Charles Culling Smith (c. 1775 – 26 May 1853) was a British politician and courtier, most noted as the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington.[1][2]

Early life

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Culling Smith was born in c. 1775. He was the son of Charles Smith, Governor of Madras, and nephew of Sir Culling Smith, 1st Baronet.[3] His grandfather, Thomas Smith, Esq. of Hadley, Middlesex, was a prosperous London merchant.[2]

Career

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Culling Smith's brother-in-law, the Marquess Wellesley, became Foreign Secretary in the Tory government of Spencer Perceval in 1809, and Culling Smith was appointed Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 13 December that year,[4] serving until 27 February 1812.[5] On 1 June 1812 he was one of the Esquires to his brother-in-law the Earl of Wellington at the latter's installation (by proxy) as a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath.[6]

Culling Smith served as an equerry to the Duke of York, and was present in that capacity at the funeral of Queen Charlotte on 8 December 1818,[7] while his son was there as Page of Honour.[8] On 14 August 1820 Culling Smith and his wife, son, daughter and step-daughters were among the mourners at the funeral of the Duchess of York.[9] His last service as equerry was at the Duke of York's funeral on 20 January 1827.[10]

On 13 March 1827 Culling Smith was made one of the Commissioners of the Board of Customs,[11] but he continued to attend state occasions including the funeral of the Duke of Gloucester on 11 December 1834[12] and the Duke of Wellington on 18 November 1852.[13][14]

Personal life

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'Love laughs at locksmiths-or-culling the duke! A farce lately performed in Upper Brook Street.' Print satirising Lord Worcester's marriage to Culling Smith's daughter, by Isaac Robert Cruikshank, 1822.

On 2 August 1799 he married Lady Anne FitzRoy (1768[15]–1844), widow of the Hon. Henry FitzRoy (fourth son of Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton) and only daughter of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington.[16] By this marriage he gained two stepdaughters:

His marriage to Lady Anne produced a further two children, a daughter and a son:

Culling Smith and Lady Anne lived in a grace-and-favour residence at Apartment 8, Hampton Court Palace.[24]

References

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  1. ^ "Smith, Culling Charles (c 1775-1853) Commissioner of Customs". The National Archives. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
  2. ^ a b Larionov, Denis; Zhulin, Alexander. "The Smith family". Ebooksread.com. pp. 13–21. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
  3. ^ Arthur Collins, The Baronetage of England, London 1808, p.508
  4. ^ Joseph Haydn and Horace Ockerby, The Book of Dignities, London 1894, reprinted Bath 1969, p. 229
  5. ^ 'Alphabetical list of officials', Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 8: Foreign Office Officials 1782-1870 (1979), pp. 58-82. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16902 Date accessed: 25 June 2011.
  6. ^ "No. 16609". The London Gazette. 2 June 1812. p. 1055.
  7. ^ "No. 17429". The London Gazette. 8 December 1818. p. 2200.
  8. ^ "No. 17429". The London Gazette. 8 December 1818. p. 2199.
  9. ^ "No. 17625". The London Gazette. 19 August 1820. p. 1585.
  10. ^ "No. 18328". The London Gazette. 24 January 1827. p. 179.
  11. ^ Haydn and Ockerby, p. 277
  12. ^ "No. 19221". The London Gazette. 16 December 1834. p. 2265.
  13. ^ "No. 21388". The London Gazette. 6 December 1852. p. 3559.
  14. ^ "No. 21388". The London Gazette. 6 December 1852. p. 3562.
  15. ^ William Jesse, The Life of George Brummell, Esq., commonly called Beau Brummell, London 1844, vol. I, p. 289
  16. ^ Patrick Cracroft-Brennan, Cracroft's Peerage: Mornington, Earl of (I, 1760) Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 12 June 2011.
  17. ^ a b Patrick Cracroft-Brennan, Cracroft's Peerage: Beaufort, Duke of (E, 1682). Accessed 12 June 2011.
  18. ^ a b c Jesse, p. 290
  19. ^ "No. 16582". The London Gazette. 10 March 1812. p. 470.
  20. ^ "No. 17473". The London Gazette. 1 May 1819. p. 755.
  21. ^ "No. 17886". The London Gazette. 11 January 1823. p. 43.
  22. ^ "No. 18273". The London Gazette. 1 August 1826. p. 1895.
  23. ^ "No. 18441". The London Gazette. 12 February 1828. p. 288.
  24. ^ Sarah E. Parker, Grace & Favour: A handbook of who lived where in Hampton Court Palace 1750 to 1950 Archived 2009-05-06 at the Wayback Machine, Historic Royal Palaces 2005, p.30