Joseph Smith (Provost)

Joseph Smith (1670–1756) was an English churchman and academic, Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford from 1730.

The fifth son of William Smith, rector of Lowther, Westmorland, and younger brother of John Smith (1659–1715), he was born at Lowther, on 10 October 1670. On his father's death when he was five years old, his mother moved to Guisborough in Yorkshire, where he attended Guisborough grammar school. He went on to Durham School, and on 10 May 1689 he was admitted a scholar of The Queen's College, Oxford. In 1693 he was chosen a tabarder and graduated B.A. in 1694.

Smith proceeded M.A. by diploma in 1697, having accompanied Sir Joseph Williamson, his godfather, who was one of the British plenipotentiaries, to the negotiations for the Treaty of Ryswick as his private secretary. On 31 October 1698, in his absence, he was elected a fellow of the college. Soon after his return in 1700 he took holy orders and obtained from the Provost Timothy Halton the living of Iffley, near Oxford. In 1702 he was chosen to address Queen Anne on her visit to the university. In 1704 he was elected senior proctor, and dubbed "handsome Smith" to distinguish him from his colleague Thomas Smith of St John's College. In the same year Halton died, and friends proposed him as a candidate for Provost; but Smith backed William Lancaster, his former tutor, who was elected.

The new Provost presented Smith to London posts: Russell Court Chapel and the lectureship of Trinity Chapel, Hanover Square, which he held until 1731. He became also chaplain to Edward Villiers, 1st Earl of Jersey, who introduced him Queen Anne, gave him opportunities of preaching before her, and obtained for him the promise of the first vacant canonry in St George's Chapel. In 1708 he took the degrees of B.D. and D.D., and on 29 November was presented by the college to the rectory of Knights Enham and to the donative of Upton Grey, both in Hampshire. In 1716 he exchanged Upton Grey for the rectory of St Dionis, Lime Street, London.

...
Wikipedia