He was born in
Calcutta on 24 August 1858, son of
George Smith (1833–1919), Principal of
Doveton Boy's College. His siblings included
Charles Aitchison Smith,
George Adam Smith and the mother of
Rab Butler. He was educated at Edinburgh University and the
Royal Military College, Sandhurst. Commissioned a
Second Lieutenant in the 22nd Regiment 1879, Smith became a Lieutenant in the Indian Staff Corps in 1882. He was appointed Private Secretary to the Lieut-Governor of the Punjab, 1883, and Settlement Officer, Sialkot in 1887. He was then appointed Deputy Commissioner, Hissar, 1896; Director of Land Records and Agriculture, Punjab 1897; Famine Commissioner, Rajputana, 1899; member of Horse and Mule-Breeding Commission, India 1900; and Political Agent, Phulkian States and Bhawalpur, 1901. Smith rose to become the Private Secretary to the Viceroy,
Lord Minto, from 1905 to 1910. He died 24 April 1921. ==Family==