Frank Smith (New South Wales politician)

For other people with the same name, see Frank Smith (disambiguation).

Frank James Smith
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Balmain
In office 5 Feb 1887 – 6 June 1891
Personal details
Born	1852 (1852) England
Died	4 January 1910(1910-01-04) (aged 57–58) Woolwich
Political party	Free Trade
Spouse(s)	Sarah Thursdon (married c 1872)
Children	1 daughter
Parent(s)	Sarah Leicester Lewis Francis Smith

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

Early life

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

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

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

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

1. "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 Jacob Garrard John Hawthorne Solomon Hyam	Member for Balmain 1887–1891 With: Jacob Garrard John Hawthorne none / George Clubb	Succeeded by George Clark Edward Darnley James Johnston William Murphy