Francis William Smith was Dean of
Kimberley,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, and Rector of
St Cyprian's Cathedral in Kimberley.
Early life
In
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
Smith served with distinction as a
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
(later
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
) in the 1/8th (Leeds Rifles) Battalion
West Yorkshire Regiment
)
, march = ''Ça Ira''
, battles = Namur FontenoyFalkirk Culloden Brandywine
, anniversaries = Imphal (22 June)
The West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (14th Foot) was ...
. He was awarded a
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC i ...
, the citation reading thus: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. With a few men he dispersed a fighting patrol of the enemy. Later, he assisted to bring in a wounded man under heavy fire. He has at all times set a fine example of courage and determination." Smith wrote poetry, and a collection of his work, entitled "The Great Sacrifice, and other poems" was published by Erskine MacDonald Ltd in 1917.
St Michael's, Observatory
Smith served as the fourth rector at the Parish of
St Michael and All Angels in
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
, Cape Town. His wife had a unique role in St Michael's history: in 1927 an unusually well attended annual vestry meeting was held where the vexed question was to be raised, as to whether ladies were eligible for election to the church council. The motion was then defeated but, three years later, Mary Smith, the wife of the rector, became the first woman member, "since when many have served with great advantage to the parish."
St Cyprian's Cathedral, Kimberley
From Observatory, Smith went to Kimberley as its third dean and eleventh rector of
St Cyprian's, being installed at the cathedral on 27 April 1941.
Retiring in 1953, Smith was back in Kimberley on 23 August 1959 to lay the foundation stone of the memorial tower.
Mary Smith was well known in Kimberley for her stage appearances in David Sanders'
Boys' High School Players productions, and for her role in the musical life of the city, playing viola in the Kimberley Concert Orchestra under Tommy Marnitz and in an active chamber music group.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Francis William
Deans of Kimberley
20th-century South African Anglican priests
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing