James Webber Smith

Lieutenant-General James Webber Smith CB (c. 1778–1853) was a British Royal Artillery officer during the Napoleonic Wars.

Origins

Born on 19 November 1778 and christened on 5 August 1778 at the church of St Faith in Havant, Hampshire,[1] he was legally the son of Rear-Admiral Charles Webber (1722-1783) and his second wife Anne Vining Heron (1748-1805). In fact his father was almost certainly William Smith (1721-1803), Treasurer of the Ordnance, who six months after the Admiral's death married Anne in the parish church of Saint Marylebone on 24 Nov 1783.[2] The five year old James Webber then became the stepson of his probable father, who left him a fortune provided he took the name and arms of Smith.

His legal father's brother, the Reverend William Webber (1724-1790), Canon Residentiary of Chichester Cathedral, was the husband of Anne Smith (1731-1806), his probable father's sister, and these two were parents of his first cousin, the Reverend Charles Webber who became Archdeacon of Chichester.

Life

Smith received his commission as First Lieutenant, 3 October 1795. He was promoted to Captain Lieutenant in 1802, to Second Captain in 1804, and to Captain in 1806.[3] He was present at the capture of Minorca in 1798, and at the siege of Malta in 1800, the defence of Porto Ferrajo in 1802, and in the expedition to Walcheren and siege of Flushing.[4]

Smith fought in the Peninsula War. Joining Wellington's army in January 1813 he attained the brevet rank of Major in June 1813 the same monthe as he fought at Battle of Vittoria. He was present at the siege of San Sebastian (July–September 1813). In September he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He fought at the passage of the Bidassoa (October 1813) and the Nive (December 1813), before returning to England in May 1814.[4][5]

In 1815 he fought in the Waterloo Campaign including the Battle of Waterloo,[4] and the storming of Cambary during the advance on Paris. [6]

He received the gold medal and one clasp for Vittoria and San Sebastian, and the silver war medal with two clasps for Nivelle and Nive.[4] Altogether he had two medals and eight clasps, as well as the Companionship of the Bath.[5]

In 1824 he became a regimental Major, in 1825 regimental Lieutenant Colonel, in 1830 brevet Colonel, in 1837 regimental Colonel, in 1841 Major General.[5] He was for some time Director-General of Artillery, which office he resigned on being appointed Colonel Commandant of the 4th battalion, in 1848. In 1851 he attained the rank of Lieutenant-General and in 1853 he died in Brighton in his 75th year.[3][4]

Family

Smith married Eleanora Elizabeth Simeon (1786-1868), daughter of Sir John Simeon, 1st Baronet and his wife Rebecca Cornwall, on 12 December 1807 at the parish church of St Marylebone.[7] They had eight children, including:

General James Webber Smith CB (1809-1878), Colonel of the West Yorkshire Regiment [8]
Clara Webber Smith (1816-1870), who became the mother of Sir James Stephen Goold, 4th Baronet.

Notes

  1. ↑ "England Births and Christenings 1538-1975" FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ James Webber, 05 Aug 1779 Saint Faith, Havant, Hampshire, England FHL microfilm 918,886 Retrieved 2 November 2015
  2. ↑ The Registers of Marriages of St. Mary le Bone, Middlesex, 1668-1812 : and of Oxford Chapel, Vere Street, St. Mary le Bone, 1736-1754 https://archive.org/ Retrieved 2 November 2015
  3. 1 2 Cave & Nichols 1853, p. 654.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Burke 1854, p. 221.
  5. 1 2 3 Cave & Nichols 1853, p. 655.
  6. ↑ Siborne 1848, pp. 678–679.
  7. ↑ England Marriages, 1538–1973 FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/ James Smith and Eleanor Elizabeth Simeon, 12 Dec 1807 Saint Mary, St Marylebone, Middlesex, England FHL microfilm 942 B4HA V. 51, 942 B4HA V. 52, 942 B4HA V. 54, 942 B4HA V. 55, 942 B4HA V. 56, 942 B4HA V. 57. Retrieved 2 November 2015
  8. ↑ https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24674/page/534/data.pdf Retrieved 2 November 2015

References

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