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John Taylor Smith

(1860-1938), Bishop of Sierra Leone and Chaplain-General to the Forces

Sitter in 2 portraits
After briefly working for a jewellery business, Smith trained for the priesthood. His aptitude for preaching made him ideal for missionary work, and in 1891 he left England to work in Sierra Leone. In 1896, while working as army chaplain to the Asante expeditionary force, Smith cared for the dying Prince Henry of Battenberg. After personally delivering a message to the Prince's mother-in-law, Queen Victoria, Smith was made her honorary chaplain. He was appointed Bishop of Sierra Leone in 1897, a position he resigned from in 1901 due to poor health. Smith then took up the position of chaplain-general to the forces, a role he held for twenty years.

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John Taylor Smith, by Reginald Haines - NPG x159476

John Taylor Smith

by Reginald Haines
vintage print, 1920s
NPG x159476

Web image not currently available

John Taylor Smith

by James Russell & Sons
albumen cabinet card, circa 1900s
NPG x159478

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