Robert Percy Smith

Who was Robert Percy Smith?

Robert Percy Smith, known as "Bobus" Smith, was a British lawyer, Member of Parliament, and advocate-general of Bengal, India.

Smith was eldest son of Robert Smith, and brother of the writer and clergyman Sydney Smith. He entered Eton College in 1782, and became very intimate with John Hookham Frere, George Canning, and Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland. With them in 1786 he started the school magazine entitled "The Microcosm", which ran for forty volumes, and procured for Smith an introduction to Queen Charlotte. In 1788 he became a scholar on Dr. Battie's foundation, and in 1791 obtained Sir William Browne's medal for the best Latin ode. In the same year he entered King's College, Cambridge, and graduated B.A. in 1794 and M.A. in 1797. On 4 July of the same year he was called to the bar of Lincoln's Inn. In 1803, through the influence of William Petty, first Marquess of Lansdowne, and Sir Francis Baring, he obtained the appointment of Judge Advocate General of Bengal. In seven years he returned to England with a fortune, and settled in London. While in India he allowed his brother Sydney £100 a year, and on his return lent him £500 towards the expenses of his move into the country, and gave £100 a year to support Sydney's eldest son at Westminster.