The Smith baronetcy of Eardiston, Worcestershire was created on 23 September 1809 in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom for William Smith.[1]
The succession from 1893 was originally thought to have been as follows:
The Baronetcy then became dormant, not having been proved by the heir to the 5th Baronet, Robert Christopher Sydney Winwood Smith (born 1939).[3]
Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2011, however, argued that the 4th Baronet was the son of a bigamous second marriage of his father Christopher Sydney Winwood Smith (1846–1887; son of the 3rd Baronet as above, but predeceased him) in 1877 to Caroline Holland, and was not in line to inherit the title; Christopher Sydney Winwood Smith's first marriage, in 1870, was to Anne Mogan, and it was their son, William Sidney Winwood Smith (1872–1954), who was entitled to succeed as 4th Baronet.[4]
His son, Sidney Richard Smith (1907–1983) would have been the 5th Baronet, succeeded by his second cousin, Antony Winwood Smith (1920–1993) as 6th Baronet. This line was not aware of their succession to the baronetcy. Debrett's 2011 states the title to have been extinct in 1993 at the death in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe of Sir Antony Winwood Smith, 6th Baronet, this being confirmed by the Registrar of the Official Roll of the Baronetage in 2008.[4] The succession of the baronetcy, taking the above into account, is:[4]
The Official Roll, as of, considers the baronetcy dormant.[5]
. Bernard Burke. Ashworth P. Burke. A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage and Companionage. 65th. 1903. Harrison and Sons. London. 1400.