Robert Smith

Robert SMITH (Snr) was born circa 1805 in Yorkshire, England and died on 31 May 1881 at age 76 at Pietermaritzburg. Buried: Commercial Rd. Cemetery, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa (Block A; Row F; Plot 75A). Robert married Susannah MEDD, daughter of George MEDD and Eleanor MILNER, on 11 Oct 1832 in the presence of Ann Hardcastle and John Jackson, at Old Malton, North Riding, Yorkshire, England. At the time of the marriage, Robert was ‘of the parish of Birdsall’ which is in the East Riding of Yorkshire and 7.3 kilometers south by south east from Old Malton. As yet, we do not know where or when Robert was born nor do we know the identity of his parents and siblings.

Robert farmed at Ryton near Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire from c.1832 to c.1835(2) and at some stage between the birth of their third child, William in 1837, and the birth of their fourth child, Joseph in 1839, Robert and Susannah moved to Gilling East in the North Riding of Yorkshire where they remained until they emigrated to Natal on Haidee in 1850. He, together with Samuel Cordukes, Richard Brough, Joseph Smith, William Lund, and James Tutin joined a committee formed by Henry Boast to study the details of Byrne's agreement with the Colonial Office, and to frame a plan for a co-operative system of settlement.