Rt. Hon. Cecil CLEMENTI-SMITH GCMG

  General Notes:

The Peerage:
Rt. Hon. Sir Cecil Clementi-Smith was baptised on 13 June 1840 at St. Botolph Aldgate, London, England. He was the son of Reverend John Smith and Ceceilia Susanna Clementi. He married Teresa Newcomen, daughter of Arthur Newcomen and Teresa Vansittart, in 1869 at St. George Hanover Square, London, England. He died on 6 February 1916 at age 75.
He graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, with a Master of Arts (M.A.).2 He was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.). He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross, Order of St. Michael and St. George (G.C.M.G.).

Cecil Clementi Smith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Smith's nephew Sir Cecil Clementi, who also served as a colonial governor in Singapore.

Son of an Essex rector John Smith and his wife Ceceilia Susanna Clementi (d/o Muzio Clementi), Cecil Clementi-Smith received his education at St Paul's School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.[1] In 1864 he began his civil service career as a cadet interpreter in Hong Kong, learning much about the Chinese culture and gradually became an accomplished scholar of the Chinese culture.
Civil Service:
In 1878 he took office as a Colonial Secretary in the Straits Settlements (now Singapore), and understudied with then-Governor Frederick Weld. His knowledge of Chinese culture and competency in the language proved useful as he was able to communicate effectively with leaders of the growing Chinese community. He become known for his effective work in quelling Chinese secret societies in the Straits Settlements, such as those in Singapore which had been terrorising locals for decades. He also established the Queen's Scholarships in 1889 to fund bright Singaporean students to further their studies in top British universities.

Only in 1887 was he appointed Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner till 1893. Having been a popular governor, the local Chinese community petitioned for his continuation as governor when he left Singapore in 1893.

He was Lieutenant Governor of Ceylon, and the Master of the Mercers' Company in 1897.

He was president of the commission of Inquiry on the Trinidad riots in 1903 and was Chief British delegate to International Opium Conference at The Hague in 1909.
Family

Cecil Clementi-Smith married Teresa Alice Newcomen in 1869, they had two children, Beatrice, b:c. 1872 & Lt-Colonel Eustace, b: c. 1879. Cecil Clementi-Smith died in Welwyn Garden City, aged 77. His nephew is Sir Cecil Clementi who also served in administrative positions in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Clementi Road (former Reformatory Road) and the neighbourhood of Clementi in western Singapore were named after him.

Cecil married Teresa Alice NEWCOMEN, daughter of Arthur NEWCOMEN and Theresa VANSITTART, in 1869. (Teresa Alice NEWCOMEN was christened on 15 Aug 1846 in Kirkleatham, York, England and died in Oct-Dec 1916 in Westhampnett, Sussex, England ¹.)