Sir Harry George Wakelyn Smith

Sir Harry George Wakelyn Smith (1787–1860) was a British army officer and colonial governor. Born in Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire, he joined the Rifles and served in South America, throughout the Peninsular War, at the burning of Washington in 1814 and at Waterloo. During the storming of Badajoz in 1812 he met and married the young Spaniard Juana María de los Dolores de León, who followed him on campaign. He fought in frontier wars at the Cape of Good Hope, won the battle of Aliwal in the First Sikh War in 1846 and was governor of the Cape Colony from 1847 to 1852. Ladysmith and Harrismith are named after the couple.