Hi Billie,
You are correct in that the Queen’s Rangers existed in both the American Colonies and in what was to become Canada; however, existence in both countries was not concurrent. The Queen’s Rangers was essentially a military unit that had been created during 1776 in New York and consisted of mostly Loyalists living in New York and Connecticut. It was named in honor of Queen Consort Charlotte, wife of King George III. Following defeat of the British, many of the unit’s men relocated to the British colonies north of what is now Maine. Some settled in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, while others moved west into Lower and Upper Canada following disbandment of the unit at Nova Scotia in 1783.
After 1791, Lord Simcoe was named lieutenant governor of the new province of Upper Canada, the Queen’s Rangers were revived to form the core defense force for the province. They are usually referred to as the Second Queen’s Rangers and were instrumental in building Upper Canada, developing and protecting the vast area along the eastern and north shores of Lake Erie from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Kingston. The Second Queen’s Rangers constructed a garrison at York and subsequently were stationed at this newly built Fort York. However, prior to its disbandment in 1802 Fort York was relocated across a small creek to a permanent site, one that remains in existence today. It continues to serve tourism as a historic destination in downtown Toronto. Following disbandment most of the Second Queen’s Ranger’s men joined the York Militia only to become active again during the War of 1812.
At the outbreak of the American Revolution, my fourth great grandfather Samuel Smith sided with the Loyalists and in 1777 joined the Queen’s Rangers. He first served as an Ensign in the Infantry of the First American Regiment and soon rose to the position of captain under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Graves Simcoe. He fought alongside the infamous William Jarvis, a Cornet in the Regiment’s Calvary and who later served as the first Secretary and Registrar of Upper Canada. He engaged in numerous battles but finally suffered defeat and surrender in Virginia in 1781.
Following the American Revolution, he briefly settled in New Brunswick along with numerous other Loyalists, but during the same year (1784) he immigrated to England where he pursued his military career. On Dec 20, 1791 he was commissioned as captain in the Second Queen’s Rangers and following a short stay at Kingston, Upper Canada, was stationed at Niagara-on-the-Lake. In August of 1794 he led the detachment to York where a new garrison was established as Fort York and where he remained until the Second Queen’s Rangers was disbanded eight years later.
In 1796, Samuel Smith was granted title to a thousand lakefront acres in Etobicoke Twp., York County and shortly thereafter acquired an additional five hundred acres. This tract of land encompassed all the lake frontage from the Centre Road (Kipling Avenue) to the Etobicoke Creek and all the land along the east band almost to what is now Bloor Street. In 1797, he settled on the property which was to be known as Long Branch.
Samuel Smith wed Jane Isabella Clarke, daughter of Dr. Joseph Bostwick Clarke (a surgeon for the British during the American Revolution) on Oct 21, 1799 and in the same year was promoted to the position of Lieutenant-Colonel of the Second Queen’s Rangers, a position that he held until it was disbanded in 1802. Following its disbandment, he went on half-pay, retired and built a modest home at Long Branch south of Lakeshore Road, which although greatly altered over the years remained until 1955. Here, he and his wife raised eleven children, including my 3rd great grandmother Jane Isabella.
On November 30, 1813, more than a decade after retirement, Samuel Smith accepted appointment to the Executive Council of Upper Canada, a post he would maintain for a dozen years. On June 17, 1817 he was sworn in as Administrator to the Province of Upper Canada replacing Lieutenant Governor Francis Gore who had left Upper Canada. He served in that position until August 13, 1818 and then again during the absence of Lieutenant Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland, from March 8 to June 30, 1820
The Honorable Samuel Smith passed away on October 20, 1826. His Long Branch estate property at Etobicoke Township was retained by his children until 1871. Today, only the name, Long Branch remains, and an expansive municipal property on the north west shore of Lake Ontario carries the name, Colonel Samuel Smith Park.
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