Group    From 1792 

W. H. Smiths

Categories: Commerce

Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna opened a small newsvendors in 1792 in Little Grosvenor Street. HW and then Anna died, and their sons took over, renaming the business after one of them, William Henry. In 1846, his son of the same name reached 21 and joined the business and it was renamed W. H. Smith and Son. It was managed by the family until 1972 when the first non-family Chairman was appointed. See also Lord Hambleden.

The firm and staff gave "generous and unfailing support" to King's College Hospital.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
W. H. Smiths

Commemorated ati

Smiths - Head Office

This building was the Head Office of W.H. Smith & Son from 1920 to 1976. ...

Read More

Smiths - King's College Hospital

This plaque was placed on the Hospital's centenary. WH Smiths had given the H...

Read More

Smiths - war-damaged plaque

OK, this is not actually a memorial but it's too good to exclude on the basis...

Read More

W. H. Smiths - WC2

{On the plinth:} William Frederick Danvers Smith, 2nd Viscount Hambleden, bo...

Read More

W. H. Smith - W2

London County Council W. H. Smith, 1825 - 1891, bookseller and statesman, li...

Read More

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
W. H. Smiths

Creations i

Smiths - war-damaged plaque

OK, this is not actually a memorial but it's too good to exclude on the basis...

Read More

Other Subjects

John Stephen

John Stephen

Founder of Carnaby Street as world centre for men's fashion in the 1960s. From Glasgow. The V&A hold his archive.

Person, Commerce, Craft / Design, Scotland

1 memorial
John Cusworth

John Cusworth

British History On-line credits Cusworth with the Newby Place monument.   Mapping Sculpture provides some information. The stone masons John Cusworth & Sons was active 1825-79, at least two ge...

Person, Commerce, Craft / Design

1 memorial
Charles John Peele

Charles John Peele

Founder of the Peele Almshouses, built in memory of his mother, Helen Peele. From A Rotherhithe Blog: "Charles Peele was a partner in Brandram's at the time.  According to the London Gazette of Ap...

Person, Commerce, Philanthropy

1 memorial
P. J. Fowler

P. J. Fowler

Trader at Covent Garden Market at its original site.

Group, Commerce

1 memorial

Previously viewed

Mulberry House

Mulberry House

E2, Victoria Park Square, Mulberry House

The plaque is at the back of the building, not on the street, which can be seen through the arch.

1 subject commemorated
Moor Gate

Moor Gate

EC2, Moorgate, 72

Site of Moor Gate, demolished 1761. Corporation of the City of London

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Sir Proby Cautley

Sir Proby Cautley

Civil engineer and palaeontologist. FRS.  Born Suffolk.  Proby was his mother's maiden name.  1819 went to India as a commissioned second lieutenant.  Apart from a few years his work there was main...

Person, Engineering, History, India

1 memorial
Clementia Taylor

Clementia Taylor

Women's activist. Born Clementia Doughty at Brockdish, Norfolk. She married Peter Alfred Taylor in 1842, and they became involved with many social and political movements, particularly anti-slavery...

Person, Gender Issues, Race Issues, Social Welfare

1 memorial
F. G. E. Hale

F. G. E. Hale

J. Lyons & Co. Ltd. staff member who died in WW2.

Person, Armed Forces

War dead, WW2
1 memorial