Sir Sidney Smith | |
---|---|
Born |
21 June 1764 Westminster, London, England |
Died | 26 May 1840 Paris, France |
(aged 75)
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1777–1814 |
Rank | Royal Navy Admiral |
Battles/wars |
|
Awards |
Order of the Sword Order of the Tower and Sword Knight Commander of the Bath |
Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, GCB, GCTE, KmstkSO, FRS (21 June 1764 – 26 May 1840) was a British naval officer. Serving in the American and French revolutionary wars, he later rose to the rank of admiral. Napoleon Bonaparte, reminiscing later in his life, said of him: "That man made me miss my destiny".
Sidney Smith, as he always called himself, was born into a military and naval family with connections to the Pitt family. He was the second son of Captain John Smith of the Guards, and was born at Westminster. Sidney Smith attended Tonbridge School until 1772. He joined the Royal Navy in 1777 and fought in the American Revolutionary War, where he saw action in 1778 against the American frigate Raleigh.
For his bravery under Rodney in the action near Cape St Vincent in January 1780, Sidney Smith was, on 25 September, appointed lieutenant of the 74-gun third-rate Alcide, despite being under the required age of nineteen.