Smith Family of Bellevue, Cross Avenue, Blackrock
Rev Joseph Denham Smith married 21.12.1841 Sarah Figgis Gilbart
born 11.07.1817 York Street Chapel born 19.12.1822
died 05.03.1889 died 17.02.1909
at Hove
buried Hampstead Cemetery buried Hampstead Cemete
Rev Joseph Denham Smith Pastor of the Congregational Church, Newry married Sarah Figgis Gilbart
only child of late Rev Thomas Gilbart formerly Minister of York Street Chapel, Dublin They moved to
Kingstown in 1846 and lived at Bellevue, Cross Avenue from 1864 to 1870. He was author of The
Rhine and The Reformation and A Voice from The Alps or The Vaudois with scenes by the way. His
ministry was very successful, and he became well known as a preacher all over Ireland and in
England. He travelled on the Continent, other published works include a study of Oliver Cromwell
and In 1861 he resigned to devote himself to that work of evangelisation and in1863 the enormous
Merrion Hall on Lower Merrion Street Dublin which was built to hold 2,800 people, was opened as a
venue for his non-denominational evangelism. They moved to London, where Joseph held regular
meetings in St George's Hall and Clapton Hall. He died 05.03.1889.
1 Martha Denham Smith eldest daughter born 01.02.1845 Kingstown. Martha died on 08.03.1924
at Middlesex and is buried with her parents at Hampstead Cemetery.
2 Thomas Gilbart-Smith eldest son born circa 1848 married Anna Bewley daughter of Thomas
Bewley of Rockville, Newtownpark Avenue on 19.01.1870 at Kill Parish Church. Witnesses:
Thomas Bewley and Scope C Rynd. Thomas of 68 Harley Street died on 03.08.1904 aged 56 years.
He was bicycling with his son in Devon at the time. Anna died on 27.12.1927 and is buried at
Hampstead Cemetery.
1 Mervyn Gilbart-Smith born 23.10.1870 at Tottenham married Anna Maria Humphrys
daughter of John winter Humphreys DL of Ballyhaise Park, Cavan on 15.09.1897 at St
Mary’s Parish Church, Cheltenham.
2 Olga Mary Gilbart-Smith only daughter born 06.02.1872 and died 19.12.1901. She is
buried with her grandparents at Hampstead Cemetery.
3 Thomas Bewley Gilbart-Smith 2nd son born 21.04.1875 in London married Elizabeth
Girdler Eddison daughter of Robert Eddison of Mount Vernon, Retford on 19.07.1905 at
Ordsall Church, Retford.
4 Claud Denham Gilbart-Smith youngest son born circa 1881 married Elena Victoria Brooking
3rd daughter of late George Edward Brooking of Dartmount on 20.07.1907 at St Mary
Abbot’s, Kensington.
3 Elise Denham Smith married Edward Johnston Gildea Governor of Naas Prison. Edward died
23.03.1895 at Leipzig, Germany. Elise was living on the Isle of Wight in 1901 with Olive and Eileen.
She died on 30.12.1925 at Bank, Lyndhurst, Hampshire.
1 Olive Ethel Gildea born 21.01.1878 Naas, Kildare.
2 Eileen Constance Gildea born 22.01.1879 at the Prison, Naas, Kildare.
3 Granville Gildea only son born 25.09.1874 at Naas Prison. Granville of Weatherford.
Hall, Mayo married Alice Ethel Ash eldest daughter of Claudius James Ash of 2 Parkhill
Road, Hamstead on 07.06.1906 at the Catholic Apostolic Church, Gordon Square.
4 James William Gilbart-Smith Denham born August 1855 at Mosaphir, Kingstown. James married
Isabel Grace (Grace) Vandeleur daughter of Hector Stewart Vandeleur of Kilrush, Co Clare
02.08.1901 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Eastbourne. He was a successful poet; one of his
poems, Wake up England sold over 350K copies. He was a keen cyclist and published a roadbook
of London for cyclists. He was knighted in 1921, and died 03.10.1927.
5 Joseph Denham Smith born 31.03.1857 at Mosaphir, Kingstown graduated MA from Christ Church,
Oxford. He was called to the bar in 1885. In 1880 he cycled a penny-farthing bicycle from his
Oxford college to Land's End. He was one of the first motorists in England and died in 1939.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – September 2021
Rev Joseph Denham Smith married 21.12.1841 Sarah Figgis Gilbart
born 11.07.1817 York Street Chapel born 19.12.1822
died 05.03.1889 died 17.02.1909
at Hove
buried Hampstead Cemetery buried Hampstead Cemete
Rev Joseph Denham Smith Pastor of the Congregational Church, Newry married Sarah Figgis Gilbart
only child of late Rev Thomas Gilbart formerly Minister of York Street Chapel, Dublin They moved to
Kingstown in 1846 and lived at Bellevue, Cross Avenue from 1864 to 1870. He was author of The
Rhine and The Reformation and A Voice from The Alps or The Vaudois with scenes by the way. His
ministry was very successful, and he became well known as a preacher all over Ireland and in
England. He travelled on the Continent, other published works include a study of Oliver Cromwell
and In 1861 he resigned to devote himself to that work of evangelisation and in1863 the enormous
Merrion Hall on Lower Merrion Street Dublin which was built to hold 2,800 people, was opened as a
venue for his non-denominational evangelism. They moved to London, where Joseph held regular
meetings in St George's Hall and Clapton Hall. He died 05.03.1889.
1 Martha Denham Smith eldest daughter born 01.02.1845 Kingstown. Martha died on 08.03.1924
at Middlesex and is buried with her parents at Hampstead Cemetery.
2 Thomas Gilbart-Smith eldest son born circa 1848 married Anna Bewley daughter of Thomas
Bewley of Rockville, Newtownpark Avenue on 19.01.1870 at Kill Parish Church. Witnesses:
Thomas Bewley and Scope C Rynd. Thomas of 68 Harley Street died on 03.08.1904 aged 56 years.
He was bicycling with his son in Devon at the time. Anna died on 27.12.1927 and is buried at
Hampstead Cemetery.
1 Mervyn Gilbart-Smith born 23.10.1870 at Tottenham married Anna Maria Humphrys
daughter of John winter Humphreys DL of Ballyhaise Park, Cavan on 15.09.1897 at St
Mary’s Parish Church, Cheltenham.
2 Olga Mary Gilbart-Smith only daughter born 06.02.1872 and died 19.12.1901. She is
buried with her grandparents at Hampstead Cemetery.
3 Thomas Bewley Gilbart-Smith 2nd son born 21.04.1875 in London married Elizabeth
Girdler Eddison daughter of Robert Eddison of Mount Vernon, Retford on 19.07.1905 at
Ordsall Church, Retford.
4 Claud Denham Gilbart-Smith youngest son born circa 1881 married Elena Victoria Brooking
3rd daughter of late George Edward Brooking of Dartmount on 20.07.1907 at St Mary
Abbot’s, Kensington.
3 Elise Denham Smith married Edward Johnston Gildea Governor of Naas Prison. Edward died
23.03.1895 at Leipzig, Germany. Elise was living on the Isle of Wight in 1901 with Olive and Eileen.
She died on 30.12.1925 at Bank, Lyndhurst, Hampshire.
1 Olive Ethel Gildea born 21.01.1878 Naas, Kildare.
2 Eileen Constance Gildea born 22.01.1879 at the Prison, Naas, Kildare.
3 Granville Gildea only son born 25.09.1874 at Naas Prison. Granville of Weatherford.
Hall, Mayo married Alice Ethel Ash eldest daughter of Claudius James Ash of 2 Parkhill
Road, Hamstead on 07.06.1906 at the Catholic Apostolic Church, Gordon Square.
4 James William Gilbart-Smith Denham born August 1855 at Mosaphir, Kingstown. James married
Isabel Grace (Grace) Vandeleur daughter of Hector Stewart Vandeleur of Kilrush, Co Clare
02.08.1901 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Eastbourne. He was a successful poet; one of his
poems, Wake up England sold over 350K copies. He was a keen cyclist and published a roadbook
of London for cyclists. He was knighted in 1921, and died 03.10.1927.
5 Joseph Denham Smith born 31.03.1857 at Mosaphir, Kingstown graduated MA from Christ Church,
Oxford. He was called to the bar in 1885. In 1880 he cycled a penny-farthing bicycle from his
Oxford college to Land's End. He was one of the first motorists in England and died in 1939.
© June Bow & Karen Poff – September 2021