Samuel Smith (1754-1834)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Smith was a British Member of Parliament
and banker.
He was the fourth son of Abel Smith, a wealthy Nottingham
banker and Member of Parliament. Four of his brothers were also Members of Parliament and one, Robert
, was raised to the peerage as Baron Carrington
. A portion of the family wealth was devoted to buying control of two pocket boroughs, Wendover
and Midhurst
, and Carrington kept the seats here almost exclusively for use by various members of the Smith family until his power was ended by the Great Reform Act.
Smith entered Parliament in 1788 as member for St Germans
, and was an MP for the next 44 years, also representing Leicester
, Midhurst
and Wendover
. He and his son Abel were Wendover's last MPs, as they sat together as its members for the last two years before the borough's abolition. He did not return to Parliament after the Great Reform Act, dying two years later.
In 1801 he bought Woodhall Park in Hertfordshire, which still belongs to his descendents.
He married Elizabeth Turnor on 2 December 1783. They had seven daughters and four sons. As well as Abel, another son Samuel George Smith
was a Member of Parliament.
Several of his children married into the family of the Earl of Leven
. The eldest son, Abel Smith, married Lady Marianne Leslie-Melville, youngest daughter of Alexander Leslie-Melville, 9th Earl of Leven, on 28 August 1822. The third son, Henry Smith, married Lady Lucy Leslie-Melville, eldest daughter of the 9th Earl of Leven, on 14 July 1824. The youngest daughter, Charlotte Smith, married the Hon. Alexander Leslie-Melville, fifth son of the 9th Earl of Leven, on 19 October 1825. In addition, his grandson Henry Abel Smith (1826–1890), son of Henry Smith and Lady Lucy Leslie-Melville, married his first cousin Elizabeth Mary Pym, daughter of Francis Pym and Lady Jane Elizabeth Leslie-Melville, second daughter of the 9th Earl of Leven, on 30 October 1849; they were the grandparents of Sir Henry Abel Smith
who served as Governor of Queensland.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and banker.
He was the fourth son of Abel Smith, a wealthy Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
banker and Member of Parliament. Four of his brothers were also Members of Parliament and one, Robert
Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington
Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington FRS was a British Member of Parliament and banker.Smith was the third son of Abel Smith and his wife Mary . His grandfather Abel Smith was the third son of Thomas Smith, the founder of Smith's Bank of Nottingham. Smith was elected to the House of Commons for...
, was raised to the peerage as Baron Carrington
Baron Carrington
Baron Carrington is a title that has been created three times, once in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Ireland and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1643 in favour of Sir Charles Smyth. Only a few days later he was created...
. A portion of the family wealth was devoted to buying control of two pocket boroughs, Wendover
Wendover (UK Parliament constituency)
Wendover was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
and Midhurst
Midhurst (UK Parliament constituency)
Midhurst was a parliamentary borough in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1311 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the constituency was abolished...
, and Carrington kept the seats here almost exclusively for use by various members of the Smith family until his power was ended by the Great Reform Act.
Smith entered Parliament in 1788 as member for St Germans
St Germans (UK Parliament constituency)
St Germans was a rotten borough in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1562 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
, and was an MP for the next 44 years, also representing Leicester
Leicester (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicester was a parliamentary borough in Leicestershire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1918, when it was split into three single-member divisions.-History:...
, Midhurst
Midhurst (UK Parliament constituency)
Midhurst was a parliamentary borough in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1311 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the constituency was abolished...
and Wendover
Wendover (UK Parliament constituency)
Wendover was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
. He and his son Abel were Wendover's last MPs, as they sat together as its members for the last two years before the borough's abolition. He did not return to Parliament after the Great Reform Act, dying two years later.
In 1801 he bought Woodhall Park in Hertfordshire, which still belongs to his descendents.
He married Elizabeth Turnor on 2 December 1783. They had seven daughters and four sons. As well as Abel, another son Samuel George Smith
Samuel George Smith
Samuel George Smith was an English banker and Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1859 to 1880....
was a Member of Parliament.
Several of his children married into the family of the Earl of Leven
Earl of Leven
Earl of Leven is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1641 for Alexander Leslie. He was succeeded by his grandson Alexander, who was in turn followed by his daughters Margaret and Catherine...
. The eldest son, Abel Smith, married Lady Marianne Leslie-Melville, youngest daughter of Alexander Leslie-Melville, 9th Earl of Leven, on 28 August 1822. The third son, Henry Smith, married Lady Lucy Leslie-Melville, eldest daughter of the 9th Earl of Leven, on 14 July 1824. The youngest daughter, Charlotte Smith, married the Hon. Alexander Leslie-Melville, fifth son of the 9th Earl of Leven, on 19 October 1825. In addition, his grandson Henry Abel Smith (1826–1890), son of Henry Smith and Lady Lucy Leslie-Melville, married his first cousin Elizabeth Mary Pym, daughter of Francis Pym and Lady Jane Elizabeth Leslie-Melville, second daughter of the 9th Earl of Leven, on 30 October 1849; they were the grandparents of Sir Henry Abel Smith
Henry Abel Smith
Colonel Sir Henry Abel Smith KCMG KCVO DSO was a British Army officer and a Governor of Queensland.-Biography:He was born in London, on 8 March 1900, the son of Francis Abel Smith and wife Madeline St. Maur Seymour...
who served as Governor of Queensland.