Louis William Smith
Louis William Smith (1879-1939)
1939 Obituary [1]
"Sir Louis WILLIAM SMITH, Member of Parliament for the Hallam division of Sheffield, died on 15th March 1939. He was born in 1879 and educated at the Collegiate School, Grimsby, and The College, Harrogate. During his apprenticeship he also attended technical schools in Grimsby, Lincoln, and Birmingham. He served his apprenticeship at the works of Messrs. W. Houghton and Company, Ltd., Grimsby, from 1895 to 1899. He then served for some time in the workshops of Messrs. Ruston, Proctor and Company, Ltd., Lincoln, and afterwards spent a further year in the drawing office of Messrs. Ludwig Loewe and Company, Ltd., Berlin. He then took a position as draughtsman with Messrs. E. G. Wrigley and Company, Ltd., Birmingham, and he left this company in 1904 to join the staff of Messrs. Richard Garrett and Sons, Ltd., Leiston, as assistant manager, a position he held until 1908.
From 1908 to 1909 he was works director of Messrs. W. Sisson and Company, Gloucester, and he then became managing director and engineer of Clarke's Crank and Forge Company, Ltd., Lincoln, which was reconstructed under his direction. He became interested in the Farrar Boiler Works, Ltd., and he was appointed chairman of Messrs. Cox and Company, Ltd., Shipbuilders, Falmouth. He reconstructed the works of both these companies in order to meet Government requirements during the War. After the War he acquired the works of Doughty-Richardson Fertilisers, Ltd., and installed new machinery there. At the time of his death he was chairman of Clarke's Crank and Forge Company, Ltd., the Farrar Boiler Works, Ltd., Doughty-Richardson Fertilisers, Ltd., and its subsidiary companies, and Messrs. Ambrose Shardlow and Company, Ltd., and also a director of Messrs. Fison, Packard, and Prentice, Ltd. He held his seat in Parliament from 1928, and he took an interest in social work of various kinds. He was knighted in 1938 for public and political service. He was elected a Graduate in 1903, was transferred to Associate Membership in 1905, and to Membership in 1912."