On 31 August 1819 Smith was released from King's Bench Prison in London, a debtor's prison. He returned to his home at 15 Buckingham Street to find a bailiff at the door and his home and property seized. Smith again worked as an travelling surveyor for years. One of his employers, Sir John Johnstone, recognised him and took steps to get him the respect he deserved. Between 1824 and 1826 he lived and worked in Scarborough. There he was responsible for the building of the Rotunda, a geological museum devoted to the Yorkshire coast. The Rotunda was re-opened as 'Rotunda – The William Smith Museum of Geology', on 9 May 2008.