Description

SMITH, MATTHEW, farmer, resort owner, and lime company president; b. 15 July 1843 in Crapaud, son of George Smith and Anne Wiggington; m. 30 August 1870 Sarah Elizabeth Lea, and they had eight children, William L., G. Edgar, Annie B., Harriet G., Stewart D., Claud M., Helen M., and Edna L.; Methodist; d. 1 March 1909 in Charlottetown.
Smith, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1900 for 1st Queens. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1904 and 1908. On 30 October 1900, Smith was appointed to Executive Council as a Minister without Portfolio. At the time of his death, he was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
Smith was educated at the local school in Crapaud. He was a farmer and the proprietor of Pleasant View Summer Resort, a popular vacation spot for summer tourists. Smith served as a trustee and secretary of the school board for over 25 years. He was involved in his church, serving as a steward for more than 30 years and as Sunday School superintendent for over 20 years. He was well-known for the promotion of religion, temperance, and education. Matthew Smith died suddenly on 1 March 1909 while serving as Speaker of the Legislature.
Sarah Smith, the daughter of William Lea of Tryon, was born in 1848 and died in 1922., CPG 1909, 1910; Elections PEI; Past and Present pp. 390-91; Guardian 2 March 1909; PARO: Crapaud People’s Cemetery Records.