Thomas Smith (engineer)

[1] In Edinburgh Smith founded and appears to have been the sole proprietor of a successful business in lamps and oils called the Greenside Company's Works.

The oil lamps he provided featured parabolic reflectors made from burnished copper, which concentrated the light and enhanced its brightness.

[3] Upon his return Smith set about the construction of the four new lighthouses at Kinnaird Head, Mull of Kintyre, Eilean Glas, and North Ronaldsay.

As well as the design and construction, Smith had to overcome significant financial, logistical and supply-chain challenges resulting from the remote locations of the projects.

[2][4] The first of his lighthouses - Kinnaird Head (1787) - had 17 whale-oil lamps backed by parabolic reflectors and was said to be the most powerful light of its day[2] with a reported range of 12 to 14 miles (10 to 12 mmi; 19 to 23 km).

The new family initially lived at 1 Blair Street off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's Old Town,[5] before moving to the then newly built 2 Baxter's Place at the head of Leith Walk in 1798/9.

[7] Little is known about Thomas Smith's own son James except that he left home to found his own ironmongery business, but whether this was due to some rift with his father is unknown.