James Smith (archdeacon of Barnstaple)

James Smith (baptized 1605, died 1667) was a clergyman who became Archdeacon of Barnstaple in 1660. He was also much admired for his wit, and collections of his satirical verse were published in the 1650s.

Smith was the son of Thomas, the rector of Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, who owned land in three counties. He matriculated at Oxford in 1622–23. He was awarded the degree of DD in 1661.