First Generation
William Smith (pictured left), the great grandfather of the present Chairman, Paul Smith, set up in business in the old Overgate in Dundee in 1867 and soon opened three other shops in the town.

The picture (right) shows the Overgate branch decked out for its 25th Anniversary Celebration Sale in 1892.

William took his brother, Peter C. Smith, into partnership in respect of the shop at 36 High Street, Dundee. Other shops had opened in Montrose, Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline, Alloa, St Andrews, Inverness, Forres, Wick, Thurso and Kirkwall. The partnership (‘copartnery’ as it was termed) was dissolved in 1885 and the Montrose business was sold to Peter in 1885. Around that time William set up two other joint businesses – Smith & Mann in Murraygate, Dundee and Smith & Kay in Tayport.

When the Overgate premises became too small premises were acquired at 8 Bank Street, Dundee which were known as William Smith, Wholesale Boot Manufacturer. It is not known to what extent manufacturing took place, but it was a central warehouse.

Second Generation
By 1904 bigger premises were needed and the warehouse moved for the second time to an old church at 3 Bell Street.

The shops at that time were known as the Dundee Equitable Boot Depot. Dundee indicated that the business was wider based than the town in which the shop was situated. Equitable meant fair or equal, i.e. that the customer could be sure of getting a fair deal and value for money. Boot Depot indicated there was a large stock to choose from.

By the time of the move to Bell Street William had taken his elder son, Robert (pictured left), into partnership and on William’s death in 1912 his younger son, William Junior (Willie)(pictured right), became a partner.

The two brothers continued to run and expand the business. They travelled round the shops, in winter in cold unheated trains, taking stock at each branch and on return to Dundee dealing with any matter that had arisen in their absence. They also did all their own buying and manufacturers’ representatives, “travellers” as they were known, brought their ranges to Dundee and selection was made.

In these days the manager of each shop was a time-served boot repairer. In the smaller shops, he did all the repairs and would maybe have one girl to do most of the serving, but in the larger shops there were two or three repairers and nearly always a young lad serving his time as an apprentice. It was not uncommon for the manager to come through to the front shop in his apron to serve customers and in the early days before restrictions, shops were open till ten or eleven o’clock, particularly on a Saturday night.

A great deal of the stock was unboxed and the likes of tackety boots and clogs were strung together. The shops in fishing towns also stocked greased leather thigh length fishermen’s boots and one shop known as the “Harbour” at the docks in Market Street, Aberdeen was a complete fisherman’s outfitter stocking everything from oil skins and boots to clasp knives.

Other towns in which the firm traded but no longer has a presence were Alloa, Ayr (twice), Bowhill, Cromarty, Cullen, Dalbeattie, Denny, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Fraserburgh, Galashiels, Huntly, Inverkeithing, Kelso, Kirkcaldy (West End, High Street and Pathhead), Lochgelly, Milnathort, Newburgh, Perth, Portobello, Prestwick and Wishaw. The greatest number of shops trading at one time was, it is believed, 48, in the period between the wars.

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