1864, was admitted to the Queen’s Orphanage on April 1872 and was apprenticed to James Muskett on 20 May 1877. James Muskett already had experience with apprentices from the Queen’s Orphanage according to a letter written by F Stansfield from the Parsonage at Franklin -  April 14th 1877 – My dear Sir, I desire strongly for the great benefit of Samuel Smith, now in the Asylum, that he should be apprenticed to Mr Musket of Franklin, Farmer; will you please consider this, as his formal application.; it is moreover the earnest desire of the boy’s brother, now a young man, that Mr Musket should be his master – this young man has been reared in Mr Musket’s employ and knows well the worth of such a home. Maddon a former Apprentice has just passed the term of his Indentures, he has been throughout treated as if Mr Musket’s son, though mentally and physically the boy’s services were unhappily of small worth, and even now through compassion, he retains him in the family. I and Mr Musket were at the Asylum last Thursday and saw James Foster, a boy apparently well fitted for Farm labour, should the time not be that
Samuel Smith can be apprenticed.  There is nothing wanting in this open home to render an orphan happy, and fit him for the active duties of life. I am, My dear Sir, Yours sincerely, F Stansfield  

The brother referred to in the letter must have been William Smith who would have been 19 years old at this time.

William Smith born 1858 went into the employ of James Muskett at Franklin and he married Hannah Muskett when he was 24 and she was 21 years of age at her parents’ home at Franklin. His occupation given on the marriage certificate was engineer. They had 12 children – Daisy Eliza, Florence May, James William, Priscilla, Barclay Leopold, Grace Annie, Eric Franklin, Alice Margaret, Thomas Cameron, Murray Glanville, Hilton Lambert and Chester Wilfred. William died 7 Jan 1944 aged 86 and Hannah on 19 Jul 1944 and both were buried at Margate.

Lydia Smith born 1860, was admitted to the Queen’s Orphanage on April 1872.

Cooper Smith’s widow, Alice, nee Needham, had two daughters by Robert Bew. I cannot find their marriage. They were Alice Elizabeth BEW born in 1874 and Louisa Jane BEW born in 1878. Both girls were born in Hobart, but the family moved to Launceston, where the girls were admitted to the Launceston Girls’ Industrial School in 1883 until they were 16. Alice Elizabeth must have been a clever girl, as she won many prizes whilst at the school. Sadly she died at the Heidelberg Hospital, Melbourne aged 21. Alice Lydia Smith died in Ardale, Victoria in 1905 aged 68. Robert Bew died in 1885 in Launceston.



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