DIAMOND WEDDING.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 142, 18 June 1913, Page 2

DIAMOND WEDDING.

: CELEBRATIONS IN NEI/SON DIS-

TRICT.

Mr and Mrs W. P. Smith, of Hope, celebrated their diamond wedding on Saturday, May 31st. The gathering was confined to members of the family, and a few intimate friends, who spent the afternoon, in social enjoyment,

offering kindly greetings to the aged couple, and in recalling memories of the past. During the day a number of telegrams of congratulation were received from old friends now scattered throughout the Dominion. . Mr William Poore Smith, now in his 95th year, is the eldest son of the late Post Captain Win. Smith, Royal Navy, and a nephew of the late Rev. John Poore, D.D., incumbent of Mar&ton and Rainham, Kent. A few words in connection with his father's career may be of interest, as affording a contrast between the Navy of a hundred years ago, and that of to-day. The late Post Captain Smith joined the Navy in 1795, when only ten years old, as a midshipman on board his father's ship. Those w^re days of hard fighting and quick"*"- promotion (plenty of death vacancies), and before he had reached the'age of 18 he found himself first lieutenant of a sloop of war, under a captaii> who must have been a veritable tyrant. It was his custom to flog forty men^ every Monday morning. While on this vessel he had what was perhaps a unique experience. With such a captain it was difficult for his officers to be on friendly terms, and on one occasion the captain invited his first lieutenant to dine with him, which invitation was declined. The.captain thereupon retired to his cabin and wrote an order for Lieutenant Smith to dine with him. Of course the order had to be obeyed. And those were the days of the press gang. On one occasion he was sent on shore in command of the gang. He had obtained information where a large number of men were in hiding, and secured over a hundred. The men werei mustered on deck' next . morning, when it was discovered that all but ten were deserters from other ships, and had to be returned. The officer in command of the press gang was reprimanded for not obtaining more men for his own ship. He attained the rank of post captain, sailed the "Captain," at one time commanded by Lord Nelson, and retired at the close of the war in 1815.

Mr Smith was born at Gosport and educated at a private grammar-school. At the age of sixteen he went to sea ■as a midshipman in the mercantile marine. After a couple of voyages, the first of which occupied 20 months, he found himself second officer of a vessel with a cargo of 300 convicts bound for Sydney, and there were some hard cases amongst them. On one occasion they set. fire to the vessel, but it was discovered and extinguished before much damage was done. The late Major Richmond was captain of the guard on the voyage out. Mr Smith, however, had no great love for the sea, and after seven years retired, and for a time^ was engaged in teaching in the Island of Jersey. In 1850 he sailed for New Zealand in the ship Poictiers, and after a year or two he took up land in the Waimea where (with the exception of a visit to Europe and America in 1872-73) he has lived ever since.

Mrs Smith, who is a sister of the late John and William Win, of Dovedale, is a very old settler. She came out to New Zealand in the Thomas Harrison, in 1842, when seven years old, and has lived in Nelson ever since. Mr and Mrs Smith were married in the old Wesleyan Church by tho Rev. Mr ironside. It was a brick building standing on the site of the old Custom House. They have a family of nine children in different parts of the Dominion. The eldest son, Mr F. W. Smith, is a member of the. Nelson Education Board. All will join in wishing the aged couple a peaceful eventide.—Colonist.