1771 June 3rd Sydney Smith born at Woodford, Essex.

1782 Starts as pupil at Winchester.

1789 Lives in Normandy for a few months to improve his French.

1789 Student at New College, Oxford.

1794 Takes his M.A. degree. Appointed Curate of Netheravon, takes Holy Orders in Church of England.

1797 Marries his brother, Robert Percy ‘Bobus’ Smith, to Miss Caroline Vemon.

1798 Appointed tutor to Michael Hicks Beach, war in Europe diverts proposed grand tour to Edinburgh.

1800 Marries Catherine Amelia Pybus on July 2. First published work, the six Charlotte Chapel sermons.

1802 Daughter, Saba, born. First issue of Edinburgh Review, October.

1803 Son, Noel, born and dies in infancy. Sydney and Catherine move to London.

1804-1806 Lectures on Moral Philosophy at Royal Institution, published posthumously as Elementary Sketches of Moral Philosophy in 1850. Preaches at Foundling Hospital and Fitzroy and Berkeley chapels in London.

1805 Son, Douglas, born.

1806 Appointed Rector of Foston, Yorkshire.

1807 Daughter, Emily, born. Peter Plymley Letters published in four pamphlets from summer, the last in early 1808.

1809 Ordered by Archbishop of York to reside at parish, moves to Heslington. Sermons published in two volumes.

1813 Son, Windham, born.

1814 Builds rectory in Foston, moving there from Heslington.

1828 Emily Smith marries Nathaniel Hibbert. Appointed Prebendary Canon of Bristol Cathedral. Stops writing for Edinburgh Review.

1829 Death of Douglas Smith. Exchanges living of Foston for Combe Florey, Somerset.

1831 Appointed Canon Residentiary of St. Paul's Cathedral.

1834 Saba Smith marries Dr. Henry Holland.

1837 Letters to Archdeacon Singleton published in three pamphlets(1837-9).

1839 Ballot, a pamphlet, and Works, in three volumes, published.

1843 Letters on American Debts published.

1845 Dies in London, February 22nd