Chronology

• 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