Biography
James Wilbow was born circa 1798 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia to Thomas Smith and Mary Martin (1772-1847) and died 20 April 1839 Pitt Town, New South Wales, Australia of drowning.
James was known as James Wilbow Jnr and married Elizabeth Mitchell in 1822. James Wilbow's surname came from his step-father James Wilbow. In the 1802 Muster, a James Wilbow had a farm of 25 acres at the Hawkesbury and had a woman and two children living with him. It is likely that the children were James and his elder sister Catherine, and that the woman was James' mother Mary Martin, as she was definitely living with him in 1806 and married him in 1807. The entry appears in the St.Philips Sydney Register.
James was born to Mary Martin in about 1798. No record of baptism has been found, so the identity of his father is uncertain. Which Thomas Smith was also possibly James's father will probably never be known. There were a number of men of that name in the colony at that time.
James was given a Land Grant in 1814.
In 1822 James married Elizabeth Mitchell who came to Australia with her 3 siblings and with her convict mother, Elizabeth Mitchell nee Thomas (c1781-1830) on the Lord Wellington in 1819.
In 1828 he had 50 acres and was also liable to serve as a Juror in the District.
James drowned on 20 April 1839 at Pitt Town Bottoms. He was buried at St. Matthews, Windsor. After his early demise his wife Elizabeth married Alexander Morrison in 1841. Elizabeth died on 11 December 1882 and was buried in Pitt Town on 12 December.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Thomas Mitchell Wilbow (1825-1896) | 23 May 1825 Pitt Town, New South Wales, Australia | 11 February 1896 Windsor, New South Wales, Australia | Sophia Mary Payton (1829-1924) |
| William Wilbow (1827-1846) | |||
| Elizabeth Wilbow (1831-1888) | |||
| Jane Wilbow (1832-1881) | |||
| George Wilbow (1835-1902) | |||
| John Wilton Wilbow (1839-1925) | |||
Footnotes (including sources)
| ‡ General |