Henry Smith

Who was Henry Smith?

Sir Henry Smith was a Canadian lawyer and political figure. He represented Frontenac in the 1st Parliament of Ontario.

He was born in London, England in 1812 and came to Montreal with his family some time before 1818. The family later moved to Kingston in Upper Canada. Smith's father, also named Henry Smith, served as the first warden of the provincial penitentiary at Kingston from 1835 to 1849. The son studied law with Christopher Alexander Hagerman and was called to the bar in 1834. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1841 for Frontenac, serving until 1861. He was a friend of Sir John A. Macdonald and also supported him politically for much of that time.

In 1846, Smith was named Queen's Counsel. In 1854, he was named Solicitor General for Canada West in the Macnab-Morin government. He served as speaker of the house from 1858 to 1861. Smith also served as lawyer for the Grand Trunk Railway in Kingston. Smith fell out with Macdonald over his attempts to gain a knighthood. However, in 1860, he was knighted by the Prince of Wales at Quebec City during the Prince's visit to Canada. He was defeated in subsequent elections in 1861 and 1863. In 1867, he was elected to the provincial legislature and later died in Kingston in 1868.