Thomas Smyth

Thomas Smyth (born 1740, died 14 January 1785) was an Irish politician.

Life

Thomas Smyth died unmarried. He had been Mayor of Limerick twice (1764 and 1776) and Member of Parliament for the town from 1776 until his death. He was also Colonel of the Limerick Militia. He was succeeded as M.P. and Colonel of the Militia by his brother John Prendergast-Smyth. John had also inherited the estates of their uncle, Sir Thomas Prendergast, 2nd Bt, even though Thomas was the oldest son. John was later enobled as the first Viscount Gort.

Family

He was the eldest son of Charles Smyth (1693-1784), M.P. for Limerick, and Elizabeth Prendergast (b 1708). His paternal grandparents were the Rt. Rev. Thomas Smyth (1650-1725), Bishop of Limerick, and Dorothea Burgh (daughter of the Rt. Reverend Ulysses Burgh, Bishop of Ardagh) and his paternal uncle was the Most Reverend Arthur Smyth (1707-1772), Archbishop of Dublin. His maternal grandparents were Brig. Sir Thomas Prendergast, 1st Bt., who was killed in action at the Battle of Malplaquet in 1709, and Penelope Cadogan, sister of William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan.

He fathered four children, all of whom bore the surname Stuart (perhaps they were illegitimate?), including the Indian Army officer, Major-General Charles Stuart, better known as the "Hindoo Stuart", who features in William Dalrymple's book, "White Mughals".