Henry Walton Smith (1738 – 23 August 1792) was the founder of W. H. Smith, one of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's largest bookselling and newspaper vending businesses.

Career

Brought up in Wrington in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, Henry Walton Smith moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and became a personal assistant to Charles Rogers, an English customs official and art collector. In 1792, together with his wife Anna, he founded his news vending business in

. He died only a few months later on 23 August 1792.

Family

In 1784 he married Anna Eastaugh, a servant girl (1756-c. 1816), leading to the loss of his inheritance. They went on to have two sons, Henry Edward Smith and William Henry Smith, and one daughter, Mary Anne Smith.Anna Eastaugh (Easter) 1756 - c. 1816
genealogy.links.org. Retrieved 14 February 2022.

References

1738 births 1792 deaths British retail company founders English businesspeople People from Wrington {{UK-business-bio-stub