Janet and Robert Wolfe Genealogy --- Go to Genealogy Page for William Odber Smith --- Go to Genealogy Page for Sarah Elizabeth Chipman

Notes for William Odber Smith and Sarah Elizabeth Chipman

1836 William Odber Smith and Eliza [Chipman] Mossman were married on November 24 in Annapolis, Nova Scotia. The Saint John Weekly Chronicle reported on December 2, 1836, "m. Annapolis, N.S., Thursday 24th ult., by Rev. Edward Gilpin, William O. Smith of this city / Mrs. Eliza Mossman of former place." [1]

1852 The Common Council elected William O. Smith mayor of Saint John. [2]

1855 The citizens elected William O. Smith mayor of Saint John. [3]

1856 Sarah Elizabeth died on January 30 in Saint John. The Weekly Chronicle of Saint John reported on February 1, "died Wednesday afternoon, Sarah Elizabeth Smith w/o W.O. Smith, Esq. age 48, left husband, eleven children. Funeral Saturday 2 o'clock." [4] She was buried in the Rural Cemetery (now Ferndale Cemetery) where her tombstone inscription on the Smith monument is "In memory of Eliza Wife of Willm O Smith Died January 30th 1856, Aged 47 years. Vivit Post Funera Virtus" (Virtue Outlives Death).

1865-66 and 1867-68 Smith, William O., 119 Germain, Saint John, Saint John, Druggist was listed in the Hutchinson Directory.

1871 William Odber Smith died on March 20 in Saint John, New Brunswick. His death certificate states that he died in Duke's Ward e Division 1, St John 174, New Brunswick, Canada, age 67, that he was widowed, and his religion was Church of Scotland. [5] The 1871 census states that he was a druggist and died in March 1871 of general debility, age 67, his religion was Church of Scotland, he was widowed, and he was born in New Brunswick. [6] An obituary was published in The Daily Telegraph in Saint John on March 21, [7]

Yesterday morn. at quarter after 10 o'clock, Wm O. Smith, Esq., died at his residence, 119 Germain St. (St. John) at age of 67 years. Having lived all his life in this city and having entered business on his own account at the early age of 19 years, he was thoroughly known in business circles; and having been very closely identified with the Government of the City since 1843, as well as being one of the oldest Justices of the Peace in the County, his name is more or less familiar to all classes. His grandfather, Dr. Nathan Smith of Rhode Island was one of the old Loyalists and came to this city in 1783, having been a surgeon in one of the regiments of the British Service angaged in the Revolution. The father of William O. Smith was William Howe Smith who died in 1822 at the age of 45, leaving four sons and two daughters. Dr. Edward Smith, the only brother of the subject of these remarks who remained in St. John, died here quite a young man, the rest of the family having married and removed to different places. Mr. Smith was the first elected Alderman for Queens Ward in 1843 and represented that constituency, in all ten years. He was chosen Mayor of the City by Common Council in 1852 and was elected Mayor by his fellow citizens on four different occasions viz. 1855,'56, '57 and '58. He retired from civic representation at the expiration of the last named year. He acted as Sitting Magistrate at the City Police Court for some time. He was Chairman of the Board of the Alms House Commissioners for a few years. His business as a Druggist was one established by his father and the stand was at Adams' Corner, Market Square until the place was destroyed by a fire which will be long remembered. Mr. Smith then erected the present building at the corner of Market Square and Prince William St., … the business of late having been conducted by his son, A. Chipman Smith. Funeral will take place Thursday.

1871 William O. Smith was buried in the Rural Cemetery in Saint John on March 24. "Funeral afternoon 3 o'clock the remains of the late William O. Smith, Esq. were consigned to their last resting place in Rural Cemetery at about half past 2 p.m." [8] The Rural Cemetery is now known as Fernhill Cemetery, Westmorland Road, Saint John. William's tombstone inscription on the Smith monument is simply "William O. Smith Born 1804 Died 1871."

Edith Miles Todd, granddaughter of William and Eliza Smith, provides the following notes about them, [9]

Sarah E. Chipman lived a great deal of her girlhood with her Uncle George Chipman. She married at 16 George Mossman and had 2 sons George and Charles. She was a very beautiful woman. A. L. Chipman in "Chipman Book" says she was born 1808 Apr 3 instead of 1809 Apr 21. She and W.O. Smith were married by Rev. Edwin Gilpen. She had a suitor (young English Lord) and wouldn't marry him and "be looked down upon in England as a provincial."

William Odber Smith was son and grandson of doctors. At time of his father's death he was 18 or 19 and had several younger brothers and sisters. He kept up drug trade which father and grandfather had established. His son has also kept it up so it's the oldest established trade in St.John. His brothers studied medicine but died as young men. William O. Smith was a very prominent man in St. John in all ways: Justice of Peace, Alderman, Mayor 1852, 1855-59. Obituary in St. John paper says, 'Every action characterized by energy and honest determination to do what he believed to be right, a gentleman of the old school, outspoken in his views and unflinching in his opinions.' On day of funeral flags at half mast and stores closed. Most of his household things burned in St. John fire. Had a peculiar hatred of the color blue, none of his daughters allowed to wear it. His first wife was Elizabeth Brown Durant, died 1835, by whom he had 3 sons and a daughter, William Odber, Elijah Miles, William Brunswick, and Celia Eliza, all died in infancy.

The name Odber came from William O's uncle, T.T. Odber Miles. He got it through a gentleman Thomas Threadway Odber "The accomplished junior member of a business firm in St. John in the early days" (according to Bishop Raymond's letter to Kate Miles). Hall Lewis Odber & Co was the firm.


Footnotes:

[1] Daniel F. Johnson, New Brunswick Vital Statistics from Newspapers, [NewBrunswickArchives].

[2] J. W. Lawrence, Foot-prints, or, Incidents in early history of New Brunswick (St John, New Brunswick: J. & A. McMillan, 1883), 104, [HathiTrust], [HathiTrust].

[3] J. W. Lawrence, Foot-prints, or, Incidents in early history of New Brunswick (St John, New Brunswick: J. & A. McMillan, 1883), 104, [HathiTrust], [HathiTrust].

[4] Daniel F. Johnson, New Brunswick Vital Statistics from Newspapers, Volume 15, Number 2702, February 1, 1856, Saint John, Weekly Chronicle, [NewBrunswickArchives].

[5] FamilySearch.org, [FamilySearchRecord].

[6] Canada Census, 1871, Duke's Ward e Division 1, St John 174, New Brunswick, Deaths in the Last Twelve Months, image 55, [AncestryImage].

[7] Daniel F. Johnson, New Brunswick Vital Statistics from Newspapers, The Daily Telegraph, Saint John, Volume 30, Number 1020, March 21, 1871, [NewBrunswickArchives].

[8] Daniel F. Johnson, New Brunswick Vital Statistics from Newspapers, Volume 30, Number 1031, March 24, 1871 The Daily Telegraph, Saint John, [NewBrunswickArchives].

[9] Edith Billing Miles Todd, "Ancestors of Edith Marian Billing Miles," Manuscript, FHL Fiche 6004403, [FHLCatalog].