Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 12 April 1941

A Diamond Jubilee.

We heartily congratulate Mr. A. J. Lineham Smith, of The Cottage, Wath-upon-Dearne, who on Saturday completed 80 years’ service on the staff of Messrs. Nicholson and Co., solicitors, Wath.

Mr. Lineham Smith joined the staff on April 5th, 1881, when the firm was known as Nicholson, Saunders, Nicholson and Reeder, with offices at Wath and London, and rooms at Doncaster, Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley, with weekly attendances at the latter.

On the death of Mr. Reeder, the late Mr. D. M. Nicholson, of Sheffield, joined the firm in 1894, and on the latter’s death in 1928, his son, Ms. T. C. Nicholson, succeeded to the Yorkshire practice.

When Mr. Smith entered the service of the firm there was a staff of 16 at the Wath office and six at the city office. Mr. Smith is the only survivor of the then Wath staff. Owing to depletion of the latter consequent on the war, he is still carrying on.

He recalls when the business of the parish was transacted in the commercial room of the Red Lion Hotel and the days when voting papers were distributed to the ratepayers and collected over the week-end and the votes counted in public. He took part in the first local board election in 1881 and has officiated at every Parliamentary election in Wath since that year.

He has been rightly described as a man of many parts. In addition to his lengthy service with his firm, he contributed for 50 years a column of chatty Wath notes under the nom de plume of ” Montgomery,” attended the meetings of the old Local Board, and reported those of the new urban council; at was formerly deputy organist the Parish Church, subsequently organist and choirmaster for 38 years at St. Joseph’s Church.

He has been a member of the old Wath Rifle Club, winning the Donegal Badge, joined the Home Defence League, under Col. Bingham, and when this body joined the special constables during the last war, became a section leader. He has also taken part in local football and cricket, has cycled hundreds of miles on an old penny-farthing cycle and written several popular musical compositions. He was the conductor of the Wath Philharmonic Band and organised popular concerts before the days of the cinema, and has taken part in innumerable benefit concerts and entertainments.

Mr. and Mrs Lineham Smith celebrated their Golden Wedding two years ago.