Augustus John Smith (15 September 1804 – 31 July 1872) was a British
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
and
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
who served as
Lord Proprietor
A lord proprietor is a person granted a royal charter for the establishment and government of an English colony in the 17th century. The plural of the term is "lords proprietors" or "lords proprietary".
Origin
In the beginning of the European ...
of the
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of the ...
for over thirty years from 1834 until his death in 1872, as well as serving as Member of Parliament for Truro from 1857 to 1865. As Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly, he introduced numerous reforms to the islands, including improvements to education, tenancy structures and employment. He built his home on the island of Tresco, and started the
Tresco Abbey Gardens
Tresco Abbey Gardens are located on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. The 17 acre gardens were established by the nineteenth-century proprietor of the islands, Augustus Smith, originally as a private garden within the ...
. He was succeeded as Lord Proprietor by his nephew,
Thomas Smith-Dorrien, after his death in 1872.
Early life and career
Augustus Smith was born in September 1804 "at the house of a fashionable
accoucheur in
Harley Street
Harley Street is a street in Marylebone, Central London, which has, since the 19th century housed a large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery. It was named after Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.< ...
",
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, to James Smith and Mary Isabella Pechell. He was raised in the family home of
Ashlyns Hall
Ashlyns Hall is a country house at the edge of Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.
History
The earliest local records of the Ashlyn name occur in a document dating from 1314 which describes a Reginal ''Assely ...
in
Berkhamsted
Berkhamsted ( ) is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the Bulbourne valley, north-west of London. The town is a civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which is based in the neighbouring large new town ...
,
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...
, England. In 1810, when Smith was six years old, his older half-brother James died after he fell from his pony. Following this, Smith's mother died while she was on a trip in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
when Smith was leaving Harrow.
[Llewellyn, p. 14] Smith was educated at
Harrow School
(The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God)
, established = (Royal Charter)
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school
, religion = Church of E ...
and
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
.
While at Oxford, Smith was influenced by the
utilitarian
In ethical philosophy, utilitarianism is a family of normative ethical theories that prescribe actions that maximize happiness and well-being for all affected individuals.
Although different varieties of utilitarianism admit different charac ...
ideas of
Jeremy Bentham
Jeremy Bentham (; 15 February 1748 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_February_1747.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 4 February 1747">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.htm ...
. Influenced by these ideas, Smith concluded that the best way to improve the standard of living of the poor was to improve the standard of education. Having come to this conclusion, Smith went about attempting to improve the local
Berkhamstead Grammar School, while also establishing non-conformist and non-denominational
parish schools in his local area using his own funds, becoming known locally as a philanthropist.
![Augustus Smith c](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Augustus_Smith_c._1826.jpg)
Smith first heard of the then-poverty stricken Isles of Scilly by 1831, and began initial negotiations about taking on the lease for the Islands with the
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...
, who owned the
freehold
Freehold may refer to:
In real estate
*Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple
*Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England
*Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice p ...
for the Islands. However, a claim to the Islands was put forward by the
Commissioner of Woods and Forests, which led to Smith withdrawing his bid, wanting to avoid any bureaucratic conflict. Smith instead went to Ireland to start to negotiate a lease for the
Arran Islands in 1833, however, these negotiations never came to fruition, due to Smith being put off by the tenancy systems of
runrig
Runrig were a Scottish Celtic rock band formed on the Isle of Skye in 1973. From its inception, the band's line-up included songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald. The line-up during most of the 1980s and 1990s (the band's most succe ...
. Smith then returned to his home, continuing his campaign of educational reform in Berkhamstead.
Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly
In 1834, Smith was informed by the Duchy of Cornwall that they had won a lawsuit against the Commissioner of Woods and Forests, and that the Isles of Scilly were again available for lease. At this time, the Islands were administrated by a body known as the Council of Twelve, who derived their authority from the
Duke of Leeds
Duke of Leeds was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1694 for the prominent statesman Thomas Osborne, 1st Marquess of Carmarthen, who had been one of the Immortal Seven in the Revolution of 1688. He had already succeeded as ...
. The 6th Duke,
George Osborne
George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born Gideon Oliver Osborne; 23 May 1971) is a former British politician and newspaper editor who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2010 to 2016 and as First Secretary of State from 2015 to 2016 in the ...
, had since given up the lease to the Islands, so the Council lacked its claimed authority. Due to this, as well as the lack of magistrates due to the absence of any local property owners, the Islands had become increasingly lawless. Moreover, due to the then-popular local practice of parents dividing their land between all of their children, farm holdings had become increasingly smaller and confusing, with many of the individual holdings being too small to sustain those who occupied them.
Smith signed a
99-year lease
A 99-year lease was, under historic common law, the longest possible term of a lease of real property. It is no longer the law in most common law jurisdictions today, yet 99-year leases continue to be common as a matter of business practice and c ...
for the Islands for £20,000 on 20 November 1834, and became the Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly, having visited the islands himself to assess them. In return, Smith was to pay a £40 a year rent to the Duchy, as well as spend £5,000 on building a new church and
quay
A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...
for St Mary's. He was also to be responsible for selecting and employing the Island's
teachers
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
and
clergy
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
. Smith gave himself the title of Lord Proprietor when he took on the lease for the islands.
In March 1835, Smith, along with five others, became
Magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
s for the Islands. Smith did not allow any clergy members onto the
magistrates bench, due to their perceived "propensity for causing trouble".
Smith employed W.T. Johns as his agent.
[Llewellyn, p. 25]
After becoming the Lord Proprietor, Smith began to introduce numerous
Benthamist
Jeremy Bentham (; 15 February 1748 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_February_1747.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 4 February 1747">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.htm ...
reforms to the Isles of Scilly. Smith's proposed reforms were included in four main points. Firstly, he wanted all local children to have an education. Secondly, he would consolidate all the local farms to form larger, more sustainable holdings. Thirdly, he would eliminate the common practice of
smuggling
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
by providing better employment to all. Fourthly, he would encourage tenants an incentive to improve their holdings by giving them security of tenure. These reforms were very unpopular with the local population. Smith's consolidation of all the smaller holdings necessitated the
eviction
Eviction is the removal of a tenant from rental property by the landlord. In some jurisdictions it may also involve the removal of persons from premises that were foreclosed by a mortgagee (often, the prior owners who defaulted on a mortgage ...
of many tenants, while his other reforms regarding smuggling and education were met with much scorn from the local residents.
![St Mary's Church, Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles Of Scilly - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/St_Mary%27s_Church%2C_Hugh_Town%2C_St_Mary%27s%2C_Isles_Of_Scilly_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2573582.jpg)
By 1836, Smith had completed the first stage of his new residence on Scilly,
Tresco Abbey
Tresco Abbey Gardens are located on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. The 17 acre gardens were established by the nineteenth-century proprietor of the islands, Augustus Smith, originally as a private garden within th ...
. Smith did not build his residence on St Mary's as many expected, instead building it on Tresco, on a ridge which had a view over all the Isles of Scilly. During the late 1830s, Smith was also able to complete construction on both the new church on St Mary's and the new quay.
In 1840, after the missionary organization
Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a UK-based Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and across the world.
The SPCK is th ...
, who had been the primary providers of education, left the Islands, Smith took responsibility for providing education and schools. He allegedly introduced a one penny charge for attending school, but a two penny fine for those who did not attend, effectively introducing compulsory education to the Islands forty years before it was introduced on the mainland; however, there is no evidence for this claim. Regardless, Smith had much success in promoting education on the islands, with both adults and children attending school.
During the 1850s, Smith started an
Ostrich
Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There are ...
farm, and exported the feathers to London for use in feathered hats.
[Larn, p. 16]
In 1855, Smith depopulated the island of
Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
. He then started a deer park on the island, but they escaped their enclosure and traveled to the less barren Tresco.
Following this, he introduced black rabbits to the island.
Public offices
In 1857, after Smith's friend
Charles Lemon
Sir Charles Lemon, 2nd Baronet (3 September 1784 – 13 February 1868) was a British Member of Parliament for several constituencies and a baronet.
Early life
He inherited his baronetcy in 1824 upon the death of his father Sir William Lemon, 1s ...
retired, Smith was encouraged by Lemon to stand as a candidate for Truro in the 1857 General Election. He was elected as a Liberal MP during that election. He was re-elected as MP in the 1864 election, and resigned as MP in May 1865.
As well as being a MP, Smith served as President of the
Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
The Royal Geological Society of Cornwall is a geological society based in Penzance, Cornwall in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1814 to promote the study of the geology of Cornwall, and is the second oldest geological society in the world ...
from 1857 to 1862, and also of the
Royal Institution of Cornwall
The Royal Institution of Cornwall (RIC) is a Learned society in Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
It was founded in Truro on 5 February 1818 as the Cornwall Literary and Philosophical Institution. The Institution was one of the earliest of seven ...
. A
freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
since he came of age, Smith served as the
Provincial Grandmaster for Cornwall from 1863.
Other ventures
Stemmata Smithiana-Ferraria
In 1861, Smith published ''A True and Faithful History of the Family of Smith, Originally Cradled at Wiverton and Cropwell-Butler, in the Parish of Titheby, and more recently established at
Nottingham
Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...
, in the County of Nottingham''. As the title suggests, it traces the family name from its early beginnings and asserts that ″the county of Nottingham may justly be considered as the fatherland of Smiths, who have always abounded within its borders″.
Berkhamsted Common
In 1866
Lord Brownlow tried to enclose
Berkhamsted Common with 5' steel fences built by Woods of Berkhamsted and therefore, claim it as part of his estate. Smith brought out a gang of
navvies
Navvy, a clipping of navigator ( UK) or navigational engineer ( US), is particularly applied to describe the manual labourers working on major civil engineering projects and occasionally (in North America) to refer to mechanical shovels and ea ...
on a specially chartered train to roll up the fence and leave it within sight of Brownlow's house, demonstrating his will to protect Berkhamsted Common for the people of Berkhamsted.
Personal life
Smith lived at his house
Tresco Abbey
Tresco Abbey Gardens are located on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. The 17 acre gardens were established by the nineteenth-century proprietor of the islands, Augustus Smith, originally as a private garden within th ...
and started what would become the
Tresco Abbey Gardens
Tresco Abbey Gardens are located on the island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom. The 17 acre gardens were established by the nineteenth-century proprietor of the islands, Augustus Smith, originally as a private garden within the ...
.
Smith never married, but had illegitimate children by many women, including Mary Pender, a local woman whom with he had at least three children, two of which, Georgina and Laurence, Smith continued to support "in great comfort". He had a close relationship and a lifelong correspondence with Lady Sophia Tower, a married woman (and only daughter of the
1st Earl Brownlow) who often visited him at Tresco. The estate was inherited by his nephew
Thomas Smith-Dorrien-Smith
Lieutenant Thomas Algernon Smith-Dorrien-Smith (7 February 1846 – 6 August 1918) was Lord Proprietor of the Isles of Scilly from 1872 until his death in 1918.
Family
Thomas Algernon Smith-Dorrien-Smith was born on 7 February 1846 at Berkha ...
, and his descendants retain the lease of Tresco to the present day.
Death
![Augustus Smith memorial - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Augustus_Smith_memorial_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1958723.jpg)
Smith died of gangrene of the lungs at the
Duke of Cornwall Hotel
The Duke of Cornwall Hotel is a hotel in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. It opened in 1865 to cater for the increasing number of travellers who were coming to the region by rail and sea.
The hotel survived the World War II Plymouth Bl ...
,
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
on 31 July 1872. Four days before he died he asked to be buried in
St Buryan's Church,
St Buryan
St Buryan ( kw, Pluwveryan) is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of St Buryan, Lamorna and Paul in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.
The village of St Buryan is situated approximately west of Penzance along the B3283 to ...
, Cornwall, instead of in the churchyard of
St Mary's Old Church, on Duchy land, because the Duchy was “greedy and grabbing”.
A tall stone monument was erected in the churchyard of
St Mary's Old Church, St Mary's
St Mary's Old Church, St Mary's is a parish church in the Church of England located in Old Town on St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
History
The Anglican church of St Mary was built at Old Town, Isles of Scilly during the 1 ...
,
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of the ...
to recognise Smith's involvement with the Islands, as well as a monument on Tresco.
[Llewellyn, p. 98]
References
Footnotes
References
*
*
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Augustus
1804 births
1872 deaths
British philanthropists
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Truro
UK MPs 1857–1859
UK MPs 1859–1865
People from Berkhamsted
People from the Isles of Scilly
Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
Presidents of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall
British Freemasons
Utilitarians
Lord Proprietors of the Isles of Scilly
Leaseholders of Tresco