his new residence on Scilly, Tresco Abbey. Smith did not build his residence on St Mary's as many expected, instead building it on Tresco, on a ridge which had a view over all the Isles of Scilly. During the late 1830s, Smith was also able to complete construction on both the new church on St Mary's and the new quay. In 1840, after the missionary organization Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, who had been the primary providers of education, left the Islands, Smith took responsibility for providing education and schools. He allegedly introduced a one penny charge for attending school, but a two penny fine for those who did not attend, effectively introducing compulsory education to the Islands forty years before it was introduced on the mainland; however, there is no evidence for this claim. Regardless, Smith had much success in promoting education on the islands, with both adults and children attending school. During the 1850s, Smith started an Ostrich farm, and exported the feathers to London for use in feathered hats. In 1855, Smith depopulated the island of Samson. He then started a deer park on the island, but they escaped their enclosure and traveled to the less barren Tresco. Following this, he introduced black rabbits to the island. Public offices In 1857, after Smith's friend Charles Lemon retired, Smith was encouraged by Lemon to stand as a candidate for Truro in the 1857 General Election. He was elected as a Liberal MP during that election. He was re-elected as MP in the 1864 election, and resigned as MP in May 1865. As well as being a MP, Smith served as President of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall from 1857 to 1862, and also of the Royal Institution of Cornwall. A freemason since he came of age, Smith served as the Provincial Grandmaster for Cornwall from 1863. Other ventures Stemmata Smithiana-Ferraria In 1861, Smith published A True and Faithful History of the Family of Smith, Originally Cradled at Wiverton and Cropwell-Butler, in the Parish of Titheby, and more recently established at Nottingham, in the County of Nottingham. As the title suggests, it traces the family name from its early beginnings and asserts that ″the county of Nottingham may justly be considered as the fatherland of Smiths, who have always abounded within its borders″. Berkhamsted Common In 1866 Lord Brownlow tried to enclose Berkhamsted Common with 5' steel fences