Harry Smith was born in Stretton on 3rd January 1890 and baptised at Stretton on 2nd March that year. He was the son of Joseph Smith (born Stretton) and his wife Martha (formerly Gleave, nee Brierley) who was born at Aston.
In 1891 one-year old Harry was living with his parents at Stork Cottages on Warrington and Northwich Road in Stretton. He had two step-brothers, Arthur Gleave and Fred Gleave who were Martha’s sons aged 11 and 8 years respectively. He also had a brother Herbert (6) and sisters Clara (4) and Ethel (3). His father was a gamekeeper.
Ten years later he was living at Hatton Common with his parents and their family had been added to with Fanny (7) and Roger (5). Arthur and Fred had now taken the surname Smith. His father now worked at the brickworks.
In 1911 Harry was living at South View in Hatton with his parents and Roger and a nephew called Harold (4). Harry was a farm worker and his father was a brick maker, whilst his mother was a provision dealer.
On 1st January 1914, Harry married Ethel Victoria Duncalf (born Acton Grange) at Daresbury. She was a sister of Percy Duncalf, who would also serve in the Great War. They set up home in Hatton and had two daughters, Kathleen (born 1915) and Doreen M. (born 1927).
Harry served in the 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge’s Own Regiment) and according to the Hatton absent voters list in 1919 he had the service number 15134. It was not clear what rank he held or where he served.
The family moved from Hatton to Barker’s Hollow (in Preston-on-the-Hill) in about 1924 and were still living there in 1939. At that time Harry was a horseman on a farm. He was an agricultural worker all his life.
Harry died on 27th August 1965 in Warrington Hospital and was buried four days later at Daresbury, following a service at Preston-on-the-Hill Methodist Church. His wife Ethel had died some years before and Harry had gone to live with his elder daughter and her family at Cotton’s Bridge in Preston Brook. He was survived by his two daughters and three grandchildren.
He was 75 years old.