The Right Hon. James Parker Smith of Jordanhill MP FRSE (1854–1929) was a Scottish barrister and politician who served as

Liberal Unionist The Liberal Unionist Party was a British political party that was formed in 1886 by a faction that broke away from the Liberal Party. Led by Lord Hartington (later the Duke of Devonshire) and Joseph Chamberlain, the party established a politic ...

MP for

Partick Partick ( sco, Pairtick, Scottish Gaelic: ''Partaig'') is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch, to the east Yorkhill and Kelvingrove Park (across the River Kelvin), and ...

. He was first elected at a by-election in 1890, but lost the seat in 1906. He was a

Cambridge Apostle The Cambridge Apostles (also known as ''Conversazione Society'') is an intellectual society at the University of Cambridge founded in 1820 by George Tomlinson, a Cambridge student who became the first Bishop of Gibraltar.W. C. Lubenow, ''The ...

. He had previously contested Greenock and Paisley.

Life

He was born on 30 August 1854 the son of

Archibald Smith Archibald Smith of Jordanhill (10 August 1813, in Greenhead, North Lanarkshire – 26 December 1872, in London) was a Scots-born barrister and amateur mathematician. Early life and education He was the only son of James Smith FRSE (178 ...

Jordanhill Jordanhill ( sco, Jordanhull, gd, Cnoc Iòrdain)
is an ...

(son of

James Smith of Jordanhill James Smith of Jordanhill FRSE FRS MWS (1782–1867) was a Scottish merchant, antiquarian, architect, geologist, biblical critic and man of letters. An authority on ancient shipbuilding and navigation, his works included "Newer Pliocen ...

) and his wife, Susan Emma Parker. Although his father was Scottish he was born in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

and spent much of his life in England. He was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

. He then studied law at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

graduating MA. He qualified as a barrister in 1888. From 1890 to 1906 his interests changed from law to politics. In January 1900, Smith was appointed assistant private secretary (unpaid) to

Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the C ...

, Secretary of State for the Colonies. He held this post until 1903. In 1915 he returned to

as a fellow and as warden to the college. He later became a director of the Union Bank of Scotland. In 1921 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were

Frederick Orpen Bower Frederick Orpen Bower FRSE FRS (4 November 1855 – 11 April 1948) was an English botanist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1891. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Linnean Society in 1909 and the Darwin Medal of the Ro ...

Ralph Allan Sampson Ralph Allan (or Allen) Sampson FRS FRSE LLD (25 June 1866 – 7 November 1939) was a British astronomer. Life Sampson was born in Schull, County Cork in Ireland, then part of the UK. He was the fourth of five children to James Sampson, a Corn ...

, Sir

Edmund Taylor Whittaker Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker (24 October 1873 – 24 March 1956) was a British mathematician, physicist, and historian of science. Whittaker was a leading mathematical scholar of the early 20th-century who contributed widely to applied mathema ...

and Sir James A. Ewing. He died at the Brooks's Club in London on 30 April 1929.

Family

In 1882 he was married to Mary Louisa Hamilton. They were parents to Archibald Colin Hamilton Parker Smith, 5th laird of Jordanhill, and Wilmot Babington Parker Smith. His brothers included

Arthur Hamilton Smith Arthur Hamilton Smith, FBA (1860–1941) was a British museum curator and archaeologist. His brothers were civil servant Henry Babington Smith and MP James Parker Smith. All three attended Trinity College, Cambridge and were members of the Camb ...

, Henry Babington Smith, Lt Commander Charles Stewart Smith and Rev Walter Edward Smith.

Publications

*''Preferential Voting'' (1884) *''The Causes of the Union with Ireland'' (1887)

References

1854 births 1929 deaths Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Glasgow constituencies UK MPs 1886–1892 UK MPs 1892–1895 UK MPs 1895–1900 UK MPs 1900–1906 Liberal Unionist Party MPs for Scottish constituencies Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom {{Scotland-UK-MP-stub