Researching William Smyth

Born in Eden, Ireland, Smyth attended rural schools as a child, completed preparatory studies and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1838, settling in Pennsylvania. He moved to Iowa in 1844, attended the University of Iowa, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1847, commencing practice in Marion, Iowa. Smyth served as prosecuting attorney of Linn County, Iowa from 1848 to 1853 and was appointed judge of the district court for the fourth judicial district of Iowa in 1853, serving until 1857. He resumed practicing law and in 1858 served as chairman of the commission to codify and revise the Iowa State laws. During the Civil War, he served as colonel of the 31st Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment for two years.

Smyth was elected a Republican to represent Iowa's 2nd congressional district the United States House of Representatives in 1868, serving from March 1869 until his death in Marion, Iowa on September 30, 1870, while running for reelection. He was interred in Oak Shade Cemetery in Marion.

He was born in Thomroam Tarves, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the son of Francis Smyth. In 1879, he married Nancy Burden. Smyth was a lumber merchant. He was also president of the Nancy Helen Mine. He led the 238th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1919 New Year Honours.

Smyth was born in County Antrim, son of Ralph Smyth, who had settled in Ireland c.1630 and acquired lands in Antrim and County Down. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He was appointed Treasurer of Armagh in 1667; and a prebendary of Derry in 1670. He was Dean of Dromore from 1673 to 1681. He became Bishop of Killala and Achonry in 1681 but translated to Raphoe a year later. He spent 12 years at Raphoe before being translated again to Kilmore. He died on 24 February 1699 and was buried at St Peter, Dublin.

He married in 1672 Mary Povey, daughter of Sir John Povey, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, and Elizabeth Folliott. They had three sons and four daughters.

He acquired large estates in County Westmeath. Some of these were inherited by his eldest son Ralph, a barrister of Gray's Inn, who spent much of his life in England, but Ranaghan and Collinstown passed to his third son William. Another son James was Archdeacon of Meath. The family home, Barbavilla Manor, belonged to the Smyth family for two centuries.

His episcopal papers are a valuable source of information on the Church of Ireland after 1660, and in particular on his conflict with the Presbyterian Church in County Cavan.