Home > Samuel Smith (Upper Canada)

Smith was born in Hempstead, New York, the son of a Scottish immigrant. He joined the Queen's Rangers during the American Revolutionary War, surrendered to the Americans after the Battle of Yorktown and then moved to England where he rose to the rank of captain and was sent to Niagara. He was promoted to the position of lieutenant-colonel of his regiment in 1801 before retiring to 1,000 acres (4 km²) of land he had bought in Etobicoke. In 1813 he was appointed to the Executive Council of Upper Canada and sat on the body until 1825.

In 1817Events March 4 James Monroe succeeds James Madison as the President of the United States of America April Earthquake in Palermo, Italy April 3 Princess Caraboo appears in Almondsbury in Gloucestershire, England July 4 At Rome, New York, construction on th he was sworn in as Administrator of the province in the absence of Lieutenant Governor Francis GoreFrancis Gore ( 1769- 1852) was a British colonial administrator. After serving in the British Army and achieving the rank of major. Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada from 1806 to 1811. Gore's administration built roads, reorganised the militia and found and served until 18181818 is a common year starting on Thursday. Events February 12 Chile gains its independence from Spain March 11 Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is published March 22 Easter Sunday falls on its earliest possible date. The next time Easter will fall this early:. He acted again as Administrator in the absence of Lieutenant Governor Sir Peregrine MaitlandSir Peregrine Maitland ( July 6, 1777 May 30, 1854) was a British soldier and colonial administrator. He joined the Grenadier Guards at the age of 15. He served with distinction at the Battle of Waterloo and was knighted in 1815. He was appointed lieutena for three months in 1820Events January 1 Constitutionalist military insurrection at Cadiz leads to summoning of Spanish parliament ( March 7) and restoration of 1812 Constitution ( March 8) by king Ferdinand VII. January 29 George the Prince Regent becomes king George IV of the.

As Administrator, Smith was instructed to not grant land to American immigrants until they had taken the oath of allegiance and resided in Upper Canada for seven years. He decided to follow the advice of his Executive Council and not remove title to the land from those who did not qualify.

Smith was considered a weak official and was the target of complaints by both reformer Robert Gourlay and family compact member John StrachanJohn Strachan ( April 12, 1778- November 1, 1867) was an influential figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto. Strachan was one of six children born to a quarry worker in Aberdeen, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Aberd who thought him feeble, inept and talentless.

However, in April 1818, Smith ordered Gourlay arrested when he called an illegal assembly at York (now Toronto).