Cecil Clementi Smith was born in 1840 in London. He was educated at St. Paul's School, London, and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. In 1862, he was elected one of the first student interpreters in Hong Kong and he served in various offices before advancing to the post of colonial treasurer of Hong Kong. In 1878, he was appointed colonial secretary of the Straits Settlement, where he remained until 1885. After serving as lieutenant governor and colonial secretary of Ceylon [Sri Lanka], Smith was appointed governor and commander-in-chief of the Straits Settlement in 1887, a post he held until 1893. In 1889, he was appointed high commissioner and consul-general for Borneo and Sarawak. He was knighted in 1886 and died in 1916.
From the guide to the Sir Cecil Smith collection, 1913, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)
