Samuel Smith

The Reverend Dr. Samuel Smith was a prebendary (clergyman) of Westminster Abbey 1787-1808 and Head Master of Westminster School 1764-1788. He was buried in the north aisle of the nave of Westminster Abbey with his first two wives and son Thomas. The inscription on the gravestone, which has a white cross at the top, reads:

The Revd. SAMUEL SMITH L.L.D. late Prebendary of this Church and more than twenty four years Master of Westminster School who died March 23 1808 in the 77th year of his age. ANNA his first wife who died November 28 1789 in the 51st year of her age. SUSANNAH his second wife who died March 8th 1792 in the 43rd year of her age. JOHN his son by his second wife who died an infant June 29th 1792. Also THOMAS SMITH Esq. F.R.S. son of the above Revd Samuel Smith by his first wife Anna. He died the 15th day of March 1824 aged 47 years.

His first wife was Anna Jackson, his second Susannah daughter of the Reverend John Pettingal, minster of Duke Street Chapel in Westminster, and his third was Ann Pinckney by whom he had no children.

He was the son of Samuel Smith, a merchant of Westminster, and his wife Christian (Pain) and was educated at Westminster School and Cambridge university.

Children

The following children by his wife Anna were baptised in Westminster Abbey:

Samuel, who became Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, baptised 15th October 1765,

Anna baptised 27th August 1767 who married barrister James Wake and died in 1849,

Elizabeth baptised 8th February 1770 who married the Rev.Robert Nares and died in 1853,

Henry baptised 24th February 1774 who became a clergyman at Southwell Minster and married Frances Taunton,

Thomas baptised 24th February 1777, Fellow of the Royal Society, who died unmarried (as above),

Francis baptised 28th October 1778, a civil servant who died unmarried in 1828

By his second wife John and Susanna were baptised on 8 May 1792 but Susanna died young.

Dean Samuel Smith was also a prebendary of Southwell and Chaplain to the House of Commons and married Anne Brady (nee Barnett) in 1803. He died on 9th January 1841. Their sons Henry (d.1904), Charles (d.1855), Thomas (d.1861 in the Crimea) and William (d.1886) also went to Westminster School and three were ordained. Two served at the church at Dry Drayton in Cambridgeshire, like their father and grandfather.

Further reading

"The Record of Old Westminsters" by G.F. Russell Barker and A.H. Stenning, 1928