[2] His elder brother, John George Smyth, was an MP for the City of York.

[3] His maternal grandfather was George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton and the former Charlotte Maria Waldegrave.

His paternal grandparents were Lady Georgiana FitzRoy (daughter of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton) and John Smyth, who served as MP of Pontefract, and was a Lord of the Admiralty, Lord of the Treasury, Master of the Mint, and a Commissioner of the Board of Trade.

[6] He became Colonel of the 2nd (The Queen's Royal) Regiment of Foot on 10 April 1877[7] and was made full General on 29 September 1878.

[3] Through his son William he was a grandfather of Sir John Smyth, 1st Baronet, a recipient of the Victoria Cross.