Benjamin Smith was a farmer, land surveyor and political figure in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. He represented Hants County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly

Nova Scotia House of Assembly

The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada...

 from 1836 to 1847 and from 1851 to 1855 as a Conservative.

He was born in Kennetcook, Nova Scotia

Kennetcook, Nova Scotia

Kennetcook is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants. The community likely was named after the river that runs through it, Kennetcook River. Also see Upper Kennetcook.- History :...

, the son of Colonel William Smith and Susannah Lake. Smith was married twice: first to Mary Oxley in 1812 and then to Eliza Cole in 1826. He served fifty years as a justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 and was deputy government surveyor. Smith died in Newport at the age of 86.

His brother Richard also served in the assembly.