Background
Goldsmid was the son of Frederick Goldsmid and his wife Caroline Samuel. His father was a banker and Member of Parliament for Honiton.
Goldsmid was the son of Frederick Goldsmid and his wife Caroline Samuel. His father was a banker and Member of Parliament for Honiton.
Goldsmid was educated privately until he entered University College, London.
In 1864 he became a fellow of University College, and was also called to the Barometer After a brief period on the Oxford circuit, he gave up practicing law when he was elected to parliament. Goldsmid was first stood for Parliament at a by-election in February 1864 for the borough of Brighton, without success, and he was defeated again at the 1865 general election, when he contested Cirencester.
In that year, Goldsmid inherited Somerhill House near Tonbridge, Kent, on the death of his father.
Honiton was disfranchised in 1868 by the Reform Acting of 1867 and at the 1868 general election Goldsmid stood unsuccessfully for Mid Surrey. He was elected for Rochester at a by-election in 1870 and held the seat until his defeat at the 1880 general election.
In 1879, Goldsmid began expanding Somerhill to accommodate his large family - he had eight daughters. The work took until 1897 to complete.
He then contested a by-election in May 1880 for Sandwich, and was returned to the Commons after a five-year absence at the 1885 general election as Member of Parliament for Street Pancras South, holding that seat until his death in 1896.
In 1894 Goldsmid was deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. He also bore the Portuguese title of Baron de Goldsmid e da Palmeira. His business interests included being chairman of the Submarine Telegraph Company and the Imperial and Continental Gas Association, and he was a director of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway.
A steam locomotive was named Goldsmid after him in 1892.
He was vice-chancellor of the University of London when he died. He was Deputy lieutenant of Kent, Sussex, and Berkshire, J. P. for Kent, Sussex, and London, colonel of the 1st Sussex Rifle Volunteers, and honorary colonel of the 1st Sussex Artillery Volunteers.
"Julian Road" in the estate is named after him. In 1868 Goldsmid married Virginia Philipson of Florence and had eight daughters.
19th United Kingdom Parliament. 20th United Kingdom Parliament. 21st United Kingdom Parliament.
23rd United Kingdom Parliament.
24th United Kingdom Parliament. 25th United Kingdom Parliament]
He was elected unopposed as a Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Honiton at a by-election in March 1866.
Goldsmid was treasurer of University College in 1880-1881 and was a member of the council of University College Hospital.