Alexander Abel Smith

Sir Alexander Abel Smith KCVO TD JP (18 September 1904 – 17 April 1980) was a British Army officer and merchant banker from the Smith banking family.^[1][2]

Sir Alexander Abel Smith
Born	(1904-09-18)18 September 1904 Belgravia, London
Died	17 April 1980(1980-04-17) (aged 75) Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Occupations	British Army officer Merchant banker
Known for	Chairman of the Pressed Steel Company from 1955 to 1965
Spouses	Elizabeth Morgan ​ ​ (m. 1936; died 1948)​ Henriette Cadogan ​ (m. 1953)​
Relatives	Lucy Abel Smith (daughter-in-law)

Early life and education

Abel Smith was born at Chesham Place, Belgravia, the youngest son of Francis Abel Smith (1861–1908) of Wilford House, Nottinghamshire, and Madeline St Maur Seymour, daughter of Rev. Henry Seymour (1825-1911), a cousin of the Duke of Somerset.^[3] His elder brother was Col. Sir Henry Abel Smith, Governor of Queensland. He was educated at Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford.^[4]

Career

After university, Abel Smith worked in JP Morgan in New York.^[5]

Abel Smith served in Anti-Aircraft Command in World War II, and then joined the British Army Staff, Washington.^[4] He was an honorary Brigadier in the British Army. From about 1946 he was a partner in J. Henry Schroder Wagg.^[5] He was Chairman of the Pressed Steel Company from 1955 to 1965 and of Provident Mutual Life Assurance Association Ltd. from 1966 to 1973.^[1]

Personal life

Abel Smith married in 1936 Elizabeth Morgan, who died in 1948. Secondly, he was the second husband of Henriette, Lady Abel Smith, Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth II.^[4] His son, engineer David Francis Abel Smith, married author Lucy Abel Smith.^[6][7]

Abel smith resided at Quenington Old Rectory, in Cirencester. In 1980, he died suddenly after a fall.^[8]