Samuel Smith (Upper Canada politician)

3rd Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada Samuel Smith
Administrator of the Government
In office
11 June 1817 – 13 August 1818
Monarch George III
Preceded by Sir Frederick Philipse Robinson GCB (acting Governor)
Succeeded by Sir Peregrine Maitland KCB GCB
Personal details
Born 27 December 1756 (1756-12-27)
Died 20 October 1826 (1826-10-21) (aged 69)
4th Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada Samuel Smith
Administrator of the Government
In office
8 March 1820 – 30 June 1820
Monarch George IV
Preceded by Sir Peregrine Maitland KCB GCB
Succeeded by Sir Peregrine Maitland KCB GCB
Personal details
Born 27 December 1756
Hempstead, New York
Spouse(s) Jane Isabella Clarke
Profession Army officer
Religion Anglican
Samuel Smith
Born Hempstead, New York
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Rank Captain, Lieutenant Colonel
Battles/wars Battle of Yorktown

Samuel Smith (27 December 1756 – 20 October 1826) was a Loyalist British army officer and politician. He was appointed to the Executive Council of Upper Canada and appointed Administrator of Upper Canada.

Smith was born in Hempstead, New York, the son of Scottish immigrants. In 1777, he joined the Queen's Rangers during the American Revolutionary War. He surrendered to the Americans after the Battle of Yorktown. Smith moved to the newly created colony of New Brunswick and then to England. He rose to the rank of captain and was sent to Niagara. He was promoted to the position of lieutenant-colonel of his regiment in 1801 before retiring to 1,000 acres (4 km²) of land he had bought in Etobicoke. Later some of this land was sold to John Strachan for the original Trinity College campus, now Trinity Bellwoods Park. Smith was appointed 30 November 1813 to the Executive Council of Upper Canada for the town of Etobicoke.

In 1817 he was sworn in as Administrator of Upper Canada in the absence of Lieutenant Governor Francis Gore and served until 1818. He acted again as Administrator in the absence of Lieutenant Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland for three months in 1820.

As Administrator, Smith was advised not grant land to American immigrants until they had taken the oath of allegiance and resided in Upper Canada for seven years. He decided to follow the advice of his Executive Council and not remove title to the land from those who did not qualify.

Smith was considered a weak official and was the target of complaints by both reformer Robert Gourlay and family compact member John Strachan who thought him feeble, inept and talentless. However, in April 1818, Smith ordered Gourlay arrested when he called an illegal assembly at York.

Smith retired from the Executive Council in October 1825. He died 20 October 1826 in York.

The City of Toronto's Colonel Samuel Smith Park by the lake is named in his honour.

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Government offices
Preceded by
Francis Gore
Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada
1817–1818
Succeeded by
Sir Peregrine Maitland