I am searching for a family of Smiths that moved from Grey County, in Ontario, Canada and went to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan sometime in the late 1800's. The head of the Smith family was Robert Blakely Smith the eldest son of a family of ten children who was born about 1848 in Madoc, Ontario. His second name Blakely was his mother's maiden name. His father was Robert Smith and his mother was Elizabeth Sarah Blakely who also were originally from Madoc in the county of Hastings. His parent’s (Robert Smith and Elizabeth Sarah Blakely) farm was along the Old Mail Road about 1.5 miles from Griersville. The Old Mail Road went from Griersville in St. Vincent Township to Heathcote in Euphrasia township in Grey County. Robert Blakely Smith’s father’s father and mother (his grandparents ) were Joseph and Margaret Smith who lived in Euphrasia township in Grey County (Lot 30 Concession 3) had lived near Madoc Ontario in Hastings County before moving to Euphrasia Township in Grey County. Their farm was at Lot 30 Concession 3 about 2 miles along the Old Mail in Euphrasia township.

I have been in contact with descendants from 9 of the ten children except for Robert Blakely Smith's family who left the area of Grey County about 1885 to1890 and went to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. None of these families kept in touch with this family that left for Sault Ste. Marie and I have no idea where his descendants are now or ended up.

Robert Blakely Smith was married about 1880 to Sarah Ann Campbell from Euphrasia Township, Grey County, in Ontario Canada. She was the daughter of John Campbell. Their first child was named Robert John James Smith who was born April 9th, 1883 in Euphrasia Township, in the county of Grey and his birth was registered July 14, 1883.

My grandmother told me she thought that this family had left the area and gone to Sault Ste. Marie and thought they had four sons. Well to my surprise she could not have been more right about where this family had moved to except I was thinking of Sault Ste. Marie in Canada not in United States. I hadn't given it a thought that it was United States. As you see she was right on when it came to where they had moved too. She may be right about the four sons too. I don't know. Surprisingly this was about her husband's family and not her own. She was very sharp in memory well into her ninetys and must have a keen interest in her husband’s family as much as she did in her own for to have known and retained this information.

This fact was confirmed when I recently revieved some land registry documents which I had in my possession for many years ( twenty some years I think ) and realized the wealth of information that was in them. They confirmed that documents that I had in regards to a land registry transaction were served upon this family and other family members in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

The documents show that they were served on a Robert B. Smith, a John Campbell, ( who I believe is his father-in-law ), a James B Campbell ( I believe a brother to his wife Sarah Ann Campbell and therefore his brother-in-law ), and a Mary Smith ( who I believe was Robert Blakely Smith’s aunt ). I had been trying to locate this aunt of his in Grey County and wondered why I could not find there. It now became evident she too must have left the area with her nephew’s family.

The documents states:

In the Matter of certain proceedings under power of sale and in the matter of the north half of Lot No. 30 in the third concession of the township Euphrasia in the county of Grey.

I John F. Tumble(?) of the town of Sault St. Marie, in the District of Algoma, Barrister-at-law. do solemnly declare that I did on the 15th day of October 1890 personally serve Robert B. Smith, Mary Smith wife the said Robert B. Smith (this would not be his wife but his aunt I believe) and John Campbell named in the notice of sale Exhibit "A" each with a line (?) copy of the notice of Exercising Power of Sale ????? ????? and marked Exhibit "A" by delivering such copies to and leaving the same with them the said Robert B Smith, Mary Smith and John Campbell at the town of Sault Ste. Marie in the state of Michigan and that I did also at the same time personally serve James B Campbell named in the Power of Sale Exhibit "A" with a line (?) copy of the said notice of Exercising Power of Sale before (?) accused (?) by delivery such copy to and leaving the same with John Campbell the father of the said James B. Campbell at the usual residence or place of abode of him the said James B Campbell at the town of Sault Ste. Marie in the state of Michigan.

And I make this solemn Declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the Act respecting extra-judicial oaths. Declared before me the town of ? in the District of ? this 16th day of October A.D. 1890.

This is all the information that I know about this family. I am hoping to hear from someone about this long lost family that emigrated to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan sometime in the late 1800s ( about 1885 to 1890 ) from where the trail grows cold and I don't have clue were to start searching.