He was born at
Gask, near
Perth, was educated at the school at Perth, and in 1553 incorporated a student in
St. Salvator's College, St. Andrews. A promising scholar, he was made a regent of the college, and remained there until the reformers gained the ascendency. He was then ejected, and went to Paris. There he associated with many of the reformers, and enjoyed the friendship of
Andrew Melville. Still a Catholic, he entered the
Company of Jesus as a probationer, and proceeded to their college at
Rome, visiting
Geneva on his way. After continuing in Rome about a year and a half, he found himself suspect in Rome as a favourer of Protestant doctrine. He left for Paris, and shortly after proceeded to
Clermont, in both places lecturing on the
humanities. In Paris in 1571, Thomas Maitland, a younger brother of
William Maitland of Lethington, persuaded Smeton to accompany him to Italy. Maitland died there, and Smeton went on to Geneva, where he conversed with the reformers, and finally decided to leave the Roman Catholic church. He was in Paris during the
massacre of St. Bartholomew, taking refuge with
Francis Walsingham, the English ambassador. On arriving in England he publicly renounced Catholicism, and settled in
Colchester as a schoolmaster. In 1577 he returned to Scotland, and was appointed minister of
Paisley Abbey and dean of faculty to Glasgow University. He soon took a prominent part in church matters. In October 1578 he was nominated one of the assessors to the moderator in the general assembly, and in the following year was himself chosen moderator. On 3 January 1580
James VI appointed him principal of Glasgow University, in succession to Andrew Melville. In April 1583 he was again chosen moderator of the general assembly. At this time Andrew Melville was anxious that Smeton should succeed him at the
University of St. Andrews, but the king, instigated by the prior of St. Andrews, who was opposed to the appointment, forbade his nomination, on the grounds of the loss it would inflict on the university of Glasgow. On his return to Glasgow Smeton was seized with a high fever, and died on 13 December 1583. He married before 1575, and had a son Thomas. ==Works==