162 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



languages, and an opinion and confidence the people have of his prin- 

 ciples and integrity, I presume his appointment as notary would be 

 satisfactory for these reasons, to which may be added that he is not 

 likely to change his residence or leave the place, being married and 

 settled." 



The first three judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the Dis- 

 trict of Hesse (1788), were Jacques Duperon Baby, Alexander McKee 

 and William Robertson. » 



Mr. C. M. Burton, of Detroit, has kindly furnished me with some 

 notes as to Thomas Smith. 



Finding the surveying business dull, he entered into an agreement 

 with John A skin to carry on business as a trader — ^^an adventure they 

 called it — and he was at Miamis for several years. Some years after 

 1796, he resided in Detroit, and acted as surveyor. He made a map of 

 Detroit in 17''96 and at one time got à large land grant on the U. S. 

 side of the line. A daughter of Thos. Smith married John McDonnell 

 of Detroit, a well-to-do citizen, who at one time made quite a stir in 

 an international dispute. Many of the early western surveys bear 

 Thomas Smith's name. A very interesting map of Sombra township 

 made in 1820 testifies to the neatness of his work. He was a native 

 of Wales and died at Sandwich on the 3rd of March, 1833, aged 79 

 years. 



Thomas McKee the other member for Kent, was a son of Col. 

 Alexander McKee who had been Indian agent at Pittsburg before the 

 Eevolutionary War. He was one of the efficient western leaders of 

 Indian forces during the war. He was of Irish birth. After the war 

 he settled on the Detroit river. Thomas McKee, the son, married 

 Thérèse Askin, the daughter of John Askin, governor of Micilimac- 

 kinac. The Askins were an Irish branch of the Scottish Erskine 

 family. Alexander McKee, as before stated, was one of the first three 

 judges of the Court of Common Pleas for the District of Hesse. From 

 1788 to 1796 this court held sessions at Detroit. He was for a time 

 deputy superintendent general of Indian Affairs; Sir John Johnson, 

 with headquarters at Montreal, being superintendent general. Col. 

 McKee died after a short illness on the 14th January, 1799, and was 

 succeeded by Col. Daniel Claus. Thomas McKee who died recently at 

 Sandwich holding the office of registrar of the County of Essex was 

 grandson of Thomas McKee, the member for Kent, elected in 1796. 

 His son William James McKee, of Windsor, represented North Essex 

 in the Legislature of Ontario from 1896 to 1902. Both Ool. Alexander 

 McKee and Col. Thomas McKee were influential men among the west- 

 em Indians and their names are to be found on many of the impor- 



