[jAMKs] SECOND LEGISLATURE OF UPPER CANADA 161 



therefore, a narrow strip running cast from the Detroit along the 

 south shore of Lake St. Clair. This line would begin about where 

 the town of Sandwich now is. Detroit was in the hands of the British 

 up to 1796, and, therefore, it was the headquarters for the first election. 

 This posit was evacuated in July and the elections took place in 

 August. The British citizens had removed to Amherstburg and Sand- 

 wich. The second general election was doubtless held at Sandwich, and 

 the two representatives chosen were Thomas Smith and Thomas 

 McKee. 



Thomas Smith followed the same profession as David William 

 Smith, he was a land surveyor, but the two were not related as far as 

 known. Among the records we find this statement : " Thomas 

 Smith, loyalist, came into Niagara in 177G, with a plan of Fort Stan- 

 wix and Intelligence." He settled at Detroit, and in 1789 and 1790 

 was Secretary to the Hesse Land Board. 



In 1790, for some reason, he was displaced as secretary, and was 

 succeeded by D. W. Smith, son of the chairman, Captain John Smith, 

 who was commander of the Detroit forces at the time. In a letter 

 dated 1790, he is referred to as clerk of the court of the District of 

 Hesse, and in 1789 was acting deputy surveyor. That he was a mem- 

 ber for Kent in 1797 is proven by the fact that in that year the land 

 board sitting at Newark (Nassau or Home district), had under con- 

 sideration the petition of Thomas Smith, member for Kent (see Michi- 

 gan Pioneer and Historical Society, Publications, Vol. XXV, pp. 142, 

 148). In this petition it is stated that from July, 1776 to April, 1777, 

 he served as a captain in the Indian department. Resigned and 

 served in militia department at Detroit as second in command under Col. 

 McGregor. For two years he was secretary to the land board at 

 Detroit; clerk to His Majesty's Court for three years; employed two 

 and a half years in assisting settlers; served 16th August, 1794 to 

 December 14th, against Wayne. He lost much pjroperty. Six hundred 

 acres were granted to his wife as the wife of a member of parliament. 



The following letter dated October, 1788, was written by William 

 Kobertson, Esquire, to the Chief Justice of Quebec, and supplies some 

 additional information as to Thomas Smith. Mr. Robertson requests 

 to have him appointed a notary for Hesse: 



" For this purpose Mr. Thomas Smith has been mentioned with 

 approbation. He is a lieutenant in the militia, acting for the present 

 as deputy surveyor, but without pay or commission, as there is nobody 

 else; has been very judiciously nominated clerk of the Court of Com- 

 mon Pleas there; and from his education and knowledge of the two 



Sec. II., 1903. 11. 



