Lionel Smith, 1st Baronet

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General Sir Lionel Smith Bt KCB GCH (1778 – 1842) was a British diplomat and soldier.

General Sir Lionel was Governor of Tobago in 1833 and then Governor of Barbados, Viceroy of the colony of Winward Islands and Grenada from 1833 to 1836.

He was awarded a Baronetcy on 19 July 1838 for his service as Governor of Jamaica from 1836 to 1839.

During his governorship, British passed the Abolition Act that stated that slavery "shall be and is hereby utterly abolished and unlawful". On 1 August 1838, Governor Sir Lionel read the Proclamation of Freedom to a crowd of 8,000 at the Celebration of Emancipation in the Square of Spanish Town, the then capital of Jamaica. The day has since been a day of celebration on Jamaica and a public holiday since 1893.

He left Jamaica in 1839 having run into difficulties with the passing of the Prisons Act and dissolving Jamaica's Assembly.

Lionel Town Wikimapia, Clarendon, Jamaica is named after the Governor.

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