Swire Smith
Encyclopedia
Sir Swire Smith was an English woollen manufacturer, educationalist and Liberal Party
politician. In many ways he was typical of the public-spirited, self-made Victorian. Of nonconformist lineage, he believed in social and intellectual improvement, the virtues of hard work and thrift and the role of the Liberal Party in the encouragement and promotion of this ethic.
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
, the eldest son of George Smith and his wife Mary (née Swire). He was educated at the local National School
in Keighley and at Wesley College, Sheffield
. He never married.
with a Keighley worsted
manufacturer. He soon began to develop his interest in education however and at the age of 24, was appointed honorary secretary to the building committee of the Keighley Institute, a society the object of which was "Mutual Instruction in Mechanics, Experimental Philosophy and Mathematics” which later became the Keighley Boy’s Grammar School. He was prominent in the reorganisation of the institute and was largely responsible for the school’s gaining in notability.
. He was said to have been inspired by a speech given by the author and advocate of self help Dr Samuel Smiles
and took up the cause because he presciently believed that Britain was falling behind its international competitors, particularly Germany. He later travelled a good deal in Europe and the USA to develop his understanding and expertise in the field and published a number of pamphlets and press articles on the subject. He was appointed as representative on the Royal Commission
on Technical Instruction which sat from 1881–1884, and was a member of the committee of the National Association for Technical Education in which capacity he presented papers to international bodies including to the International Congress on Technical Education.
. He became a mill owner and rose to be a senior partner of a worsted spinning concern in Keighley. He was sometime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
. Less successfully however he was also a director of the Land Mortgage Bank of Florida but the bank failed and was liquidated.
and described himself as a convinced Free Trade
r. He was a founder of the West Riding Free Trade Federation and an executive member of the national Free Trade Union
. He had been elected as a Liberal to the Keighley School Board
in 1875 and was its Chairman for three years. He was later approached to stand for Parliament
, both for the seat of Skipton
as well as for his home town of Keighley
but had always refused. However he allowed himself to be persuaded to stand as a Liberal for Keighley at a by-election
on 29 June 1915 when the sitting member, Stanley Buckmaster
was raised to the peerage and appointed Lord Chancellor
. He was duly elected MP for Keighley, his election being remarkable for his advanced age at the time of the contest, and he entered the House of Commons
at the age of 73.
for the West Riding and for Keighley, Vice Chairman of the Royal Commission on International Exhibitions, a member of the Standing Committee of Advice for Education in Art and in 1912 he was granted the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by Leeds University. He was made a freeman
of Keighley in 1914 and in 1967, Eastwood School in Keighley was renamed the Swire Smith Middle School in his honour and memory.
, Smith was instrumental in the founding of Keighley’s first public library. In conversation with Carnegie at his home, Skibo Castle
in Sutherland
, Smith celebrated the success of Keighley’s students but lamented the need for a public library in the town to support them. Carnegie promised £10,000 to create such a library on the understanding that Keighley was also willing to help itself and invoke the Public Libraries Act of 1850
. The Borough Council provided the site and held a competition to design the building in Edwardian Free Style with Arts and Crafts Movement
influence. In 1901 Andrew Carnegie was granted the Freedom of the Borough and Sir Swire Smith laid the library foundation stone
in 1902. On the 20th August 1904 the new building was opened by the then Duke of Devonshire
.
in Keighley four days later.
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician. In many ways he was typical of the public-spirited, self-made Victorian. Of nonconformist lineage, he believed in social and intellectual improvement, the virtues of hard work and thrift and the role of the Liberal Party in the encouragement and promotion of this ethic.
Family and education
Swire Smith was born in KeighleyKeighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
in the West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
, the eldest son of George Smith and his wife Mary (née Swire). He was educated at the local National School
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
in Keighley and at Wesley College, Sheffield
Wesley College, Sheffield
Wesley College, a school to educate the sons of the laity, opened in 1838 in new buildings designed by William Flockton on Glossop Road, Sheffield, England. It was founded by Rev...
. He never married.
Early career
On leaving school Smith served an apprenticeshipApprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
with a Keighley worsted
Worsted
Worsted , is the name of a yarn, the cloth made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from the village of Worstead in the English county of Norfolk...
manufacturer. He soon began to develop his interest in education however and at the age of 24, was appointed honorary secretary to the building committee of the Keighley Institute, a society the object of which was "Mutual Instruction in Mechanics, Experimental Philosophy and Mathematics” which later became the Keighley Boy’s Grammar School. He was prominent in the reorganisation of the institute and was largely responsible for the school’s gaining in notability.
Technical education
Smith became an expert in the area of technical educationVocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
. He was said to have been inspired by a speech given by the author and advocate of self help Dr Samuel Smiles
Samuel Smiles
-Early life:Born in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland, the son of Samuel Smiles of Haddington and Janet Wilson of Dalkeith, Smiles was one of eleven surviving children. The family were strict Cameronians, though when Smiles grew up he was not one of them...
and took up the cause because he presciently believed that Britain was falling behind its international competitors, particularly Germany. He later travelled a good deal in Europe and the USA to develop his understanding and expertise in the field and published a number of pamphlets and press articles on the subject. He was appointed as representative on the Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on Technical Instruction which sat from 1881–1884, and was a member of the committee of the National Association for Technical Education in which capacity he presented papers to international bodies including to the International Congress on Technical Education.
Wool trade and other business
Smith also developed a career in the wool tradeWool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
. He became a mill owner and rose to be a senior partner of a worsted spinning concern in Keighley. He was sometime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
Worshipful Company of Clothworkers
The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528, formed by the amalgamation of its two predecessor Companies, the Fullers and the Shearmen...
. Less successfully however he was also a director of the Land Mortgage Bank of Florida but the bank failed and was liquidated.
Politics
Smith was a LiberalLiberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and described himself as a convinced Free Trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
r. He was a founder of the West Riding Free Trade Federation and an executive member of the national Free Trade Union
Free Trade Union
The Free Trade Union, later known as the Free Trade League, was a British trade organization extant between July 1903 and the 1970s. It was founded in response to the campaign for empire preference which had been launched by Board of Trade chairman Joseph Chamberlain in May 1903...
. He had been elected as a Liberal to the Keighley School Board
School board (England & Wales)
School boards were public bodies in England and Wales between 1870 and 1902, which established and administered elementary schools.School boards were created in boroughs and parishes under the Elementary Education Act 1870 following campaigning by George Dixon, Joseph Chamberlain and the National...
in 1875 and was its Chairman for three years. He was later approached to stand for Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, both for the seat of Skipton
Skipton (UK Parliament constituency)
Skipton was a county constituency centred on the town of Skipton in Yorkshire which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
as well as for his home town of Keighley
Keighley (UK Parliament constituency)
Keighley is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
but had always refused. However he allowed himself to be persuaded to stand as a Liberal for Keighley at a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on 29 June 1915 when the sitting member, Stanley Buckmaster
Stanley Buckmaster, 1st Viscount Buckmaster
Stanley Owen Buckmaster, 1st Viscount Buckmaster, GCVO, PC, KC was a British lawyer and Liberal politician. He was Lord Chancellor under H. H...
was raised to the peerage and appointed Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
. He was duly elected MP for Keighley, his election being remarkable for his advanced age at the time of the contest, and he entered the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
at the age of 73.
Other appointments and honours
Smith was knighted in the Queen’s birthday honours list of May 1898. He was a Justice of the PeaceJustice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for the West Riding and for Keighley, Vice Chairman of the Royal Commission on International Exhibitions, a member of the Standing Committee of Advice for Education in Art and in 1912 he was granted the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by Leeds University. He was made a freeman
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Keighley in 1914 and in 1967, Eastwood School in Keighley was renamed the Swire Smith Middle School in his honour and memory.
Keighley Library
Through his friendship with the Scottish-American philanthropist Andrew CarnegieAndrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
, Smith was instrumental in the founding of Keighley’s first public library. In conversation with Carnegie at his home, Skibo Castle
Skibo Castle
Skibo Castle is located to the west of Dornoch in the Highland county of Sutherland, Scotland overlooking the Dornoch Firth. Although the castle dates back to the 12th century, the present structure is largely of the 19th century, and early 20th century, when it was the home of industrialist...
in Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, Smith celebrated the success of Keighley’s students but lamented the need for a public library in the town to support them. Carnegie promised £10,000 to create such a library on the understanding that Keighley was also willing to help itself and invoke the Public Libraries Act of 1850
Public Libraries Act 1850
The Public Libraries Act 1850 was an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which first gave local boroughs the power to establish free public libraries...
. The Borough Council provided the site and held a competition to design the building in Edwardian Free Style with Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
influence. In 1901 Andrew Carnegie was granted the Freedom of the Borough and Sir Swire Smith laid the library foundation stone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
in 1902. On the 20th August 1904 the new building was opened by the then Duke of Devonshire
Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire
Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire KG, GCVO, PC, PC , styled Lord Cavendish of Keighley between 1834 and 1858 and Marquess of Hartington between 1858 and 1891, was a British statesman...
.
Death
Smith died of congestion of the lungs on 16 March 1918 in a London nursing home after a minor operation on his prostate gland, at the age of 76. His funeral took place at Devonshire Street Congregational ChurchCongregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
in Keighley four days later.
External links
- The Master Spinner Text of the biography of Sir Swire Smith by James Keighley Snowden published in 1921.