Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 53.djvu/122

 museum, in which he gave a free rein to his keen instinct as a collector.

A lover of nature in every form, Smith made a special study of the freshwater shells. In antiquarian pursuits he was equally interested in English and oriental pottery, and of both he formed large collections. He also paid much attention to the history and forms of finger rings. As a juror he drew up the report on the porcelain at the exhibition of 1871. He also prepared the catalogue of the jewellery exhibited at South Kensington in 1872. He officially edited and partly compiled, for the use of students, several classified lists of books dealing with various arts and art industries, which are represented in the South Kensington Museum. He resided at 65 The Grove, Hammersmith, but died, unmarried, in a private nursing home near Cavendish Square, on 20 June 1890. With his friend Professor A. H. Church, Smith brought out in 1890 some poems entitled ‘Flower and Bird Posies.’ 

SMITH, ROBERT PAYNE (1819-1895), dean of Canterbury. [See .]

SMITH, ROBERT PERCY, known as (1770–1845), advocate-general of Bengal, born in 1770, was eldest son of Robert Smith, and brother of  [q. v.] He entered Eton College in 1782, and became very intimate with [q. v.], [q. v.], and, third lord Holland [q. v.] With them in 1786 he started the school magazine entitled ‘The Microcosm,’ which ran for nearly a year, and procured for Smith an introduction to Queen Charlotte. In 1788 he became a scholar on Dr. Battie's foundation, and in 1791 obtained Sir William Browne's medal for the best Latin ode. In the same year he entered King's College, Cambridge, and graduated B.A. in 1794 and M.A. in 1797. On 4 July of the same year he was called to the bar of Lincoln's Inn. In 1803, through the influence of, first marquis of Lansdowne [q. v.], and Sir [q. v.], he obtained the appointment of advocate-general of Bengal. In seven years he returned to England with a fortune, and settled in London. While in India he allowed his brother Sydney 100l. a year, and on his return lent him 500l. towards the expenses of his move into the country, and gave 100l. a year to support Sydney's eldest son at Westminster.

In 1812 Smith entered parliament as member for Grantham, but made no reputation as a speaker. At the general election of 1818 he contested Lincoln unsuccessfully, but two years later he won the seat and sat as the representative of the borough until his retirement after the dissolution of 1826.

Although Robert Percy never attained the fame of his brother Sydney, with whom he always maintained very affectionate relations, yet those who were intimate with both held that ‘Bobus’ equalled, if he did not surpass, him in the very qualities for which the younger was renowned. He was a man of great originality, a profound thinker, and of wide grasp of mind. His wit was proverbial, and his conversation provoked the admiration of Madame de Staël. His language was characterised by Canning as ‘the essence of English,’ and Landor declared that his Latin hexameters would not have discredited Lucretius. He died on 10 March 1845 at his house in Savile Row, London. His country residence was at Cheam, Surrey. In 1797 he married Caroline, daughter of Richard Vernon, M.P. for Tavistock. She was half-sister of the mothers of the third Lord Holland and of the third Lord Lansdowne. By her Smith was father of, baron Lyveden [q. v.]

A number of Smith's Latin verses were published by his son under the title of ‘Early Writings of Robert Percy Smith,’ Chiswick, 1850, 4to. 

SMITH (afterwards ), ROBERT VERNON, (1800–1873), who was the nephew of Sydney Smith [q. v.], the witty canon of St. Paul's, was the only surviving son of (‘Bobus’ Smith) [q. v.] He was born on 23 Feb. 1800, and, having spent several years at Eton, matriculated from Christ Church, Oxford, on 2 Feb. 1819, graduating B.A. (second class in classics) 1822, and the same year became a student of the Inner Temple, but was never called to the bar. Smith married, on 15 July 1823, Emma Mary, daughter of John, second earl of Upper Ossory, and, being attracted by a political career, was chosen at a by-election for Tralee in June 1829, and re-elected