George Smith was born in 1806 in Towersey, Oxfordshire, England. He was baptised on 7 June 1806, the son of William Smith (1780-1867) and Sarah West (1776-1856).
Holy Trinity, Bledlow
George was married at the age of 19 by banns to Sarah Emma Wheeler on 4 October 1825 at nearby Bledlow, Buckinghamshire. Witnesses to the marriage were William Smith, his father, and John Badger and William Fryday.
Sarah Wheeler was 9 years older than George, born in 1797 and baptised at Bledlow to parents William and Mary Wheeler.
Sarah’s father William Wheeler was listed as a labourer of Bledlow in the 1798 (Buckinghamshire Posse Comitatas).
The Bledlow baptism register has been transcribed but was heavily damaged, but her parents names can be made out on the page.
Sarah had previously had an illegimate child James who was baptised as the son of Sarah Wheeler of Bledlow, spinster in 1822. Sadly he only lived for two weeks.
Bledlow and Towersey, although in different counties, are only three miles walk apart.
After their marriage in 1825, George and Sarah Smith had five children together baptised at Towersey, Buckinghamshire.
George was a farmer in Towersey, a parish in the district of Thame and county of Buckingham; 1¾ mile east of Thame, In 1870 it had a population of 449 people and 100 houses. There were two dissenting chapels, a national school, and an educational charity.
- Emma b 1826 Towersey, died 1826 Violet Town, Vic, Australia. Married Richard White in Melbourne. 8 children, including one illegitimate child Esther born at sea on the voyage to Australia in 1848 before her marriage.
- Alfred Emmanuel b 1826 Towersey d 1870 Collingwood. Labourer. Married Jane Brooks. 10 children. Immigrated to Australia with wife and sister Emma in 1848 aboard the ‘Mahomed Shah’.
- William Henry b 1828 Towersey d 1896 Oxford. Marr Mary Green. 9 children.
- George b 1830
- John b 1832 & d 1835 Towersey
The first two children, Emma and Alfred, were baptised on the same day on 8 January 1826, so they may be twins.
Sarah Smith, nee Wheeler, was buried on 16 April 1834 at St Catherines, Towersey. The burial register gave her age as 34.
It is unknown where and when her husband George Smith died.
