Waterloo Region Generations
A record of the people of Waterloo Region, Ontario.

John Sydney-Smith

Male 1788 - 1834  (46 years)


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  • Name John Sydney-Smith 
    Born 1788  Brighton, , Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Epidemic 1834  Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Choler 
    Interesting military, life story 
    Eby ID Number Waterloo-114725 
    Died 26 Aug 1834  Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I114725  Generations
    Last Modified 6 Apr 2024 

    Family Dinah Stone,   b. 1791, Brighton, , Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 19 Apr 1880, Dundas, West Flamborough Twp., Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 89 years) 
    Children 
     1. Dinah Louisa Sydney-Smith,   b. Jul 1813, Brighton, , Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 15 Feb 1884, Dundas, West Flamborough Twp., Wentworth Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 70 years)
     2. John Sydney-Smith,   b. 6 Mar 1816, Brighton, , Sussex, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 13 Jun 1867, Stratford, Perth Co., Ontario, Canada Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 51 years)
    Last Modified 7 Apr 2024 
    Family ID F9235  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • COAT USED AT HISTORIC BALL BEFORE WATERLOO

      Surgical Instruments Used at Historic Battle Also Owned By Mrs. Herald


      Most people in public school days have read the historic poem on the battle of Waterloo and thrilled to the motion and the swift movement of events there portrayed, from the brilliant hall with "its sound of revelry by night,' when "a thousand hearts neat happily." to the sound of the cannon, "the sudden partings." the `choking sighs," "the marshalling of arms" and "battle's stern array,' but to the reader it seems a far-on thing, ancient history long past.

      It is when one sees some object connected with those events that they assume a new realism. Mrs. John Herald, of this city, is the fortunate possessor of some valuable relics of the historic battle of Waterloo, which are very interesting. There is a blue coat worn by her grandfather, the late John Sydney-Smith, at the Duchess of Richmond's historic ball at Brussels, from which the valiant officers of Wellington's army were called to the decisive battle at Waterloo, and there is a box of instruments used on the battlefield by her grandfather, who was a surgeon on the staff of the Duke of Wellington.

      Short of waist and tight of sleeve is the coat, with velvet collar and handsome buttons of shining gold. which must have been very picturesque in those days, worn with its kerchief of point lace as a cravat. The surgical instruments with saws and knives neatly packed in the compact plush-lined case, have taken part in many a drama of life, but probably none more thrilling than when they sped to the battlefield at Waterloo in the hands of the skilful surgeon who was the personal friend of the Duke on whose staff he served. The passport of the surgeon is also with the case. dated February, 1815. and issued by Lord Fitz-Roy Somerset.

      Mr. Sydney-Smith. who was a cousin of the Sir Sydney-Smith well-known in history, was a resident of Brighton at the time of the war in France, but shortly after its conclusion, he came to this continent with his wife and family, settling after a few months at Toronto. Not many years later, the cholera epidemic claimed him as one of 118 many victims and he is buried under St. James' Cathedral in that city.

      Another interesting costume in Mrs. Herald's heirloom collection is a beautiful white silk gown which was part of the trousseau of her grandmother in 1810. With its embroidered hem within an inch of the floor, the skirt falls straight front a narrow, low-cut bodice over which lace was worn. It has little puff sleeves, and over all as worn an ex-quisitely fine shawl with deep pattern at the hem in soft shades.

      Unidentified newspaper clipping

      _______________________


      The wife of Mr. McKenzie was Miss Sydney Smith, daughter of John Sydney Smith, of Brighton, England, a Surgeon of the 10th Light Dragoons, who accompanied his regiment throughout the Peninsula war.

      The Canadian Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self-Made Men, Ontario Volume, 1880

      ___________________

      Smith, John Sydney. - Was born at Brighton, Sussex, England, on October 15th, 1815, the eldest son of the late John Sydney Smith, who was surgeon to the Tenth Hussars and served under Wellington in the Peninsular Campaign, having acted at times as surgeon to Wellington's staff. He came to Canada in the early Thirties and settled in Toronto and died there from Cholera in August, 1834, a sacrifice to his profession during an outbreak of that dread disease. Upon the death of his father, Mr. John Sydney Smith, the subject of this sketch, moved with his mother to the County of Waterloo, and some years after opened a general business at Haysville, where he resided until 1859, when he moved to Stratford with his family and died there in 1877. He married Annie Elizabeth, daughter of the late Daniel Tye, one of the early settlers in the Township of Wilmot. He left a family of six children, five of whom survive, namely: Albert Sydney Smith, mill owner, of Port Sydney, Muskoka, Edward Sydney Smith, Barrister, of Stratford, Annie Maria Mothersill, wife of Geo. A. Mothersill, C. E., of Ottawa, and Charlotte Machaffie, wife of W. A. Machaifie, Bank manager of Winnipeg, Man.

      Church of England, An Historical Sketch of the Parish of Wilmot 1828-1913, Diocese of Huron, Ontario, New Hamburg, Canada by Charles James Fox, Sep 1913

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBorn - 1788 - Brighton, , Sussex, England Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsEpidemic - Choler - 1834 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDied - 26 Aug 1834 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Link to Google Earth
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