Sir William Alexander Smith (27 October 1854 – 10 May 1914), the founder of the Boys' Brigade, was born in Pennyland House, Thurso, Scotland.

There is now a building at Boys' Brigade Headquarters in Hemel Hempstead called the Thurso Centre.

His writings in a notebook indicated that he continued to take French classes after joining his uncle's business.

Fraser & Co. were wholesale dealers in "soft goods", shawls being one of their chief markets.

It was a combination of these two activities that led him to found the Boys' Brigade on 4 October 1883 at Free Church Mission Hall, North Woodside Road, Glasgow.