Awarded a diploma of engineer of the civil engineering, he enlisted immediately in the army of India. He also stayed in Malaysia and built in Delhi and in Pennang two Anglican Churches of a perfectly conventional British style ( 1813-1830 ). He was in charge of the restoration of different monuments among which the Red Fort, main fortification of Delhi and the mosque Quila-i-Kuhna . Injured during the campaign of Nepal, he was posted to Pennang, centre of military convalescence of the army of India
He returned in England and built, in Paignton ( Devon) the Redcliffe Tower, fanciful pastiche of the architecture of the Indian peninsula. It will be called " the Smith Folie " (nowadays transformed into a hotel)
He settled in Nice as soon as 1856, he did it again with the famous construction at the extremity of Mont-Boron which will become the legendary " Castle of the Englishman ". The indian references do not mask the dissimilar style of the constructions for which one did not hesitate to use an unexpected terminology of “indo-troubadour ". These original buildings are not connected to any school. Smith was a musicologist (and probably a musician himself) as testified the monumental concert hall of his castle of Nice. Talented painter in water-colors, specialist of landscape , he exposed several times in the show of the Fine art organized every year in Nice.
Luc THEVENON
