Richard Smith (East India Company officer)

Richard Smith
Born	baptised 1734
Died	3 July 1803
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	British Army
Rank	Brigadier-General
Commands held	Indian Army

Brigadier-General Richard Smith (baptised 1734 – 3 July 1803) was Commander-in-Chief, India of the East India Company (Bengal).

He was the eldest son of John Smith, cheesemonger, of Jermyn Street, St. James’s, in what is now central London.

He served in India as an ensign in the Madras Army in 1752, rising to the rank of captain. In 1761 returned to London and became a prominent shareholder in the East India Company.

When he went out to India again in 1764 it was as Colonel of one of the East India Company's three brigades. In 1767 he was promoted to Commander-in-Chief, India. He was made Brigadier-General in 1768 before retiring in 1770.

In 1774 he went into politics as Member of Parliament for Hindon, later serving as MP for Wendover in 1780 and as MP for Wareham in 1790. He was appointed High Sheriff of Berkshire for 1779–80.

He became notorious as a nabob, one of the Englishmen returned from India with considerable wealth, and may have served as a "type" for Samuel Foote's 1772 play of that title. He was satirically attacked by a Captain Joseph Price and a portrait of him appeared opposite that of Elizabeth Armistead (one of the favourite courtesans, and eventually the wife, of Charles James Fox) in Town and Country Magazine. He gambled huge amounts, on horses and at cards, and is said to have lost heavily to Fox.

...
Wikipedia