Hi Lynne, Yes, there are six children born to Alex Smith and Esther Dawson, including a daughter Elizabeth who died at two weeks, 12 April - 28 April 1921, and the stillborn boy as you indicated. The other four lived to maturity but all are deceased now. Alexander consistently uses the name SMITH, and consistently lists his father as Alexander SMITH, but this person appears to ba a phantom. Singhampton (Singham on the attestation papers) is consistently listed as his birth place. It was actually a farmhouse on the road heading south out of Singhampton and sometimes they are listed in Nottawasaga and sometimes they are in Osprey as that road appears to be the boundary line. I have much information on the WAITS side of the family. Margaret is his mother, Thomas his uncle, James his grandfather and Jane STEELE WAITS, his grandmother. All of this information I have. Unfortunately James WAITS died at a time when parents names were not asked and he is another stumbling block (but later) When Maggie WAITS marries George LOMATH in 1895 she is listed as a spinster, but clearly has four children listed in the 1891 census. I have all four children's marriage records and they all list a different father's name, none of whom appear to exist. They do not use the same surname. I can think the worst of Maggie and believe she was a wild woman, fathering four children by four differnt men, marrying George having two more, and then George dies and she enters into another relationship. This would make six relationships. The reality is that she is living on a remote farm in a time where there were few people and brothers and sisters married brothers and sisters for lack of selection. No, someone has suggested she may have been an early Mormon but I have been having a hard time finding out anything about her or her children's father(s). All of Margaret/Maggie WAITS siblings married and had normal lives. Besides Martha and Thomas as mentioned, there were Jane/Jennie, Agnes, Eliza Ann, Emma and George. George died at 13 years. Emma may or may not belong to this family, and married Homer McGinnis, Jane married Matthew Ney, Agnes married Thomas Kell, Eliza Ann died at 11 years old. A monkey wrench that confused me initially is that Alexander's sister Mary married Hiram SMITH, another bunch of Smith's, ain't it grand. I was thinking Alexander was part of Hiram's family, not Mary's. My grandfather is not born for either the 1861 or 1881 census, do you have the rest of the family information for the two Alexander Smith families mentioned. Thanks for all the help, but as usual, my grandfather remains a mystery man. Marg ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynne Kemp" <dent_48@hotmail.com> To: <can-ont-simcoe@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 4:27 PM Subject: [CAN-ONT-SIMCOE] Waits/Smith > Hi Marg:I had a look at a few records but didn't find a lot of > information. Maybe it will help if I can add a few more bits and pieces > to the puzzle though. > In the Collingwood Presbyterian cemetery records, there is a stillborn > child, parents are Alexander and Esther and the date of death is August > 11,1927. On this record, Alexander used the SMITH name and his birthplace > given is Singhampton. > > On Alexander's attestation records in 1917, his mother's location is given > as Collingwood. In 1913, his half-sister, Elizabeth Ann Lomath, died in > Halton County, Division of Nelson. She was 15 years of age and her > birthplace given as Nottawasaga. > > James Wait(e)s, father of Margaret, died at the age of 85 on May 11, 1890 > in Nottawasaga Twp., The informant was his son, Thomas Waits. > > I checked for records in Simcoe County for marriages of children born to > James Waits and Jane. On one record (for Martha), the mother's maiden > name is given as Jane STEEL: > Martha Waits, b. abt 1855 in Ontario married Wm. Robert Brown in 1875. > Residence given as Bradford > > Thomas Waits, age 50 or 56, married Eliza Molesworthy, age 29, in 1898. > Residence given as W. Gwillimbury > > Maggie Waits, b. Canada m. Goerge Wm. Lomath, 28 in Maple Valley > (Nottawasaga) in 1895 > > Do you know if there is any connection to the Smith family listed on the > 1891 census right below the Waits family? There is an Alexander Smith in > Nottawasaga on the 1861 census. He is age 26, married and has 2 children. > > On the 1881 census, there is an Alexander Smith, age 18, Clerk, living > with his mother, Christina (Alutina) and siblings Sydney and Jennie > (Jessie) in Collingwood. They are also listed on the 1891 census. I > wonder if this Alexander could be a possibility too. > > Don't know if any of this is helpful but I hope you find something useful > for your search. > Regards, > Lynne Kemp. > > > > > >> I have been trying to unravel my grandfather's life for some time but > >> sometimes it's best to just ask for help. This list is terrific and have >> > made suggestions in the past, so I'll add what I have found out from >> past > suggestions.> > The facts are:> He is listed in the 1891 census, >> Alexander, living with his mother's > brother, Thomas Waits, along with >> his grandmother, mother and three > siblings.> > 1891 Census District 117 >> Simcoe S Nottawasaga No 2 page 25> Waits Thomas m 30 Ontario England >> Ontario > Ch of England Farm labourer> Jane f 70 w mo Ireland > Ireland> >> Margaret Ann f 26 sister Ontario > England> Sarah f 12 neice > Ontario> >> Alexander m 10 neph> George m 8 neph> Mary f 5 neice> > He participated >> in WWI and is using the name SMITH> > Canadian Soldiers of World War I, >> 1914-1918> Name: Alexander Smith Residence: Collingwood, Ontario, Canada >> Biirth Date: > 18 Oct 1882 Birth Location: Singham, Ontario, Canada (sb > >> Singhampton)Relative: Margaret Homouth [sb Lomat! > h, married George William > Lomath 31 May 1895, two half-sisters Elizabeth > and Sarah May] Relationship: > Mother Regiment Number: 2250778 Previous > Service: 35th Reg. Collingwood 2 > yrs> > He married my grandmother, > Esther Etta Dawson, 6 June 1917 at the > Presbyterian Church, > Collingwood.> > >From previous information suggested:> > He is NOT the > Alexander Smith who marries Bella (Isabella) Kenney 1 November > 1882 in > Euphrasia, Grey County. This Alexander is the son of William > Wigdom > Smith and Charlotte Hilts, born 28 August 1853.> > He is NOT the Alexander > Smith who marries Sarah McFadyen 22 Feb 1888 in > Osprey, Grey County. > This Alexander is the son of Alexander Smith and Mary > McDonald, born 7 > Jan 1883.> > Singhampton is not a very big centre even today. So where is > he in 1901 and > 1911? (Not born for 1881 census, no birth registration > has ever been found)> > Thanks for any help.> > Marg > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Use fowl language with Chicktionary. 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