Robert Smith (surgeon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Smith
FRCSE
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Smith (standing, fourth from left) in 1885
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| Born | Robert Smith 30 June 1840 Freetown, British Sierra Leone |
| Died | 4 July 1885 (aged 45) Charlotte Street, Freetown, British Sierra Leone |
| Nickname | Bob Smith |
| Occupation | Assistant Colonial Surgeon |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | British subject |
| Education | Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, University of Glasgow, University of Birmingham, University of Edinburgh |
| Spouse | Annie Mary Pine (married 1865–1885) |
Robert Smith (1840–1885), also known as Bob Smith, was a doctor from Sierra Leone. He worked as an Assistant Colonial Surgeon in Sierra Leone in the late 1800s. Smith was the first African to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He achieved this after studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
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Early Life of Robert Smith
Smith was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. At that time, Freetown was a British colony. His father was William Smith Jr., and his mother was Charlotte Smith. William Smith Jr. was the son of a Fante princess and a British judge. Charlotte Macaulay was a Liberated African. She was the daughter of a well-known colonial figure. Robert Smith was the second of seven children from his parents' first marriage.
Robert Smith's Education
Robert Smith first went to the Church Missionary Society Grammar School in Freetown. In 1855, he moved to England. He attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield in Yorkshire. After finishing high school, he went to a medical school in Glasgow. He completed his studies in 1865. He earned degrees in both medicine and surgery. On October 18, 1871, he became the first West African to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.
Robert Smith's Medical Career
After finishing his medical degree, Smith returned to Sierra Leone. He worked as a deputy inspector for the Health and Shipping Department. Smith was a very popular doctor in Freetown. Many older people in the Settler Town and Maroon Town areas wanted him as their doctor. Because of his kindness and skill, he was promoted. He eventually became an Assistant Colonial Surgeon.
Smith also taught at Fourah Bay College. He lectured on anatomy and physiology from 1879 to 1884. He taught many future Sierra Leonean doctors, including John Farrell Easmon. In 1881, he became a non-resident fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute.
Robert Smith's Family Life
On July 21, 1865, Smith married Annie Mary Pine. She was the daughter of Governor Benjamin Chilley Campbell Pine. The couple lived in Smith's family home on Charlotte Street. They had at least three children: Chilley Smith, Charlotte A. Smith, and Florence Mary Smith.
Smith had a brother named Francis Smith. Francis became the second Sierra Leonean to qualify as a lawyer. Smith's sister, Mary Smith, married Dr. William Broughton Davies. He was also a Sierra Leonean doctor.
Robert Smith also had a half-sister, Adelaide Casely-Hayford. She was a famous Sierra Leonean educator and writer. Smith had inherited property from his grandfather. He owned a house on Gloucester Street. After his death, his son Chilley inherited the property. Chilley provided a home for his aunts, Adelaide Casely-Hayford and Emma Smith.
Robert Smith's Death and Legacy
Smith died suddenly on July 4, 1885. He passed away from a serious illness called "malignant bilious intermittent fever." Smith was a well-liked person among the important people in Sierra Leone. He was vice-president and president of the Sierra Leone Eccentric Club.
Many people believed that Smith would eventually become the Colonial Surgeon. His death was the only thing that stopped him from getting this high position. After his death, fewer Sierra Leoneans had the chance to work for the colonial government in such important roles.
