Looking at Newspaper Sources about The Smith Family

Post date: Dec 26, 2015 3:39:2 AM

Firstly, we have an authoritative list of famous Freemasons here... unless noted, we are using that as our source for Masonic Membership...

According to the Newspapers, we have the President of the Smith Family in 1930 introducing Sir Kelso King. This appears in a Sunday Times article here. Sir Kelso King was a Freemason and The Smith Family was 8 years old at that point....Perhaps his presence was not remarkable as the man was involved in many philanthropic endeavors. ..The Governor General, Baron Stonehaven, was made a Presentation at the meeting... guess what ? He was both GG and Grand Master of NSW at the time. This puts two leading Freemasons, Kelso King and Baron Stonehaven central to a Smith Family event about eight years after it was founded.

In the same article above we have The Chief Commissioner of Scouts, Mr. E. Trenchard Miller. Googling him, I've found little information on him. Not helpful.

However:

In 1923 THE SMITH FAMILY Evening News (Sydney NSW) Wed 19 Sept. The Smith Family just visited an institution and next weekend will be visiting the jail to spread joy.

In 1923 THE "SMITH FAMILY" The Cumberland Argus and Fruit growers Advocate Sat 29 Dec distributing presents and a Christmas cake at the Girls Industrial School

In 1924 THE SMITH FAMILY The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate Fri 5 Dec talks of how a special Christmas Cheer account has been opened at the Commonwealth Bank and talks of a membership fee of 1/,5/, or .£1 The address of the Secretary Smith is given as 89 Phillip Street Sydney. In 1924 that was the Highland Society's Hall.

In 1925 THE SMITH FAMILY The Cumberland Argus and Fruit growers Advocate Fri 2 Jan accounts for a 20 Dec visit to Liverpool State Hospital. Nine parties of the Smiths were visiting different institutions at the same time.

In 1925 was have SMITH FAMILY WORK AT CHRISTMAS The Sydney Morning Herald 21 Dec page 10 speaking of "four lorries" full of presents not no name beyond "350 Smiths" being mentioned

In 1925 The Smith Family at Liverpool Hospital The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta, NSW Wed 23 Dec 1925 - The Family "assisted 18 Hospitals that day which speaks volumes for their Charity and Organization".

In 1926 THE SMITH FAMILY ANNUAL DINNER The Sydney Morning Herald Fri 20 August talks of "the second annual dinner" held at Marlborough, King Street

In 1926 "Christmas Cheer" The Sydney Morning Herald 21 Dec page 15

We have several names in conjunction with a Christmas Concert.Madam Vera Tasma, Miss Muriel Humphries, Mr R B Orchard, Mr Ross Garling, Alfred Cunningham, Jack Lumsdaine, Desmond Tanner, Norman Francis and Messrs Raine & Powell.

R B Orchard is was recorded as a member of Leinster Marine Lodge in the Funeral Notice of A W Flemming

In 1927 JOYSPREADERS UNLIMITED WILL YOU BE A CHRISTMAS SMITH Sunday Times 13 Nov Page 5, talks of the foundation on Christmas Eve "born in a motor car" looking for members which is limited to "males over eighteen..... BUT at Christmas they relent and allow everyone - man, woman and child to join... but to get to the spirit in which it was conceived they must drop their identity ...".... Interesting if you need information - they invite you to contact "this office" ie - The Sunday Times...

1927 SMITH FAMILY.ANNUAL DINNER. A YEAR OF JOY-SPREADING,

Brigadier-General Lloyd and the Rabbi Cohen also spoke. Rabbi Cohen is a bit vague, but there is a couple of potentials for Lloyd, but no Freemason matching that rank with that name, the closest being Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert William LLOYD, C.B.,C.M.G.,C.V.O.,D.S.O (1883 - 1957)** but the ranks do not correspond...

In 1928 THE SMITH FAMILY The Sydney Morning Herald Thurs 13 Sept we have "About 200 people attended the fourth annaul reunion of the "Smith Family Joyspreaders Unlimited" at the Cartlon Hotel". Although only a short article, it's interesting who proposes the different toasts. The "toast of the Smith Family" was proposed by the Attorney General. "The Visitors was responded to by the Minister of Health". The descriptors are interesting...

Francis Stewart Boyce was the Attorney General of the day in NSW. BINGO ! He was a Freemason and according to Masonic Convention of today (are presumably then) would need to be a member of The Smith Family to propose such a toast... we might have another good crumb here... Notable he was Grand Master NSW 1926-27

In 1928 THE SMITH FAMILY The Sydney Morning Herald Wed 10 Oct

"Fifth Annual Report of The Smith Family Joyspreaders Unlimited" speaks of membership increased from 750 to 984 and collection for Christmas Cheer to £1,058 compared with last years £ 530.

In 1928 The Smith Family The Register SA Tues 16 Oct a letter from "S Smith" looking for information on "a Smith Family was formed in Adelaide" asking for information on the group that adopted a title " .. "similar to that of The Smith Family Joyspreaders Unlimited". The papers editor gives the 81 Pitt Street Address in Sydney suggesting people with information write to that address.

For noting of year and place only, The Smith Family appear in Adelaide in 1928

1929 The Smith Family Ball

This has a large list of names which should be checked

1929

1929 SMITH FAMILY WIRELESS FOR THE SICK (Sydney Morning Herald 27 June Page 14)

We have the GG on behalf of the Smith Family presenting radio headphones to Dr Arthur, the Minister for Health

1930 MEETING OF THE SMITH ? , FAMILY.

Names need checking

1930- Christmas Pantomime for Poor Kiddies names "Dr Arthur" and Ernest C Rolls as entertainer.

Ernest C Rolls ((born Ernest Dareweski)) worked with Roy Rene (A Freemason). I can find no evidence of him being a Freemason

Dr Arthur - a 1929 article here describes a "Dr Arthur" as in conjunction with the Smith Family as as "Minister for Health". Dr. Richard Arthur (1865-1932), medical practitioner and parliamentarian. Arthur was NSW Minister for Public Health (1927-1930) in the Bavin government. Despite a long Obit and looking at other sources, no suggestion he was a Freemason.

Article above further reported in "Children's Treat" and mentions Dr Arthur

Article above further reported in TREAT FOR CHILDREN OR WORKLESS.

1931 APPEALS TO COMMUNITY The Sydney Morning Herald 5 Dec page 17 speaks of the Smith Family appealing for 100 motor cars for 19 Dec. Mentions the office at 81 Pitt St. It also mentions the Governor Sir Philip Game and Lord Mayor Alderman Jackson will attend the Smith Gathering at David Jones. Neither men appear to have been Freemasons

1933 Plea for Blankets sees the Smith Family described as a "band of business and professional men..... it is a cardinal point that no one should appear in his own name."

By 1933 it is claimed here "The best known welfare organisations in Sydney are the Benevolent Society of N.S.W., Thomas Street, Sydney, and the Smith Family Joyspreaders Unlimited, 81 Pitt Street, Sydney" Notable as the Smith Family has been operating for 11 years.

In 1933 THE SMITH FAMILY Sydney Morning Herald Wed 15 Nov claims "it has been conservatively estimated that more than 20,000 persons" participated in the Christmas distributions last year. This is claimed in the annual report this is said. This 1933 Annual report needs to be located.

In 1933 in a Sydney Morning Herald we have another article with another GG, Sir Isaac Isaacs, presenting at the 10th Anniversary of the Smith Family. Isaac Isaacs, is another well documented Freemason. Sir Isaacs says

"It bears the initial letters of your chief aims and aspirations," Sir Isaac Isaacs said. "Your aspirations are sympathy for the unfortunate, mercy for the distressed, Inspiration for others to go and do likewise, tenderness for the afflicted, and, above all, happiness all round. That is a good reason why the name of Smith should be immortal. You do not seek even the reward of personal praise. You hide your Identity, as the chairman has put It, under anonymity, but you cannot escape your real reward, which Tennyson re- ferred to so appropriately when he wrote, 'The wages of virtue is the glory of going on."

For Freemasons reading the above, "sympathy", "afflicted" and happiness all round will ring out from Masonic Ritual. The real reward in terms of "Wages" will be recognizable to Felow Craft Freemasons, although I do not believe Tennyson was a Freemason, Sir Isaac was and while I cannot say what he was thinking, that quote on wages makes me certainly think of the Second Degree in Freemasonry.

Others present Included Sir Joseph Cook, Sir Henry Braddon, and Rabbi Cohen.

Cook was a Freemason, Henry Braddon was not, "Rabbi Cohen" is not really enough to go on....

In 1934, Eye Clinic for Poor Patients

Secretary of the Smith Family Joy Spreaders is Mr E J Wyett. An unusual name but I cannot find him as a Freemason using google.

In 1934 THE SMITH FAMILY The Sydney Morning Herald Fri 6 July we the celbration ofthe first anniversary of the establishment of the Arcadia Hospital Recovery Home with two functions. Greetings from The Premier (Mr Stevens) and the Chief Secretary (Mr Chaffey) with a list of contributing artists.

1935 Christmas Appeal where Mr W M Hughes MP makes and appeal on behalf of the Smith Family. This is would be William Morris or "Billy" Hughes Australian Prime Minister 1916-22. There is no evidence Billy Hughes was a Freemason and he is never claimed as one.

Kit Kingsley, 'life member of the Smith Family, Joyspreaders Unlimited" mentioned in this article I cannot find information on

1936 Christmas Parties talked of the Gardens of Mrs A E Whitfield 25 Beaconsfield Pde Lindfield open to local branches of the Smith Family

I will come back and edit this page once I do some more digging...