James Webber Smith

Lieutenant-General James Webber Smith CB (1778–1853) was a British Royal Artillery officer who fought in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars.

Born on 19 November 1778 and christened on 5 August 1779 at the church of St Faith in Havant, Hampshire, he was legally the son of Rear-Admiral Charles Webber (1722-1783) and his second wife Anne Vining Heron (1748-1805). In fact his father was almost certainly William Smith (1721-1803), Treasurer of the Ordnance, who six months after the Admiral's death married Anne in the parish church of Saint Marylebone on 24 Nov 1783. The five year old James Webber then became the stepson of his probable father, who in his will left him a fortune provided he took the name and arms of Smith.

His legal father's brother, the Reverend William Webber (1724-1790), Canon Residentiary of Chichester Cathedral, was the husband of Anne Smith (1731-1806), his probable father's sister, and these two were parents of his first cousin, the Reverend Charles Webber who became Archdeacon of Chichester.

Smith received his commission as first lieutenant on 3 October 1795. He was promoted to captain cieutenant in 1802, to second captain in 1804, and to captain in 1806. He was present at the capture of Minorca in 1798, and at the siege of Malta in 1800, the defence of Porto Ferrajo in 1802, and in the expedition to Walcheren and siege of Flushing.

Smith then fought in the Peninsular War. Joining Wellington's army in January 1813 he attained the brevet rank of major in June 1813, the same month as he fought at Battle of Vittoria. He was present at the siege of San Sebastian from July to September 1813. In that September he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He fought at the passage of the Bidassoa in October 1813 and the Nive in December 1813, before returning to England in May 1814.

...
Wikipedia