William Smith was born at Howcroft Head, Greetland.
Son of John Smith.
He went to a local dame school and then Greetland Wesleyan Day School. At the age of 12, he worked in his father's dyeing business and then went into general textile work at Benjamin Taylor's Barkisland Mills.
After his father's business failed, he set up business in rented premises at Old Kiln End Mills, Elland and William went to work there, first as foreman and then he began to run the business.
Becoming a large millowner, he paid his father's creditors in full and was a good benefactor of Brighouse.
On 22nd January 1860, he married (1) Susannah Gledhill [1838-1916] at Halifax Parish Church.
Susannah was born 19/1/1838
In 1868, he and his father established a woollen manufacturing business – John Smith & Sons – at Badger Hill Mills. After John's death, William took over the business and was joined by his brothers, Edward and Albert, and by J. I. Mortimer. The business became John Smith, Sons & Mortimer.
In 1873, they started to produce tweeds and serges, and became the largest woollen manufacturer in the district by 1922 when William died.
He was elected Councillor in the Brighouse Municipal Elections of 1893 and he held the office of Mayor of Brighouse [1893-1895] and [1904-1907]. He was the first Mayor when the Borough of Brighouse was created in 1893. He was made a Freeman of the Borough of Brighouse.
In 1898, he was made JP for Brighouse.
On 27th January 1904, he took over mayoral duties from Samuel Edgar Hirst who had died in office on 16th January.
He lived at Lands House, Rastrick, almost opposite his Badger Hill Mills.
In the 1870s, he started collecting paintings from exhibitions in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and London. While he was in Antwerp, he had J. H. Mois make copies of 2 large paintings by Rubens, and many of these were hung in the Smith Art gallery. In 1907, he paid for the new Smith Art Gallery at the Rydings. There are portraits of William and Susannah painted by William Logsdail.
In 1912, he gave the Free Library at Crowtrees Lane, Rastrick.
On 24th January 1910 – together with Susannah – he was the first person to receive the Freedom of the Borough of Brighouse.
He was a Methodist and attended St Matthew's Church, Rastrick
His Daimler was the first motor car in Rastrick.
In 1915, he bought Boothroyd, Rastrick with the intention of setting up an orphanage for girls. The house was used as a hospital during World War I. In 1920, it was opened as an orphanage, Smith's Homes. At the opening of the orphanage, he said that if, he succeeded where his father had failed, he would give a share of his wealth to the poor.
William and Susannah had no children, though they adopted
the son of William's cousin Albert Edward Smith.
Susannah died 6th November 1916.
She was buried at Rastrick Cemetery.
In [Q3] 1917, he married (2) Edith Mary [1876-19??] in Ormskirk.
Edith Mary was the daughter of Mr Brooks, a Methodist Minister from Southport, and widow of John Willie Laister [1875-1914]
In his latter years, he had a home at 28 Weld Road, Birkdale, Southport.
He died in Southport [7th May 1922] (aged 83).
Probate records show that he left effects valued at £127,025 13/2d.
Probate was granted to his widow Edith Mary, Sam Helm (company secretary), and Sydney Laister (bank clerk).
He was buried at Rastrick Cemetery
He left an annual sum of £100 to the Smith Orphan Homes, for scholarships for 2 females at the University of Leeds. He left one-third of the residue to the William Henry Smith Fund, and two-thirds in trust to his children or to the orphanage
Page Ref: QQ_158
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