Smirke was born in London on 1 October 1780, the second son of the portrait painter Robert Smirke; he was one of twelve children.[1] He attended Aspley School, Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire,[2] where he studied Latin, Greek, French and drawing, and was made head boy at the age of 15. In May 1796 he began his study of architecture as a pupil of John Soane but left after only a few months in early 1797 due to a personality clash with his teacher.[3] He wrote to his father: