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Gentleman John Smith was an English man who was convicted and imprisoned for theft before being transported to Australia as a convict, twice. [1] In Australia he later became a police official, serving as chief constable of Newcastle in New South Wales. [1]
He was born James sidbottom in Manchester in 1787. [2] At 20, he was arrested for stealing stocking and sentenced to seven years transportation. [2] it is not known how he travelled back to London but he is again arrested and In 1809 he took the name John Smith. [2]
He was sent to prison hulks at Portsmouth on 18 December 1809. [2] He traveled on the ship Indian which arrived in Port Jackson on 16 December 1810. [2] On 16 December 1811 he was reported as absconding from Eber Bunker at Georges River. [2] He stole and then sold tobacco from a warehouse, but was found not guilty on the lesser charge of stealing from a warehouse. [2] In 1861, he was accused of lighting a fire to defraud Liverpool and London Fire and Life Insurance Company. [3]
He went to Newcastle for penal settlement. [2] He was sent on the Lady Nelson from Parramatta on 8 July 1815. In 1817 he was appointed Chief Constable of Newcastle. [2]
In 1818 he was one of the first convicts to occupy a farm at Wallis Plains (East Maitland). [3] He owned various properties including a stream flour mill, Caroline Chisholm cottage ( which was originally used as staff quarters for the flour mill. Then given to Caroline to use as an hospital for women.)and the Black Horse Inn there. [3]
On 11 July 1814 he married Mary Furber. [2] He became a father to Mary's three-year-old, George, [3] and together they had eight more children: James (1815), Sophia (1816), Eliza (1817), Mary Ann (1818), John Thomas (1819), Matilda (1820) William Henry (1821). [4] Alfred Sydney (1837)
In 1838 he purchased 28 acres of land in the Fullerton Cove called Stanley Park to fulfill a contract from the military to supply beef. [5]
Smith died in 1870 and is buried in Christ Church burial ground. [2]