In 1797 he won their Gold Medal for "Venus Wounded by Diomede".
After training he joined the studio of John Charles Felix Rossi.
In 1810 he was commissioned by the Common Council of Aldermen to create a cenotaph to Admiral Nelson for the Guildhall, London.
[3] This marble monument cost £4442 (£360,000 in 2021) and was won in competition against his mentor Charles Rossi and against the recommendation of the Royal Academy.
[5] He was father to Charles Raymond Smith who was also a sculptor, creating the infamous tomb of Grace Darling in Bamburgh churchyard.