Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.
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Robert Smyth[1]

Male 1851 - 1933  (81 years)


Personal Information    |    Notes    |    Sources    |    Event Map    |    All    |    PDF

  • Name Robert Smyth 
    Born 6 Jul 1851  , Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] 
    Gender Male 
    Business Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Smyth Brothers 
    • Smyth Brothers

      Edward and Robert Smyth founded the dry-goods firm of Smyth Bros. in 1877. The brothers imported merchandise from Europe and introduced the cash system. For nineteen years they were lessees of the Ernst block, built by Hugo Kranz. Afterward they leased the Janzen block at 39 East King street from H. L. Janzen. East of the block, on the lower side of the Telegraph lane, stood a two-story frame building. Joseph Gorman, grocer, occupied the lower floor, and J. P. Starnaman & Son, makers of picture frames, etc., the upper floor. Smyth Bros. bought the property from Mr. Janzen and in 1909 erected a big block. Edward Smyth retired about 1925 and Robert Smyth in 1928. Both brothers were town-builders.

      A History of Kitchener, W. V. (Ben) Uttley, Kitchener, Ontario 1937
    Business-Kitchener-SmythBrothers-0001-Box-PatOReilyy-Facebook2024.jpg    		 Business-Kitchener-SmythBrothers-0001-Box-PatOReilyy-Facebook2024.jpg
    Smyth Brothers - image from Pat O'Reilly - Facebook 2024
    Immigration 1871  [4] 
    Occupation 1881  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Merchant 
    Residence 1881  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [3] 
    Presbyterian 
    Elected Office 1886  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    councillor - Kitchener 
    • Years Served: 1886
    Occupation 1891  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Merchant 
    Residence 1891  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [5] 
    Presbyterian 
    Occupation 1901  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [2] 
    Dry Goods 
    Occupation 1911  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Retail Merchant, Dry Goods Store 
    Residence 1911  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [4] 
    Presbyterian 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-37484P 
    Died 31 May 1933  Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7] 
    Buried Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  [6, 7] 
    Person ID I37484  Generations
    Last Modified 7 Nov 2024 

    Father William Smyth,   b. Abt 1815, Of, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Mother Isabella McPhillimy,   b. Abt 1815, Of, Ireland Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Yes, date unknown 
    Family ID F34038  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Rebecca Peterson,   b. 14 Jun 1852, Hay Twp., Huron Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 3 Feb 1934, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 81 years) 
    Married Jan 1881  [5] 
    Children 
     1. Lionel Allison Smyth,   b. CALC 21 Jun 1888,   d. 2 Aug 1888, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 0 years)
     2. William Andrew Jackson Smyth,   b. 5 May 1884, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1964  (Age 79 years)
     3. Robert James Smyth,   b. 29 Aug 1891, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 22 Sep 1950, Vancouver, , British Columbia, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 59 years)
    Last Modified 12 Nov 2024 
    Family ID F9833  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • ROBERT SMYTH.

      Robert Smyth, well known in business circles in Berlin, associated with several important commercial concerns, was born on the 6th of July, 1851, in the county of Tyrone, Ireland, of which place his parents, William and Isabella (McPhillimy) Smith, were also natives. The father was a farmer by occupation and the son was reared to agricultural pursuits, while in the public schools of Tyrone he acquired his education. In 1871, at the age of twenty years, he went to the United States and in 1872 he came to Canada. After five years spent in Guelph as a clerk in a dry goods store he removed to Berlin on the 6th of January, 1876, and became manager for the firm of Hefferman Brothers. In December, 1877, he and his brother Edward bought out the business and have continued in this line to the present time. In 1902 Mr. Smyth assisted in organizing the Ontario Sugar Company of Berlin, has been a director since 1904, and in 1905 and again in 1906 was chosen vice-president. It is one of the largest beet sugar refineries in the Dominion, the output in 1905 being nine and a half million pounds and in 1906 fourteen million pounds. In the surrounding counties the company has over five thousand acres under cultivation devoted to the raising of sugar beets. The business is a very important industry, furnishing employment to a number of operatives in the factory, and the extensive output brings into circulation a large amount of money in this district.

      In 1881 Mr. Smyth was married to Miss Rebecca Peterson, a daughter of the late A. J. Peterson, clerk of the Division Court of the Berlin district and registrar of the Surrogate Court, also justice of the peace. Mr. and Mrs. Smyth have two living sons, William Andrew Jackson and Robert James, and have also lost one child.

      Mr. Smyth belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and is a prominent and valued member of the Presbyterian Church, in the work of which he takes an active and helpful part. He is also a member of the session. In politics he is independent, voting for men and measures rather than for party, and desiring the greatest good for the greatest number. He is a member of the Board of Trade of Waterloo and served as its president in 1901 and 1902, while during the two preceding years he was vice-president. For a number of years he has been a member of the public library board and he feels a deep interest in everything pertaining to general progress, giving active and valuable co-operation to many measures for the public good.

      A History of Ontario: its resources and development

  • Sources 
    1. [S7] News - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Berliner Journal (1859-1917), 9 Aug 1888.
      Died 2 Aug 1888 Lionel Allison Smyth, infant son of Robert Smyth, died in Berlin at age of 6 weeks.

    2. [S137] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1901, Berlin (Town/Ville) A-10 Page 3.

    3. [S158] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1881, Div. 2 Pg. 59.

    4. [S340] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1911, Div. 22 Pg. 2.

    5. [S1592] Census - ON, Waterloo, Berlin - 1891, Sec. 5 Page 72.

    6. [S166] Cemetery - ON, Waterloo, Kitchener - Mount Hope CC#4508 Internet Link .
      NorthEast: A.J. Peterson/ born/ Dec. 12, 1823/ died/ May 7, 1900/ Hannah Armstrong/ beloved wife of/ A.J. Peterson/ born/ July 10, 1825/ died/ Jan. 6, 1904/
      SouthEast: Robert Smyth/ born/ July 6, 1851/ died May 31, 1933/ Rebecca Peterson/ wife of Robert Smyth/ born June 14, 1852/ died Feb. 3, 1934/ Elora Peterson/ born Aug. 18, 1848/ died July 29, 1918/ Julia Ann Peterson/ born Sept. 26, 1854/ died Dec. 3, 1929 /
      SouthWest: Rebecca Armstrong/ died/ May 13, 1865/ aged 64 y'rs. 6 mo./ 2 d'ys./ Sarah Horwood/ nee Armstrong/ died/ Sep. 4, 1878/ aged 85 y'rs. 7 mo./ 14 d'ys./
      NorthWest: Victoria Elisabeth/ wife of/ H. Peterson M.D./ died/ Apr. 24, 1878/ aged 26 y'rs. 6 mo./ 20 d'ys./ Nellie Mabel/ Peterson/ died/ May 6, 1897/ aged 23 y'rs. 2 mo./ 26 d'ys./ Peterson/ [makers mark] F. Frank/
      (A) R.S. (B) R.P.S. (C) A.P. (D) N.M.P. (E) V.E.P. (F) R.A. (G) S.H.A.

    7. [S3231] Find A Grave, Cemetery, M., America, N., Municipality, W., & Cemetery, M. (1851). Robert Smyth (1851-1933) - Find A Grave Memorial. Retrieved 1 August 2020, from https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169111152/robert-smyth.

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 6 Jul 1851 - , Ireland Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBusiness - Smyth Brothers - - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Merchant - 1881 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Presbyterian - 1881 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsElected Office - councillor - Kitchener - 1886 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Merchant - 1891 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Presbyterian - 1891 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Dry Goods - 1901 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsOccupation - Retail Merchant, Dry Goods Store - 1911 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsResidence - Presbyterian - 1911 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 31 May 1933 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBuried - - Mount Hope Cemetery, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 


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