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Timeline of Scottish History

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William Alexander Smith

William Alexander Smith

  • Name  : Smith
  • Born  : 1854
  • Died  : 1914
  • Category  : Other
  • Finest Moment : Creation of the Boys' Brigade, 1883

Born in Thurso, in 1854, the son of an officer in the dragoons who later became a businessman. When his father died, Smith moved to Glasgow, aged 13, to be brought up by an uncle in the wholesaling business. He joined his business as an apprentice, and later started his own firm along with a brother.

Smith joined the Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers, the YMCA, and the Free Church. In the latter he became associated with the Rev George Reith (father of the BBC's Lord Reith). All of these activities ignited one day in 1883. Smith was taking a Sunday School in North Woodside, full of young, energetic, but somewhat bored pupils. Why not, Smith thought, introduce some discipline to these pupils, in the way of a paramilitary youth organisation. And so 'The Boys' Brigade' was created.

It spread rapidly throughout Scotland, Britain and the Commonwealth. It was dedicated to 'the advancement of God's Kingdom among Boys'. Entrants wore a simple uniform of belt, diagonal sash, and a small, round hat which maintained its position via a chin-strap. Eventually, summer camps were part of the scheme, and always with a firm church base. The organisation was quasi-military, with companies, brigades and so on. There was a fair bit of drilling and marching, all intended to introduce some personal discipline into youthful hooligans, and it worked for many.

Smith married twice and had two sons; he gave up his business to concentrate on the organisation, becoming its Secretary and organiser. Knighted in 1909, he died the day after a mass rally in London, in the Albert Hall. He was succeeded by both sons, one of whom, Stanley, followed in his footsteps as Brigade Secretary.

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