The Rt Hon. W.H. Smith

A Long Distance Swim
W.H. Smith: "Hooray - another stroke or two and we've done it."
Cartoon satirising Smith as rowing and Lord Salisbury, First Lord of the Treasury, swimming towards the prorogation (ending) of the Parliamentry year, to escape the twin waves of Free Education and Land Purchase, both contentious issues of the time. Smith died some three months after publication of the cartoon.
From Punch Vol. 101, August 8, 1891

William Henry Smith (24 June 1825–6 October 1891) was the son of William Henry Smith (1792-1865). He was born in London and educated at Tavistock Grammar School before joining the business with his father in 1846. As a result of his involvement, the business became a household name (W H Smith), and the practice of selling books and newspapers at railway stations began. In 1868 he was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for Westminster, and was appointed Financial Secretary to the Treasury six years later when Disraeli returned as Prime Minister. In 1877 he became First Lord of the Admiralty (an appointment which gave rise to the character of Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, in Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta HMS Pinafore). Smith held this office for three years until the Liberals returned to power. Download high resolution version (500x613, 55 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (500x613, 55 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1903x2348, 246 KB)William Henry Smith (politician) and Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury - Cartoon by John Tenniel, from Punch - Vol. ... Download high resolution version (1903x2348, 246 KB)William Henry Smith (politician) and Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury - Cartoon by John Tenniel, from Punch - Vol. ... The Most Honourable Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, GCVO, PC (3 February 1830–22 August 1903), known as Lord Robert Cecil before 1865 and as Viscount Cranborne from 1865 until 1868, was a British statesman and Prime Minister. ... The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, usually but not always the Prime Minister. ... Punch was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire published from 1841 to 1992 and from 1996 to 2002. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 1825 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in Leap years). ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... William Henry Smith (1792–1865) was an English businessman who founded the newsagent and bookselling firm of W H Smith. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... Tavistock is a town in Devon, England, lying on the River Tavy on the edge of Dartmoor. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... WHSmith company logo W H Smith is a British company, with headquarters in Swindon, England. ... 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... A treasury is the part of a government which manages all money and revenue. ... Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (December 21, 1804 - April 24, British Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and author. ... A prime minister may be either: chief or leading member of the cabinet of the top-level government in a country having a parliamentary system of government; or the official, in countries with a semi-presidential system of government, appointed to manage the civil service and execute the directives of... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The First Lord of the Admiralty was a British government position in charge of the Admiralty. ... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-04-11, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ... Playwright/lyricist William S. Gilbert (1836-1911) and composer Arthur S. Sullivan (1842-1900) defined operetta or comic operas in Victorian England with a series of their internationally successful and timeless works known as the Savoy Operas. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: HMS Pinafore H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in two acts, with music by composer Arthur S. Sullivan and libretto by William S. Gilbert. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become known as...

William S. Gilbert's HMS Pinafore lyrics are scathing:

I grew so rich that I was sent

By a pocket borough into Parliament.

I always voted at my party's call,

And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.

I thought so little, they rewarded me

By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!

In 1885 he exchanged his Westminster seat for that of the Strand division of London, and served as Chief Secretary for Ireland for a short period in the following year. He was twice Secretary of State for War, the first time during Lord Salisbury's brief ministry between 1885 and 1886, and the second when the Conservatives won the 1886 General Election. He succeeded this appointment in 1887 as First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons, and became Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in 1891, dying shortly afterwards at Walmer Castle. His widow was created Viscountess Hambleden. One of the only ministers personally close to Salisbury (apart from the latter's nephew James Arthur Balfour), Smith was dubbed "Old Morality" due to his austere manner and conduct. 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Strand refers to: Strand Magazine Strand, London, the primary reference; and Strand National Historic Landmark District in Galveston, Texas. ... Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7,500,000 and a metropolitan area population of between 12 and 14 million. ... The Chief Secretary was the most important position for determining British policy in Ireland after the Lord Lieutenant, and was frequently a cabinet level position in the 19th and early twentieth centuries. ... The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, a British cabinet-level position, first applied to Henry Dundas (appointed in 1794). ... Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (February 3, 1830–August 22, 1903). ... 1885 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1886 is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... The 1886 UK general election took place from July 1-27, 1886. ... 1887 is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar). ... The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, usually but not always the Prime Minister. ... The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons. ... Flag of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. ... 1891 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Walmer Castle was built by Henry VIII in 1539-1540 as an artillery fortress to counter the threat of invasion from Catholic France and Spain. ... Viscount Hambleden is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ...