John Squires (Elizabeth's father)
John Squires may have been one of the five children of Gideon and Martha (Warner) Squires, who appear in the 1800 U.S. census for the town of bolton (later Caldwell, later Lake George) in Washington County (later Warren County, New York. John Squires appears in that same census with a wife and two children, a son and a daughter, both under five years old. The relationship has not been proven, however.
John Squires appears to have moved to Canada West (Leeds County, Ontario) in around 1805, as in an 1842 census there is his (presumed) son John Warner Squires reported that he had been in the province for 37 years. Few records appear to have been kept in the early settlement of the Ontario wilderness around the turn of the eighteenth century. Both John (Sr.) and his wife (name unknown) are believed to have died sometime between 1811 and 1817. Their daughters were placed in the home of Joseph and Elizabeth Haskins of Wolford Township in Grenville County, and their son, John Warner Squires, was placed in the home of Richard and Polly Wiltsie (also of Grenville County.
William Smith
There are two variations on William's middle name. On this site you will see both Brundige and Brandiga. It would be easy to interpret either from a census or other hand-written document. We are looking for a source document that would confirm either. So far, we have only seen transcriptions and anecdotes as sources.
The 1861 map of Wolford Township shows Wm B Smith at Lot 19, Concession II, adjacent to an A. Smith, very close to the site described as the grave location, below.
"William B. and Elizabeth Smith are buried in a farm plot, behind the tool shed on a farm occupied in 1962 by the Lawrence Cross family, southwest of Merrickville, Ont. near Easton's Corners. I visited there with Will Barkley and we found only four monuments, all other markers were field stones. The monuments of William B. and Elizabeth were down and covered with 1-2 inches of dirt. The cemetery is now part of Lawrence Cross' cow pasture.
William Smith's stone read:
Died May 21, 1870 age 76-11-20
Elizabeth wife of William; died Dec. 11 1880 age 83 years
[In the same burying ground, brother George T.:
George T. Smith d. December 24, 1874 aged 86
...?... wife of George T. Smith d. October 25, 1873 aged 80.]
We visited with Mr. and Mrs. Cross and they let me examine the deeds of property that had full names of the Smiths. Mr. Cross said that about 100 people are buried in this plot, and he said that as long as he can remember there were only 4 markers, the rest all field stones." [Alfred Everett, 1982]
William BRANDIGA Smith farmed on 100 acres of land, being the front half of lot 19 in the second concession of Wolford Twp., and when he died he was buried on the farm.
In September, 1878, his son, Ambrose, sold the farm to Philo Bissell “All and singular that certain parcel or tract of land and premises situate lying and being all that portion of Lot Number nineteen in the second concession of the Township of Wolford aforesaid lying on the north side of the creek running across said lot and containing by admeasurement sixty six acres of land more or less saving and excepting a piece of land about forty feet by seventy feet now inclused for a Burial Ground.”
Elizabeth Squires
In the 1817 census for Wolford Twp., Elizabeth Squires is 19 years old, Rachel is 11 years old andthey are listed as a household.
Elizabeth Squires (1797-1880), and her sisters Abigail, Mary Ann and Rachel, were taken in by Joseph and Elizabeth Haskins after their parents died. The Haskins family genealogy leads to the Hutton family and eventually to Ivy Hutton, who married George Ogle Weekes.
There are no Squires in the 1820, 1822, 1824, 1825, 1840 or 1848 census for Wolford, Montague, Marlborough or Oxford Townships
When William died, Elizabeth went to live with her daughter Rachel in Westmeath Twp., Renfrew County, where her son Alfred Smith had also settled. She and William were buried in the Smith Family Burying Ground, Grenville County.
Elizabeth died in December 1880 (according to a family bible and apparently her tombstone stated she was 83) was buried in the same buring ground two years after the sale to Philo Bissell. The Leeds and Grenville OGS transcript of Grenville County Cemeteries Volume II has this to say:
"When Smiths sold to Philo Bissell, there was the condition that Elizabeth above, could be buried there. As Stella Cross, nee Bissell told it: 'She died turkey fair week and the Bissells had to have some of the family at the time of the funeral.' By the tone of Stella's voice it could be inferred that Elizabeth Smith died at a very inconvenient time for the Bissells."
Obituary of Elizabeth Smyth
... township of Westmeath, Elizabeth Smyth, aged eighty-three years.
Sister Smyth was born near Lake George, in the State of New York, July 23, 1797. Her parents moved to Canada when she was about nine years of age. She was married, Sep. 27, 1817, to Wm. B. Smyth, whom God called into the eternal world May 21st, 1870, thus leaving Sister Smyth with God and her children only to comfort her. Sister Smyth was converted to God about 1820, and joined the M. E. Church in Canada, thus living through the difficulties of 1830-32, and being one of many who linked the history of the M. E. Church together through times that some wish to question. She proved her allegiance to the Church of her choice by living a consistent member of the same from the time of her conversion to the day of her death. Beyond this, sister Smyth lived a consistent Christian life, and frequently said to the writer that she only waited God's call to take up her abode in the world of glory. She reared her family for God, a number of whom are still living, and are pillars in the church. Her faith was strong, her mind composed, her purposes fixed; these native principles, operated upon by the refining grace of God, made her a valiant soldier of the cross. At her death I trust she won the soldier's reward, "a crown of life." Our prayer is that God may gather all her children and friends to the shore of eternal rest.
The funeral obsequies were conducted at the place of her death by Rev. D. Smyth, assisted by the writer. Owing to a large circle of friends being much scattered, a second ceremony was conducted at Easton's Corners by the Rev. J. Faull, where the body was interred to await the general resurrection.
W. A. Bass
1813 Census for Wolford Twp. Leeds Grenville OGS 92-5
Smith, William B. Wolford, 1 adult male.
1825 Census for Wolford Township Film MS 2554
William B. Smith – 1 male over 16, 3 males under 16, 2 females over 16, 1 female under 16
1826 Census for Wolford Twp. Film MS2554
William B. Smith owns and occupied Conc. 2, Lot 19
1848 Census for Wolford Twp., Film MS5909
Branigan Smith- farmer, proprietor of 1, Lot 19, Conc. 2
1860 Agricultural Census
William B. Smith lives at Conc. 2, Lot 19, has 57 acres worth $2,000
1861 Wolford Census William B. and Elizabeth Smith's Family
| Page | Line | Name | M/S | Age | Occupation | Religion | Born Abt. | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 | 34 | Smith, William B. | M | 68 | Farmer | Methodist | 1793 | Ontario |
| 49 | 35 | Smith, Elizabeth | M | 64 | Methodist | 1797 | U.S.A | |
| 49 | 36 | Smith, Leslie | 23 | Methodist | 1838 | Ontario | ||
| 49 | 37 | Smith, Ambrose | 21 | Methodist | 1840 | Ontario | ||
| 49 | 38 | Jones, Rachel | 19 | Servant | Methodist | 1842 | Ontario |
1861 Merrickville Census Alva Smith's Family
| Page | Line | Name | M/S | Age | Occupation | Religion | Born Abt. | Place of Birth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 22 | Smith, Alva B. | M | 42 | Tanner | W. Methodist | 1819 | Ontario |
| 7 | 23 | Smith, Teressa | M | 38 | W. Methodist | 1823 | Ontario | |
| 7 | 24 | Smith, Charles B. | 16 | W. Methodist | 1845 | Ontario | ||
| 7 | 25 | Smith, Marietta | 12 | W. Methodist | 1849 | Ontario | ||
| 7 | 26 | Smith, Walter S. | 10 | W. Methodist | 1851 | Ontario | ||
| 7 | 27 | Smith, Henry A. | 8 | W. Methodist | 1853 | Ontario | ||
| 7 | 28 | Smith, Russell A. | 4 | W. Methodist | 1857 | Ontario |
An excerpt from the bible of Caroline Smith, daughter of Daniel Smith and Christina McKenzie
Squire Smith - Merrickville Union Cemetery #919
Squire Smith died Oct. 18, 1891 ae 67 yrs. 11ms. 21 ds.
Catherine Keegan wife of Squire Smith
Died May 27, 1910 aged 81 yrs.
Alice Smith wife of Oliver Church
Died July 8, 1910 aged 59 yrs.