John Campbell Smith (1828–1914) was a Scottish writer, advocate andSheriff-substitute ofForfarshire. He was a typical 'lad o' pairts' – a talented Scots boy of the 19th century who raised himself from extremely humble beginnings.^[1]

Campbell Smith was born at Wellfield, nearLeuchars in Fife on 12 December 1828. His father, John Smith was a weaver and farmer, and his mother was Anne Campbell.^[2] He was educated at the village subscription school till the age of twelve when he became an apprentice mason. He worked at that trade until he earned what he thought was enough to obtain a university education. After saving about £25, he left his work on a Saturday afternoon inSt. Andrews where he was working. On the Monday morning he went toMadras College inSt. Andrews and, after receiving ten-month's teaching, he gained abursary through public competition to enterSt. Andrews University. Thebursary enabled him to pay his fees and he supported himself by private teaching.^[3] Graduating M.A. in 1852, he was advised bySir David Brewster and others to go on toCambridge University but a teaching vacancy arose atDundee Academy where he was appointed and held the post of second master for two years. After studying forthe Bar, he practised as a successful advocate in Edinburgh. Besides working in theCourt of Session, he also defended ministers in theGeneral Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Becoming theSheriff-substitute atDundee in 1885, he distinguished himself as judge and was publicly presented with his portrait. His best known work isWritings by the Way (1885), which consists of sketches and biographies of famous Scotsmen previous published as articles inThe Scotsman. According to hisObituary: "He believed he could have climbed higher if he had dodged like as a fox, or crawled like an adder" but he valued his own soul too much "to gain the world" or "the applause of multitudes."^[4] He married Hannah Spence Thomson on 21 March 1871 at Edinburgh^[5] and they had two sons and two daughters.^[6] He died in Dundee on 3 September 1914.^[7]

• 1852 – School teacher atDundee Academy
• 1856 – Called tothe Bar as an advocate
• 1885 – AppointedSheriff-substitute ofForfarshire atDundee
• 1912 – Retired from the legal profession

• Testimonials to J. C. Smith ... now a candidate for the Chair of Scots Law in the University of Edinburgh. (Edinburgh, 1861.)
• Writings by the Way. Edinburgh: Blackwood & Co., 1885.
• George Buchanan, byRobert Wallace, completed by J. Campbell Smith. Edinburgh:Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier, 1900, ("Famous Scots Series").
• Robert Wallace: Life and Last Leaves. Edited by J. Campbell Smith and William Wallace. London: Sands & Co., 1903. (William Wallace was the brother of Robert Wallace.)
• Annals of Lodge Fortrose, A.F. & A. M., No. 108, Stornoway. Compiled from the Lodge records. The foreword and a sketch of the Hebrides byJ. Ross Robertson. Toronto:J. Ross Robertson, 1905.^[8]
• The Marriage Laws of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Being a paper read at the meeting of theSocial Science Association at Edinburgh on 13 October 1863. Edinburgh, 1864.

• Obituary (unattributed), "The Late Sheriff Campbell Smith, Dundee" inthe Scotsman newspaper, 4 September 1914, p. 4.
• Births and deaths information available at the General Register Office for Scotland, Scotlands People Centre in Edinburgh, and also athttp://scotlandspeople.gov.uk
• British Library catalogue at www.bl.uk.
• National Library of Scotland catalogue at www.nls.uk.

• 1828 births
• 1914 deaths
• People from Leuchars
• Scottish sheriffs
• Members of the Faculty of Advocates
• Scottish biographers
• Scottish legal writers
• Alumni of the University of St Andrews
• 19th-century Scottish judges

• Use dmy dates from February 2014
• Use British English from July 2012