Joshua Smith

Joshua Smith (1732 – 20 March 1819) was an English merchant and politician.

He was born the son of John Smith, a Lambeth merchant and became a timber merchant himself. He lived at Erlestoke Park, near Devizes, Wiltshire. He became a director of the East India Company in 1771, and was Member of Parliament (MP) for Devizes from 1788 to 1818, although not an active member.

In 1766 he married Sarah, Their eldest daughter Maria married in 1787 Charles Compton, 1st Marquess of Northampton.

Smith died on 20 March 1819. one of them annotated in a contemporary hand "offered to G. Watson Taylor Esq. MP for £2500 – sold for upwards of £4000", suggesting the library was offered to Watson Taylor too, but that he declined to acquire it.