John David Smith (1786 - 1849)

Born 20 Oct 1786 in New York City, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Susan Hawkins — married 1806 in Port Hope, Hope, Durham, Upper Canada

Descendants

Died 30 Mar 1849 at age 62 in Port Hope, Port Hope and Hope, Northumberland, Canada West

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Biography

John Smith is/was a significant Ontarian .

John David Smith, Elias and Catherine’s tenth child was born in New York on Oct. 20 and christened in Old Trinity Church, NYC, on 19 November 1786. He was to make the greatest impact upon Port Hope as its leading citizen, industrialist, land owner, builder, member of parliament in 1829 and chief magistrate in 1843. He was also a father of a most illustrious family of Smith children in the pioneer settlement. He died in Port Hope March 30, 1849. John David served as a Captain in the Durham Militia during the War of 1812. Though an Anglican, he is said to have given land for the Methodist chapel. When an Anglican church was built in 1822, it was on land granted to Elias Smith and most probably donated by John David. It seems likely that he also made substantial contributions to the cost of the building, for in 1837 he advertised no less than fifteen pews for sale, though this part of the advertisement was immediately withdrawn. John David Smith was himself elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1829. He sat for only one session and does not appear to have stood for re-election. He probably had enough to occupy him at home; for the family had expanded its businesses. The store and the distillery seem to have been given up, but there were schooners plying to Kingston and other ports, the enlarged flour mill, the sawmill, wool-dressing machinery, turning lathes, and a foundry. There were still many town lots, some with building on them, and rented farms in the township. In 1806 he married a Port Hope girl by the name of Susan Hawkins with whom he raised 10 children until Susan‘s death on 8 February 1832. John David Smith was married again in Bridgewater, New York, on 13 September 1833 to Louisa Woodworth of New York State. She was born in Columbia, Herkimer County, New York 23 May 1813. For her he built the beautiful Bluestone House as a wedding present. It is one of Port Hope’s finest homes and still stands on its site on Dorset Street east. She died in in her wedding-present home, the Bluestone, on 6 April 1907. ^{[1] [2]}

Sources

1. ↑ Canada's Historic Places
2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "John David Smith," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_David_Smith&oldid=708068519 (accessed December 2, 2017).

• New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple StreetSalt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA, Name: John David Smith Gender: Male Christening Date: 19 Nov 1786 Christening Place: TRINITY CHURCH PARISH,NEW YORK,NEW YORK,NEW YORK Birth Date: 20 Oct 1786 Father's Name: Elias Smith Mother's Name: Catherine Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C51059-1 , System Origin: New_York-ODM , GS Film number: 974.7 B2N V. 90-93.
• The Canadian biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of eminent and self-made men: Ontario Volume. Toronto, Canada: American Biographical Publishing Company. 1880 (https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.08545/803) p. 707