William Smith

William Smith in later life (copyright D. Smith).

Dates: 1815

William Smith was a successful entrepreneur and founder of the firm of W. Smith and Co. in the mid-19th century. We know a good deal about William from his autobiography 'My Heart Was Among The Wool', written in 1872.

He was born in Witney and brought up by his grandfather Henry Smith from infancy. Henry was employed in the blanket trade as a 'Master Tucker', which meant he was responsible for raising and finishing 'stockfuls' of blankets ready for sale. He would have employed a group of workers to do this under his supervision and paid their wages.

When he was nine William was forced to work as a quill (bobbin) winder because of his grandfather's failing health. After this he progressed onto working for Early's as a weft weigher and packer. From here he became a tilt weaver working for Edward Early, with his wife (Ann Godfrey) winding his quills for him during the day at their home, ready for him to use the next day. Anne did this in addition to bringing up their 15 children without help, as William records: 'No servant or nurse girl was ever permitted to share the honour of raising up our numerous family'. William gained much of his knowledge of mop and blanket making through being employed by Edward Early at his workshops in West End, Witney. When William branched out and set up his own firm, they remained on good personal and business terms [1].

Mop making was his next enterprise, again with Edward Early. He seems at this stage to have improved on a reeling machine for making up mop heads so that eight instead of two could be reeled on at one time. He records making up 20,000 mops in one month.

William and his wife both joined the Temperance Society and they were very much involved in the life of the Wesleyan Chapel in Witney. William was a founder member of a Temperance brass band, which became much travelled, playing at various functions locally and nationally for 25 years.

Despite his teetotal principles, in 1846 he accepted a proposal to form a partnership with Joseph Early to start a small brewery. William was at that time living in the Blanket Hall, the old meeting place of the Witney Blanket Weavers' Company (founded 1711); he records that there was still the original brewing plant of the company left in the cellar including the cask known as 'Queen Anne'. Eventually William moved to new premises at White Hart in Bridge Street and became a successful beer seller and maltster.

He sold off his brewing assets and used the money to buy and set up the first steam engine to be used for blanket making in Witney. He bought premises in the High Street and concentrated his efforts on the manufacture of yarn. After one or two initial set backs his company thrived, securing large government contracts for the making of mops and William became known as 'The Great Mop Maker of Bridge Street' [2].