Charles Culling Smith

Charles Culling Smith, sometimes called Culling Charles Smith (c. 1775^[1] – 26 May 1853^[2]) was a British politician and courtier.

Family

He was the son of Charles Smith, Governor of Madras, and nephew of Sir Culling Smith, 1st Baronet.^[3]

On 2 August 1799 he married Lady Anne Fitzroy (13 March 1768^[4] – 16 December 1844), widow of the Hon. Henry Fitzroy (13 September 1765 – 19 March 1794; fourth son of Charles Fitzroy, 1st Baron Southampton) and only daughter of Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington.^[5] By this marriage he gained two stepdaughters:

• Anne Caroline Fitzroy, died 16 December 1835
• Georgiana Frederica Fitzroy (3 October 1792 – 11 May 1821), married 25 July 1814 Henry Somerset, Marquess of Worcester,^[6] with two daughters.^[7]

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

• Emily Frances Smith (3 March 1800 – 2 October 1889^[8]), married 29 June 1822 her half-sister's widower Lord Worcester, who succeeded his father as 7th Duke of Beaufort in 1835. They had one son and six daughters.^[7]
• Frederick William Culling Smith (died 19 June 1828), a godson of the Duke of York.^[9] He was made a Page of Honour on 13 March 1812^[10] and commissioned as a Cornet in the 2nd Dragoon Guards on 22 April 1819.^[11] He transferred into the Coldstream Guards as an Ensign on 18 January 1820^[9] and reached the rank of Lieutenant in that regiment before promotion to the Royal Horse Guards as a Captain on 2 January 1823.^[12] On 1 August 1826 he was promoted to the rank of Major of Infantry on the unattached list,^[13] and joined the 80th Regiment of Foot on 17 January 1828.^[14] He died at Malta later that year, aged twenty-six.^[9]

Charles Culling Smith and Lady Anne lived in a grace-and-favour residence at Apartment 8, Hampton Court Palace.^[15]

Life

Charles 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,^[16] serving until 27 February 1812.^[17] 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.^[18]

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,^[19] while his son was there as Page of Honour.^[20] 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.^[21] His last service as equerry was at the Duke of York's funeral on 20 January 1827.^[22]

On 13 March 1827 Culling Smith was made one of the Commissioners of the Board of Customs,^[23] but he continued to attend state occasions including the funeral of the Duke of Gloucester on 11 December 1834^[24] and the Duke of Wellington on 18 November 1852.^[25][26]

References