[JAMES] FIRST LEGISLATORS OF UPPER CANADA 113 
This was a large county, surely, but the voters were included in 
a strip four miles wide along the south shore of Lake St. Clair, and in 
the town of Detroit. 
The two members chosen were William Macomb and David 
William Smith. They were or had been residents of Detroit, at which 
place no doubt the election took place (27th August, 1792). 
John Macomb was a North of Ireland man. His ‘home was at 
Dunturkey, county Antrim. He married Jane Gordon of the Scottish 
House of Gordon. He established the first line of sailing vessels 
between Belfast and New York. Coming out to America about 1750, 
he settled for a time at Albany, where he was appointed a magistrate. 
He engaged in the business of furnishing supplies for the British 
posts from Montreal to Detroit, and for nearly half a century the 
name of Macomb occurs in connection with the trade of the lakes and 
St. Lawrence. He had three children, Alexander, William and Ann. 
The two brothers followed their father’s business and as partners had 
their headquarters at Detroit. Alexander married Catherine Navarre, 
daughter of Robert Navarre. She was born at Detroit in 1757, and 
died in New York in 1789. ‘This Alexander was born at Belfast in , 
1748. He was the man interested in the Macomb purchase along the 
St. Lawrence in northern New York, though it is claimed that his 
brother William provided some of the funds. Alexander was the 
father of Alexander Macomb, a United States general in the war of 
1812. He defeated Prevost in the battle of Plattsburg (11th Septem- 
ber, 1814). From 1828 to 1841 he was Commander-in-Chief of the 
United States Army. Born at Detroit on 13th April, 1782, he died at 
Washington, D.C., 25th June, 1841. A monument to his memory is 
being erected at Detroit. 
Ann Macomb was born in Ireland, 1753. She married (1) 
Colonel Francis Von Phister, who was killed at Bennington, 1777; 
(2) Thomas Bennett, of Detroit, in 1782. 
William, the member, was perhaps the largest land owner at 
Detroit, being the possessor of most of the American islands in the 
river, and also of a large farm (the Cass farm) now in the very heart 
of the finest residential portion of the city. He married (1) Sarah 
Jane Dring, daughter of General Dring, and (2) Miss Gallant (a 
Huguenot). After his death his widow married Captain Betton, Com- 
mander of the King’s forces on the lakes. She died in New York in 
1846. William had eleven children, eight of whom were living at the 
time of his death. He died in 1796, just about the time that Detroit 
was evacuated. His will, dated 11th April, 1796, is on register at 
Sandwich. In it he mentions his father, so that it is probable the 
Sec. II., 1902. 8. 
