Sir Lionel Smith, 1st Baronet

General Sir Lionel Smith, 1st Baronet GCB GCH (9 October 1778 – 2 January 1842) was a British diplomat, colonial administrator, and soldier.

His mother was noted writer and feminist Charlotte Turner Smith.

Smith was Governor of Tobago in 1833 and then Governor of Barbados, Viceroy of the colony of Windward Islands and Grenada from 1833 to 1836.

He was awarded a Baronetcy on 19 July 1838 for his service as Governor of Jamaica from 1836 to 1839.

During his governorship, The United Kingdom passed the Abolition Act that stated that slavery "shall be and is hereby utterly abolished and unlawful". On 1 August 1838, Governor Sir Lionel read the Proclamation of Freedom to a crowd of 8,000 at the Celebration of emancipation in the Square of Spanish Town, the then capital of Jamaica. The day has since been a day of celebration on Jamaica and a public holiday since 1893.

He left Jamaica in 1839 having run into difficulties with the passing of the Prisons Act and dissolving Jamaica's Assembly.

Lionel Town, Clarendon, Jamaica is named after the Governor.

He was 5th Governor of Mauritius from 16 July 1840 to 2 January 1842.

Baronetage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Baronet (of Jamaica) 1838–1842	Succeeded by Lionel Smith-Gordon
Government offices
Preceded by Nathaniel Blackwell	Governor of Tobago 1833	Succeeded by Henry Darling
Preceded by Sir James Frederick Lyon	Governor of Barbados and the Windward Islands 1833–1836	Succeeded by Sir Evan John Murray MacGregor
Preceded by The Marquess of Sligo	Governor of Jamaica 1836–1839	Succeeded by Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt
Preceded by Sir William Nicolay	Governor of Mauritius 1840–1842	Succeeded by Sir William Maynard Gomm

References

• The Road to Freedom, Jamaica Gleaner
• Emancipation in the Jamaica Archives
• Prorogation of the Jamaica Assembly, History of Europe by Archibald Alison