Dr Joseph Smith in 1897
Smith family of Cedarmount
Joseph Smith married Georgina Henrietta Persse
born January 1856 9 Aug 1877 born June 1851
Dudley, Staffordshire Limerick Newcastle House, Galway
died 16 Apr 1907
Illinois
Joseph Smith son of John Smith born January 1856 at Dudley, Staffordshire. His parents were
Irish and he was sent to school in Belgium when he was twelve. He returned to Ireland when
he was seventeen, his father having died while he was abroad. He was organist at Galway and
later at Limerick Cathedral. He was an organist and Professor of Music in Limerick and married
Georgina Henrietta Persse at St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, Limerick on 9 Aug 1877 by
special dispensation. Georgina was the daughter of Thomas Moore Persse and Margaret
Hickman of Newcastle and the granddaughter of Irish writer, Henry Stratford Percy and Anne
Sadlier. Her father was Consul to America and a JP of Galway. Joseph was a graduate of the
Royal University in 1881. He played cricket for Limerick and played with Leinster when he
moved to Dublin. He was appointed organist at the church of the Three Patrons in Rathgar in
1882 and they moved to Dublin where he became professor of music at Mount Anville College.
He was the composer of a number of Church pieces including the Cantata St Kevin. He was
appointed examiner to the Cork school of Music in 1886. He was next appointed second
conductor of the Dublin Musical Society (an amateur society with nearly 400 people involved
between the choir and orchestra) under Sir Joseph Robinson in 1889 and by 1890 was conductor
on the retirement of Joe Robinson. He had a house at Dawson Street and was an examiner to the
RUI. His first concert held in the Royal University building on Earlsfort Terrace was slated by the
Press for the choice of music, even the appearance of Henry Piercy, tenor didn’t ease tensions.
His appointment was controversial and contentious and rumours spread that the best singers
were leaving the society. The society was not on a firm financial footing and Joseph was asked
by the committee to ask the members to subscribe in 1891. The committee then backed down
on this request having made a profit on the previous convert which left Joseph in an awkward
position. They lived at Cedarmount, Mount Anville from 1890 to 1891. He was on the Royal Irish
Academy of Music committee for the Irish Feis in 1896 and conductor of the Feis the following
year. In 1897 he took a libel action against Herr Theodore Werner, principal violinist to the Dublin
Musical Society, who had made an attempt to oust him as conductor. Joseph won the case but it
transpired that Herr Werner was in debt and the case went into bankruptcy. He was a brusque
man and he had an abruptness of manner and speech which did not endear him to members of
the society. On the 1901 census in the column for recording ability to speak Irish the words
'certainly not' have been written against each member of the family.
By 1903 even the appearance of Lady Halle and Madam Albami (Emma Albani Gye) as soloists
could not save the floundering musical society and it folded in 1904. Joseph was organist at St
Kevin’s Harrington Street from 1903. He accepted an appointment at the Conservatory of
Toronto and the family went to Canada late in 1905. He was offered a job as head of the Music
Department at Routt College and was to take charge of the choir at Our Saviour in Jacksonville,
Illinois in 1907. On his journey to Illinois, he got a chill which developed into pneumonia, and
died 16 Apr 1907 at Our Saviours Hospital. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery, Jacksonville.
His obit mentions his wife, five children and sisters; Countess Alcalde Gallano of Madrid, Spain,
and Mrs Dr Newton of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Georgina was living in Detroit in 1910 with
her four children, and with her son Horace in Detroit in 1918.
1 Ethel Georgina Smith born 1 Jun 1878 at 5 Mount Vincent’s Terrace, Limerick living with her
parents in 1901. She married James Waldron Moran in 1906 in Lambeth.
2 Bertha Smith born 20 Jul 1879 at Mount Vincent Terrace, Limerick. She is not mentioned in
the obit of her father. She married Mr Messini (sic) and was widowed by 1910 and living
with her mother in Detroit.
3 Rose Smith born 25 Jul 1880 at Eagle Lodge, Limerick.
4 Grace Smith born 7 Dec 1881 at 19 The Crescent, Limerick living with her parents in 1901.
She married Thomas Finglas on 18 Feb 1905 at St George's Cathedral, Southwark. Thomas
was the son of Richard Finglas. Bertha Smith was a witness at the marriage.
5 Osmond Wilfred Smith born 26 Mar 1887 at 18 Upper Fitzwilliam Street living with his
parents in 1901. He emigrated to Canada with his parents in 1905. He married Gertrude
Eugenia Thompkins 2 Nov 1912 in Ontario, Canada. Gertrude was the daughter of Robert
Osburn Thompkins and Estelle Reid. He was naturalised in Michigan in 1917.
6 Horace Reginald Smith born 7 May 1892 at 47 Wellington Place, Dublin living with his parents
in 1901. He was naturalised in America and served as an electrician with the Navy. Horace
married Hazel Belle Marsh on 14 Jul 1915 and they had at least four children. They were
living in Detroit in 1918.
7 Hilda Mary Smith born 6 Apr 1894 at Wellington Place, Dublin living with her parents in 1901
and emigrated in 1905 to Canada. She was living with her mother in Detroit in 1910. She was
a dentist living in Detroit and marred Reginald Morley Harris on 16 May 1924. Reginald born in
Canada was a bank clerk and the son of Edwin E Harris and Frances Toffelmyer.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - May 2025
Return to Cedarmount page
Joseph Smith married Georgina Henrietta Persse
born January 1856 9 Aug 1877 born June 1851
Dudley, Staffordshire Limerick Newcastle House, Galway
died 16 Apr 1907
Illinois
Joseph Smith son of John Smith born January 1856 at Dudley, Staffordshire. His parents were
Irish and he was sent to school in Belgium when he was twelve. He returned to Ireland when
he was seventeen, his father having died while he was abroad. He was organist at Galway and
later at Limerick Cathedral. He was an organist and Professor of Music in Limerick and married
Georgina Henrietta Persse at St Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, Limerick on 9 Aug 1877 by
special dispensation. Georgina was the daughter of Thomas Moore Persse and Margaret
Hickman of Newcastle and the granddaughter of Irish writer, Henry Stratford Percy and Anne
Sadlier. Her father was Consul to America and a JP of Galway. Joseph was a graduate of the
Royal University in 1881. He played cricket for Limerick and played with Leinster when he
moved to Dublin. He was appointed organist at the church of the Three Patrons in Rathgar in
1882 and they moved to Dublin where he became professor of music at Mount Anville College.
He was the composer of a number of Church pieces including the Cantata St Kevin. He was
appointed examiner to the Cork school of Music in 1886. He was next appointed second
conductor of the Dublin Musical Society (an amateur society with nearly 400 people involved
between the choir and orchestra) under Sir Joseph Robinson in 1889 and by 1890 was conductor
on the retirement of Joe Robinson. He had a house at Dawson Street and was an examiner to the
RUI. His first concert held in the Royal University building on Earlsfort Terrace was slated by the
Press for the choice of music, even the appearance of Henry Piercy, tenor didn’t ease tensions.
His appointment was controversial and contentious and rumours spread that the best singers
were leaving the society. The society was not on a firm financial footing and Joseph was asked
by the committee to ask the members to subscribe in 1891. The committee then backed down
on this request having made a profit on the previous convert which left Joseph in an awkward
position. They lived at Cedarmount, Mount Anville from 1890 to 1891. He was on the Royal Irish
Academy of Music committee for the Irish Feis in 1896 and conductor of the Feis the following
year. In 1897 he took a libel action against Herr Theodore Werner, principal violinist to the Dublin
Musical Society, who had made an attempt to oust him as conductor. Joseph won the case but it
transpired that Herr Werner was in debt and the case went into bankruptcy. He was a brusque
man and he had an abruptness of manner and speech which did not endear him to members of
the society. On the 1901 census in the column for recording ability to speak Irish the words
'certainly not' have been written against each member of the family.
By 1903 even the appearance of Lady Halle and Madam Albami (Emma Albani Gye) as soloists
could not save the floundering musical society and it folded in 1904. Joseph was organist at St
Kevin’s Harrington Street from 1903. He accepted an appointment at the Conservatory of
Toronto and the family went to Canada late in 1905. He was offered a job as head of the Music
Department at Routt College and was to take charge of the choir at Our Saviour in Jacksonville,
Illinois in 1907. On his journey to Illinois, he got a chill which developed into pneumonia, and
died 16 Apr 1907 at Our Saviours Hospital. He was buried at Calvary Cemetery, Jacksonville.
His obit mentions his wife, five children and sisters; Countess Alcalde Gallano of Madrid, Spain,
and Mrs Dr Newton of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. Georgina was living in Detroit in 1910 with
her four children, and with her son Horace in Detroit in 1918.
1 Ethel Georgina Smith born 1 Jun 1878 at 5 Mount Vincent’s Terrace, Limerick living with her
parents in 1901. She married James Waldron Moran in 1906 in Lambeth.
2 Bertha Smith born 20 Jul 1879 at Mount Vincent Terrace, Limerick. She is not mentioned in
the obit of her father. She married Mr Messini (sic) and was widowed by 1910 and living
with her mother in Detroit.
3 Rose Smith born 25 Jul 1880 at Eagle Lodge, Limerick.
4 Grace Smith born 7 Dec 1881 at 19 The Crescent, Limerick living with her parents in 1901.
She married Thomas Finglas on 18 Feb 1905 at St George's Cathedral, Southwark. Thomas
was the son of Richard Finglas. Bertha Smith was a witness at the marriage.
5 Osmond Wilfred Smith born 26 Mar 1887 at 18 Upper Fitzwilliam Street living with his
parents in 1901. He emigrated to Canada with his parents in 1905. He married Gertrude
Eugenia Thompkins 2 Nov 1912 in Ontario, Canada. Gertrude was the daughter of Robert
Osburn Thompkins and Estelle Reid. He was naturalised in Michigan in 1917.
6 Horace Reginald Smith born 7 May 1892 at 47 Wellington Place, Dublin living with his parents
in 1901. He was naturalised in America and served as an electrician with the Navy. Horace
married Hazel Belle Marsh on 14 Jul 1915 and they had at least four children. They were
living in Detroit in 1918.
7 Hilda Mary Smith born 6 Apr 1894 at Wellington Place, Dublin living with her parents in 1901
and emigrated in 1905 to Canada. She was living with her mother in Detroit in 1910. She was
a dentist living in Detroit and marred Reginald Morley Harris on 16 May 1924. Reginald born in
Canada was a bank clerk and the son of Edwin E Harris and Frances Toffelmyer.
© June Bow & Karen Poff - May 2025
Return to Cedarmount page