{{Short description|South Australian businessman (1864–1963)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Quinton Stow Smith''' (7 April 1864 – 10 June 1963), was a South Australian businessman, philanthropist and longtime active lay member of the Baptist Church.
==History== Smith was born in Beaumont, South Australia,<ref name=VOX/> the youngest child of James Smith and his wife Augusta Smith, née Wearing, a sister of Justice Wearing. He was named for Rev. Thomas Quinton Stow (1801–1862), a friend of his father<ref name=VOX/> who married the couple on 25 November 1845.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article34529930 |title=Mr. and Mrs. James Smith |newspaper=The Advertiser (Adelaide) |volume=XXXVIII |issue=11578 |location=South Australia |date=26 November 1895 |accessdate=22 May 2018 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> He grew up on the family property "Karrayerta" on Fullarton Rd, Fullarton,<ref name=TroveBio/><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/6428949 |title= Members of the British Association in Adelaide |date= 10 August 1814 |newspaper= The Advertiser (Adelaide) |page= 12 |via= Trove }}</ref> and was educated at Adelaide Educational Institution.<ref name=VOX/>
In 1879 he started work as an office boy for schoolmate Frederick William Bullock (1851–1931), who had just taken over his late father's land agency business in York Chambers, Franklin Street, and stayed with him until 1888.<ref name=VOX/>
He then joined Samuel Alfred Davenport (1861–1919), a nephew of Sir Samuel Davenport, who had an office in the Bank of Australasia Chambers. In December 1889 he and Davenport formed a partnership Davenport & Smith, stockbrokers, with offices in Alfred Chambers, Currie Street,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24489270 |title=The Advertiser |newspaper=The Advertiser (Adelaide) |volume=XXXII |issue=9712 |location=South Australia |date=3 December 1889 |accessdate=21 May 2018 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> later Davenport, Smith, & Roberts with the addition of Smith's cousin Alfred Jabez Roberts (1863–1939), mayor of Glenelg 1899–1902, 1916–1917.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article54844592 |title=Mr. Alfred J. Roberts, Mayor of Glenelg |newspaper=South Australian Register |volume=LXIV |issue=16,575 |location=South Australia |date=28 December 1899 |accessdate=22 May 2018 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59982538 |title=Mayoral Biographies |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=LXXX |issue=21,551 |location=South Australia |date=6 December 1915 |accessdate=22 May 2018 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Smith was a Director of Valkyrie Gold Mining Company.<ref>[http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/5024408 Valkyrie Gold Mining Company], 17 December 1903, ''The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA)'', p.11 - The first half-yearly general meeting ... Mr. Stow Smith presided.</ref>
In 1905 Smith, Roberts and F. H. Cowell purchased the business of Cowell Brothers timber merchants (incorporated in 1910), of which Smith became chairman of directors, and his son Harold managing director, with Smith serving on its board until his 99th birthday.<ref name=TroveBio>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/198290584?q&versionId=217098541 Smith, Quinton Stow, 1864-1963.], trove.nla.gov.au</ref>
==Other interests== Smith was: * a long-standing supporter of the Flinders Street Baptist Church * the first lay president of the Baptist Union of Australia (1929–1932).<ref name=TroveCuttings>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35903368?q&versionId=45583226 Biographical cuttings on Quinton Stow Smith], trove.nla.gov.au</ref> * treasurer of the Baptist church building fund for over 50 years<ref name=TroveBio/> * vice-president of the World Baptist Alliance for several years.<ref name=VOX/> * associated with the Adelaide Benevolent Society for over 50 years; the Stow Smith Homes for the Aged at Firle were named in his honour. * a longtime vice-president of the British and Foreign Bible Society * a longtime vice-president of the Aborigines' Friends' Association.<ref name=VOX/>
==Family== Smith married Emily Henrietta Cooper (c. 1870 – 8 November 1947) in 1891. They had 3 daughters and 2 sons:<ref name=TroveBio/> *Dorothy Edna Smith (28 June 1892 – ) married Harold Bayard Piper (c. 1893 – 10 May 1953) on 7 June 1922. Piper, a barrister, was appointed to the Arbitration Court in 1938, later served as Chief Judge.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93937437 |title=Judge Piper Dies in Melbourne |newspaper=The Chronicle (Adelaide) |volume=95 |issue=5,395 |location=South Australia |date=14 May 1953 |accessdate=21 May 2018 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> also on board of BHP. *Averil Constance Smith (1894–1980) married Arthur Towers Matters on 11 September 1919. He was a real estate agent of Glenelg.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63767501 |title= Weddings. Matters—Stow Smith |date= 13 September 1919 |page= 5 |newspaper= The Mail (Adelaide) |accessdate=21 May 2018 |via= National Library of Australia }}</ref> *Harold Stow Smith (1896– ) married Gladwyn Affleck Kerr on 9 May 1923<ref>{{cite news |url= https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/212251714 |title= Weddings. Stow Smith—Kerr |date= 16 May 1923 |page=23 |newspaper= Critic (Adelaide) |accessdate=21 May 2018 |via= National Library of Australia }}</ref> *Dudley Stow Smith (1898– ) married Margaret Agnes Bruce on 15 November 1923<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/36615599 |title= Wedding: Stow Smith - Bruce |date= 16 November 1923 |newspaper= The Advertiser (Adelaide) |page= 10 |accessdate=21 May 2018 |via= National Library of Australia }}</ref> *(Gladys) Mary Smith (1902– ) married Clem Bowen Chinner ( – 19 March 1952) in 1936. They had a home "Carrayerta" or "Karrayerta" on Fullarton Road, Fullarton. After his wife died (in 1947) he sold the family property to the SA Housing Trust (in 1953) and went to live at 15 Cross Road, Kingswood.<ref name=TroveBio/><ref name=VOX>{{cite news |author= VOX |title= Out Among the People: His life has been filled with good deeds |url= http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48287819 |newspaper=The Advertiser (Adelaide) |volume=95 |issue=29,508 |location=South Australia |date=11 May 1953 |accessdate=21 May 2018 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The second generation used "Stow Smith" as though it were a (non-hyphenated) double-barrelled surname.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Quinton Stow}} Category:1864 births Category:1963 deaths Category:Australian stockbrokers Category:Australian Baptists Category:Australian philanthropists