W H Smith

You may have noticed that W H Smith on the high street has changed its name to T G Jones, following a change in ownership of that part of the business.

But who exactly was W H Smith, and what was his connection to Gilbert and Sullivan?

The Right Honorable Henry William Smith FRS (1792-1865) was the son of Henry Walton Smith, who had established a successful newsagents business, including selling newspapers at railway stations. W H Smith joined the firm in 1846, when it became known as W H Smith and Son. The firm prospered and this enabled W H Smith to stand for Parliament, to which he was elected in 1868 as the member for Westminster. He went on to hold a number of senior ministerial posts, including that of First Lord of the Admiralty from 1877 in the Disraeli government. He was in charge of the greatest navy in the world but had no naval experience whatsoever and had never been to sea, or so it was said.

Gilbert and Sullivan, who loved to poke fun at the great and powerful and at the ironies of British life, introduced into their opera H M S Pinafore a character Sir Joseph Porter KGB, who was “the ruler of the Queen’s navy”. In his song in the opera, he tells us that his career began at a humble level, but he worked his way up to get into Parliament and then become the head of the navy. He explained that he had never been to sea and always remained at his desk. The parody of W H Smith was obvious to all, and Smith became known as “Pinafore Smith”. It was said that the Royal Marine Band were prohibited from playing any of the tunes from the opera.

It is sad that a name so linked to British history and culture should be lost to the high street. It is understood that the name will still be used at railway stations and airports.

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