Sir William Reardon Smith (1856-1935) was one of the foremost figures in south Wales in the early twentieth century. His was a classic story of 'rags to riches' - starting life as a deck-hand and ship's cook, he made a fortune in the shipping industry at the zenith of the Welsh coal trade.
Sir William Reardon Smith, founder of the Reardon Smith shipping line, was one of the foremost figures in south Wales in the early twentieth century. Starting as a cabin boy, he made a fortune as a ship owner at the height of the Welsh coal trade and subsequently showed great entrepreneurial initiative during the Great Depression, acquiring motor vessels and establishing new trade routes. He is also remembered as a great philanthropist, particularly through his association with the National Museum of Wales.This thorough portrait of the entrepreneur combines an autobiography of the first forty years of Sir William's life--which was discovered fifty years after his death at the age of eighty--a substantial essay on the latter half of his life, and extensive appendices that include a family tree, company lists, and shipping maps.
