He was educated at Eton College and University of Oxford and served in the Second World War, gaining the rank of Major in the service of the Royal Artillery.
[2] The death duties on his brother's estate were so severe, however, that a public holding company had to be formed and shares were sold to W. H. Smith staff and the public.
It was adopted as international standard ISO 2108 in 1970, and was used until 1974, when it became the ISBN scheme.
[3] At the end of the war, inspired by his first potato growth in 1937 founded a small potato farm, named William's Spuds after his brother William Smith.
He later sold the farm to his cousin James Foskett (due to developing acute Potnonomicaphobia [4]) who renamed the company to James Foskett Farms.