Henry Smith (1837 - 1927)

Born 18 Aug 1837 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

Husband of Mary Ellen (McNabb) Smith — married 1874 in South Hampton, Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada

Died 10 Jun 1927 at age 89 in South Hampton, Bruce, Ontario, Canada

Biography

Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to David Smith and Ann Thompson. When he was 3, the family moved to Kingston, Otario. In 1844, the family moved to Hamilton and Henry went to school at Dr. Tassie's school in Galt. The family then moved to Elora where his father had a foundry and Henry began work as a draftsman for his father. Passed his Provincial Land Surveyors examinations in 1857, and became articled to Mr. Joseph Burke in Elora. Worked in Goverment Township Surveys in Wellington and Waterloo counties. In 1869, he was appointed on the staff of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway. In 1870, he became the sectional Engineer on this railway, and in 1872 was appointed chief engineer in charge of unfinished sections. He was living in London Ontario around this time. While doing these surveys, Henry met Mary Ellen McNabb in Southampton, whose father Alexander was the Crown Lands Agent for the Bruce peninsula. They were married in 1874. They became the parents of Irving Henry, Mary Edith, Kathleen Alice, Ida Helena, David Maxwell and Reginald Tremaine. On January 21, 1881, Henry was appointed as Superintendent of Colonization Roads for the Province of Ontario, a position he held for 29 years. A family story holds that as an elderly man, the goverment offered him a substantial raise in pay, Henry refused on the grounds that as an aged man he was not worth nearly as much as when he was younger and full of vitality - and he resigned. He never worked again. Henry was a senior member of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers which was organized in 1887. Known as Poppas to his children and grandchildren. Died at the home of his daughter Kathleen Alice Smith Taylor in St. Mary's Ontario.

Burial: New Southamptom Cemetery
Southampton, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada

Created by: Mary Gordon

FindAGrave Memorial link^[1]

Research Notes

The Henry Smith born on this date in PEI was born in New London, the son of David Smith and Mary Thompson. David Smith and Mary Thompson, both from Lot 19, were married on 1 Jan 1828.

Henry Smith who died on this date in Perth Ontario was the son of David and Mary. "Ontario Deaths, 1869-1937 and Overseas Deaths, 1939-1947," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JKWN-WYW : 26 March 2020), David Smith in entry for Henry Smith, 10 Jun 1927; citing Perth, Ontario, Canada, 26985, Registrar General. Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 2,131,243.

On the 1891 census, Henry said his father was born in England and his mother in Scotland.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #12651901