At the time Bedford College was one of the few places where women might receive something approaching university level education.
Her father was a barrister, but he died in 1828, and Mary then moved the family to various locations in England before settling in Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
[1] Smith developed a strong interest in languages, teaching herself Hebrew when she was only seven years old.
Becoming known as an expert on women's education, she was called as a witness to the 1864 Royal Commission on Schools.
Smith developing an interest in health, she served on the boards of the Radcliffe Infirmary and Sarah Acland Home, and as a director of the city's Provident Dispensary.