Jump to content

Frank Smith (New South Wales politician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank James Smith
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Balmain
In office
5 Feb 1887 – 6 June 1891
Personal details
Born1852 (1852)
England
Died4 January 1910(1910-01-04) (aged 57–58)
Woolwich
Political partyFree Trade
Spouse(s)Sarah Thursdon
(married c 1872)
Children1 daughter
Parent(s)Sarah Leicester
Lewis Francis Smith

Frank James Smith (1852 – 4 January 1910) was an English-born Australian politician.

Early life

[edit]

His parents were land speculator Lewis Francis Smith and Sarah Leicester. He arrived in Victoria around 1867, and then spent some time in Hobart. He worked as a printer's apprentice in Victoria and then moved to Balmain in Sydney around 1877. He trained as a solicitor, however he never practised. Around 1872 he married Sarah Thursdon, with whom he had a daughter.[1]

Political career

[edit]

In 1887 he was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as a Free Trade member for Balmain. He was re-elected in 1889, but was defeated in 1891.[2]

Criminal conviction

[edit]

Smith was the managing director of the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company from September 1889 until September 1890, and the company was placed into liquidation on 11 September 1891.[3] In February 1892 he was convicted of conspiracy to fraudulently misrepresent the financial affairs of the company,[4] and was sentenced to imprisonment for 7 years.[5] Peter Howe, another member of the Legislative Assembly, was also a director of the company. In 1891 Howe had been convicted of conspiracy to defraud the company and was also sentenced to imprisonment for 7 years.[6]

Smith was released from prison in June 1895 after serving 3 years.[7][8]

Later life

[edit]

He attempted to return to politics, standing as an independent Free Trade candidate at the July 1895 election for Balmain North, but polled just 32 votes.[9]

Smith died at Woolwich on 4 January 1910(1910-01-04) (aged 57–58).[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Mr Frank James Smith (1852-1910)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  2. ^ Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Balmain". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  3. ^ "The Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company Limited". The Sydney Morning Herald. 16 July 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "The conspiracy case". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 February 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "At the Central Criminal Court". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 1892. p. 9. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "The Howe-Miller conspiracy case". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 November 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "Release of the bank panic prisoners". Sunday Times. 24 February 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "Bank prisoners: the three released men". Evening News. 25 February 1895. p. 6. Retrieved 25 April 2021 – via Trove.
  9. ^ Green, Antony. "1895 Balmain North". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 April 2020.

 

New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Balmain
1887–1891
With: Jacob Garrard
John Hawthorne
none / George Clubb
Succeeded by