His friends at the Royal Academy, such as Sir Thomas Lawrence, George Dance, Benjamin West and Joseph Farington, were able to introduce him to patrons such as: The 1st Marquess of Abercorn; The 1st Viscount Melville; Sir George Beaumont, 7th Baronet; The 4th Earl of Aberdeen; The 3rd Marquess of Hertford; The 3rd Earl Bathurst; John 'Mad Jack' Fuller, and The 2nd Earl of Lonsdale. These politicians and aristocrats ensured his rapid advancement and several were to commission buildings from Smirke themselves.