Benjamin Smyrke of Sunderland made it into the papers a few times.
In 1895 he was sued for mismanagement of trust property of which he was a trustee. He made a payment to settle the proceedings.
In 1898 he was the subject of bankruptcy proceedings. Arising out these proceedings there was a skirmish over certain furniture and art which had been used to furnish a house at 47 Pembridge Villas, Bayswater which was occupied by Benjamin's mistress, one Maxton Young Porteous aka Mrs Smyrke ("a tall, attractive-looking young woman"). She said he had given her the £3,500 which had been spent on these items so that they were her property and could not be seized for the benefit of Benjamin's creditors. Benjamin gave evidence to the same effect.
This argument was unsuccessful and judgment was given in favour of the defendant Mr Tooth, a fine art dealer who presumably had not been paid for the artworks.
Miss Porteous also had to give up to the Receiver three shares in an African mining company (the African Territories Company, later reconstituted as the African Land and Investment Company) which Benjamin had given her. It appears Benjamin had given up his accountancy practice in order to become a "company promoter", with corporate interests in British Columbia as well as in Africa.
The reports describe Benjamin as married, but living apart from his wife.
Later, Benjamin and Maxton appear to have continued their relationship. They appear together as "married", visiting in Edmonton in 1901. Maxton died as Maxton Y. Smyrke in Paddington in 1919, aged 59.
