MuoiBraley9009 at 22:40, 25 March 2026

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{{Short description|Scottish theologian (1856–1942)}}
{{Other people|George Smith}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific_prefix = [[Sir]]
|name = George Adam Smith
|image = File:Rev George Adam Smith in 1895.png
|caption = George Adam Smith in 1895
|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRSE|FBA}}
|order =
|title = Principal of the [[University of Aberdeen]]
|term_start = 1909
|term_end = 1935
|predecessor = [[John Marshall Lang|Reverend John Marshall Lang]]
|successor = [[William Hamilton Fyfe|Sir William Hamilton Fyfe]]
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1856|10|19||df=y}}
|birth_place = [[Calcutta]], India
|death_date = {{death date and age|1942|3|2|1856|10|19|df=y}}
|death_place = [[Balerno]], [[Edinburgh]], Scotland
|education = [[Royal High School, Edinburgh]]
|alma_mater = [[University of Edinburgh]]
|profession = Theologian
|spouse = {{marriage|Alice Lillian Buchanan|1889}}
|children = 7, including [[Alick Buchanan-Smith, Baron Balerno|Alick, Baron Balerno]] and [[Janet Adam Smith|Janet]]
}}

:''Note in particular that this George Smith is to be distinguished from [[George Smith (Assyriologist)]] (1840–1876) who researched in some overlapping areas.''
[[File:Queen's Cross Church - geograph.org.uk - 450233.jpg|thumb|Queen's Cross Church, Aberdeen]]
[[File:The grave of George Adam Smith, Currie Churchyard.jpg|thumb|300px|The grave of George Adam Smith, [[Currie, Edinburgh|Currie]] Churchyard]]
'''Sir George Adam Smith''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|FRSE|FBA}} (19 October 1856 – 3 March 1942) was a Scottish theologian. He was the [[Principal of the University of Aberdeen]] between 1909 and 1935 and an important figure in the [[United Free Church of Scotland]]. His [[magnum opus]] was ''[[The Historical Geography of the Holy Land]]'', published in 26 editions between 1894 and 1935.

==Life==
He was born in [[Calcutta]], where his father, [[George Smith (1833-1919)|George Smith]], [[Order of the Indian Empire|C.I.E.]], was then Principal of the Doveton College, a boys' school in [[Madras]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} His mother was Janet Colquhoun Smith (née Adam).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://genealogy.links.org/links-cgi/readged?/home/ben/camilla-genealogy/current+!0:156598+2-2-0-1-0|title = George SMITH}}</ref> By 1870 the family had returned to [[Scotland]] and were living at Scagore House in [[Seafield, Edinburgh]].

He was educated at [[Edinburgh]] in the [[Royal High School (Edinburgh)|Royal High School]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} He then studied Divinity at the [[University of Edinburgh]] and the [[New College, Edinburgh|New College]], graduating MA in 1875.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

After studying for summer semesters as a postgraduate at the [[University of Tübingen]] (1876) and the [[University of Leipzig]] (1878) and travelling in [[Egypt]] and [[Syria]], he was ordained into the [[Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)|Free Church of Scotland]] in 1882 and served at the Queen's Cross Free Church in [[Aberdeen]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=18 July 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1892 he was appointed Professor of Hebrew<ref>{{Cite journal|jstor = 3140304|title = The Rev. George Adam Smith, D.D., Professor of Hebrew in the Free Church College, Glasgow, Scotland|journal = The Biblical World|volume = 8|issue = 1|pages = 1–7|last1 = Bruce|first1 = Alexander Balmain|year = 1896|doi = 10.1086/471902|s2cid = 144129947|doi-access = free}}</ref> and [[Old Testament]] subjects in the [[Trinity College, Glasgow|Free Church College]] at [[Glasgow]]. In 1900 (at its creation) he moved from the Free Church of Scotland to the [[United Free Church of Scotland]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=18 July 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1909, he was appointed Principal and Vice Chancellor of the [[University of Aberdeen]], a post he held until his retirement in 1935. He was elected a [[Fellow of the British Academy]] in 1916, and was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the same year.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29483 |date=22 February 1916 |pages=1946–1947}}</ref>

He served as [[Moderator of the General Assembly]] of the United Free Church of Scotland in 1916-17.<ref>These facts of his life are largely drawn from S.A. Cook,'George Adam Smith 1856-1942', ''Proceedings of the British Academy'', vol.xxviii (London: Oxford University Press).</ref>

In 1917, he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were [[John Horne]], [[Cargill Gilston Knott]], [[Ben Peach]] and [[John Sutherland Black]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|access-date=18 July 2018|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074135/https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp2.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He was appointed a [[Ecclesiastical Household|Chaplain-in-Ordinary]] to King [[George V]] in 1933,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=33983 |date=3 October 1933|page=6351}}</ref> and reappointed by King [[Edward VIII]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34306 |date=20 July 1936 |page=4665}}</ref> and King [[George VI]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=34376 |date=2 March 1937 |page=1407}}</ref>

From 1924 to 1938 he was Patron of the [[Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seventradesofaberdeen.co.uk/patrons-over-the-years/#|website=Seven Incorporated Trades of Aberdeen|title=Patrons}}</ref>

He died at home, "Sweethillocks" in [[Balerno]] south-west of [[Edinburgh]] on 3 March 1942. He is buried with his wife and children in the north-east corner of [[Currie, Edinburgh|Currie]] Cemetery in south-west [[Edinburgh]].{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

==Family==
In 1889 he married Alice Lillian Buchanan (1866-1949), daughter of [[George Buchanan (physician)|Sir George Buchanan]] MD FRS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.glasgowwestaddress.co.uk/1909_Glasgow_Men/Smith_Rev_George_Adam.htm|title=Rev. George Adam Smith}}</ref> They had seven children:

*George Buchanan Smith (1890-1915);
*Robert Dunlop Smith (1892-1917);
*Lilian May Buchanan Drew (1894-1980);
*[[Alick Buchanan-Smith, Baron Balerno]] (1898-1984);
*Kathleen Paget Thomson (1900-1941), married [[George Paget Thomson]];
*[[Janet Adam Smith]] (1905-1999);
*Margaret Buchanan Smith Clarke (1910-2000).

==Works==
*[https://archive.org/details/bookofisaia01smitb ''The Book of Isaiah'' (The Expositor’s Bible)] (Vol.1., 1888)
*[https://archive.org/details/bookofisaia02smit ''The Book of Isaiah'' (The Expositor’s Bible)] (Vol.2., 1890)
*''The Preaching of the Old Testament to the Age'' (1893)
*''[[The Historical Geography of the Holy Land]]'' (1894-1935, 26 editions)
*''Four Psalms: XXIII, XXXVI, LII, CXXI, Interpreted for Practical Use'' (1896)
*''The Book of the Twelve Prophets'' (The Expositor’s Bible) (2 vols., 1896, 1898)
*''The Life of [[Henry Drummond (evangelist)|Henry Drummond]]'' (1899).
*''Modern Criticism and Preaching of the Old Testament'' (1901)
*''[[Encyclopaedia Biblica]]'' (contributor) (1903)
*''The Forgiveness of Sins, and other Sermons'' (1905)
*[https://archive.org/details/cu31924083674295 ''Jerusalem: The Topography, Economics and History from the Earliest Times to A.D. 70''] (Vol 1., 1907)
*[https://archive.org/details/cu31924083674154 ''Jerusalem: The Topography, Economics and History from the Earliest Times to A.D. 70''] (Vol 2., 1907)
*''The Early Poetry of Israel in its Physical and Social Origins'' (the [[Schweich Lectures]] for 1910)
*''War and peace: Two Sermons in King’s College Chapel, University of Aberdeen'' (1915)
*''[[Atlas of the Historical Geography of the Holy Land]]'' (HGHL; 1915)[http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/cul/texts/ldpd_7032971_000/ldpd_7032971_000.pdf]
*''Syria and the Holy Land'' (1918)
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=42BbAAAAMAAJ ''The Book of Deuteronomy, in the Revised Version, with Introduction and Notes''] (1918)
*''Our Common Conscience: Addresses delivered in America during the Great War'' (1919)
*''Jeremiah'' (the [[Baird Lecture]] for 1922)
*''The Kirk in Scotland 1560 – 1929'' (with [[John Buchan]]) (1930)
*''The Legacy of Israel'' (with others) (1944)
*''The Book of the Twelve Prophets'' (1906)

==Bibliography==
* Iain D. Campbell, ''Fixing the Indemnity: The Life and Work of Sir George Adam Smith (1856-1942)'' (Carlyle, Paternoster Press, 2004) (Paternoster Theological Monographs - PTM).

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Smith, George Adam|volume=25|page=261}}

== External links ==
* {{Gutenberg author |id=5016| name=George Adam Smith}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=George Adam Smith |sopt=t}}

{{S-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{S-bef| before = [[John Marshall Lang|Reverend John Marshall Lang]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = [[Principal of the University of Aberdeen|Principal and Vice-Chancellor]] of the [[University of Aberdeen]]|years = 1909—1935}}
{{s-aft|after= [[William Hamilton Fyfe|Sir William Hamilton Fyfe]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Principals of the University of Aberdeen}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, George Adam}}
[[Category:1856 births]]
[[Category:1942 deaths]]
[[Category:Scottish Christian theologians]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Aberdeen]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Fellows of the British Academy]]
[[Category:Christian clergy from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Historians of Israel]]
[[Category:Palestinologists]]
[[Category:Principals of the University of Aberdeen]]
[[Category:19th-century ministers of the Free Church of Scotland]]
[[Category:19th-century Scottish Presbyterian ministers]]

George Adam Smith - Revision history

MuoiBraley9009 at 22:40, 25 March 2026