Background
Smith was born and brought up in a crofting family in Shetland but moved to the port of Leith as a young manitoba
Smith was born and brought up in a crofting family in Shetland but moved to the port of Leith as a young manitoba
There he prospered as a businessman and became the Provost of Leith from 1908 to 1917, shortly before the town was incorporated into the city of Edinburgh. Having stood in the by-election as a Coalition Liberal, supporting the coalition government led by David Lloyd George, he stood at the 1922 general election as a National Liberal, but was defeated by the Liberal party candidate Robert William Hamilton. He is buried in Warriston Cemetery to the south-east of the vaults.
31st United Kingdom Parliament]
He was elected unopposed as the Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for the island constituency of Orkney and Shetland in a by-election in May 1921, following the death of the sitting Member of Parliament, Cathcart Wason.