Julia Abel Smith

Julia Mary Seton Abel Smith
Born	c. 1959/1960
Alma mater	Selwyn College, Cambridge
Occupation(s)	Historian, historical conservation advocate
Years active	1987–present
Known for	Pavilions in Peril, Forbidden Wife, High Sheriff of Essex (2013–2014)
Spouse	Charles Abel Smith

Julia Mary Seton Abel Smith is a British historian and advocate for historical conservation, recognized for her publications Pavilions in Peril (1988) and Forbidden Wife (2020). The latter work explores the marriage and relationship between Lady Augusta Murray and Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex. She held the position of High Sheriff of Essex during the years 2013 to 2014.

Biography

Born around 1959 or 1960, Abel Smith earned her degree in Art History from Selwyn College, Cambridge. She is married to Charles Abel Smith, who descends from the notable Smith banking lineage.

Her professional experience includes involvement with Save Britain's Heritage and conducting historical investigations for the Landmark Trust. In 1987, she authored Pavilion in Peril, a report addressing the decline of British garden structures, which attracted media coverage including an article in the New York Times. Abel Smith has also played a role in documenting public sculptures across Bedfordshire, Essex, and Hertfordshire, as well as cataloguing paintings at the University of Cambridge and within Essex through Art UK.

The 2020 release of Forbidden Wife was influenced by her study of the Dunmore Pineapple, shedding light on the largely unrecognized history of Lady Augusta Murray. The book was commended for its engaging narrative style and detailed depiction of late 18th-century life. Additionally, Abel Smith contributed the entry on Augusta to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

In 2007, she was named a Deputy Lieutenant of Essex and later served as High Sheriff of Essex from 2013 until 2014. She is also involved in education governance as a governor at Felsted School.

As of 2013, Abel Smith resided in Little Leighs, where she pursues an interest in cycling and has prepared for a long-distance ride from London to Paris.