Brief Life History of James
James Smith was born in 1814, in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom. He married Charlotte Sophia Pittman on 17 October 1842, in Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. They were the parents of at least 6 sons and 2 daughters. He lived in Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland in 1828. He died on 26 May 1864, in Matakana, Auckland, New Zealand, at the age of 50, and was buried in Matakana, Auckland, New Zealand.
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Family Time Line
Sources (5)
- New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1934
- James Smith, "Find A Grave Index"
- James Smith in entry for Thomas William Smith, "New Zealand, Civil Records Indexes, 1800-1966"
Spouse and Children
Children (8)
+3 More Children
World Events (8)
1815
The defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo marks the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon defeated and exiled to St. Helena.
1815
First British missionaries arrive.
1830
Eclectic Period (Art and Antiques).
Name Meaning
English and Scottish: occupational name denoting a worker in metal, especially iron, such as a blacksmith or farrier, from Middle English smith ‘smith’ (Old English smith, probably a derivative of smītan ‘to strike, hammer’). Early examples are also found in the Latin form Faber . Metal-working was one of the earliest occupations for which specialist skills were required, and its importance ensured that this term and its equivalents in other languages were the most widespread of all occupational surnames in Europe. Medieval smiths were important not only in making horseshoes, plowshares, and other domestic articles, but above all for their skill in forging swords, other weapons, and armor. This is also the most frequent of all surnames in the US. It is very common among African Americans and Native Americans (see also 5 below). This surname (in any of the two possible English senses; see also below) is also found in Haiti. See also Smither .
English: from Middle English smithe ‘smithy, forge’ (Old English smiththe). The surname may be topographic, for someone who lived in or by a blacksmith's shop, occupational, for someone who worked in one, or habitational, from a place so named, such as Smitha in King's Nympton (Devon). Compare Smithey .
Irish and Scottish: sometimes adopted for Gaelic Mac Gobhann, Irish Mac Gabhann ‘son of the smith’. See McGowan .
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related Names
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