Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Friday 7 December 1917, page 7


A Legitimacy Claim.

Melbourne Resident Interested.

Mr W Bowyer-Smijth formerly of Mel

bourne and six other persons sought a declaration of legitimacy at Edinburgh against Lady Eliza Fechnie Malcolm or Bowyer-Smijth who went through a form of marriage with the late Sir William Bow yer-Smijth baronet. Before she discovered that he was already married 12 children were born. When the baronets real wife died in 1875, he married 1 lura i echnie- Mai

colm Two children were born subsequent to this marriage .

[Sir William Bowyer-Smijth the 11th baronet died on November 20, 1883 aged 69 years. He was MP for South Essex, from 1852 to 1857. On April 2 1839 he married the second daughter of Sir Henry Meux, first baronet of Theobalds Park Herts and by her had issue William (the 12th baronet who died unmarried on July 22 1916 and was succeeded by his cousin Sir Alfred John Bowyer-Smith the for mer spelling of the surname being reverted to) Edward de Grey (who died unmarried)

and Cicely (who died unmarried). The first Lady Bowyer-Smijth died on March 11 1875. Eight days later (according to "Burke's Peerage Baronetage and Knightage" ) Sir Willum married Eliza Fechnie (Twineham Court Hayward' s Heath Sussex) only daughter of David Baird Malcolm of Crieff (Scotland) and by her had issue - Wilhelmina (who on

July 2, 1904 was married to Captain A B Baltye of the Indian Army) and Adela (who married on June 6 1903 the second son of Stafford Charles Northcote of On slow Gardens and his issue) Eliza Fechnie Malcolm was married again on September 2 1890 to William Herbert Edward Stan ford]