Smith was born in Piccadilly, London, on 2 May 1849,[REF] the son of Dr William Tyler Smith (1815-1873) who was an eminent obstetrician and his wife, Tryphena Yearsley [REF].
Smith attended Westminster School between 1863 and 1868 and represented the school at football in 1866-67 and 1867-68 [REF].