Alexander Abel Smith
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Sir Alexander Abel Smith
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|09|18|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Belgravia, London
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|04|17|1904|09|18|df=yes}}
| death_place = Cirencester, Gloucestershire
| occupation = {{Plainlist|
- British Army officer
- Merchant banker
}}
| known_for = Chairman of the Pressed Steel Company from 1955 to 1965
| spouse = {{Plainlist|
- {{Marriage|Elizabeth Morgan|1936|1948|end=d.}}
- {{Marriage|Henriette Cadogan|1953}}
}}
| relatives = Lucy Abel Smith (daughter-in-law)
}}
Sir Alexander Abel Smith {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO|TD|JP}} (18 September 1904 – 17 April 1980) was a British Army officer and merchant banker from the Smith banking family.{{Who's Who|title=Abel Smith, Sir Alexander|id=U151566|access-date=4 September 2021}}{{cite news |title= Obituary: Sir Alexander Abel Smith |work=The Times |publisher=The Times Digital Archive |date=19 April 1980|page= 14}}
Early life and education
Abel Smith was born at Chesham Place, Belgravia, the youngest son of Francis Abel Smith (1861–1908) of Wilford House, Nottinghamshire, and Madeline St Maur Seymour, daughter of Rev. Henry Seymour (1825-1911), a cousin of the Duke of Somerset.{{cite book |last1=Foster |first1=Joseph |title=The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of the British Empire |date=1882 |publisher=Nichols |page=182 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dSswAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA620&dq=Madeline |language=en}} His elder brother was Col. Sir Henry Abel Smith, Governor of Queensland. He was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford.{{cite book|last=Kelly's|title=Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes|year=1961|publisher=Kelly's Directories|page=1685}}
Career
After university, Abel Smith worked in JP Morgan in New York.{{cite book |last1=Roberts |first1=Richard |title=Schroders: Merchants & Bankers |date=27 July 2016 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-349-09650-3 |page=315 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pcS-DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA315 |language=en}}
Abel Smith served in Anti-Aircraft Command in World War II, and then joined the
British Army Staff, Washington. He was an honorary Brigadier in the British Army. From about 1946 he was a partner in J. Henry Schroder Wagg. He was Chairman of the Pressed Steel Company from 1955 to 1965 and of Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association Ltd. from 1966 to 1973.
Personal life
Abel Smith married in 1936 Elizabeth Morgan, who died in 1948. Secondly, he was the second husband of Henriette, Lady Abel Smith, Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II. His son, engineer David Francis Abel Smith, married author Lucy Abel Smith.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7KA-AQAAIAAJ |title=Debrett's People of Today |year=2006 |pages=2 |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Fokschaner |first=Serena |date=2019-05-11 |title=The house that dares to be different |language=en-GB |work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/11/the-house-that-dares-to-be-different |access-date=2023-12-03 |issn=0029-7712}}
Abel smith resided at Quenington Old Rectory, in Cirencester. In 1980, he died suddenly after a fall.{{cite news |title=Deaths |work=The Belfast News-Letter |publisher= |date=19 April 1980 |page= 24}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abel Smith, Alexander}}
Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Category:English justices of the peace
Category:British Army brigadiers of World War II
Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit
Category:Knights First Class of the Order of the Dannebrog
Category:People educated at Eton College
Category:Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
Category:Smith and Carington family
Category:Royal Artillery soldiers