Born in
Hertfordshire on 14 July 1935, he was educated at Hertford Grammar School (now
Richard Hale School) and
King's College London. He was
ordained in 1959. His first post was as an
assistant curate at All Saints'
Gosforth, after which he became the assistant curate of St Francis High Heaton. Following this, he was
Priest in Charge St Mary Magdalene, Longbenton and then
Vicar of Longhirst with Hebron. He next became Vicar of
St Mary's Monkseaton. He was subsequently the
Rural Dean of
Tynemouth and, in 1981, was collated
Archdeacon of Lindisfarne. In 1987, he was ordained to the
episcopate as
Bishop of Maidstone and was
translated in 1992 to be the
Bishop of Bradford (until 2002). From 1990 to 1992, he was also
Bishop to the Forces. Smith was a member of the
House of Lords from 1997 to 2002. In retirement, he continued to serve as an
honorary assistant bishop in the
Diocese of York and
Diocese of Europe. Smith was a
Fellow of King's College London (FKC) and, in 2001, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (
DUniv) from the
University of Bradford. Smith was married to Mary and had a son and a daughter. He died on 28 January 2024, at the age of 88. ==References==