Donald Mackenzie Smeaton (9 September 1848 – 19 April 1910)[1] [2] was a Scottish colonial administrator in India and Burma and politician who was the Liberal MP for Stirlingshire from January 1906 until January 1910.
Born the son of David James Smeaton,[3] Donald was educated at the Abbey Park Institution, St. Andrew's, a boarding school run by his father, at which not less than 80 young men were boarded and educated.[4] He then attended the University of St Andrews, where he graduated with an M.A. degree.[5] Joining the Indian Civil Service in 1865 via open competition, he arrived in India in 1867, Smeaton held minor appointments in the North-Western Provinces.[5]
On 5 September 1873, Smeaton married Annette Louisa Lushington, daughter of Sir Henry Lushington (1826-1898),[6] 4th Bt. and Elizabeth Cheape.[2]
In 1879, he went to Burma, where he served as Chief Secretary in 1887, officiated as Chief Commissioner in 1892 and 1896 and was a member of the Legislative Council of Burma from 1898 and Burma member on the Central Legislative Council from 1898–9 until 1901–2.[5] He had hoped to succeed Sir Frederick Fryer as Lieutenant-Governor of Burma; but Lord Curzon deliberately asked Fryer to stay another year, so that Smeaton, who reached his mandatory retirement age during the interval, could not succeed Fryer. Smeaton engaged in a letter-writing campaign against Fryer and Curzon, which caused much embarrassment.[7]
He was made Companion of the Order of the Star of India in 1895, was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal in 1900 and retired in 1902. Smeaton published editions of the North-Western Provinces Revenue Act, The Currency of India and The Karens of Burma.
He died in April 1910 aged 61, three months after retiring from Parliament.