Richard Smith, in Cromford, Derbyshire, on 13 February 1863 fourth son and eighth and last child of William Smith, M. Inst. C.E. (1826-1911, who worked at Buxton for the Duke of Devonshire under the supervision of Sir Joseph Paxton, 1851-57, was Secretary to the Cromford & High Peak Railway Company 1857-1867, and later Divisional Engineer of the Crewe and Holyhead divisions of the London & North Western Railway Company, during which time he supervised the building of the Summit Level Tunnel of the Bettws and Festiniog Railway, 1873-79, the longest single track tunnel in the UK) and Martha Smith (c.1826-1882), née Bowker. Both William and Martha were children of Preston (Lancashire) innkeepers.\

Having studied at the Manchester School of Art, Richard Smythe exhibited at the Royal Academy and Berlin Academy.  He had changed his surname to Smythe prior to his marriage to Ada King on 20 June 1896, at St Stephen’s Church, Hampstead, as he married under the surname Smythe, and gave his father’s surname as Smythe. He had two sons, Cyril Richard (1899-1984), and Dennis Bernard (1907-1968).