William Henry Smith (1825–1891)

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Background and business career

The son of William Henry Smith (1792–1865), Smith was born in London. He was educated at Tavistock Grammar School before joining his father's newsagent and book business in 1846, at which time the firm became W H Smith & Son.<ref name=history1>Template:Cite journal</ref> The two men took advantage of the railway boom by opening news-stands on railway stations, starting with Euston in 1848.<ref name=history1/>

In 1850 the firm opened depots in Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. The business became a household name (W H Smith), and Smith junior used the success of the firm as a springboard into politics.<ref name=history1/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In February 1878, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

Political career

In 1868, Smith was elected Member of Parliament for Westminster as a Conservative after an initial attempt to get into Parliament as a "Liberal-Conservative" in 1865 as a supporter of Prime Minister Lord Palmerston.Template:Sfn In 1874, Smith was appointed Financial Secretary to the Treasury when Disraeli returned as Prime Minister. In 1877, he became First Lord of the Admiralty even though he never went to sea throughout his life. It has been claimed that Smith's appointment was the inspiration for the character of Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, in Gilbert and Sullivan's 1878 comic opera, H.M.S. Pinafore.

Gilbert had written to Sullivan in December 1877, "The fact that the First Lord in the opera is a Radical of the most pronounced type will do away with any suspicion that W. H. Smith is intended". However, the character was seen as a reflection on Smith, and even Disraeli was overheard to refer to his First Lord as "Pinafore Smith".<ref>H.M.S. Pinafore in Full Score. p. v.</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It has been suggested that the Pinafore character was as much based on Smith's controversial predecessor as First Lord, Hugh Childers, as on Smith himself.<ref>Carr, rev Matthew. Childers, Hugh. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.</ref> Smith held the office for three years until the Liberal Party returned to power.

In 1885, a redistribution of seats led to Smith now standing for the Strand division in Westminster, and he served as Chief Secretary for Ireland for a short period in the following year. He served twice as Secretary of State for War: for the first time in Lord Salisbury's brief 1885–86 ministry, and for the second when the Conservatives won the 1886 general election. Following this appointment, he succeeded in 1887 as First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons, and became Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1891.

He died shortly afterwards at Walmer Castle, Kent, and his widow was created Viscountess Hambleden in his honour and took the title from the village close to the Smiths' country house of Greenlands, near Henley-on-Thames, Oxon. One of the few ministers personally close to Lord Salisbury (apart from the Salisbury's nephew, Arthur Balfour), Smith was dubbed "Old Morality" because of his austere manner and conduct.

Family

Smith married Emily, daughter of Frederick Dawes Danvers, in 1858. They had two sons and four daughters:

He died in October 1891, aged 66.Template:Citation needed The following month, his widow was raised to the peerage in his honour as Viscountess Hambleden, of Hambleden in the County of Buckingham. She died in August 1913 and was succeeded by her and Smith's only surviving son, Frederick.

  • Pinafore did not begin the mockery of Smith: This Punch cartoon is from 13 October 1877, months before the première of Pinafore.
    Pinafore did not begin the mockery of Smith: This Punch cartoon is from 13 October 1877, months before the première of Pinafore.
  • A Long Distance Swim, W. H. Smith: "Hooray – another stroke or two and we've done it."Template:Efn
    A Long Distance Swim, W. H. Smith: "Hooray – another stroke or two and we've done it."Template:Efn
  • Emily, 1st Viscountess Hambleden, and her daughter (Richard Buckner)
    Emily, 1st Viscountess Hambleden, and her daughter (Richard Buckner)
  • Memorial in St Mary's Portsea
    Memorial in St Mary's Portsea

Endnotes

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Bibliography

Further reading

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