The Huband-Smiths

Following is what I know of the Huband-Smiths. This document will be updated as further information comes to hand, and should be read in conjunction with files on Smiths and Hubands, links to which are on this website.

Catherine Huband married 1796 Edward Smith of Co. Dublin, Ireland. Their second son Joseph Huband Smith was my g-g-grandfather. Joseph was born ca. 1802 and marrried Catherine Cecilia Jephson (born ca. 1816) on 14 May 1835 in the Parish of St Peter, Co Dublin. They were married by Consistorial Licence, by James Smith, in the presence of Edward Smith of Fitzwilliam Square. The other witness was Dunne - first name illegible. Her marriage portion was 600 pounds in stocks in the Bank of Ireland. Catherine Cecilia was the daughter of the Rev. John Jephson and Anna Maria (nee Burleigh). Their son Edmund Huband-Smith was born on 15 September 1837 in Co Tyrone and is my g-grandfather. Other known children are Edward Jephson Smith, b 24 February 1836, chr 2 March 1836 in the parish of St Peter; and Isabella Elizabeth Marian Smith, b 28 April 1841, chr 27 May 1841 in the parish of St Peter. Another child may have been named Josephine.

Jephson Huband Smith was named in Thoms Directory of 1885, living at Lynton, Dalkey Avenue, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, and working at the Accounts Office at the GPO in O'Connell St. Jephson Huband Smith was found living at 16 Fitzgibbon St in 1894. There is no sign of this person in the 1901 census. His wife's name was Harriet H Smith.

Joseph had land at Barley Hill in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, which was sold in 1849 and 1854. He may have lived there during a period in Northern Ireland from 1837 to 1840, when Edmund and possibly Josephine were born. In addition, in 1843 he granted land in the Barony of Salt, Co Kildare to Alexander Burke with a 61 year lease.

In 1855, Alexander John or Johns of Belfast, a solicitor, took out a Judgement against Joseph Huband Smith for a sum amounting to 220 pounds sterling plus costs (money owed to him). This was not paid by 1859, and the judgement was restated.

Joseph was a barrister-at-law, admitted to the Bar at Easter 1828. He was a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, gaining his BA in 1824 and his MA in 1839. He lived at 2 Holles St Dublin and later at Howth. He became Registrar of the Court of Bankruptcy in Dublin. He died 7th May 1886 and his death was announced in the Irish Times and the Irish Builder. The following is his death notice:

Died 7th May at his son's residence 14 Pleasant Street, Joseph Huband Smith aged 84 years. Funeral will leave 9 o'clock on Monday for Mount Jerome Graveyard in south Co. Dublin near Crumlin. (Note: the directories for Dublin do not show a Smith at 14 Pleasant St, but there is an Edward Smith living at 7 Pleasant St.)

Catherine Cecilia Huband Smith died in January 1887. She and Joseph are buried with his parents Edward and Catherine Smith in the Mt Jerome cemetery, Co Dublin.

Joseph Huband Smith was seneschal of Manors of Glenarm, Oldstone and Ballycastle, also Dunluce. (See the file "The Office of Seneschal" for more on this.)

Joseph appears to have had a great interest in Archaeology, History and other such matters. He wrote articles for the Ulster Journal of Archaeology in 1853, and for the Royal Irish Academy, of which he was a member (M.R.I.A.) from 1836 onwards. He also wrote "A Day Out in Howth", which had two editions, "Belfast and Its Environs", and "Memoir of the O'Gowans" In 1839 he delivered a lecture to the Royal Irish Academy on Chinese seals which had been found in Ireland. He believed that these seals were ancient and had been brought to Ireland by Phoenician trade ships. However, later research suggests that they are relatively recent - from the 14th or 15th centuries or later.

In 1854 Joseph Huband Smith donated a quantity of miscellaneous items to the Royal Irish Academy. These included: stone urn from Dunadry, Co Antrim, found 1837; two fragments of rings from same place; portion of large stone hammer from Island Magee; ball of green glass from bog at Clogher, Co Tyrone; small globular glass bottle from Slievegullion, Co Armagh; 14 beads from Co Antrim; lozenge shaped silver reliquary from small artificial cave at Glenarm in Straidcalye in Co Antrim, found in 1839; Irish MSS showing Irish Fenian Tales from Fintona, Co. Tyrone.

Joseph Huband Smith went bankrupt in 1874. He attempted to reclaim the contents of boxes at the Royal Irish Academy, saying that they had been deposited by his mother and he owned them. The boxes probably contained the items he had collected. However, he seems to have failed in this endeavour to reclaim them. Their present whereabouts are unknown.

Edmund studied at Trinity College Dublin and became an Anglican priest, being ordained at Lichfield, Staffordshire in 1861. He served curacies at Lee Brockhurst, Shropshire and probably at St Giles in the Fields and/or St Anne's Soho in London. He married Caroline Martin at St Anne’s Soho on 19 September 1867. They left for Australia on the “Landsborough” on 20 October 1867, arriving in Sydney on 1 February 1868.