Charles Clay has provided the following information from the own research about George Henry Smith This & associated entries use material contributed by Charles Clay
The eldest son of Matthew Smith, George was apprenticed at the age of 14 to an iron merchant in Birmingham, but four years later he returned to Halifax to help his father with his wire making business.
With the death of his uncle Frederick in 1868 and his father in 1880, George and his brother Frederic developed the business so that by 1931 it was one of the most extensive metallurgical industries in the district
As managing director of the firm he travelled largely, not only in America, but on the continent. A fine linguist and with great business acumen and a genial personality, he did splendid work for the firm. Always observant, he utilised his tours in educating himself in the management of the varied towns and cities he visited, and the knowledge he thus acquired proved most useful during his extended membership of Halifax Town Council.
His membership of Halifax Town Council commenced in 1892, when he was elected as a councillor for Skircoat Ward, and continued until his retirement in 1913. During these 21 years he served on varied committees, particularly the Finance Committee where he was chairman for 17 years
1n 1895 he became Mayor under rather trying circumstances, being elected only by the casting vote of the retiring Mayor, but was easily re-elected the following year. He successfully introduced an arrangement whereby the mayor was selected by different parties in rotation During his term of office, he strove to banish party politics from local affairs. He gave the first Halifax Mayor's Ball, so as to be able to entertain more people than one could at a civic Banquet. He and his wife welcomed the Duke and Duchess of York when they came to open the Royal Halifax Infirmary. At Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee they entertained both rich and poor on a generous scale – 400 guests to a garden party at Belle Vue and 800 poor people at the Drill Hall. Towards the end of that year, Mr Smith as he then was – gave friendly encouragement to the coachmen and grooms of Halifax by attending, as Mayor their first annual dinner. As a Congregationalist he was a staunch supporter, first of Sion and then after his first marriage to Marie Louisa Farrar in 1870, of Park
At this church he was a deacon from 1890 until his death. 1890 was also the year of his second marriage to Harriet Smith Fisher. He and his American wife became great partners in public Work in the district. They were both strong Liberals He was also a prominent Freemason and was to be the first Halifax man to receive Grand Lodge honours. These were active times for local government and he was able to see the municipalisation of local trams, the building of both a Technical School and a new concert hall. He was knighted for his work in the 1916 Birthday Honours and took the name of Sir George Fisher Smith. Also a JP, he was hugely respected as a local townsman, having Tenacity and Virtue as his family motto
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