North Section: Francis Smith, Thomas Smith and John Smith
In the northern section of the properties along Smith Road, the property furthest to the east was sold to Francis Caleb Smith (1808-1866) and has been discussed elsewhere. Francis's brother Thomas Smith (1806-1871) acquired a 35 acre and a 14 acre marsh property immediately to the west of Francis Smith's property and their brother John Smith (1810-1894) acquired the 50 acre property west of Thomas. All 3 properties were later sold to James Stewart. Francis Smith occupied these properties as tenant before purchasing them in 1859.
Thomas Smith 35 Acres
On 15 November 1837, Thomas Smith (1806-1871) purchased a marsh lot of 35 acres from E B Ramsay, his wife Isabella Cochran, Alexander Stewart and James Halliburton. The lot description begins at the southwest corner: "beginning on a creek on the northern side of a road dividing the said marshland from lands now in the possession of the said Thomas Smith thence up the different courses of the said creek to a ditch and stake and the lands generally called the Common Lots Marsh thence south 88 degrees east 11 chains 90 links to a stake thence south 12 1/2 west on the line of lands sold to Francis Smith 10 chains 24 links to a stake, thence south 46 west 3 chains 70 links to a stake, thence south 3 1/2 degrees west 4 chains 90 links to a stake, thence north 86 degrees east 11 chains and 50 links, thence south 83 1/2 degrees east 6 chains and 35 links, thence south 14 1/2 degrees east 3 chains 50 links to a road, thence south 76 degrees west along the said road to the place of beginning." (Deed Book O, 468). Again, the deed refers to the Moffat plan but does not mention a lot number. Thomas's 14-acre marsh lot lay to the west, Francis Smith bordered on the east, the Amherst Common Lots bordered on the north, and the road is today's Smith Road. The measurements on the east side of Thomas Smith's 35-acre lot exactly match those given in the deed description for the west side of Francis Smith's property. T he two lots fit together like puzzle pieces, outlining a trapezoid-shaped field that is still visible on Google Earth just west of the small pond on Smith Road.
On 24 February 1838, Thomas Smith and his wife Rebecca (Ripley) sold (or mortgaged) this property to James Stewart. (Deed Book O, p. 471).
Thomas Smith 14 Acres
Thomas's 14-acre marsh property, adjoining a lot sold to John Smith, was purchased 28 Feb 1838 from E B Ramsay, Isabella (Cochran) Ramsay his wife, Alexander Stewart, and James Halliburton. The boundary description starts at the southeast corner of the lot. The property was "bounded by a line beginning on the northern side of a road at a bridge on a small creek thence up the said creek until it comes to a fence dividing marsh land owned by Joseph Coates from the said lot of marsh land thence north 84 degrees west 7 chains 25 links until is comes to a stake thence south 6 degrees east 9 chains 15 links, thence south 24 degrees east 9 chains 10 links to the road thence north seventy six degrees east 16 chains 71 links to the creek being the place of beginning." (Deed Book O, p. 474) The road is Smith Road and the creek is Sunken Creek which forms the boundary between Thomas's 14- acre lot and his 35-acre lot. Joseph Coates owned the marsh north of Thomas's. The deed refers to the 1837 plan made by William Moffat but does not mention any lot numbers. According to the deed, the 14-acre marsh was once part of the neighbouring upland lot that had previously been sold to John Smith.
On 16 Nov 1837 Thomas and his wife Rebecca had obtained a mortgage on this property from James Stewart.(Deed Book O, p. 500).
John Smith 53 Acres
On 15 Nov 1737, Isabella Ramsay and her husband sold John Smith 53 acres of upland. Again, the deed refers to the Moffat plan but no lot numbers are provided. The description of John's property starts in the southwest corner of his lot "on the north side of a road near a gate on the line of lands owned by Thomas Read and thence running northerly on the divisional line of lands owned by the said Read until it comes to land owned by Joseph Coates thence on the line dividing the said lot from lands owned by the said Joseph Coates by its several courses until it comes to a fence dividing the marshland of the said Joseph Coates from the marshland formerly belonging to the said lot of upland thence south six degrees east nine chains fifteen links thence south twenty four degrees east nine chains ten links to the main road thence north eighty one degrees west along the said road to the place of beginning." (Deed Book O, p. 314). The lot of marshland formerly belonging to the said upland is the 14-acre lot of marsh purchased by John's brother Thomas and described above. The fence dividing the property of Joseph Coates from Thomas's property is the same fence described in John's deed. The eastern boundaries "south six degrees east nine chains fifteen links thence south twenty four degrees east nine chains ten links to the main road" exactly match the western boundary of Thomas's 14-acre marsh lot "south 6 degrees east 9 chains 15 links, thence south 24 degrees east 9 chains 10 links to the road." The angles of the road that forms the southern boundary of both lots is different. However, when you draw these lots out, you discover that they meet in a slight "V" which is visible on a Google Earth view of the property from above.
John Smith must have also sold his property to James Stewart, as Francis Smith purchased it in 1859.
Thomas Smith 35 Acres
On 15 November 1837, Thomas Smith (1806-1871) purchased a marsh lot of 35 acres from E B Ramsay, his wife Isabella Cochran, Alexander Stewart and James Halliburton. The lot description begins at the southwest corner: "beginning on a creek on the northern side of a road dividing the said marshland from lands now in the possession of the said Thomas Smith thence up the different courses of the said creek to a ditch and stake and the lands generally called the Common Lots Marsh thence south 88 degrees east 11 chains 90 links to a stake thence south 12 1/2 west on the line of lands sold to Francis Smith 10 chains 24 links to a stake, thence south 46 west 3 chains 70 links to a stake, thence south 3 1/2 degrees west 4 chains 90 links to a stake, thence north 86 degrees east 11 chains and 50 links, thence south 83 1/2 degrees east 6 chains and 35 links, thence south 14 1/2 degrees east 3 chains 50 links to a road, thence south 76 degrees west along the said road to the place of beginning." (Deed Book O, 468). Again, the deed refers to the Moffat plan but does not mention a lot number. Thomas's 14-acre marsh lot lay to the west, Francis Smith bordered on the east, the Amherst Common Lots bordered on the north, and the road is today's Smith Road. The measurements on the east side of Thomas Smith's 35-acre lot exactly match those given in the deed description for the west side of Francis Smith's property. T he two lots fit together like puzzle pieces, outlining a trapezoid-shaped field that is still visible on Google Earth just west of the small pond on Smith Road.
On 24 February 1838, Thomas Smith and his wife Rebecca (Ripley) sold (or mortgaged) this property to James Stewart. (Deed Book O, p. 471).
Thomas Smith 14 Acres
Thomas's 14-acre marsh property, adjoining a lot sold to John Smith, was purchased 28 Feb 1838 from E B Ramsay, Isabella (Cochran) Ramsay his wife, Alexander Stewart, and James Halliburton. The boundary description starts at the southeast corner of the lot. The property was "bounded by a line beginning on the northern side of a road at a bridge on a small creek thence up the said creek until it comes to a fence dividing marsh land owned by Joseph Coates from the said lot of marsh land thence north 84 degrees west 7 chains 25 links until is comes to a stake thence south 6 degrees east 9 chains 15 links, thence south 24 degrees east 9 chains 10 links to the road thence north seventy six degrees east 16 chains 71 links to the creek being the place of beginning." (Deed Book O, p. 474) The road is Smith Road and the creek is Sunken Creek which forms the boundary between Thomas's 14- acre lot and his 35-acre lot. Joseph Coates owned the marsh north of Thomas's. The deed refers to the 1837 plan made by William Moffat but does not mention any lot numbers. According to the deed, the 14-acre marsh was once part of the neighbouring upland lot that had previously been sold to John Smith.
On 16 Nov 1837 Thomas and his wife Rebecca had obtained a mortgage on this property from James Stewart.(Deed Book O, p. 500).
John Smith 53 Acres
On 15 Nov 1737, Isabella Ramsay and her husband sold John Smith 53 acres of upland. Again, the deed refers to the Moffat plan but no lot numbers are provided. The description of John's property starts in the southwest corner of his lot "on the north side of a road near a gate on the line of lands owned by Thomas Read and thence running northerly on the divisional line of lands owned by the said Read until it comes to land owned by Joseph Coates thence on the line dividing the said lot from lands owned by the said Joseph Coates by its several courses until it comes to a fence dividing the marshland of the said Joseph Coates from the marshland formerly belonging to the said lot of upland thence south six degrees east nine chains fifteen links thence south twenty four degrees east nine chains ten links to the main road thence north eighty one degrees west along the said road to the place of beginning." (Deed Book O, p. 314). The lot of marshland formerly belonging to the said upland is the 14-acre lot of marsh purchased by John's brother Thomas and described above. The fence dividing the property of Joseph Coates from Thomas's property is the same fence described in John's deed. The eastern boundaries "south six degrees east nine chains fifteen links thence south twenty four degrees east nine chains ten links to the main road" exactly match the western boundary of Thomas's 14-acre marsh lot "south 6 degrees east 9 chains 15 links, thence south 24 degrees east 9 chains 10 links to the road." The angles of the road that forms the southern boundary of both lots is different. However, when you draw these lots out, you discover that they meet in a slight "V" which is visible on a Google Earth view of the property from above.
John Smith must have also sold his property to James Stewart, as Francis Smith purchased it in 1859.
1859 James Stewart to Francis Caleb Smith
On 25 Aug 1859, James Stewart sold to Francis Smith the marsh and upland properties "for many years past in possession of the said Francis as tenant." The property was bounded on the south by the "road from Coats Hill past the said Francis Smith's Farm". The property was bordered on the west by uplands belonging to Joseph Coates. On the north, the property was bounded by the marsh of Joseph Coates and Keiver's heirs. On the east the property was bounded by the upland property Francis had purchased from the Cochrans. The purchase included 48 acres of upland and 49 acres of marsh more or less on both sides of McCully's Old Canal. Originally, the three lots totalled 102 acres, so 5 are not accounted for. (Deed Book DD, p. 221)
From this deed we learn that McCully's Old Canal ran through these properties. In 1830, Cyrus and William McCully received a grant of 300 acres bordered on the east by today's Blair Lake, on the south by "the Denson Line" and properties formerly owned by the Messrs. Cochran, and on the west by heirs of Robert Coates and the Amherst Township Common Lots. (Book O, p. 91, Family Search Grant Registers film 8632288, Image 302). A drawing of the property is included. The Reverend Samuel McCully began work on a canal from the grant, which was mostly underwater, to the Nappan River so that tidal water might flood over the area, depositing mud and creating land where none had existed. Subsequent owners continued the work so successfully that eventually they were sued by a Blair descendant over ownership of the land that had been created. See Old McCully Canal on this website for details of the court case.
On 25 Aug 1859, James Stewart sold to Francis Smith the marsh and upland properties "for many years past in possession of the said Francis as tenant." The property was bounded on the south by the "road from Coats Hill past the said Francis Smith's Farm". The property was bordered on the west by uplands belonging to Joseph Coates. On the north, the property was bounded by the marsh of Joseph Coates and Keiver's heirs. On the east the property was bounded by the upland property Francis had purchased from the Cochrans. The purchase included 48 acres of upland and 49 acres of marsh more or less on both sides of McCully's Old Canal. Originally, the three lots totalled 102 acres, so 5 are not accounted for. (Deed Book DD, p. 221)
From this deed we learn that McCully's Old Canal ran through these properties. In 1830, Cyrus and William McCully received a grant of 300 acres bordered on the east by today's Blair Lake, on the south by "the Denson Line" and properties formerly owned by the Messrs. Cochran, and on the west by heirs of Robert Coates and the Amherst Township Common Lots. (Book O, p. 91, Family Search Grant Registers film 8632288, Image 302). A drawing of the property is included. The Reverend Samuel McCully began work on a canal from the grant, which was mostly underwater, to the Nappan River so that tidal water might flood over the area, depositing mud and creating land where none had existed. Subsequent owners continued the work so successfully that eventually they were sued by a Blair descendant over ownership of the land that had been created. See Old McCully Canal on this website for details of the court case.
Link to Modern Properties
I have not attempted to trace all of these properties to modern owners through deeds and wills. However, a hand-drawn map of homesteads created by Ernest Coates provides many clues. You can download a copy of this map from the Cumberland County Maps page on this website. Ernest shows several homesteads along Smith Road numbered from 16 to 22 :
16. Farm of Wilbert Smith
17. Farm of William -James Smith
(a note to the right says #16 and #17 were the Sifto Salt Co. bought from a Wallace Vincent Smith
18. Farm of Ephraim- Harold Smith- sold out.
19. Farm of John & Sydney, Sterling, Lawson - land sold.
20. Farm of Alexander, Lorne, Robie - sold out.
21 Farm of John, Francis, Joshua, Ezra, Janie - sold out.
22. Farm of Ezra Smith (retired) Garnet, Juan Ripley (G-sons).
The Smith family branches on my Ripley/Mallory tree on Ancestry contain numerous errors but a quick glance shows that the Smiths named above are all descendants of Francis Caleb Smith.
I have not attempted to trace all of these properties to modern owners through deeds and wills. However, a hand-drawn map of homesteads created by Ernest Coates provides many clues. You can download a copy of this map from the Cumberland County Maps page on this website. Ernest shows several homesteads along Smith Road numbered from 16 to 22 :
16. Farm of Wilbert Smith
17. Farm of William -James Smith
(a note to the right says #16 and #17 were the Sifto Salt Co. bought from a Wallace Vincent Smith
18. Farm of Ephraim- Harold Smith- sold out.
19. Farm of John & Sydney, Sterling, Lawson - land sold.
20. Farm of Alexander, Lorne, Robie - sold out.
21 Farm of John, Francis, Joshua, Ezra, Janie - sold out.
22. Farm of Ezra Smith (retired) Garnet, Juan Ripley (G-sons).
The Smith family branches on my Ripley/Mallory tree on Ancestry contain numerous errors but a quick glance shows that the Smiths named above are all descendants of Francis Caleb Smith.