Mr Dyke's assertion that the company W H Smith was founded in Evesham by Henry Smith and his brother William is untrue (last week's Journal).
W H Smith was founded by William Henry Smith (1792-1865) and his son, also William Henry Smith (1825-1891), who were both Londoners. Son William joined his father in 1848 at his shop in The Strand and the well-known company name appeared soon after. Son William was elected Conservative MP for Westminster and in 1877 became First Lord of the Admiralty.
His equally lasting fame is probably his satirization by Gilbert & Sullivan as the 'Ruler of the Queen's Navy' in HMS Pinafore.
Evesham Mayor Henry Smith and his brother William founded the printers W & H Smith. This company printed the Journal and various books (of which I have one, dated 1910, with 'W&H Smith Limited, The Journal Press' stated clearly at the bottom of the title page).
Chris Povey, Wormington, Broadway
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