William Smith (chief justice)
| William Smith | |
|---|---|
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| Member of Legislative Council of Lower Canada | |
| Chief Justice of Lower Canada | |
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In office 1786–1793 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Livius |
| Succeeded by | William Osgoode |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 18, 1728 New York City, Province of New York |
| Died | December 6, 1793 (aged 65) Quebec City, Lower Canada |
| Profession | Attorney |
William Smith (June 18, 1728 – December 6, 1793) was a lawyer, historian, speaker, loyalist, and eventually the loyalist Chief Justice of the Province of New York from 1780 to 1782 and Chief Justice of the Province of Quebec, later Lower Canada, from 1786 until his death.
Born in New York City on June 18, 1728, he was the son of Judge William Smith. His brother, Joshua Hett Smith was notable as the supposed “dupe” of Benedict Arnold and Major John André when they collaborated during the American Revolution. Smith graduated from Yale University in 1745, studied law with William Livingston, and was admitted to the bar in 1750.
His brother, Doctor Thomas Smith, was the owner of the “treason house” in West Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York that was being occupied by his other brother, Joshua Hett Smith, at the time that Benedict Arnold and Major John André planned their conspiracies.
During the American Revolution, he was referred to as "the weathercock" because his contemporaries were not able to understand which side he was on. Basically, though, he was neither friend to American nor Loyalist and was one of the main reasons that the loyalists themselves declared that they did never trust the family of Smith. In 1752, along with William Livingston and John Morin Scott he founded a weekly journal, the Independent Reflector.
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