Edward Selby Smyth
{{Short description|British Army general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Sir Edward Selby Smyth
| image = Edward Selby Smyth.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1819|03|31|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1896|09|22|1819|03|31|df=y}}
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial =
| birth_place = Belfast, Ireland
| death_place = England
| placeofburial_coordinates =
| nickname =
| allegiance =Canada
| branch =Canadian Militia
| serviceyears =
| rank =General
| unit =
| commands =General Officer Commanding the Militia of Canada
| battles =Fenian Rising
| awards =Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
General Sir Edward Selby Smyth, {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|KCMG}} (31 March 1819{{snd}} 22 September 1896) was a British General. He served as the first General Officer Commanding the Militia of Canada from 1874 to 1880.
Military career
Educated at Putney College in Surrey, Smyth was commissioned in to the 2nd Queen's Royal Regiment in 1841.{{Cite book |url=https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.08545 |title=The Canadian Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self-Made Men |volume=Ontario Volume |date=1880 |publisher=American Biographical Publishing Company |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127011159/http://www.accessgenealogy.com/scripts/data/database.cgi?file=Data&report=SingleArticle&ArticleID=0031969 |archive-date=27 November 2005 |url-status=live}} He went straight to India only returning with his Regiment to England as Adjutant of his Battalion in 1846. He went to South Africa in 1851 to protect the administration of the Orange River Sovereignty from attack by the Basotho and Khoikhoi people.
In 1853 he was made Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the 2nd Division in South Africa and then Adjutant and Quartermaster-General at British Army Headquarters in South Africa.
In 1861 he was appointed Inspector-General of the Militia in Ireland and was involved in suppressing the early stages of the Fenian Rising. He was appointed General Officer Commanding British Troops in Mauritius in 1870.
He was made General Officer Commanding the Militia of Canada in 1874: he carried out the role successfully and was thanked by the Governor-General of Canada for protecting Montreal from rioting.
Family
In 1848 he married Lucy Sophia Julia Campbell, daughter of Major-General Sir Guy Campbell, 1st Baronet and Pamela FitzGerald.
References
{{reflist}}
- {{cite encyclopedia |last=Cooke |first=O.A. |title=Sir Edward Selby Smyth |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |date=16 December 2013 |publisher=Historica Canada |edition=online |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-edward-selby-smyth}}
- {{cite web |title=General Sir Edward Selby Smyth KCMG |website=The Queen's Royal Surrey Regimental Association |url=http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/colonels_and_co/colonels/queens-royal-regiment/general-sir-edward-selby-smythe.shtml}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box|title=General Officer Commanding the Militia of Canada|before=Held by Commander-in-Chief, North America|after=Richard Luard|years=1874–1880}}
|-
{{s-bef | before=Frederick Wilkinson}}
{{s-ttl | title=Colonel of The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) | years=1893–1896}}
{{s-aft | after=Granville Chetwynd-Stapylton}}
|-
{{succession box|title=Colonel of the 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders|before=New Regiment|after=William Parke|years=1881–1893}}
|-
{{succession box|title=Colonel of the 72nd Regiment, Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders|before=Charles Gascoyne|after=Amalgamated into Seaforth Highlanders|years=1881}}
{{s-end}}
{{Commander of the Canadian Army}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smyth, Edward}}
Category:Military personnel from Belfast
Category:British Army generals
Category:Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George