Augustus John Smith (1804-1872) was governor of the Isles of Scilly for over thirty years, and was largely responsible for the economy of the islands as it is today. 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The Isles of Scilly (Cornish: Ynysek Syllan) form an archipelago of islands off the southwesternmost tip of England. ...

Smith was born at Ashlyns Hall, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, and went into banking. He became known locally as a philanthropist, doing his best to improve educational standards in his home district. In 1834 he acquired the lease on the Isles of Scilly from the Duchy of Cornwall for £20,000, and set about changing the islanders' way of life, expelling those who could not find a job locally and evacuating some of the smaller islands, where small populations were farming at barely subsistence level. Arms of Berkhamsted Town Council The walls of Berkhamsted Castle Berkhamsted is a historic town of some 19,000 people. ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... This article or section should include material from Tenancy agreement A lease is a contract conveying from one person (the lessor) to another person (the lessee) the right to use and control some article of property for a specified period of time (the term), without conveying ownership, in exchange for... The Isles of Scilly (Cornish: Ynysek Syllan) form an archipelago of islands off the southwesternmost tip of England. ... The banner of the Duchy of Cornwall. ...

Smith gave himself the title Lord Proprietor, and, though many of his actions were unpopular, his motives are now generally recognised as having been good ones. Besides building a new quay at Hugh Town on St. Mary's, he sowed gorse and trees to provide shelter for the agricultural land. He built schools on the well-inhabited islands. Having cleared the island of Samson of the one or two families that inhabited it, he attempted to turn it into a deer park, but the experiment failed. St Marys as seen from the air Hugh Town For alternate uses, see St Marys (disambiguation). ... Species Ulex argenteus Ulex boivinii Ulex borgiae Ulex cantabricus Ulex densus Ulex europaeus - Common Gorse Ulex gallii - Western Gorse Ulex genistoides Ulex micranthus Ulex minor - Dwarf Gorse Ulex parviflorus Ref: ILDIS Version 6. ... Samson is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the Isles of Scilly. ...

Smith lived at Tresco Abbey. He never married, but is believed to have had illegitimate children by several of his female servants. He had a close relationship with Lady Sophia Tower, a married woman (and only daughter of the 1st Earl Brownlow) who often visited him at Tresco. The estate was inherited by lateral descendants, who retain the lease into the present day.