Smith, William

(submitted by Patricia McLean, Sue McKay, Rhea Nichols and Greg Stott)

In 1832 William Smith Sr. (1793–1873) and his wife, Mary Ann Staples (1793–1877), moved their family from Kent, England to Upper Canada, finally settling in Warwick Twp. in 1838. William and Mary Ann moved to Lot 19, Con. 3 NER where they ultimately built a small red-brick Ontario cottage in which they spent their latter years. The couple had ten children: Mary Ann (1813–1884) who married John Lambert of Lobo; Elizabeth (1815–1822); Louisa (1817–1891) who married John Park; Eliza (1820–1917) who married Duncan Dunlop and lived in Warwick; Naomi (1821–); William (1822–); Alfred (1826–1907); John (1826–1909); Rhoda (1831–1925) who married a Mr. Maxfield; and William Jr. (1834–1896).

In 1846 John and Louisa (Smith) Park and their children joined Archibald Gardiner (or Gardner) of Alvinston, a newly converted Mormon, who was travelling with a group to Nauvoo, Illinois, ultimately to settle in Utah. John and Louisa had eleven children.

Alfred Smith, the seventh child of William and Mary Ann, established a farm next door to his parents on the south ½ of Lot 19, Con. 3 NER. In 1852 Alfred married Margaret Orr (1831–1914) and they had nine children: Mary Ann (1853–1939) who married Joseph McChesney; Emmaline (1854–1948) who married Hiram Barnes; Margaret Jane (1856–1957) who married Henry Butler and then Stephen Perry; William (1857–1914) who married Annie Lumley; Alfred (1858–1941) who married Amelia Barnes; Luther (1859–1940) who married Eliza McChesney; Christina (1863–1955) who married Jacob Brown; Augusta (1864–1960) who married Allen Hobbs; and John Wesley (1868–1948) who married Jane Burman. After Alfred’s death, his wife continued to live on the farm with her son John W., his wife Jane and their family.

At least one family anecdote has survived the test of time. Alfred and Margaret’s third daughter, Margaret Jane, was said to have a poor constitution, and it was suggested she would probably die young. One morning, finding that Margaret Jane was ill, her mother called up the stairs to her second daughter, “Emmy! You’ll have to get up and do the wash today. Margaret Jane has a pain!” Emmaline never forgot having to take on her sister’s duties. For her part Margaret Jane lived to be 101!

William Jr., the last child of William and Mary Ann (Staples) Smith, married Mary Jane Stewart (1839–1923) in 1856. William and Mary Jane farmed on the northwest corner of Lot 19, Con. 3 NER. They lived in a two-storey red brick house with a large fireplace at one end. William and Mary Jane had nine children: Mary Ann (1858–1885) who married Wellington Smith; George Albert (1860–1912); Jane Elizabeth (1862–1937) who married Wellington Smith; William (1863–1902); Eleanor (1865–1941) who married Ira Byrns; Almina (1867–1941) who married Walter Gale; John Francis Staples (1869–1943); Robert Ross (1871–1953); and Luetta Leila Susan (1875–1929) who married Joseph H. Tapper.

William and Mary Jane Smith’s daughter Mary Ann died at the birth of her daughter Stella Myrtle (1885–1954). Wellington then married Mary Ann’s sister Jane. Wellington and Jane had four children, as well as bringing up Stella.

After their family was grown, William and Mary Jane Smith moved to Petrolia.

Stella Myrtle Smith married Hugh Clark (1884–1967).

Chapter 24 of 25 - Smith, William

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