A Tragic Loss: James Laing Smith Dies of “Galloping Consumption”
James Laing Smith: exact dates of birth and death unknown
Bethia Shields
was born on January 26, 1863 to Thomas and Margaret Sutherland Shields. She was
the oldest of their seven children. Her father, Thomas, spent most of his time
abroad in the Demarara region of Dutch Guiana assembling and managing sugar
processing equipment for large sugar plantations. Her mother raised the
children back in Scotland. Thomas’ visits home to Scotland must have been times
of great excitement for the children. His stories of life in colonial South
America probably fascinated them, inspiring a longing to join him and see this
exotic place for themselves. Thomas likely looked forward to bringing family to
Demarara too.
When Bethia
reached her late teens, her parents sent her to cooking school, preparing her
to become her father’s housekeeper in the Georgetown area of what is now Guyana.
At age 18 or 19, she accompanied her father to South America to take on her new
role. He had been living at a plantation called Vryheid’s Lust, so that is
probably where Bethia first lived.
 |
| Georgetown, Guyana circa 1880 |
She met a
fellow Scotsman in the region and fell in love. James Laing Smith was working
as a manager for another sugar plantation. Little is known about the young man.
Even his birth date is unknown; some family trees show his birth as early as
1847, which would have made him sixteen years older than Bethia. Others claim
he was born as late as 1862, which would have made the young couple only a year
apart in age. His parents’ names and his birthplace are also unknown. It is
believed his middle name was Laing, which would presumably be a grandparent’s
surname, but that hasn’t helped to identify the correct Smith family in
Scotland. His origins remain a mystery.
According
to Ruth Shields McNiven, who was Bethia’s niece, Bethia returned to Scotland to
assemble her trousseau before marrying James Smith. Her entire trousseau, including
the wedding cake-- a fruit cake heavily laced with rum--was lost when the ship
carrying it sank off the coast of Ireland. Bethia’s brother Robert teased her
about her sunken wedding cake, saying “Oh what a feast for the fishes!”
It is
unclear whether Bethia was on board the ship when it foundered; presumably the
crew and passengers were rescued if so. She collected a new trousseau and
returned to Georgetown, Guyana, where she and James were married in 1882.
 |
| Georgetown in 1880s. Water St. and wharf area where Bethia's ship would have landed |
The couple
had four children: James B. Laing Smith, born in 1884; Margaret Sutherland
Smith, born in 1886; Mary “May” Howie Smith, born in 1888; and Euphemia Laing
Smith, born in 1892. All the children were born in Georgetown, Guyana, the
largest city in the Demarara region.
Georgetown was a lovely town, with
wide streets and European-style construction and amenities. Scottish and Dutch
families who ran the plantations and businesses in the region all socialized
together and enjoyed a much more comfortable life than might be imagined. It is
easy to imagine Bethia and her children strolling down these charming boulevards.
 |
| Georgetown High Street in 1880s or 1890s. Women in Victorian gowns. |
Meanwhile, Thomas Shields had taken over management of two plantations near Nickerie, Suriname. Careful management and improvements in efficiency at the Hazard and Waterloo plantations, including sourcing new fuel for the boilers, helped to make the plantations more profitable.
 |
| Sugar processing plant at Waterloo Plantation which Thomas managed |
Around 1890, Thomas Shields had built up
a large enough fortune to purchase his own sugar plantation, Alliance, in
Suriname. James Smith had been working as a manager for other plantation owners
in Guyana. At some point, probably after Euphemia’s 1892 birth (Aunt Ruth was
not clear on the timing), Thomas, believing his son-in-law would be an asset at
the plantation, offered James a job as Alliance’s manager.
The Smith family moved to Suriname.
Tragically, shortly after arriving, James developed a virulent form of
tuberculosis. Due to the speed of the disease’s development, doctors referred
to the variant as “galloping consumption.” Within three months of becoming ill,
James was dead. He was buried in Paramaribo, Suriname. There are no records
available that provide a specific death date or a burial location.
Fortunately,
no one else in the family developed consumption. Following her husband’s death,
Bethia and her children returned to Scotland. Thomas Shields must have felt
great guilt since his job offer had inadvertently led to James’ death, for according
to Ruth Shields McNiven, Bethia was given one quarter interest in Alliance.
This enabled Bethia and the Smith children to live in comfort. They returned
frequently to Alliance for extended visits.
James Smith’s
loss was painful for the family. Bethia Shields Smith never remarried. She died
in Kirn, Scotland, on June 18, 1956 at the age of 93.
Sources:
Sugar factory pix: Waterloo, Nickerie, Suriname, Coenraad
Liebrecht (Coen) Temminck Groll photographer. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Suikerfabriek_-_20651612_-_RCE.jpg
https://www.spotlightnepal.com/2018/01/21/galloping-consumption/
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