Smith or Smythe, Sir Thomas, a great merchant and first treasurer of the Virginia Company of London, born about 1558, son of Sir Thomas Smythe, of Ostenhanger in Kent, a merchant of large wealth, who at the coming of the Armada lent Queen Elizabeth £1000, and who, as collector of the customs, was generally known as "Mr. Customer Smith." The son was probably the most important merchant of his day, being at one time head of all the leading merchant companies of London. he was educated at Oxford, and went early into business. He was an incorporator of the Turkey Company in 1581, a principal member of the Russia Company in 1587, and the first on the list of those persons to whom Raleigh assigned (March 7, 1589) his interest in Virginia. He formed a friendship with the Earl of Essex and accompanied him to Cadiz in 1596, where he was knighted by him for gallantry. In 1599 he was sheriff of London, and in 1600 was first governor of the East India Company. In 1601 he was captain of the trained bands of London, and was arrested about this time for suspected complicity in the insurrection of Essex. He was confined a short time and was released from the Tower of London in September, 1602. King James regarded Essex's friends as his friends, and on May 13 knighted him at the Tower. In 1604 he was appointed, on account of his concern in the Muscovy Company, special ambassador to Russia. He visited the Czar at Jaroslav and obtained from him new privileges for the Muscovy Company. In 1603 he was reëlected governor of the East India Company and held the office till 1621; M. P. for Dunwich, 1604-11, and for Saltash, 1621-22.
In 1606 he was active in forming the Virginia Company and was appointed member of the Virginia Council in England, and treasurer of the company. He continued treasurer for twelve years. In 1618 he was appointed one of the commissioners of the navy and held that office till his death in 1625. In 1618 the Virginia Company divided into three parties — one composed of the lords and many gentlemen under the lead of Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick, and the Earl of Southampton; another consisting principally of merchants under the lead of Sir Thomas Smythe; and a third, "the faction of the auditors," under Sir Edwin Sandys. Smythe had been alienated from Rich on account of the marriage of his son John, a mere youth of 18, to a sister of the earl, without the privity of the father. So the first and third factions united, and elected Sir Edwin Sandys as treasurer in 1619. Smythe, doubtless knowing his defeat to be certain, declined to stand. He continued, however, governor of the East India Company and the Bermuda Islands Company. The factional disturbances in the Virginia Company continued to grow, and the Smythe faction, now reinforced by the earl of Warwick, assailed the government of the Virginia Colony as conducted by their adversaries, with such violence that King James finally had the charter abrogated in the courts in June, 1624. After this abrogation Smith was a member of the royal commission for Virginia affairs till his death, September 4, 1625. he was buried at Hone Church, Kent, where is to be seen a superb monument to his memory.
In estimating the services of Smythe to Virginia, while there is no doubt that he had its interest clearly to heart and gave largely of his time and money to the enterprise, his policy of ruling the settlers like a military camp and establishing martial law cannot be approved. On the general subject of explorations he had the noble and enlarged views. Besides performing the main part in establishing an English colony in Virginia, he aided and promoted many voyages to find a northwest passage to India — Henry Hudson's in 1610, Jonas Poole's in 1611, Captain Button's in 1612. Robert Fotherbie's in 1615,Robert Bileth and William Baffin's in 1616 when "Smith's Sound" was discovered and named for him. Indeed, his name was engrafted everywhere upon land and water beyond perhaps that of any other Englishman. He was besides the patron of many men of science, and his gifts and bequests were very numerous. He married three times, his third wife being Sarah, daughter of William Blount, Esq., by whom he had two sons — Thomas and John Smythe. The line of the former ended with the accomplished geographer the Eighth Viscount Strangford, who died in 1869, and the line of the latter expired with Sir Sidney Stafford Smythe, chief baron of the exchequer in 1772. The family always wrote the name Smythe, though it is generally rendered Smith. A portrait belonging to the Skinner's Company has been identified with Sir Thomas Smythe.
