SMITH, Charles (1756-1814), of Suttons, Essex.

Smith (then described as of Mile End) purchased the Suttons estate for £15,725 in 1787 and consolidated his position as an Essex landowner by buying Lord Petre’s Stanford estate in 1796.VCH Essex, iv. 212, 236; Hasted, Blackheath, 194. Smith’s father was a cousin of Nathaniel Smith*. He also invested in East India Company stock. He was a paying guest in Parliament, sitting in turn on the Buller interest and Lord Abingdon’s. He supported Pitt’s ministry, voting for the assessed taxes, 4 Jan. 1798. His only speech would appear to have been in support of the bill against artisans’ combinations, 10 June 1799. He married a daughter of Addington’s friend Joshua Smith and did not at first oppose Addington. On 3 June 1803, however, he seems to have joined Pitt’s minority and on 23 Apr. 1804 was allegedly in the minority for Fox’s defence motion. Yet it seems that on 15 June 1804 he joined Addington (and his father-in-law) in opposing Pitt’s additional force bill. In September he was listed a doubtful Addingtonian. On 1 Mar. 1805 he was in the minority for Giles’s motion to continue the naval commissioners of inquiry. On 8 Apr. and 12 June 1805 he voted for the censure and criminal prosecution of Melville and was duly listed ‘Sidmouthite’ in July. When Lord Sidmouth took office in the Grenville ministry, he supported them, voting for the repeal of Pitt’s Additional Force Act, 30 Apr. 1806. He does not appear to have attempted to come into Parliament again, though Joseph Holden Strutt seems to have considered him a suitable candidate for Maldon in 1810.Add. 37295, f. 384. He died 9 May 1814.