John Smith (Chancellor of the Exchequer)

John Smith (1656–1723) of Tedworth House, Hampshire, was an English politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1678 and 1723. He served as Speaker and twice as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

John Smith

Early life

Smith was the fourth, but only surviving, son of John Smith of Tedworth House, South Tidworth, Hampshire and his wife Mary Wright, daughter of Sir Edmund Wright, alderman, of London. His sister Anne married Sir Samuel Dashwood, MP and Lord Mayor of London. He matriculated at St John's College, Oxford, on 18 May 1672, aged 16, and was admitted at the Middle Temple in 1674.[1] He married Anne Steward, daughter of Sir Nicholas Steward, 1st Baronet, of Hartley Mauditt, Hampshire on 1 September 1679. Anne died in 1680 and he married secondly Anne Strickland, daughter of Sir Thomas Strickland of Boynton, Yorkshire by licence dated 7 November 1683. His father died in 1690 and he succeeded to his estate, and then to the estate of his uncle Thomas Smith in 1692.

Political career

Smith was a moderate Whig. He was first elected as Member of Parliament for Ludgershall at a contest in February 1679, but was defeated in the second election of the year in August. He stood again in 1681, and there was a double return, which was not resolved before the end of that Parliament. In 1689 he was returned unopposed as MP for Ludgershall.[2]

Tedworth House, as rebuilt in the 19th century

Smith was returned as MP for Bere Alston at a by-election on 15 December 1691. In 1694 he was appointed as a Lord of the Treasury and became a Privy Councillor on 23 May 1695. At the 1695 general election he was returned unopposed as MP for Andover. From 1695 to 1697 he was a Commissioner for Prize Appeals. He was returned unopposed again as MP for Andover at the 1698 general election. On 2 June 1699 he became Chancellor of the Exchequer. He was elected as MP for Andover again at the first general election of 1701, but although he was asked to continue as Chancellor, felt uncomfortable in a changed Parliament and resigned on 27 March 1701. In the second general election of 1701 and in that of 1702 he was re-elected MP for Andover. He was returned unopposed for Andover at the 1705 general election and was chosen as Speaker of the House of Commons in 1705. In 1706 he was a Commissioner for the Union with Scotland, and was the last Speaker of the House of Commons of England and after the Acts of Union 1707, became the first Speaker of the new House of Commons of Great Britain. At the 1708 general election Smith was returned unopposed as MP for Andover, and subsequently gave up his position as Speaker, when he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer again on 22 April 1708. He ceased to be Chancellor at the dissolution of Parliament on 11 August 1710, and was returned unopposed for Andover at the 1710 general election. He was then appointed to the lucrative post of Teller of the Exchequer. He refused to stand for Parliament at the 1713 general election, offended by suggestions that the ministry had him under control. His post of Teller of the Exchequer was renewed in 1714 and he held it for the rest of his life.[3]

Smith was returned as Member of Parliament for East Looe at the general elections in 1715 and 1722.[4]

Death and legacy

Smith died on 2 October 1723 and was buried in the old church at South Tidworth. He and his second wife had four sons and three daughters, including Mary Smith and Anne Smith, Lady Grant. His son Thomas was also a Whig Member of Parliament.

Coat of arms of John Smith

Escutcheon Quarterly: 1st & 4th: azure, two bars between three pheons or (for Smith) 2nd & 3rd: Argent, a mullet pierced sable (for Assheton)[5][6][7]

References

1. Foster, Joseph. "'Smith-Sowton', in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714, ed. Joseph Foster (Oxford, 1891), pp. 1368-1394". British History Online. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
2. "SMITH, John (c.1656-1723), of South Tidworth, Hants". History of Parliament Online (1660-1690). Retrieved 25 November 2018.
3. "SMITH, John I (c.1655-1723), of South Tidworth". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 25 November 2018.
4. "SMITH, John (?1655-1723), of South Tidworth, Hants". History of Parliament Online (1715-1754). Retrieved 17 May 2013.
5. Manning, James Alexander (1851). The Lives of the Speakers of the House of Commons, from the Time of King Edward III to Queen Victoria. G. Willis. p. 412. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
6. Burke, Sir Bernard (1852). A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland for 1852. Colburn and Company. p. 1248. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
7. Burke, Bernard (1864). The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Harrison & sons. p. 936. Retrieved 20 February 2019.

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Courtney, William Prideaux (1898). "Smith, John (1655-1723)". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 53. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Political offices
Preceded by Charles Montagu	Chancellor of the Exchequer of England 1699–1701	Succeeded by Hon. Henry Boyle
Preceded by Robert Harley	Speaker of the House of Commons of England 1705–1706	Succeeded by last incumbent
Preceded by first incumbent	Speaker of the House of Commons of Great Britain 1707–1708	Succeeded by Richard Onslow
Preceded by Hon. Henry Boyle	Chancellor of the Exchequer of Great Britain 1708–1710	Succeeded by Robert Harley
Preceded by James Vernon	Teller of the Exchequer 1710–1712	Succeeded by The Lord Mansel
Preceded by The Lord Mansel	Teller of the Exchequer 1714–1723	Vacant Title next held by George Treby
Parliament of England
Preceded by William Ashburnham George Legge	Member of Parliament for Ludgershall 1679 With: Thomas Neale	Succeeded by Thomas Neale John Garrard
Preceded by Henry Clerke Thomas Neale	Member of Parliament for Ludgershall 1689–1690 With: John Deane	Succeeded by John Deane Thomas Neale
Preceded by Sir Francis Drake John Swinfen	Member of Parliament for Bere Alston 1691–1695 With: John Swinfen 1691–1694 Sir Henry Hobart 1694–1695	Succeeded by John Elwill Sir Henry Hobart
Preceded by Francis Powlett John Pollen	Member of Parliament for Andover 1695–1707 With: Sir Robert Smyth 1695–1698 Anthony Henley 1698–1701 Francis Shepheard 1701–1707	Succeeded by Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Parliament of England	Member of Parliament for Andover 1707–1713 With: Francis Shepheard 1707–1708 William Guidott 1708–1713	Succeeded by William Guidott Sir Ambrose Crowley
Preceded by Sir Charles Hedges Edward Jennings	Member of Parliament for East Looe 1715–1724 With: Sir James Bateman 1715–1718 Horatio Walpole 1718–1722 William Lowndes 1722–1724	Succeeded by Viscount Malpas William Lowndes