Robert Smith Jr. and Dorothia Murray
Robert Smith Jr & Dorothia Murray

    ROBERT SMITH JR.. was born May 29, 1837 near Stirling, in Stirlingshire Scotland, s/o Robert Smith Sr. and AgnesArchibald of Stirlingshire Scotland. He was baptised on June 25, 1837 in Kilsyth Parish in Scotland. (OPR #7703352 - www.origins.com) He died on March 17, 1923 in Hullet Ontario, age 86 years. He emigrated with his parents in 1856 to Woodstock Ontario, and later moved to Hullet Ontario, where he is found listed in the census for 1871 at 025 E 320. He is also listed in the 1880 Ontario Directory as living in Hullet Twp, Post Office at Harlock, address Con 11 lot 1, Business farmer, year settled in County, 1856. This farm is still in the possession of his descendants, as of August 22, 1966. (George, s/o John, s/o Robert Jr.)
    He married , in Tuckersmith Township, on March 29, 1861, DOROTHIA MURRAY, born July 21, 1838 in Brantford Ontario, the daughter of John Murray and Jane McRoberts, emigrants on the Portia in 1834.  She died on March 24, 1925 in Hullet Ontario age 85 years, and is buried in the Burns Cemetery beside her husband.
    The 1871 census is interesting in that it seems Robert Smith Jr. was a superstitious man! In that year, in that he owned 7 milch cows, 7 horned cattle, 7 sheep, and 7 swine. These numbers were no mere accident, because in that same year, he sold or exported 8 sheep, 6 swine, and 2 cows.  It is quite obvious that he culled his herds so he would have 7 of each! He had 98 acres, and in 1871 produced 40 bushels of spring wheat, 200 bushels of barley, 300 bushels of oats, 100 bushels of peas, 35 bushels of potatoes, 500 bushels of turnips, 50 bushels of carrots, 15 tons of hay, 500 pounds of butter, 50 pounds of wool, and he cut 30 cords of firewood.
    He had one house, three barns/stables, 2 carriages/sleighs, 1 cultivator, 1 reaper/mower, and 1 fanning mill in 1871.
    Robert Smith Jr and Dorothia Murray had  children;

A. AGNES SMITH born March 12, 1862, first child of Robert Smith Jr. and Dorothia Murray, died April 9 1951. She married John Maclure on Sept 30. They were married by the Reverend Peter Musgrove.
 Agnes and her husband John Maclure are listed on the 1891 census for McKillop Ontario. They were ages 27 and 29 respectively, and had by then 3 children - Dorothea age 4, Mable Jane age 3, and Myrtle age 1. John and Agnes lived next door to her sister Margaret Beattie and her family, as well as AGNES ARCHIBALD, their mother, who was by now 77 years old and a widow. John and Agnes had issue:



1. Dorothea Murray Maclure b. May 26, 1886. She married Edward Broadfoot on March 17, 1919. Descendants available.


 2. Mable Jane Maclure b. march 22, 1888, died june 23, 1915
   married Robert Adams. Descendants available.


3. Agnes Myrtle Maclure born Feb 19, 1890 died June 1895.


4. George Roger Maclure, born apr 3 1892 died feb 13, 1966. He married Rosina MacAllison on sept 29, 1920. Descendants available.


5. Margaret Ethel Maclure born Nov 6 1893, unmarried.


6. Robert Maclure, born nov 11 1895, on june 29 1921, married Phoebe Verna Isabel Knox b. may 19 1899. Descendants available.


7. Mary Elizabeth Maclure b aug 9 1898 died apr 18 1967 married on jan 17 1921, John H. Simpson. Descendants available. 

8. William James Maclure, born oct 21 1900 on may 14 1930 married Helen March Kerr b. apr 10 1911, descendants available.


6. Frances Gertrude Maclure, born nov 8 1902 on oct 16 1926 married Garnet John Taylor, b. sept 1903, died feb 27 1967. Descendants available.

B.JOHN SMITH born Dec 20 1863 died march 27 1927 married on april 11 1900, ELLA LAIDLAW with ch;
    1.Robert Smith b. feb 9 1903
    2.Mae Smith b. June 29 1904
    3.George Smith b. july 11 1906 m. Ria Hills (He was on the homestead)

C.JANE MCROBERT SMITH born Jan 10 1867 died Jan 19 1892. Her middle name shows that she was named after her maternal grandmother, Jane McRoberts. Jane  married on March 18, 1891,. ROBERT MACKAY. She died on Jan 19, 1892, after her first child was born;
    1.Jean Smith Mackay b. Jan 11 1892 on sept 9 1914 m. Lorne Wilson with children. Descendants available.

D.MARGARET YOUNG YUILL SMITH born May 26 1869 died Oct 8 1929. The names Young and Yuill are curious here - it is not known who she was named after. There is a possibility she could have been named after the Doctor who delivered here, since in the 1871 Tuckersmith census, there was a William Yuill born c1846 in Ontario of Scottish descent, occupation medical student. (Further research has established that she was indeed named after her ancestors, both Yuill and Young) Margaret married on Oct 4, 1893, ROBERT MACKAY. This would most likely be the same Robert Mackay who later married to her sister Jane. With children;
    1.Robert Mackay b. april 26 1894 on june 22 1919 m. Catherine Moffat d. 1939. He
        remarried Blanch Irwin.
    2.Flora Anne Mackay b. aug 3 1896 d. feb 7 1942 on june 7 1916 m. Harry Stewart died
        sept 1960 with children.
    3.Dorothy Mackay b. march 28 1895 d. sept 11 1912.
    4.Leslie Mackay b. sept 2 1901 d. juy 20 1961 m. Pearl Amos with daughter.
    5.Mary Elizabeth Mackay b. aug 5 1904 d. sept 20 1920.
Descendants available

E.ROBERT SMITH born Dec 29 1871 died June 10 1966 age 95 years, married on Jan 19, 1877, JESSIE CUTHILL born jan 19 1877 d. march 1 1961 age 83 years. They had no children.

F.MARY SMITH born April 10 1874, died Feb 6 1952 or Sept 9 1939. She married on Nov 13 1901,  JAMES GRAINGER.
Descendants available.

G.ELIZABETH SMITH born April 2 1877 died Feb 2 1949 married on Dec 21 1910, ALEXANDER BROADFOOT with children;
    1.E.Heatherington Broadfoot b. dec 29 1911.
    2.Dorothy Shaw Broadfoot b. june 26 1913 m. Elmer Townsend with children.
    3.John Broadfoot b. sept 16 1914 m. Marjorie MacEwen with children.
    4.Elizabeth Broadfoot b. july 1 1916 m. Dr Harold Triffrey.
Descendants available.

H.WILLIAM SMITH b. May 7 1878 died Feb 2 1949,  married on Aug 31 1901 by the Reverend Neil Shaw, DOROTHIA AGNES LOVE , born Jan 27 1881, died Aug 15, 1954 in Vanderhoof B.C, daughter of Thomas Love and Jemima Macneil.
Descendants available.

I.ALICE RATCLIFFE SMITH born June 15 1881 died Dec 1 1956, on May 7 1909 married JOHN ANDERSON. The name Ratcliffe likely comes from Alice Ratcliffe, who married Andrew Archibald, who was brother to Agnes Archibald, Alice's grandmother on her father's side. With children;
    1.Jean Agnes Anderson b. jan 29 1903 m. Garnet Wanless Nov 1936 with children.
    2.John Archibald Anderson b. june 24 1910 m. Laura Jones on Dec 1935 with children.
    3.Dorothy May Anderson b. aug 7 1913 m. Andrew Frame on April 10 1934 with children.
    4.Robert Leslie Anderson b. octover 2, 1916.
    5.Gordon S. Anderson b. june 27 1919 m. Kathleen Maude Leives on Dec 11 1941.
Descendants available. 

Diamond Wedding anniversary of Robert Smith Jr. and Dorothia Murray

Obituary of Dorothia Murray Obituary of Robert Smith Jr. and a picture of their tombstone

Source: Smith family archives, culandera@hotmail.com
Source: 1871 Tuckersmith Ont census
Source: 1881 census Hullet Ontario
Source: Ontario County Marriage Registry Book 1858-69 Volume 4 ref #1:69
Source: A Dictionary of Scottish Settlers to Canada before Confederation page 350.
Source: 1880 Business Directory for Hullet Twp, Ontario.
Source: Scottish church records at www.origins.com (OPR #7703352)

Back to main
1