Abel Smith (1788-1859)

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For other persons named Abel Smith, see Abel Smith (disambiguation).

Abel Smith (17 July 1788-23 February 1859) was a British Member of Parliament.

He was the eighth child but eldest son of Samuel Smith, also a Member of Parliament, and nephew of Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington. The family had grown wealthy through banking in Nottingham.

Abel Smith entered Parliament in 1810 as member for Malmesbury, and subsequently also represented Wendover and Midhurst, both pocket boroughs controlled by his uncle Lord Carrington, sitting in the Commons for 20 of the last 22 years before the Great Reform Act. He and his father were Wendover's last MPs, as they sat together as its members for the last two years before the borough's abolition.

Three years after the Reform Act, he was elected for Hertfordshire, and served another twelve years as its MP.

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Philip Gell Sir George Bowyer	Member of Parliament for Malmesbury with Philip Gell 1810–1812	Succeeded by William Hicks-Beach Sir Charles Saxton
Preceded by Francis Horner George Smith	Member of Parliament for Wendover with George Smith 1812–1818	Succeeded by Robert John Smith George Smith
Preceded by John Smith Samuel Smith	Member of Parliament for Midhurst with John Smith 1820–1830	Succeeded by John Abel Smith George Smith
Preceded by Samuel Smith George Smith	Member of Parliament for Wendover with Samuel Smith 1830–1832	Succeeded by Constituency abolished
Preceded by Viscount Grimston Nicolson Calvert Sir John Saunders Sebright	Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire with Rowland Alston 1835-1841 Viscount Grimston 1835-1846 Granville Dudley Ryder 1841-1847 Thomas Plumer Halsey 1846-1847 1835–1847	Succeeded by Sir Henry Meux Thomas Brand Thomas Plumer Halsey