William Henry Smith, 3rd Viscount Hambleden (25 July 1903 – 31 March 1948), was a British
peer and descendant of the founders of stationery group
W H Smith
WHSmith (also written WH Smith, and known colloquially as Smith's and formerly as W. H. Smith & Son) is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, England, which operates a chain of high street, railway station, airport, port, hospital and ...
.
Early life and career
Lord Hambleden was the 2nd child and eldest son of
Frederick Smith and Esther Georgiana Caroline ''nee'' Gore (1870–1955), a daughter of
Arthur Gore, 5th Earl of Arran. He was educated at
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
and
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...
.
After his father's death in 1928, the family business,
W H Smith
WHSmith (also written WH Smith, and known colloquially as Smith's and formerly as W. H. Smith & Son) is a British retailer, headquartered in Swindon, England, which operates a chain of high street, railway station, airport, port, hospital and ...
, was reconstituted as a
limited company
In a limited company, the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a company limited by ...
, in which Smith owned all the ordinary shares
[WH Smith: History 1901-1989]
/ref> and was chairman.[Lundy, Darryl]
The Peerage, p. 2012, accessed 10 October 2012 On his death in 1948, the death duties were so severe that a public holding company had to be formed and shares sold to W H Smith staff and the public.[ His younger brother, ]David John Smith
The Hon. David John Smith (20 May 1907 – 25 November 1976) was the third son of Frederick Smith, 2nd Viscount Hambleden, and Lady Esther Gore. He was educated at Eton College and University of Oxford and served in the Second World War, gaining t ...
, remained chairman until 1972, but the Smith family's control slipped away, and the last family member left the board in 1996.[WH Smith: History 1990 – present]
whsmithplc.co.uk; accessed 8 April 2016.
Marriage and family
His wife, Patricia Smith, Viscountess Hambleden
Patricia Smith, Viscountess Hambleden (12 November 1904 – 19 March 1994) was a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) from 1937 to 1994.
Early life
She was the eldest child of Reginald Herbert, 15th Earl of Pembrok ...
was a Lady of the Bedchamber
Lady of the Bedchamber is the title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a British queen regnant or queen consort. The position is traditionally held by the wife of a peer. They are ranked between the Mis ...
to HM Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother. Patricia, Viscountess Hambleden, was appointed Dame Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(DCVO), and, years later, to Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...
(GCVO). The couple had five children:[
* William Herbert Smith (1930–2012)
*Laura Caroline Beatrice Smith (1931–2000). Her son, Charles Brand (b. 1954) is a godson of Princess Margaret.][Demoskoff, Yvonne]
"Godchildren of HRH Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon"
Yvonne's Royalty Home Page, accessed 10 October 2012
*Katharine Patricia Smith (1933–2002). Her son, Patrick Moffatt (b. 1968) is also a godson of Princess Margaret.[
*Richard Edward Smith (1937–2014)][
*Philip Reginald Smith (b. 1945)][
In 1961 his daughter, Katharine Smith, married the ]screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
Ivan Moffat
Ivan Romilly Moffat (18 February 1918 – 4 July 2002) was a British screenwriter, film producer and socialite who, with Fred Guiol, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for adapting Edna Ferber's eponymous novel into the ...
, with whom she had two sons, Jonathan (born 1964) and Patrick Moffat (born 1968). The marriage was dissolved in 1972, and she married Peter Townend in 1973.[Lundy, Darryl]
"Hon. Katharine Patricia Smith"
ThePeerage.com, Person Page 2114, accessed 8 April 2012
He succeeded to the title of Viscount Hambleden
Viscount Hambleden, of Hambleden in the County of Buckingham, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1891 (as Viscountess Hambleden) for Emily Danvers Smith, in honour of her deceased husband, the businessman and C ...
following his father's death in 1928. He was succeeded by his eldest son, William Herbert.
See also
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hambleden, William Smith 3rd Viscount
1903 births
1948 deaths
Alumni of New College, Oxford
People educated at Eton College
Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom