McManus 168

J. and W. Smith were a second generation china firm run by William and John Smith and sold: “china earthenware and glass, useful and ornaments in all their varieties at the most moderate prices”^[10] at their premises in Castle Street, Dundee.

The brothers were born in Monikie, Forfarshire to James Smith and Helen Ross. John was the elder, being born in 1805,^[11] with William born in 1818.^[12]

John married Elizabeth Wilson in Dundee in 1835^[13] and the couple had James (c.1837),^[14][15][16]John Wilson (c.1841),^[17][15] David (c.1845),^[15][16] Robert (c.1850)^[17][15][16] and Charlotte^[15] and/or Elizabeth^[16] (c.1852).^[15][16]

William married Margaret Anderson at Dunnichen, Forfarshire in 1851 by which time the couple already had Ann (1845),^[18][19][20] James Ross (1846),^[21][19] William Anderson (1848)^{[22][19][20][23]} and Margaret Stewart (1849).^[24][19][20] There then followed Jane H.^[19]/Jeanie H.^[23] (c.1851),^[19][23] Ida^[19]/Jessie Spence (1854),^[25][20][23] Williamina A. (1856),^[26][19][20] Peter^[19]/John^[20] (c.1859),^[19][20] Mary (1861)^[19][20][23] and Stewart (c.1865).^[20][23]

It is probable that the firm started as Gardiner, Smith & Co., china and stoneware merchants, west side of Castle Street in about 1837, as John Smith is listed as a member of this firm.^[1] By 1842 Smith & Co., china and glass dealers, are at 19 Castle Street, expanding into number 17^[27] and also number 11 over the years.^[4]

John Smith lived at Doig’s Court, which was probably also known as 33 Castle Street,^[28] before making his home at 21 Castle Street.^[29] William lived variously at 15 Exchange Street,^[30] Mid Road,^[31] 20 Bell Street,^[32] 19 Bell Street^[33] and Ryehill Cottage/18 Ryehill Lane,^[19] on Perth Road.^[34] In a complete change of career, William moved to New Mains of Ury Farm in Fetteresso, Kincardineshire, where he farmed 290 arable acres and employed five men and one boy and also two female domestic servants.^[20] By 1881, his arable farm had reduced to 95 acres but he still employed seven men and a boy, plus two female domestic servants.^[23]

John’s son, John Wilson Smith, probably worked for the business straight from school. He is described as a china merchant’s clerk as early as 1861. He seems to have officially joined the company about 1867,^[35] probably when his uncle moved into farming. The family home was at 2 Panmure Terrace at the time and John’s other sons appear to have pursued other careers. James became a bank teller and David and Robert were clerks.^[35][16] John Wilson Smith moved to Seagate House^[36] and eventually to 94 Nethergate, next door to his firm’s new premises.^[5] About the time John Wilson Smith joined the firm, it also seemed to be working as merchants, at 10 Shore Terrace^[37] and he was also described as a waste merchant.^[36]

In 1872,^[9] the firm became known as J. W. Smith & Co., as opposed to J. & W. Smith & Co.,^[38] when the third generation, the first John’s son, took over the business. At this point, the firm moved to 92 Nethergate.^[5][38] At the age of only 33, in 1875,^[39] John Wilson Smith died of the protein deficiency, Marasmus^[40] and the firm was disbanded. The Castle Street shop subsequently continued as a china shop and became the much better known firm of Frain’s.^[41] William Frain had previously worked for the Smith family.^[41]

William Smith survived until 1898, dying an inmate of the Aberdeen Royal Lunatic Asylum.^[42]

Both John Wilson Smith and William Smith are buried in the Western Cemetery.^[43][44] John Smith had also purchased lair 63 b and c in 1860 and is probably buried there as well.^[45]