John David Smith
Encyclopedia
John David Smith was a businessman and political figure in Upper Canada
.
He was born in New York City
in 1786, the son of Elias Smith, a United Empire Loyalist. He came to the site of what is now Port Hope
with his family in 1797. His father and Jonathan Walton built a sawmill
and gristmill
there which formed the basis for the community that developed there. Smith was a merchant and miller and served as magistrate. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
for Durham
in 1828 and served until 1830.
Three of his sons, Sidney
, James
and John Shuter
, later served in the Legislative Assembly for the Province of Canada.
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
.
He was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1786, the son of Elias Smith, a United Empire Loyalist. He came to the site of what is now Port Hope
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
with his family in 1797. His father and Jonathan Walton built a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
there which formed the basis for the community that developed there. Smith was a merchant and miller and served as magistrate. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was the elected legislature for the province of Upper Canada and functioned as the province's lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada...
for Durham
Durham County, Ontario
Durham County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was named from the English County and city.Durham County was created in 1792. It was composed of the townships of Cartwright, Manvers, Cavan, Darlington, Clarke and Hope, and portions of what is now Peterborough County,...
in 1828 and served until 1830.
Three of his sons, Sidney
Sidney Smith (lawyer)
Sidney Smith was a lawyer and political figure in Canada West.He was born in Port Hope, Upper Canada in 1823, the son of John David Smith. He studied law with his brother, John Shuter, was admitted to the bar in 1844 and set up practice in Cobourg...
, James
James Smith (Canada West politician)
James Smith was a lawyer, judge and politician in Canada West. He represented Durham in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1848 to 1854....
and John Shuter
John Shuter Smith
John Shuter Smith was a lawyer and political figure in Canada West.He was born in Port Hope around 1813, the son of John David Smith. He served as mayor of Port Hope in 1852, from 1854 to 1855 and in 1868...
, later served in the Legislative Assembly for the Province of Canada.