Born on 19 November 1778 and christened on 5 August 1779 at the church of St Faith in Havant, Hampshire,[1] he was legally the son of Rear-Admiral Charles Webber (1722–1783) and his second wife, Anne Vining Heron (1748–1805).
In fact, his biological father was almost certainly William Smith (1721–1803), Treasurer of the Ordnance, who, six months after the Admiral's death, married Anne in the parish church of Saint Marylebone on 24 November 1783.
[2] The five-year old James Webber then became the stepson of his probable father, who in his will left him a fortune provided he took the name and arms of Smith.
[citation needed] His legal father's brother, the Reverend William Webber (1724–1790), Canon Residentiary of Chichester Cathedral, was the husband of Anne Smith (1731–1806), his probable father's sister, and these two were parents of his first cousin, the Reverend Charles Webber who became Archdeacon of Chichester.
Joining Wellington's army in January 1813 he attained the brevet rank of major in June 1813, the same month as he fought at the Battle of Vittoria.