Lesley Smith (M.Univ, M.Phil, , M.S.M.W) is an English scholar, historian,

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset A heritage asset is an item which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge and/or culture. Such items are usually physical assets, but some countries also ...

publicist and actress. She is the curator of

Tutbury Castle Tutbury Castle is a largely ruined medieval castle at Tutbury, Staffordshire, England, in the ownership of the Duchy of Lancaster and hence currently of King Charles III. It is a scheduled monument and a Grade I listed building. People who have ...

and is perhaps best known for her performances on stage as historical figures such as

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

and

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

. She has also been featured in a number of television programmes.

Curator

Smith is the curator and

lessee A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

, a position granted by the

Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is an estate of the British sovereign. The estate has its origins in the lands held by the medieval Dukes of Lancaster, which came under the direct control of the monarch when Henry Bolingbroke, the then duke of Lancast ...

, for which she works as Public Relations Officer.Conferment of the honorary degree of Master of the University
University of Derby Between 2000 (when she took up the position) and 2006, Smith presided over a 12-fold increase in visitor numbers. To reward her achievements, in 2006 the

University of Derby The University of Derby, formerly known as Derby College, is a public university in the city of Derby, England. It traces its history back to the establishment of the Derby Diocesan Institution for the training of schoolmistresses in 1851. It ...

awarded Smith an honorary master's degree. At the conferment of the degree, she was described as "a remarkable social historian of the 16th century who is passionate about and committed to raising public understanding of the subject."

Dramatist

Smith is known for her dramatic interpretations of

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

and

, for which she dons authentic replica costumes. She performs regular ghost hunt evenings, in character, at Tutbury. She also takes these re-enactments, as well as those of

Nell Gwyn Eleanor Gwyn (also spelled Gwynn, Gwynne; 2 February 1650 – 14 November 1687) was an English people, English stage actress and celebrity figure of the Stuart Restoration, Restoration period. Praised by Samuel Pepys for her comic performances ...

and

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

, to theatrical and charitable venues.

Scholar

Smith is a member of the Association of Medical Writers and is currently completing her PhD in "obstetrics and gynaecology in early modern Britain", working in conjunction with

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

and the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. She has lectured there on her discoveries relating to 16th century

contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

, such as the use of leather

condom A condom is a sheath-shaped Barrier contraception, barrier device used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy or a Sexually transmitted disease, sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are both external condo ...

s, and

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

fruit as

cervical cap The cervical cap is a form of barrier contraception. A cervical cap fits over the cervix and blocks sperm from entering the uterus through the external orifice of the uterus, called the ''os''. Terminology The term ''cervical cap'' has been us ...

s. Smith is also a regular contributor to the ''Journal of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

'', and has delivered lectures to groups such as the Royal Institute of Chemists,

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society based at 1 Wimpole Street, London, UK. It is a registered charity, with admission through membership. Its Chief Executive is Michele Acton. History The Royal Society of Medicine (R ...

and the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Personal life

Lesley Smith was entirely convent educated before university, and although described as, "causing quite a stir" by one of the teaching nuns, she claims to have loved school. When aged 35, she modelled for a realist statue of the Immaculate Conception created by sculptor Mark Delph in 1992. The 12-foot bronze statue can be now seen at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at

Bicester Bicester ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of Oxfordshire, England, north-west of Oxford. The town is a notable tourist attraction due to the Bicester Village shopping centre. The historical town centre � ...

, Oxfordshire. Smith is married to Viking specialist authority Dr. Gareth Williams,British Museum Staff: Gareth Williams
Retrieved January 2017 and has one son, Henry, by her late husband, who was a notary public.

Media appearances

*This is MY house,

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

(2022) *The Final Days of Mary Queen of Scots, Channel 5 (2015) *The Hour, STV (2011) *The One Show,

(2011) *Most Haunted: Midsummer Murders,

LivingTV Sky Witness is a British pay television channel owned and operated by Sky, a division of Comcast. The channel primarily broadcasts procedural dramas from the United States aimed at the 18–45 age demographic. Sky Italia broadcasts an Italia ...

(2007) *

Most Haunted ''Most Haunted'' is a British paranormal reality television series. ''Most Haunted'' was first shown on Living TV between 2002 and 2010. However, it has since been revived on TV and online, via an official mobile app and YouTube Channel. Pres ...

(2002, 2006–2009, 2010) *The Worst Jobs in History, Channel 4 (2004) *The World's Biggest Ghost Hunt,

(2003) *Predictions,

Granada Breeze Granada Breeze was a lifestyle channel operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture between Granada Television and British Sky Broadcasting. The channel was launched as Granada Good Life on 1 October 1996. Programming The cha ...

(2001) * This is MY house BC(2022) Smith has also participated in radio interviews for the BBC, and local radio in the Derby area.

References

External links

*
Mary's dead: long live Lesley, Queen of Scots
''Daily Telegraph'', 5 April 2003
Tutbury Castle
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Lesley 1957 births English historians English television presenters Living people Alumni of the University of Birmingham Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland British women curators