Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

JOHN SMITH and Mrs J C SMITH

John Craig (Jack) Smith was born in 1881 in Craigengillen (near Ayr), Scotland. According to census records, he came to Canada in 1904 or 1906. He was educated in Ayr and entered the hardware business in Scotland. He first came to Winnipeg, Manitoba to work for J H Ashdown and was still employed with them at the time of his death.

Jack married Lillian Elinora (Elaine) Waugh on 3 July 1915 in Winnipeg. She was born in 1884 in Belfast, Ireland to Sir Thomas Waugh. In 1916, they were living in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. John was listed in the 1918 Saskatoon Henderson Directory as a salesman for J H Ashdown Hardware, living at #13 445 5th Ave N. They were still at the same address in 1921. John died on 31 August 1933 in Saskatoon and was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. Nothing more could be discovered about Elaine.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Smith 9 Tree.

Martha Ann Maud Thomlinson (Smith) was born on 6 December 1854 in Ramey, Ontario to John Thomlinson (1806-1861) and Eliza (Bridget) Appleby Ballens (1823). Her siblings were: Eliza Ann (b 1846), Rebecca (1848-1921), Esther Jane (1850-1926), Robert (1853-1911) and James (1857-1887). In 1861 the Thomlinson family was living in Maryborough, Ontario.

Martha married John Fisher C Smith on 23 January 1877 in Listowel, Ontario. He was born 15 June 1851 in North East Hope, Ontario to Jesse Smith (1818-1906) and Catherine Fisher (1817-1882). His siblings were: Margaret (b 1847), James (1854-1878), Daniel Fisher (1855-1901) and Elizabeth (b 1856). John was raised in Wallace, Ontario and continued to live there with his wife and their family until at least 1881.

John and Martha's children were: Ethel May (1879-1944), Amy Minetta (1881-1924), John Cameron (1883-1940), James Roy (1886-1976), Grant Wilbur (1890-1949) and Ruby A (b 1893). By 1891, the Smith family was living in Huron, Bruce County, Ontario, and from 1901 until at least 1911, Woodworth, Manitoba. By 1916 they had moved to 2018 20th St W, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Mr John C and Mrs J C Smith and some of their children joined 3rd Ave Methodist Church in 1916. Their son, Grant, enlisted for WWI on 1 May 1916. John died on 15 November 1916 near Vanscoy, Saskatchewan and Martha died on 26 March 1921 in Saskatoon. Their son, John Cameron likely lived in Viscount, Saskatchewan as that is where he died on 20 April 1940. All three were buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Saskatoon.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Smith 6 Tree.

A John Smith and a Mrs J C Smith signed different areas of the quilt. The only J C Smiths that could be found in the right time frame were a Mrs John C Smith (widow) and a living John C Smith. There were several John Smiths living in Saskatoon at quilt signing time, but only the John C Smith families lived near the downtown area of Saskatoon in 1918. The other John Smiths were investigated, but not included in as candidates in the biographies below as they were deemed low probability signers. There were two Mrs John C Smiths living in Saskatoon in 1918. Martha Ann Maud Thomlinson in 3rd Ave Smith 6 Tree may be the slightly more favorable candidate because she and her family belonged to 3rd Ave Methodist and her son, Grant, served in WWI. However, her husband died in 1916 and therefore, had likely died before the quilt was being made. They did, however, have a son, John Cameron Smith. He may have been the John Smith signer, but was not listed with the rest of the Smith family in 1916 or 1921. He died in Viscount, Saskatchewan and so may have already been living there (or somewhere else) by 1916. It is possible that he could have been in Saskatoon for a visit when the quilt was being made as his mother was still living there, but the fact that he could not be found living in Saskatoon does make him a less likely candidate than the John C Smith in the tree discussed next. The other Mrs John C Smith was Lillian Elinora (Elaine) Waugh from 3rd Ave Smith 9 Tree. She and her husband, John Craig (Jack) Smith were both living in Saskatoon from 1916 to 1921. As they lived in the downtown area of Saskatoon, near the church, and her husband was a traveler with J H Ashdown, he is a strong candidate for the John Smith signature. Many business people from the down town area were signers. His wife is also a strong candidate. At this time, it is impossible to determine who was responsible for either of these signatures. Their family histories are discussed below.

Candidate 1

Candidate 2