Quick Facts
Biography
Sir James Edward Masterton-Smith KCB (24 August 1878 – 4 May 1938) was a British civil servant.
He was the son of Edward Smith, formerly a member of the Stock Exchange.
In 1905 Masterton-Smith married Barbara Crosbie-Hill. She was the eldest daughter of W. S. J. Crosbie-Hill, JP, of the Red House, Sevenoaks, Kent. They had one son and one daughter. His first wife died in 1921 in tragic circumstances.
In 1923 Masterton-Smith married Marjorie, the only daughter of Hubert B. Marten of 15 Mallord Street, London, SW3.
Masterton-Smith was educated at Harrow School and Hertford College, Oxford.
He entered the Home Civil Service (Class I). His career is summarised:
1901 Admiralty,
1904-1908 Private Secretary to the Second Sea Lord,
1908-1910 Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary,
1910-1917 Private Secretary to successive First Lords of the Admiralty (Mr Reginald McKenna, Mr Winston Churchill, Mr Arthur Balfour, Sir Edward Carson, and Sir Eric Geddes,
Sep 1917 - Jan 1919 Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Munitions,
1919-1920 Assistant Secretary (Additional), War Office and Air Ministry,
1920-1921 Joint Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour,
1921-1924 Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies,
1924 retired.
He was a member of the official side of the National Whitley Council for the Civil Service;
Honours
- Officer of the Belgian Order of the Crown, 1915;
- Officer of the Legion of Honour, 1920.